UniFi Long-Range Access Point
Extend your Wi-Fi network with the UniFi ac LR Access Point, part of the Ubiquiti Networks UniFi Enterprise WiFi System. The UniFi ac LR Access Point is an indoor, long-range 802.11ac dual-radio access point, capable of speeds up to 1317 Mbps with a range of up to 183 meters.
Features:
- Simultaneous Dual-Band Operation
- 5 GHz Band with Speeds of up to 867 Mbps
- 2.4 GHz Band with Speeds of up to 450 Mbps
- Range up to 183 meters (600 feet)
Works with UniFi Network Controller
- Manage Your Networks from a Single Control Plane
- Intuitive and Robust Configuration, Control and Monitoring
- Remote Firmware Upgrade
- Users and Guests
- Guest Portal/Hotspot Support
fourtoe –
I installed the Pro version of these in our offices about 2 years ago and they have worked flawlessly. I have been on the fence about getting these at home and finally purchased the LR version for my house and it makes a major difference.I have a 1500 square foot home and I now have no less than 50% 5g connectivity anywhere in the house and garage. A smart outlet that was only receiving about 20-25% 2.4 Ghz with my Verizon router’s AP is now getting no less than 80% at 2.4 Ghz. I have about 20 wireless devices connected in my home (I work in IT) and they are all seeing speed improvements about 10-20% when connecting to the Internet.Like I said, I installed the Pro version in our offices and am familiar with the Unifi interface to setup the AP. If you are not network savvy I would suggest getting a friend who is to help you out. Once you have the setup complete you do not have to have the Unifi software running continuously.
PRH –
I’m an IT professional. If you have no prior experience with “controller based” wifi, this product is not for you. If all you need is a single WiFi AP (access point), this is overkill. That being said, I bought two and will probably buy a 3rd. I have one on my main floor and one in the basement. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to not do a site survey after placing the APs in temporary spots. Using a simple Wi-Fi analyzer on my cell phone, I was able to map each AP’s signal strength in various locations around the house. Sitting on my living room couch the signal from both APs was almost equal. That’s a problem. I sit there a lot and if my cell phone keeps switching APs (roaming) it’ll affect battery life. Well it did. So I moved the AP in the basement so that it would have a weaker signal at the couch. I also adjusted the basement AP’s radio power and problem solved. The free UniFi Controller software works great. You can attach the APs to switch ports that carry multiple VLANs (tagging) and assign each one to a different SSID which is great for security. BTW: if you don’t have a PoE switch, don’t buy a multipack. You don’t get power injectors. Buy singles. This is a commercial grade product. This is you writing bad reviews because you can’t handle the heat need to leave the kitchen. Bunch of whiners!
Thomas Almy –
This Ubiquiti Unifi AP-AC-LR wireless access point was purchased to replace a 9 year old Apple AirPort Extreme. It installed without a hitch, has longer range and more speed. The management software (which you must use) provides a plethora of options and reports great statistics including the ability to sniff channel usage so one can pick the best channels to run on. I want to point out a few potential downsides to keep in mind:1. It isn’t a router. This seems to catch many people, especially home users, off guard. But I’ve always used a separate router, so no problem there.2. It is powered over the Ethernet connection, which is great for commercial installation but an annoyance for home install.3. The controller software must be used during setup and is best kept running 24/7. Not a problem if you have a server computer (which I do). Once running it is reachable through a web browser on any of your computers (nice).4. The software made initial setup a breeze, but navigating it for making changes can be challenging until you become comfortable with its organization.Although I’m only using one unit, being a commercial grade AP it is easy to add additional units to service more area (such as to fill in dead spots). But realize that this is not a mesh and you really need wired Ethernet to each unit for best results. Luckily I’ve got Ethernet extending to the extreme ends of my house so I can easily extend coverage if I need to, but it seems to work well throughout our 2200 sq ft single level home and adequately (but for video) to the corners of our 1/4 acre lot.
