UAP AC HD performance test

ac hd uap Click to enlarge!
ac hd uap
In our last device test, we had the opportunity to see the underestimated access point Ubiquiti Unifi Nano HD, which did great in our test. Today it came to another device from the AP UniFi series. UAP AC HD is another Ubiquiti flagship access point. On paper it is faster, newer and stronger. How is it in reality? Let's find out.

UAP AC HD specification

Model:
UAP NANO HD
UAP AC PRO
UAP AC HD
Dimensions: 160 x 32.65 mm 196.7 x 35 mm 220 x 48.1 mm
The working environment: Inside Inside and outside Inside and outside
Speed 2.4 GHz: 300 Mb/s 450 Mb/s 800 MB/s
Frequency 5 GHz: 1733 Mb/s 1300 Mb/s 1733 Mb/s
The PoE mode: PoE 802.3af 802.3af PoE / 802.3at PoE + 802.3at PoE +
Ports: (1) Ethernet 10/100/1000 (2) Ethernet 10/100/1000 (2) Ethernet 10/100/1000
MIMO: 4x4 3x3 4x4
MU-MIMO: Yes No Yes

At the very beginning, let's look at the AP AC HD specification. As we can see in the table above, this is the most powerful access point of the UniFI family. The device is characterized by 4x4 MU-MIMO technology and dual-band operation. This design allows it to work on two 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio bands. The built-in 4x4 MIMO antennas provide peak data transfer performance of 1.7 GB/s in 802.11ac Wave2 Wi-Fi network. The chipset responsible for controlling the device is Qualcomm QCA9994, designed to support MU-MIMO channels 160 MHz and 80+80MHz, which provide signal coverage of a large area. AP AC HD access point is fully compatible with the 802.3at PoE+ standard.

Construction of UAP-AC-HD Click to enlarge!
Construction of UAP-AC-HD

Construction of UAP AC HD

The access point is delivered in a simple compact box. Of course, you should pay attention to the sticker with a protective holographic mark as a confirmation of authenticity. On the box you will also find technical data and description of the kit. Inside the box, apart from UAP AC HD, you will find a PoE adapter (model U-POE-af) with a 60cm long network cable, a wall or ceiling mounting kit and short documentation.

UAP AC HD Click to enlarge!
UAP AC HD

When it comes to the UAP-AC-HD itself, the construction of the device is maintained in the typical Ubiquiti saucer shape. The manufacturer for the production of UAP AC HD has used most of the proven features from previous models in the UniFI AP series, so the size of the device itself is slightly larger than the previous PRO version. Similarly to other UniFI access points, on the top of the case we will find a ring, informing us about the status of the device. This is a list of all available status indicators:

.
  • Blinking white light - Initiating device.
  • Fixed white light - Factory settings.
  • Fixed blue light - The device has been configured correctly.
  • Blinking white light - Software update.
  • Blinking blue light every 5 seconds - Device disconnected.
  • LED off - Device is offline.
  • UAP AC HD ports Click to enlarge!
    UAP AC HD ports
    The device is equipped with two Gigabit Ethernet ports, one of them is used to connect UAP AC HD to the network. The second port can be used as a bridge to connect other unpowered network devices or can be used as additional connections for link aggregation based on the 802.3ad standard. On the device's casing there is also a button to reboot and a USB-C port to connect an optional PA system.

    UniFi OS Console

    Ubiquiti UniFi AC HD is directly administered by the UniFi OS Console software, which is a unified solution for managing the Ubiquiti UniFi network product line.

    The configuration and installation of the device is very simple and requires no specialist knowledge.

    In the first step, download the controller software from the Ubiquiti website:

    UniFi OS Console

    *Alternative is to purchase and use a key for Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Key, which allows you to work in the cloud.

    The next step, you should:

    • Select the country you are currently in.
    • Select the access point to be installed.
    • Enter a name and password for the WLAN and the software user name.

    After correct configuration, you can access the UniFi OS Console.

    With the AP-AC-HD presentation done, let's get to the expected tests.

    UAP-AC-HD controller Click to enlarge!
    UAP-AC-HD controller

    UniFI AP AC HD performance tests

    The purpose of our tests is to verify the network coverage in Mesh topology. Both in terms of signal coverage and real speeds available in the building.

    For 2.4GHz connections we have assumed the maximum channel width of 40MHz, and for 5GHz the channel width of 80MHz. AP-AC-HD can work in 5GHz band with 160MHz channel width, however, due to still limited number of end devices (phones/laptops) we have omitted these tests.

    The testing device was MacBook Pro A1502 equipped with a built-in AirPort Extreme wireless card (Broadcom BCM4360 3x3, 1.3 Gbps PHY) working under 802.11a/b/g/n/ac standards.

    Before the speed tests we verified the maximum performance of the LAN and iperf3 server. The aforementioned laptop was connected with a 10/100/1000Mbps network card to the switch. We obtained the following maximum speeds for a single TCP stream:

  • Download: 894Mbps
  • Send: 958Mbps
  • The AP-1 and AP-2 interfaces have been connected to each other in Mesh mode only, i.e. only wirelessly.

