UniFi Dream Router (UDR) Review: 100% Near Perfect | Dong Knows Tech (2024)

In early October 2021, Ubiquiti quietly released the UniFi Dream Router (UDR), its first UniFi Wi-Fi 6 broadcaster, as a $79 Early Access device to those who agreed to keep most of its information under wraps.

Not everyone managed to snatch one since the router kept running out of stock.

After six long months, on April 26, 2022, the networking company finally, and quietly once more, made the exciting router available to the general public, now with a reasonable retail price of $199, though its street price will vary.

Though the new cost, which changes according to demand, makes it no longer a phenomenal deal, the UDR proved in my hands-on experience to still be the genuine dream router for many.

In fact, you can consider it the best Wi-Fi 6 router for those with a sub-Gigabit broadband connection. Get one as soon as you can before it runs out of stock again.

On the other hand, if you have Gigabit-class or faster Internet, move on right now. This review will make you feel highly disappointed because the UDR has no Multi-Gig port. I speak from experience—the Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router is another example of how we can’t have everything.

Dong’s note: I first published this post onOctober 14, 2021, as a preview, when the UDR was available as an Early Access device, and updated it to a full review on April 29, 2022, after a week-long hands-on experience using the production firmware.

Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router: A more refined approach to the UniFi ecosystem for the home

The UniFi Dream Router (UDR) is the second Wi-Fi 6 router from Ubiquiti after the AmpliFi Alien that came out two and half years ago.

However, it’s the first in the UniFi family and the intended replacement of the UniFi Dream Machine (UDM), which has been one of the best Wi-Fi 5 routers.

Since late 2021, the world has slowly transitioned to Wi-Fi 6E, or routers supporting 5.9GHz Wi-Fi 6. And Wi-Fi 7 is also around the corner.

So, it’s fair to say the Dream Router is late to the Wi-Fi 6 game. It’s likely one of the last major traditional Wi-Fi 6 routers that you’ll see me cover. But it’s also definitely not the least. In fact, it might be a testament to how we “save the best for last.”

Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Router (UDR) vs. Dream Machine (UDM): A bit of a misnomer

Design-wise, you can’t look at the UniFi Dream Router without thinking of the UniFi Dream Machine. The two share lots of resemblances. On the inside, the former has everything of the latter and much more.

For this reason, I’d say Ubiquiti overdid the name of the UDM. The UDR is more suited to have “machine” in its title—it’s an understatement to call it a “router.”

But that’s just semantics.

In any case, with the UDR, Ubiquiti has streamlined its UniFi family a great deal. The latest firmware—the UniFi OS version 2.4.9, which took the UDR out of the “Early Access”—has many improvements.

UniFi: An ecosystem of multiple “applications”

At the core, both the UDM and the UDR are UniFi controllers designed to be the “root” device that powers a UniFi ecosystem of different hardware segments and feature sets called “applications.”

Generally, all UniFi controllers share the same basic features and settings, but their capabilities vary depending on the hardware specs.

Currently, there are four applications, including:

1. Network: All things related to the function of a network, including network settings/features, Wi-Fi, mesh, and the support for extender/access points, etc.
2. Protect: The support for IP cameras as a surveillance system.
3. Talk: The support for Voice over IP phone.
4. Access: A “platform designed for Access Control Systems”—per Ubiquiti. Examples are door-related security IoT devices, such as doorbells, keyfobs, locks, etc.

Each of these applications is a world in itself, with various in-depth settings and different numbers of supported hardware units a particular controller can handle.

The Network application is the default and is available for all UniFi controllers. It’s also the only one the old UDM has.

The new UDR, on the other hand, supports all other three applications, but only one at a time. So, the UDR is more versatile than the UDM, though not consistently better.

For example, in the Network department, the new router can support up to 15 access points, while the UDM can handle up to 40. But that’s a bit of a moot point since I’ve never seen any home or small business that needs more than three.

By the way, to have the support for all four applications mentioned above simultaneously and at their highest level, you’d need to go professional and get the UDM-Pro or the UDM-SE. This resource calculator shows which device can do what at which level.

Overall, the UDR is built for home environments or small offices—it has just enough power without going overboard. It also has built-in Wi-Fi, which the UDM-Pro and UDM-SE don’t. And the compact and eye-catching design doesn’t hurt.

Ubiquiti UDR vs. UDM: Hardware specifications

The new UniFi Dream Router is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router. It has the mid-tier 2×2 Wi-Fi 6 specs and supports the 160MHz channel width on the 5GHz band.