RufusRufus –
I bought this because I moved to a new home and had spotty reception in a few places. See the attached image for a layout of the first floor. The basement footprint is identical (minus the garage) but the basement is essentially one huge open finished room. The footprint of the house is 2500 sqft (times two floors = 5000 sqft). The yellow star is where my old WiFi router was placed and it is where the AP-AC Long Range was placed.Problems I was solving–coverage issues mostly:1) Chromecast in the living room couldn’t handle 1080p streams2) Chromecast in the gym and master bedroom would get a little stuttery on 720p3) Couldn’t use WiFi at all in either bathroom (by the garage and the master bath)4) WiFi connected garage door that was pretty iffy5) Sunroom was a toss up for just browsing Reddit which sucks because it’s a great room for coffee. Half the time it wouldn’t work.TL;DR All problems are solved!Figured I’d replace what I had (like a 12 year old Belkin Wi-Fi router in AP mode for $40-$60) with this guy. Figured A) it couldn’t be worse, and B) if the problems aren’t solved, I’ll buy a second one for meshing. Probably would have experimented with location of this first AP-AC LR first though.Well one was enough. Amazing. All Chromecasts can handle 1080p via Plex now and I can watch Youtube on the toilets/sunroom. Running a speedtest from Google there were places where I was getting 1 Mbps and now it’s 20+ (I pay for 100 but 20’s good enough for 1080p video). In both bathrooms I would often see signals of -70dB and now it’s -50dB. My neighbors’ signals are no longer encroaching on my own. Amen. The only device I have in the basement is a Google Home Mini, it’s right under the thermostat by the bathroom on the right side of my floorplan (again, see attached image, thermostats are the pink things because they’re in heating mode). The Mini connects fine too and streams music no problem (my only use case).Also, I installed this thing in about 8 minutes and haven’t done any tinkering whatsoever, so maybe it can get even better. I didn’t ceiling mount it, it’s just sitting on a shelf about 3 feet off the ground. Amazed.If you’re curious, this floorplan is from Home Assistant and it’s awesome.
MikeS –
Using this for home wireless in a complicated single-story layout. I have a Ubiquiti nanoHD sited at one end, serving a small 2nd floor and most of the main ground floor. The nanoHD has fantastic throughput – assuming you can keep signal. Its range is decidedly local, favoring throughput on 5GHz over connection range even on 2.4. The LR, despite allegedly lower power output, really does have a better antenna. The LR, serving the same SSIDs, sits in our basement, on a beam, dome-side up. It serves everything the nanoHD doesn’t, handles roaming/handoff fine even on non-r devices, and actually covers devices in the far end of the nano’s area with okay speeds (50-85Mbps) when I reload the nano. It’s remarkable. Why not use only LRs? Well, if connectivity reliability and range is your #1 concern, definitely do use all LRs! If you need or want the fastest, low-latency throughput at whatever wireless negotiated rate you can sustain a connection, or you can situate more APs to ensure good coverage, then the nanoHD is a better choice. Negatives are it doesn’t deliver the same speeds as the newer units even at the same negotiated wireless rate. (e.g., at a 160Mbps negotiated 5G n rate, the nano delivers 140Mbps and the LR 85Mbps on the same enduser device using the same testbed). That said, when the distance gets a little farther, the LR keeps a decent connection going and the nanoHD just drops out.Short version – fantastic range, reliable connectivity, excellent coverage, easy to set up with the Ubiquiti software-based management tools. Good throughput comparable with consumer devices at the same pricepoint but the nanoHD is faster, at the cost of range (and higher price).
