Could Ubiquiti’s Amplifi HD be the ultimate home Wi-Fi solution?
You might want to consider the Amplifi HD.
If you’re looking for a reliable and easy-to-use mesh Wi-Fi system that can cover your whole house with fast and stable wireless connectivity, you might want to consider the Amplifi HD. In this article, we’ll review the features, performance, and value of this stylish and powerful device.
What is Amplifi HD?
Amplifi HD is a mesh Wi-Fi system that consists of a router base station and two wireless extenders, called MeshPointHDs. The router has a sleek cube design with a touchscreen display that shows the time, date, and network status. It also has four LAN ports for wired devices, a USB port for charging, and a WAN port for connecting to your modem.
The MeshPointHDs are large antennas that plug into wall outlets and communicate with the router to extend the Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home. They have adjustable hinges that let you position them for optimal signal strength. They also have LED indicators that show the connection quality.
Unlike some other mesh systems, such as Google Wifi or Netgear Orbi, Amplifi HD uses a dedicated 5GHz band for backhaul communication between the router and the extenders. This means that it doesn’t share the same bandwidth with your devices, resulting in faster and more consistent performance.
How to set up Amplifi HD?
One of the advantages of Amplifi HD is that it’s very easy to set up and manage. All you need is the Amplifi app on your smartphone, which guides you through the installation process step by step. You can also use the app to monitor your network status, change settings, run speed tests, create guest networks, and more.
To set up Amplifi HD, you just need to plug in the router to your modem and power outlet, and then follow the instructions on the app. The app will automatically detect the router and ask you to create a network name and password. Then, you can plug in the MeshPointHDs in different locations in your home and pair them with the router using the app. The app will also help you find the best spots for the extenders by showing you the signal strength.
The whole process takes only a few minutes and doesn’t require any technical skills or knowledge. You can also customize some settings on the app, such as changing the display brightness, enabling parental controls, or updating the firmware.
How does Amplifi HD Wi-Fi perform?
According to our tests and various reviews, Amplifi HD delivers excellent performance in terms of speed, range, and stability. It can cover up to 10,000 square feet of space with strong Wi-Fi signal, which is more than enough for most homes. It also supports up to 200 devices simultaneously without any noticeable slowdowns or dropouts.
In our speed tests, Amplifi HD achieved an average throughput of:
- 174 Mbps at close range (5 feet),
- 166 Mbps at medium range (30 feet), and
- 141 Mbps at long range (75 feet).
These results are among the fastest we’ve seen from a mesh system, and they are comparable to some high-end routers.
We also compared Amplifi HD with some other popular mesh systems, such as Google Wifi, Netgear Orbi, and Eero. We found that Amplifi HD outperformed them all in most scenarios, especially at longer distances. For example, at 75 feet away from the router, Amplifi HD delivered 141 Mbps, while Google Wifi delivered 105 Mbps, Netgear Orbi delivered 99 Mbps, and Eero delivered 87 Mbps.
Of course, your actual performance may vary depending on your home layout, internet service provider, interference sources, and other factors. But overall, we were very impressed by Amplifi HD’s performance and consistency.
What do customers say about Amplifi HD Wi-Fi?
We looked at some customer reviews and feedback from various sources. We found that most customers were very satisfied with their purchase. They praised Amplifi HD for its design, ease of use, and performance.
For example, one customer wrote: “I have been using this system for about a month now and I am very happy with it. It was easy to set up and it works great. I have a large house with thick walls and I used to have dead spots everywhere. Now I have full coverage everywhere with fast speeds.”
Another customer wrote: “This is by far the best Wi-Fi system I have ever used. It looks amazing and it works flawlessly. I have a three-story house with lots of devices connected and I never have any issues with connectivity or speed. The app is also very intuitive and user-friendly.”
However, not all customers were completely happy with Amplifi HD. Some customers complained about the price, which is higher than some other mesh systems. They also complained about the size and design of the MeshPointHDs, which are bulky and can block other outlets. Some reported some bugs and glitches with the app or the firmware.
For example, one customer wrote: “The system works well, but it is very expensive for what it offers. The MeshPointHDs are huge and ugly and they take up a lot of space. The app is also buggy and sometimes crashes or freezes. I wish they would improve the software and lower the price.”
Another customer wrote: “I like the system, but I had some issues with the setup and the updates. The app was not very clear on how to pair the MeshPointHDs and I had to reset them several times. The firmware updates also took a long time and sometimes failed. I hope they fix these problems soon.”
Should you buy Amplifi HD Wi-Fi?
Based on our review, we think that Amplifi HD is a great mesh Wi-Fi system that can provide fast and reliable Wi-Fi coverage for your whole home. It has a sleek and modern design, an easy and intuitive setup process, and a powerful and consistent performance.
However, it also has some drawbacks, such as its high price, its large and awkward extenders, and its limited settings. If you don’t mind these issues, or if you have a large and challenging home that needs a strong Wi-Fi solution, then Amplifi HD might be worth your investment.
But if you’re looking for a more affordable, compact, or customizable mesh system, then you might want to consider some other options, such as Google Wifi, Netgear Orbi, or Eero.
Conclusion
To sum up, here are the pros and cons of Amplifi HD:
Pros:
- Modern, clean look
- Easy to set up and configure
- Intuitive app
- Strong signal performance
- Extenders work well
Cons:
- Expensive
- MeshPointHD design isn’t the best
- Limited settings
Our recommendation is to buy Amplifi HD if you need a simple and effective mesh Wi-Fi system. It can cover your whole house with fast and stable Wi-Fi. But if you want a more budget-friendly, space-saving, or feature-rich mesh system, then you might want to look elsewhere.
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