UniFi · Comparison
Eero, Google Nest, Orbi, Deco — versus a wired UniFi system. An honest comparison, including when mesh is the right call.
Mesh systems solve one problem: getting a usable signal into more rooms without running cables. If you rent, or you're in a small single-storey home with light-frame walls, a good mesh kit is genuinely fine. We'll tell you that to your face.
But mesh is a workaround, not an architecture. Every wireless hop between nodes costs speed and stability — and the things people actually want next (cameras that don't charge monthly fees, an intercom on your phone, a network that separates your work laptop from your kids' tablets) aren't things mesh platforms do.
UniFi is what mesh grows up into: every access point wired, every device on one platform, nothing rented.
| Consumer mesh (Eero, Nest, Orbi, Deco) | UniFi, professionally installed | |
|---|---|---|
| How data travels | Wireless hops between nodes. Every hop halves usable speed and adds lag. | Every access point hardwired on Cat6. Full speed at every AP, every room. |
| Power | A power point behind furniture for every node. | PoE — one cable carries power and data. APs sit flat on the ceiling where coverage is best. |
| Cameras | Not part of the platform. Add Ring/Nest cameras with monthly cloud fees. | UniFi Protect built in. Footage stays on your hardware. No fees. |
| Intercom & door access | Separate apps, separate ecosystems, separate logins. | Same platform. Intercom rings your phone; access control in the same interface. |
| Subscriptions | Often — camera storage, advanced security features, parental controls. | $0/month. Everything owned outright. |
| Guest & IoT separation | A basic guest network at best. | Proper VLANs — cameras, smart home gear, guests and work devices genuinely separated. |
| Visibility | An app that says "all good". | Per-device, per-port monitoring. We can see (and fix) problems remotely before you notice them. |
| Scaling | Practical ceiling around 3–4 nodes before performance sags. | Add APs, cameras, switches as needed. Same platform runs 400-device sites. |
| Up-front cost | Lower. $300–$800 off the shelf, self-installed. | Higher. Professionally designed and wired from $4,000. |
Already own a mesh kit that isn't keeping up? The migration path is clean: we wire the home, the UniFi gateway takes over routing, and the mesh kit goes to the holiday house. Nothing wasted.
Send us your floor plan and how you use the internet. We'll give you a straight answer — even if the answer is “keep your mesh.”