Matt and Kelly, a tech-forward couple in Australia, reside in a single-storey brick home spanning 500m². With their recent upgrade to an NBN 1Gbps internet plan, their outdated router struggled to deliver consistent speeds across their large home. Dead zones, buffering during 4K streaming, and concerns about online security prompted them to seek a modern solution. Through Skyrockit.au, they selected UniFi’s UCG-MAX cloud gateway and U7 Lite access points, leveraging advanced design tools to ensure seamless indoor coverage, robust security, and future compatibility with UniFi’s AI cameras.
The Challenge
The couple’s brick home, with its thick walls and expansive layout, posed significant WiFi challenges. Their family’s 30+ devices, including gaming consoles, smart home gadgets, and work laptops, demanded high bandwidth. Key issues included:
Coverage Gaps: Dead zones in distant rooms due to brick walls.
Interference: Brick construction and appliances reduced signal strength.
Security Needs: Protecting their growing number of IoT devices from cyber threats.
Scalability: Supporting future upgrades, including faster NBN plans and UniFi AI cameras for home monitoring.
Performance: Ensuring NBN 1Gbps speeds reached every indoor area of the 500m² home.
Matt and Kelly needed a network that delivered comprehensive indoor coverage, prioritised ease of use, and offered future-proof features without breaking the bank.
Designing the WiFi Network
To meet these needs, we utilised UniFi’s Network Management Controller (NMC) to design and simulate WiFi coverage tailored to their home’s indoor layout. The process ensured optimal access point placement and performance.
1. Uploading a Scaled Floorplan
Matt and Kelly provided a scaled floorplan of their 500m² single-storey home, focusing solely on indoor areas. The floorplan was uploaded to the NMC via the UniFi Design Centre, with the scale set (e.g., 1m = 10 pixels) for precise measurements.
2. Mapping Building Features
In the NMC’s map editor, we detailed the home’s characteristics:
Walls: Noted brick construction, which attenuates WiFi signals by ~10-15 dB.
Furniture and Appliances: Identified interference sources like microwaves and metal shelving.
Open Spaces: Highlighted large living areas requiring strong signal distribution.
3. Selecting Equipment
We chose the UniFi UCG-MAX as the cloud gateway, featuring a 10GbE WAN port to handle NBN 1Gbps speeds and 512GB NVMe storage for future UniFi AI camera integration. For WiFi, we selected four UniFi U7 Lite access points, each offering:
Coverage: Up to 115m² in ideal conditions.
Speed: 4.3 Gbps aggregate throughput across 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands (dual-band WiFi 7, no 6 GHz support).
Capacity: Supports 300+ clients, ideal for their 30+ devices.
The U7 Lite’s compact design and affordability made it ideal for covering a large home with multiple units.
4. Simulating Coverage
The NMC’s RF simulation tool modelled WiFi coverage based on the indoor floorplan. Key steps included:
Placement Optimisation: We tested access point locations, placing one U7 Lite in the central living area, one in a hallway near bedrooms, one in the home office, and one in the dining area. Four access points were needed due to the U7 Lite’s smaller coverage radius and brick wall attenuation.
Signal Strength Analysis: The simulation generated a heatmap targeting -65 dBm or better across the home for high-speed activities like 4K streaming and gaming.
Interference Mitigation: The NMC accounted for brick walls and neighbouring WiFi networks, assigning channels on the 5 GHz band for optimal performance.
Single-Storey Advantage: The single-storey layout simplified coverage, as no vertical signal loss was involved.
The simulation confirmed that four U7 Lite access points provided 100% indoor coverage, with -60 to -70 dBm in all areas, ensuring high-speed performance throughout the 500m² home.
5. Fine-Tuning
We optimised settings in the NMC:
Transmit Power: Medium on the 5 GHz band to balance coverage and interference.
Channel Width: 80 MHz on the 5 GHz band for robust WiFi 7 performance, as wider channels were less effective in the brick-heavy environment.
Roaming: Enabled fast roaming for seamless device transitions across access points.
The UniFi Solution
The final setup included:
UniFi UCG-MAX: Connected to the NBN modem via its 10GbE WAN port, managing the network and providing storage for future AI camera footage.
Four U7 Lite Access Points: Strategically placed to cover the entire 500m² indoor area.
UniFi Network App: Enabled Matt and Kelly to monitor performance, prioritise devices, and manage settings easily.