On the 2.4GHz band, it shares the same 4×4 Wi-Fi 4 specs as the UDM.

Wi-Fi 6 explained: Its real-world speeds and improvements

Sadly, the UDR has a CPU that is less powerful than the UDM. In return, it has eight times more built-in flash storage space than its older cousin. And it now has an SD card slot that only accepts a 128GB or higher-capacity card.

The extra storage space facilitates the UDR’s support for additional applications—the router uses it to store recorded video footage or calls.

FullName	UbiquitiUniFiDreamRouter	UbiquitiUniFiDreamMachine
Model	UDR	UDM
ProductType	Dual-band AX3000	Dual-band AC2000
5GHz band (channel width)	2×2 Wi-Fi 6 (AX): Up to 2.4Gbps (20/40/160MHz)	4×4 Wi-Fi 5 (AC): Up to 1.7Gbps (20/40/80MHz)
2.4GHz band (channel width)	4×4 Wi-Fi 4 (N): Up to 576Mbps (20/40MHz)	2×2 Wi-Fi 4 (N): Up to 300Mbps (20/40MHz)
Processing Power	Dual-Core Cortex A53 1.35 GHz CPU, 2GBRAM	Quad-core1.7GHz CPU, 2GBRAM
Storage	Internal 128GBFlash, SD card slot for a 128GB larger card	Internal 16GBFlash
Dimensions	4.33-inch (110mm)wide 7.25-in(184.2mm)tall
Weight	2.54 lb (1.15 kg)	2.32lb(1.05kg)
Gigabit Ports	1x WAN 4x LAN	1x WAN 4x LAN
PoE Ports	2x 802.3af	None
Multi-Gig Ports	None
PowerMethod	StandardACpowercord
PowerSupply	AC/DC, Internal, 50W	AC/DC, Internal,14.4W
SupportedVoltage	100-240V AC
Power Consumption (per 24 hours)	≈ 228 Wh (tested with no PoE device)	Not tested
Internal Fan	Yes
MaxTXPower	2.4GHz: 26dBm 5GHz:26dBm	2.4GHz:23dBm 5GHz:26dBm
AntennaGain	2.4GHz:3dBi 5GHz:4.3dBi	2.4GHz:3dBi 5GHz:4.5dBi
Wi-FiStandards	802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ac-wave2/ax	802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ac-wave2
WirelessSecurity	WPA-PSK, WPA-Enterprise (WPA/WPA2/WPA3)
MeshReady	Yes
Notable Design	Egg shape, Front status screen, Color-changing ring status light	Egg shape, Color-changing ring status light
Default UniFi Application	Network: Up to mesh 15 Access points/extenders	Network: Up to 40 mesh access points/extenders
Optional UniFi Applications (pick one)	Protect: Up to 4 HD cams or one 4K cam Talk: Up to 25 IP phones Access: Up to 50 doorbells	None
Release Date	April 26, 2022	November 2019
US Cost (at launch)	$199	$299

UDR vs. UDM: Detail photos

Ubiquiti UDR: A comprehensive enterprise-grade (network) controller

With the support for three additional distinctive applications, the UDR can do a lot more than just a Wi-Fi router, which is part of its default Network application.

But this default app alone is already highly comprehensive. I mostly used this app in the testing since I didn’t need the hardware for Protect, Talk, or Access.

(Again, while the UDR, like the case of the UDM, is relatively easy to use for advanced users, it’s not a device for the general home audience due to the number of advanced settings.)

Power over Ethernet

The biggest novelty about the UDR on the network front is the support for Power-over-Ethernet (PoE). It’s the first (home) Wi-Fi router I’ve known with built-in PoE—two of its four LAN ports support 802.3af.

Consequently, the UDR works right away for at least two PoE devices, both as the power source and, if you use a UniFi access point, the network control center.

You can read more about PoE in this post, but it’s worth noting that the 802.3af standard is relatively old and has limited power compared to the subsequent and superseding 802.3at (PoE+) or 802.3bt (PoE++) currently required for many Wi-Fi 6 access points.

Still, this approach makes a lot of sense, considering Ubiquiti also has a good selection of 802.3af PoE devices for different applications that the new router supports. For example, you can now easily use two PoE IP phones for Talk or two PoE IP cameras for Protect.

The UDR’s PoE port will work with any active PoE devices of the 803af standard. I tried it with a few low-power third-party access points and had great success.

Tons of Wi-Fi and network configuration, mesh-ready

Like the case of the UDM, the UDR can host multiple UniFi access points up to 15) or extenders to form a mesh Wi-Fi system.