ForceTrainer –
I want to caveat what will be a glowing review with this comment. I am a true computer nerd and former systems admin, so playing with this type of hardware is more fun than anything else. With that being said, this is hands down the easiest business/enterprise level device I have ever used, and people with a basic understanding of how their home networks work can absolutely use this.Like many, I heard about the Ubiquiti line of products from an Ars Technica post a few months back. I have been searching for a way to ensure solid wifi coverage across my 3-story home (about 3,000 sq. ft.) since my Asus Dark Knight wireless signal has slowly been getting worse (honestly, it was never that good). I wasn’t sold on the Eero or Luma because backhaul is handled via wireless, and there’s also the issue that it costs $500 for the setup. Considering how much equipment I have, dropping $500 to duplicate functionality of some of my gear just didn’t seem worthwhile. The plan was to turn off the wireless on my router, install one of these puppies, and see how many more I might need. Worst case I would drop $300 to put one on each floor of the house, saving me $200 over the Eero. It helps immensely that I have ethernet running to key places in the house that makes a hardwired setup on each floor possible.Setup for the unit took literally five minutes. I used the power over ethernet (PoE) injector, and it should be noted for folks that familiar with these types of devices you will need two ethernet cables if you don’t use PoE. One cable goes from your network jack/switch to the PoE power unit, and the second then goes to the AP.I downloaded the UniFi controller software, and it found the AP with no issues. I went through the guided setup setting my SSID and password, and then logged into the controller interface. There are a plethora of options, and I suggest playing around with things like the RF environment scan, 5G steering and so on, but the main thing I wanted to do was shut off the internal DHCP server. By the time that was done and the controller refreshed, 11 devices throughout the house had connected flawlessly.The real surprising factor was the coverage throughout the house. Again, I’m trying to get coverage through a 3-floor house with a finished basement, so I figured I would need at least 2 – 1 on the main floor and one in the basement. Nope! With the single device I have solid signal in every corner of my house, including the deepest, darkest recesses of my basement and the furthest point in my second floor in my tile bathroom. I do have a relatively open floorpan, but the fact that a $100 device covers my entire house was mind blowing.The only real downside to the device is if you want to use some of the more robust enterprise-style features, like a guest portal, you need to have the controller running on a server. However, I don’t think this is much of an issue for most users. Some other devices have one-time guest codes and other control mechanisms for when people come to visit, but honestly, I don’t understand the need for them. If a friend is over the house and wants to use my wifi, what do I care if he has access to it any time he’s at the house? Generating a one-time code every time seems to be more in the realm of, “I’ll trust you now, but later I’m not too sure.” If I notice my friends sitting in the driveway of my house at 3am trying to use my network there are probably much larger issues going on than them just stealing my wifi.From the computer nerd perspective this device is incredibly easy to setup. The only actual setting I needed to change was turning off the DHCP server. Other than that it’s basically plug and play. There are obviously a bunch of other features, and the controller UI is pretty slick, but for what I needed, which was a replacement for the dying wireless on my Asus router, this more than fit the bill at 1/5th the cost of an Eero.
DavidDavid –
Replaced my largely unreliable Linksys WRT-1900AC router with this, and I am never looking back. Since the AP is detached from the router, I was able to place this in a more central location in my house, and I hardly drop more than a bar in reception anywhere in my multi-level house. Since it was powered via PoE, I only had to run my ethernet (back-pulled through the attic) and mount on the ceiling. Connection has never dropped. The controller is fantastic. I plan on purchasing an EdgeRouter to handle the routing too, but for now, my Linksys in router-only mode with DD-WRT is handling the job fantastically. At any given time, I have 13+ wireless clients connected (occasionally more), but I suspect the limit for connected clients is much greater than that.I purchased some of the Pro versions of this for work, but they are still on backorder (and have been for months). I received this in days. Great product – highly recommend!
