Read this before you spend a dollar.
Every guide answers one buying decision with numbers and a verdict — including the verdict that you should buy less than you planned. Written by the people who install the gear, updated when the catalog changes.
The three decisions every network starts with
Gateway, access points, switch — in that order. Get these three right and the rest of the catalog is accessories.
The $159 Ultra covers most homes. We map the exact internet speeds and feature needs where each step up earns its price.
UPDATED 2026-06 · WI-FI How many access points do you actually need?The square-footage rule of thumb, the wall-material multiplier, and the floor-count rule — with worked examples from real installs.
UPDATED 2026-05 · SWITCHES Sizing a PoE switch: ports, watts, and headroomCount the powered devices, sum the real draw, add 20%. The full method — or use the calculator and let it count for you.
What the new standard genuinely changes, what's marketing, and the honest upgrade math for Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 households.
UPDATED 2026-06 · COMPARE Ubiquiti vs Omada, Meraki & ArubaThe honest cross-shop against the real alternatives — where each rival actually wins, and the five-year cost once you count license fees.
UPDATED 2026-05 · KITS The apartment kit: great Wi-Fi in under 1,200 sq ftOne gateway, one AP, about $300 all-in. Why mesh kits are the wrong answer at this size, and the renter-friendly mounting options.
UPDATED 2026-05 · KITS Block walls and lanais: the Florida house playbookConcrete eats 5 GHz. AP-per-floor placement, the outdoor dead-zone fix, and why we spec one more AP than the square footage suggests.
From real installs UPDATED 2026-04 · CAMERAS Building a camera system: G5 vs G6, and how many2K covers a porch; 4K earns it at driveways and license-plate distance. Sensor math, storage sizing, and the NVR decision.
UPDATED 2026-04 · OFFICE The small-office spec: 10 to 60 peopleWhere home gear stops being enough: client counts, VLANs for guests, and the AP density video calls actually demand.
UPDATED 2026-03 · CABLING Cabling for the next decade: what to pull and whereCat6 vs Cat6a, the runs to add while the wall is open, and the one drop behind the TV everyone forgets.
“Every guide ends with who should not buy the thing.”
— the editorial standard, enforced
Get a spec instead of a sales pitch