I tried that with the BeaconHD extender, and the process was painless. After I plugged the extender into power, the UDR automatically detected it and prompted—both in the mobile app and the web user interface—to add it.

After a few clicks, the mesh extender was adopted, and I got myself a mesh, which worked quite well.

After that, just like the UDM, the UDR has everything you can think of in terms of network, Wi-Fi, and mesh configurations.

In fact, the amount of customizability can be overwhelming. However, you can just use the default settings in most cases and make gradual changes as your needs grow.

Excellent traffic management and VPN support

Like the case of the UDM, the UDR has a well-designed Traffic Management section.

Users can create in-depth web-filtering rules applicable to a single domain or a group of domains/applications for individuals or groups of devices. After that, they can apply the blocking permanently or on a specific schedule.

I tried this feature out, and it proved to be the best “Parental Controls” feature by far.

In terms of VPN, the UDR supports a comprehensive L2TP standard server and now also features Teleport, a mobile-friendly VPN application once available only in the AmpliFi family.

Performance-taxing Threat Management

Like the case of the UDM, the UDR has an excellent set of security features.

You can block incoming traffic by IP addresses, and you can even block it by countries or regions of the world. So, if your business has a spike of attacks from, say, Russia, you can choose to block all incoming traffic from that country.

There’s also a threat auto-detection and blocking mechanism with a world map of exactly where the threat comes from and the severity level.

Unfortunately, also like the case of the UDM, turning on the UDR’s threat-detecting feature will force the router to throttle down its Wi-Fi throughout. In my trial, that only affected its Wi-Fi 6 performance—more below.

Still, Ubiquiti’s UniFi Dream Router is one of the most feature-rich routers any home user can find, partly because it’s an enterprise-grade device. You might not have everything you’d like from it, but you sure will get more compared to any other home Wi-Fi router at the same price point.

Ubiquiti UDR: Excellent performance

I initially used the UDR for a couple of months with the Early Access firmware and then with its product firmware for more than a week. I’ve been happy with it. Almost completely happy with it.

As a mid-tier router that has no Multi-Gig port, the UDR delivered! I generally got real-world Wi-Fi 6 speeds comparable to a Gigabit connection after overhead.

I tested the UDR both with and without the Threat Detection feature turned on and experienced a marked difference in its Wi-Fi 6 performance, as you will note on the charts. The router performed the same with legacy devices (Wi-Fi 5 and older).

In terms of Wi-Fi coverage, the UDR was about the same as the UDM, which was excellent. If you have a house of some 2000 ft2 (186 m2), place it in the middle, and chances are you’re all set. However, the Wi-Fi range depends significantly on the environment, so your mileage will vary.

Most importantly, I used the UDR as our main router for weeks and had no issues with reliability. It just worked. There was never any disconnection, even with the beta firmware, and the router, with the production firmware, passed our 3-day stress test with flying colors.

In terms of Internet speeds via Wi-Fi, in my anecdotal daily usage, I generally got around half a Gig from the router—out of a 10Gbps Fiber-optic line—as shown in the screenshot above.

The speeds varied, but it was rare that I saw faster-than-500Mbps rates when roaming around the house. That said, if you have sub-Gigabit broadband, the router will generally deliver. Want close to see close to a Gig on your mobile device? Chances are the UDR won’t cut it.

Conclusion

For a Gigabit mid-tier Wi-Fi 6 router, the Ubiquiti UDR UniFi Dream Router is as good as it gets. It’s one of the best, if not the best, Wi-Fi routers for most homes.

Unfortunately, since it has no Multi-Gig port, I can’t recommend it to anyone who wants a Gigabit-or-faster experience.

And it won’t make sense for me to use the router for myself, considering my 10Gbps Fiber-optic broadband. So when I say I wish the UDR had a couple of 10Gbps ports, I mean it sincerely.

In many ways, the native support for Multi-Gig wired connections is actually more critical than Wi-Fi, which can be added via an access point.

I hope Ubiquiti hears me loud and clear and makes some higher-end, more expensive version down the line. The chance this happens is probably slim, considering the gigantic non-Wi-Fi alternative that is the UDM-SE.

That chagrin aside, thanks to the comprehensive UniFi OS, the UDR is a one-of-a-kind home router that will give you so much more than the money you pay for it.

If you appreciate the intricacies of networking and are happy with the Gigabit grade, get a Ubiquiti UDR today! I can almost promise that you’ll love it.