Agamemnon –
This is a great step up from the consumer grade stuff I had been using. The attractive design allowed me to bring my wireless access out of the closet (literally) giving me much better radio coverage than I had before. Setting up main and guest networks using the controller software (PC, mac or unix on the same network as the APs) couldn’t be easier. Each added AP then “just works” when adopted. I also like that the APs automatically manage hand-offs between each other and automatically select the 2.4 or 5 Ghz bands based on best performance. No need for separate SSIDs for each.This is not for the complete networking newbie. But if you know what an IP address is and the difference between an access point and a wireless router, you’re gonna be fine.Highly recommended!I probably had unrealistic expectations for wireless coverage (Maybe only one AP for my 1,970 sq ft house?) based on reviews here and this unit almost met them anyway. I ended up with one AP-AC-Lite and one AP-AC-LR and between them I get great coverage.I installed the controller software on a raspberry pi connected to the network and it’s been working well. It’s not really necessary after initial setup, but I’ve had fun looking at all of the stats it collects.
Jamal95Jamal95 –
This thing is absolutely amazing, and blows a 5 year old consumer grade routers WiFi radio out of the water. Definitely made me plan out a future full ubiquiti network build for when I finally splurge on gigabit internet for the house.I’ve had this AP installed for the last two weeks on my wall in my downstairs living room and it is a night and day difference to the WiFi radio in my 5 year TP link archer c7. This thing reaches all four corners of my 2300 sq ft house and then some. I’m getting nearly 90 mb/s symmetrical in the furthest upstairs room of my house when I pay for 100 symmetrical (soon to be gigabit when I upgrade to a USG and ubniquiti switch) . This little flying saucer is quite powerful. The controller software also gives a really easy way to control multiple APs or other tech you may buy for your network in the ubiquiti ecosystem. Because I had it running on the raspberry pi before I got the AP, install was super fast, just go to my browser, type the ip of my pi with https on the front and add:8443 to the end and you follow some super easy walkthrough to get the AP working. Only took 30 minutes to get set up, 15 minutes on the hole drilling for the wall mount as well as cabling to my router to the poe injector and then to the AP. Then 15 minutes to configure the AP and push a firmware upgrade to it. Just like that my whole houseThe only con I could see is that this isn’t for newbie or amateur computer/tech people. This requires at least some above level knowledge to setup, I suggest if you are confused to follow as many youtube videos as possible before purchasing. I noticed most of the 1 star reviews for this product are tied to cluelessness. This is NOT A ROUTER, you must have an existing router to use this with, also if you don’t understand network configs simply use the iphone or android app to set it up.My setup is using the tp link archer c7 as a router and switch (soon to be upgraded to a USG). I run the ubiquiti controller software off a raspberry pi so I can monitor things round the clock and it’s connected to the archer over a cat 6a patch cable. then I run another cat6a to the provided injector and a cat 6a cable up to the AP. Easy once you realize how simple it is, a monkey or child can use it.I will never buy consumer grade equipment again as long as this type of tech is around. This thing is definitely worth the buy, and I won’t hesitate to buy future ubiquiti products if they work this smoothly.
ML –
I was originally going to get an expensive $300-500 WIFI mesh system for my 3500 square ft home but ended up buying this unit after seeing the glowing reviews and being that I am in the IT field as well. Setup was a piece of cake especially downloading the android app to set it up. I know I can do a lot more tweaking of the settings with the proper app installed on a PC or Mac but I am more than happy with the way I can set it up with the android app. I am impressed with the quality of the unit, the little things they thought of, the POE injector, and the insane range of this beast. I have strong or very strong signal with both my 2.4 & 5GHz broadcasts with speeds up to 433Mbs on 5Ghz almost everywhere in my house. I turned off my router’s wifi broadcast as well as my old repeaters. My 8 WIFI cameras, 3 smart TVs, 5 tablets and 3 phones never drop out anymore and have blazing fast internet speed. I ended up mounted it to the ceiling on the top floor of my 2 story house, right in the middle of the floor plan. I ran a normal cat5e ethernet cable from the AP to the POE injector and a cat5e from the POE injector to my router/switch. The app found the unit immediately, and after changing a few settings I was able to optimize the speed and range of the WIFI. It’s been a few days now and I have yet to have any issues with latency or with devices dropping off the network and everyone has strong signal everywhere in the house and in the backyard. Definitely recommend to anyone with a larger sized home.