U-AIRWIRE

The Ubiquiti UniFi AirWire is a WiFi 7 client adapter rather than an access point. Ubiquiti describes it as a “high-performance WiFi 7 client adapter with STR MLO, enabling simultaneous full-duplex links for ultra-low latency, extended range, and true multi-gigabit real-world speeds”. Ubiquiti specifies its host connection as a 5 GbE port over USB 3.2 Gen 2, so the wireless link is terminated in the AirWire itself and handed to the host as a wired interface. That makes AirWire useful for a desktop, workstation, console or media device that cannot be reached with a cable, and for sites where a client’s own internal WiFi radio is the weak link in an otherwise well-designed UniFi network.

Key features

• WiFi 7 client with 4 spatial streams, rated by Ubiquiti at up to 5.8 Gbps on 6 GHz (BW320) and 4.3 Gbps on 5 GHz (BW240)
• STR MLO allows the 5 GHz and 6 GHz radios to run at the same time rather than alternating between bands
• Integrated directional antenna system with 11 dBi gain on both 6 GHz and 5 GHz, for noticeably better reach than a typical laptop or desktop client radio
• Presents a 5 GbE port to the host over USB 3.2 Gen 2
• Dedicated scanning radio feeds spectrum analytics back from the client’s own position in the building
• Adopted and managed in UniFi Network 10.2 or later
• NDAA compliant; CE, FCC and IC certified

Specifications

A practical way to give a fixed device a fast, low-latency wireless link without running new cable — check your host can supply USB Power Delivery before ordering.