This is going to sound a lot like an ad, but it’s not.
(I don’t even have affiliate links to use for these guys, sadly - I just love them, because they’re the best)
(but I do have affiliate links for some of the other stuff)
Best Value, Rock Solid WiFi 6+
If you want the best, most reliable WiFi at the best price. Please, please, DO NOT go to Amazon or Best Buy - because you’ll pay a premium and you’ll get some sort of mediocre WiFi that looks like a space-ship.
Get Ubiquiti instead!
Ubiquiti isn’t just the best, it’s the Best Value
If you’ve never heard of Ubiquiti (store.ui.com), you’re missing out.
Their slogan almost says it all:
“Simple IT that Just Works”
Ubiquiti’s UniFi line of Networking Equipment what Apple is to Laptops and phones… except without the Apple price tag.
You typically pay less with ubiquiti than you would at the retail stores.
The Catch: You have to buy direct from their website, or from high-end, professional retail stores, like Adorama.
Shopping List
Ubiquiti’s best value WiFi 6 option is to purchase a UniFi 6 Lite Access Point, with the Gigabit 48v PoE (Power Adapter), and some 3M Strips (for mounting to the ceiling).
Because it uses a Power-over-Ethernet you only have one cable going into the unit. Very sleek.
| Product | Price | SKU |
|---|---|---|
| UniFi 6 Lite Access Point | $99 | U6-Lite-US |
| Gigabit PoE Injector, 48VDC, 24W | $16 | POE-48-24W-G |
| 3M Large Picture Command Strips | $12 | - |
| UniFi Switch Flex Mini* | $29 | USW-Flex-Mini |
| EdgeRouter X* | $59 | ER-X |
| Slim Cat6 Cable | (see below) | U-Cable-Patch-RJ45 |
* You may or may not need a switch or a router depending on how your network is already set up. At home your modem may be a router. At work your ethernet probably goes back to a switch.
Ubiquiti has the best ethernet cables on the market (very slim too), and at the best price you can get them!
If you’re already on the website for something else - such as their WiFi 6 Access Point - getting the “patch” cables is a no brainer.
| Length (metric) | Imperial (approx) | Price (approx) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1m | 4" inches | $2.00 |
| 0.3m | 1’ foot | $2.20 |
| 1.0m | 3’ feet | $2.60 |
| 2.0m | 6.5’ feet | $3.40 |
| 3.0m | 10’ feet | $4.00 |
| 5.0m | 16’ feet | $5.40 |
| 8.0m | 26’ feet | $7.40 |
A Word of Caution: Access Points are NOT Routers!
Ubiquiti’s stuff is really sleek, and easy to set up - you can just scan a QR code on your phone and have it set up via bluetooth.
HOWEVER, it’s also discrete. The WiFi is just WiFi. The switch is just a switch.
If your modem or network does not already have a router (meaning something that dishes out 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x addresses) then you’ll need to purchase one separately.
I like the EdgeRouter X. Its Setup Wizard is great for basic setup, but if you need to do fancy things like Port Forwarding, you have to learn the proper terminology and perhaps find a guide. The don’t have wizards for that sort of thing and they don’t dumb-it-down with made up words - so in some ways it’s easier to use for the advanced stuff, but it other ways it’s not.