    Network diagram:

    UAP-AC-HD network diagram Click to enlarge!
    UAP-AC-HD network diagram

    Spectrum analyzer measurement

    The measurement with a radio spectrum analyzer of the transmitter's characteristics surprised us very positively. It can be observed that in contrast to older UniFi devices, the AP has ideal characteristics well suited for operation in high density networks.
    AP AC HD Click to enlarge!
    AP AC HD

    Signal coverage map

    We used the AirSurvey software to map the signal. To read the signal levels correctly please pay attention to the color legend at the bottom of the picture. Access point locations are marked with appropriate icons. The device on the "ground floor" was connected to the switch via 1Gbps Ethernet port.
    heat map aup ac hd Click to enlarge!
    heat map aup ac hd

    Speed test

    We performed speed tests with WiFiPerf software, and the speed test server was Iperf3 software.
    • measuring point No. 1
    Download 515Mbps
    AP AC HD speed test Click to enlarge!
    AP AC HD speed test
    Upload 402Mbps
    AP AC HD speed test Click to enlarge!
    AP AC HD speed test
    • measuring point No. 2
    Download 657Mbps
    AP AC HD speed test Click to enlarge!
    AP AC HD speed test
    Upload 618Mbps
    speed test ap ac hd Click to enlarge!
    speed test ap ac hd
    • measuring point No. 3
    Download 461Mbps
    AP AC HD speed test Click to enlarge!
    AP AC HD speed test
    Upload 580Mbps
    speed test Click to enlarge!
    speed test
    • measuring point No. 4
    Download 367Mbps
    speed test ap ac hd Click to enlarge!
    speed test ap ac hd
    Upload 505Mbps
    AC HD speed test Click to enlarge!
    AC HD speed test
    • measuring point No. 5
    Download 28Mbps
    Click to enlarge!
    Upload 30Mbps
    AP AC HD speed test Click to enlarge!
    AP AC HD speed test
    • measuring point No. 6
    Download 121Mbps
    speed test ap ac hd Click to enlarge!
    speed test ap ac hd
    Upload 56Mbps
    AP AC HD speed test Click to enlarge!
    AP AC HD speed test

    At measurement point no. 5, the connection was set up with a device marked AP-2, which operated in MESH mode, i.e. the signal from AP-1 was retransmitted by the AP-2. Measurement in all rooms on the floor through the AP-2 was limited by the low capacity of the mesh network connection between the AP-1 and the AP-2. Despite the close distance between the installation of the AP-1 and the AP-2 of approx. 5m, they are separated by a thick load-bearing wall and a thick ceiling of approx. 25cm, and additionally placed at a sharp angle, which makes the obstacle really thick.

    Conclusions

    We observed relatively large differences in the signal between 2.4GHz and 5GHz transmitters working in Mesh topology. At 2.4GHz the reported signal is 68dBm when the transmitter parameters are set in "auto" mode. At 5GHz the reported signal was only 86 dBm with "auto" mode settings.

    In the test environment it was difficult to obtain a stable Mesh operating in the 5GHz band with automatic settings. The transmitters switched to 2.4GHz, and when the 2.4GHz frequency was switched off from the MESH topology, the transmitters had problems with connecting.

    The only solution to force MESH topology on 5GHz frequencies in the tested environment was to set the transmitter channels rigidly on a specific frequency. You should first set up a remote transmitter that works with the rest of the network in Mesh topology, and only then connect the transmitter with an Ethernet cable to the network. After forcing one channel (100 with DFS, 80MHz) on both frequencies, after a longer period of time the device connected to 82dBm signal. The longer waiting time for the connection was forced by maintaining compatibility with DFS and Radar Detect functionality.

    With no dedicated Mesh radio, this is not an ideal solution to build Mesh networks, but only a solution to seal coverage in less important places.

    AP AC HD Click to enlarge!
    AP AC HD

    Summary

    When you look at the results of our tests, there is no doubt about it. Ubiquiti UniFI AP AC HD is the fastest and best UniFi access point. Generally speaking, if you have some experience with router or access point setup and want to cover your home or business with the fastest 802.11ac WiFi currently available, then UniFI AP AC HD is a reasonable option. However, if you only have 2x2 MIMO products or few clients using your network at the same time, the older access point AP AC PRO may be a better option for you. The twin product provides similar solutions for half the price.

    Disadvantages:

    • Every change of radio settings, whether they are 5GHz or only 2.4GHz, forces you to wait again "DFS Waiting"
    • The characteristics of the built-in antenna in practice do not provide radiation on all sides, and the metal brackets used influence the formation of the radio beam. A screen narrowing the radio beam is created.

    The advantages

    • The assembly method is well described and has a rich set of possibilities.
    • Power supply included.
    • USB-C port.
    • The connectors are protected by rubber, giving the effect of protecting against, for example, moisture and blows of snow or drizzle.
    • High radio performance.
    • Ability to work outdoors.

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