Key Features Utilised
Feature
Description
Benefit to Matt and Kelly
10GbE WAN Port
Supports up to 10Gbps internet
Maximised NBN 1Gbps speeds
WiFi 7 (U7 Lite)
4.3 Gbps throughput, 2.4/5 GHz bands
High-speed, cost-effective connectivity
Zone-Based Firewall
Segments IoT, family, and guest devices
Enhanced family safety
2.5GbE LAN Port
High-speed internal connectivity
Future-proofed for faster speeds
NMC RF Simulation
Predicts WiFi coverage via floorplan
Eliminated indoor dead zones in 500m² home
512GB NVMe Storage
Built-in storage for AI cameras
Low-cost future camera integration
High-Speed Connectivity
The UCG-MAX and U7 Lite access points delivered consistent NBN 1Gbps speeds. Wireless devices on the 5 GHz band achieved 600-700 Mbps, while wired devices hit the full 1Gbps, supporting 4K streaming and gaming without lag.
Comprehensive Indoor Coverage
The NMC’s heatmap-guided placement ensured no indoor dead zones. Bedrooms and the home office, previously signal-weak, now had -60 dBm, enabling seamless video calls and streaming.
Advanced Security
The UCG-MAX’s zone-based firewall segmented the network into:
Family Devices: Laptops and phones with strict security.
IoT Devices: Smart lights and thermostats, isolated to prevent attacks.
Guest Network: Limited access for visitors. Layer 7 filtering blocked malicious traffic, ensuring family safety online.
Future-Proof Design
The UCG-MAX’s 2.5GbE LAN ports and WiFi 7 technology supported future NBN plans (e.g., 2Gbps). The 10GbE WAN port and 300+ client capacity ensured scalability for additional devices.
Future AI Camera Integration
The UCG-MAX’s 512GB NVMe storage and AI capabilities (e.g., loitering detection, face recognition) allowed Matt and Kelly to add UniFi AI cameras, like the UVC-G5-Turret-Ultra, with minimal cost. The system’s subscription-free model kept expenses low compared to cloud-based alternatives.
User-Friendly Setup
The UCG-MAX’s plug-and-play design simplified installation. Matt connected it to the NBN modem, and the U7 Lite access points were auto-detected by the UniFi Network app. The app’s wizard guided Kelly through SSID setup, security, and device prioritisation in under 30 minutes.
The Results
The UniFi network transformed Matt and Kelly’s home:
Seamless Performance: 4K streaming was buffer-free, and gaming latency fell below 10ms.
Comprehensive Indoor Coverage: The four access points eliminated dead zones, with strong signals throughout the 500m² home.
Enhanced Security: The firewall and IoT isolation protected their devices.
Easy Management: The UniFi app let Matt prioritise work laptops, ensuring uninterrupted video calls.
Future-Ready: The UCG-MAX’s storage and AI support prepared them for camera integration.
Speed tests validated the NMC’s simulation, showing 650+ Mbps in distant rooms, meeting their high-speed needs.
Future-Proofing and Camera Integration
The UniFi setup positioned Matt and Kelly for future advancements. WiFi 7 and the 10GbE WAN port supported multi-gigabit NBN plans, while the UCG-MAX’s storage and AI features enabled cost-effective integration of UniFi AI cameras for enhanced home security. The system’s scalability ensured it could handle additional devices as their smart home grew.
Conclusion
By partnering with Skyrockit.au and leveraging UniFi’s UCG-MAX and U7 Lite access points, Matt and Kelly transformed their 500m² brick home into a connectivity powerhouse. The NMC’s scaled floorplan and RF simulation ensured optimal indoor coverage, delivering NBN 1Gbps speeds to every corner. With robust security, user-friendly management, and future-ready features like AI camera support, UniFi provided a reliable, cost-effective solution for their large home.
Matt and Kelly, a tech-forward couple in Australia, reside in a single-storey brick home spanning 500m². With their recent upgrade to an NBN 1Gbps internet plan, their outdated router struggled to deliver consistent speeds across their large home. Dead zones, buffering during 4K streaming, and concerns about online security prompted them to seek a modern solution. Through Skyrockit.au, they selected UniFi’s UCG-MAX cloud gateway and U7 Lite access points, leveraging advanced design tools to ensure seamless indoor coverage, robust security, and future compatibility with UniFi’s AI cameras.
The Challenge
The couple’s brick home, with its thick walls and expansive layout, posed significant WiFi challenges. Their family’s 30+ devices, including gaming consoles, smart home gadgets, and work laptops, demanded high bandwidth. Key issues included:
Matt and Kelly needed a network that delivered comprehensive indoor coverage, prioritised ease of use, and offered future-proof features without breaking the bank.
Designing the WiFi Network
To meet these needs, we utilised UniFi’s Network Management Controller (NMC) to design and simulate WiFi coverage tailored to their home’s indoor layout. The process ensured optimal access point placement and performance.
1. Uploading a Scaled Floorplan
Matt and Kelly provided a scaled floorplan of their 500m² single-storey home, focusing solely on indoor areas. The floorplan was uploaded to the NMC via the UniFi Design Centre, with the scale set (e.g., 1m = 10 pixels) for precise measurements.
2. Mapping Building Features
In the NMC’s map editor, we detailed the home’s characteristics:
3. Selecting Equipment
We chose the UniFi UCG-MAX as the cloud gateway, featuring a 10GbE WAN port to handle NBN 1Gbps speeds and 512GB NVMe storage for future UniFi AI camera integration. For WiFi, we selected four UniFi U7 Lite access points, each offering:
The U7 Lite’s compact design and affordability made it ideal for covering a large home with multiple units.
4. Simulating Coverage
The NMC’s RF simulation tool modelled WiFi coverage based on the indoor floorplan. Key steps included:
The simulation confirmed that four U7 Lite access points provided 100% indoor coverage, with -60 to -70 dBm in all areas, ensuring high-speed performance throughout the 500m² home.
5. Fine-Tuning
We optimised settings in the NMC:
The UniFi Solution
The final setup included:
Key Features Utilised
Feature
Description
Benefit to Matt and Kelly
10GbE WAN Port
Supports up to 10Gbps internet
Maximised NBN 1Gbps speeds
WiFi 7 (U7 Lite)
4.3 Gbps throughput, 2.4/5 GHz bands
High-speed, cost-effective connectivity
Zone-Based Firewall
Segments IoT, family, and guest devices
Enhanced family safety
2.5GbE LAN Port
High-speed internal connectivity
Future-proofed for faster speeds
NMC RF Simulation
Predicts WiFi coverage via floorplan
Eliminated indoor dead zones in 500m² home
512GB NVMe Storage
Built-in storage for AI cameras
Low-cost future camera integration
High-Speed Connectivity
The UCG-MAX and U7 Lite access points delivered consistent NBN 1Gbps speeds. Wireless devices on the 5 GHz band achieved 600-700 Mbps, while wired devices hit the full 1Gbps, supporting 4K streaming and gaming without lag.
Comprehensive Indoor Coverage
The NMC’s heatmap-guided placement ensured no indoor dead zones. Bedrooms and the home office, previously signal-weak, now had -60 dBm, enabling seamless video calls and streaming.
Advanced Security
The UCG-MAX’s zone-based firewall segmented the network into:
Future-Proof Design
The UCG-MAX’s 2.5GbE LAN ports and WiFi 7 technology supported future NBN plans (e.g., 2Gbps). The 10GbE WAN port and 300+ client capacity ensured scalability for additional devices.
Future AI Camera Integration
The UCG-MAX’s 512GB NVMe storage and AI capabilities (e.g., loitering detection, face recognition) allowed Matt and Kelly to add UniFi AI cameras, like the UVC-G5-Turret-Ultra, with minimal cost. The system’s subscription-free model kept expenses low compared to cloud-based alternatives.
User-Friendly Setup
The UCG-MAX’s plug-and-play design simplified installation. Matt connected it to the NBN modem, and the U7 Lite access points were auto-detected by the UniFi Network app. The app’s wizard guided Kelly through SSID setup, security, and device prioritisation in under 30 minutes.
The Results
The UniFi network transformed Matt and Kelly’s home:
Speed tests validated the NMC’s simulation, showing 650+ Mbps in distant rooms, meeting their high-speed needs.
Future-Proofing and Camera Integration
The UniFi setup positioned Matt and Kelly for future advancements. WiFi 7 and the 10GbE WAN port supported multi-gigabit NBN plans, while the UCG-MAX’s storage and AI features enabled cost-effective integration of UniFi AI cameras for enhanced home security. The system’s scalability ensured it could handle additional devices as their smart home grew.
Conclusion
By partnering with Skyrockit.au and leveraging UniFi’s UCG-MAX and U7 Lite access points, Matt and Kelly transformed their 500m² brick home into a connectivity powerhouse. The NMC’s scaled floorplan and RF simulation ensured optimal indoor coverage, delivering NBN 1Gbps speeds to every corner. With robust security, user-friendly management, and future-ready features like AI camera support, UniFi provided a reliable, cost-effective solution for their large home.