Amplifi LR vs HD: Fast, reliable, and uninterrupted mesh wifi networks systems
If you have a large home with lots of concrete walls or office space and you’re having problems with your wireless coverage, you need the amplifi multi-hop mesh system that will connect all your devices and home security system to the internet. The amplifi lr vs HD systems can give you reliable, fast, and uninterrupted wifi into your home.
Finding the right router system for my home has been a challenge because of the many concrete walls that tend to block the wifi signals to different rooms in the house. A friend told me to research on mesh systems which are better at eliminating dead spots and improving connectivity. The amplify lr vs. HD is a great example of two mesh systems that can help me solve the wifi issues in my home by providing reliable and fast connectivity throughout the house.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between amplifi LR and HD?
Model |
Amplifi LR |
Amplifi HD (Winner) |
Transfer speeds |
2.35 Gbps |
5.25 Gbps |
Meshpoints |
2 |
2 |
Ethernet ports |
4 LAN, 1 WAN |
4 LAN, 1 WAN |
USB ports |
USB 2.0 |
USB 2.0 |
Amplifi LR vs HD: How do they compare?
Transfer speeds differences
Although the two amplifi router versions look identical, they’re designed to provide different transfer speeds. The amplifi LR means it’s designed to provide better transfer speeds at long range instead of at close proximity, while the amplifi HD is designed to provide high-density speeds that maximize coverage. The amplifi LR can deliver transfer speeds of up to 2.35 Gbps while the more powerful amplifi HD will deliver speeds of 5.25 Gbps.
Ease of use
Both amplify router versions are among the few mesh wifi network systems that you can plug and use. The setting is very simple and you can easily configure the network from the comfort of your phone using the mobile app.
Design
Amplifi LR and HD routers have a clean, seamless, and modern design with a smart-touch screen and two meshpoints that look like huge antennas, but have an aesthetic look for your modern living room. The touch screen is a functional design element that will provide you with relevant information on the date and time, WAN and router IPs, amount of bandwidth in use, number of users online, and upload and download speeds. If the router has any problems the white LED light at the base will not glow.
Amplifi LR vs HD: A comparison Overview
Amplifi LR Overview
- Wi-Fi Mesh Technology for Complete Home Coverage
- Plug and Play Long Range Mesh Points to Eliminate Dead Spots
The amplifi lr is a long-range home wifi system that comprises of a router and two wireless extenders that will provide longer wifi coverage in your entire house. It has an innovative and elegant design that is meant to complement your home and still provide excellent wifi connectivity to every device in your home. This wifi mesh technology comes with a router and two meshpoints.
The router is a white box with a soft-touch finish with a large smart LCD touchscreen in the middle that you can use for simple controls and an adjustable LED glow at the bottom. The screen displays simple controls and also the current time or internet speeds.
The meshpoints are designed differently. They’re made in two parts that are joined in the middle with a magnetthat is designed to provide power and adjustability. The bottom part you plug it into the wall socket and the upper part is an integrated super antenna that you can point to different directions to provide superior range and speed.
These meshpoints have the same white color as the router and they’re a bit bulky to hang on your wall. This wifi mesh system is designed to cover a range of 20,000 sq. feet with speeds of up to 2.35 Gbps.
At the back of the router, you will find 4 gigabit LAN ports for connecting your wired devices, a WAN port for connecting to your modem, and a USB 2.0 port that you can use to connect to your external drive or printer. The meshpoints don’t have any ports. This mesh system kit comes with an Ethernet cable, power adapter, and a quick start guide to help you set up the system.
Like most mesh systems, amplify LR uses the mobile app that is available for your Android or iOS devices, but you can also use the browser setup method on your PC. The intuitive app allows for instant setup, easy guest access, and network data. Use the Ethernet cable to connect the router to your modem then plug in the power adapter.
Once the router is on, the app will detect the router then you can create a password for your wireless network. Update the router’s firmware then plug the meshpoints around your home. The meshpoints will connect to the main router automatically and once recognized by the app you can update the firmware then test the network speeds.
The app’s main screen will display icons for the router and meshpoints and their names and signal strengths. These icons will give you more details on the wifi, internet, and which one you can configure. You will find tables for performance, guests, controls, and diagnose. The router and the meshpoints use WPA2 encryption to protect your data.
You can tap on the router or meshpoint to find further settings where you can set up the security protocol, separate the SSID for a specific frequency, guest network, and toggle router steering and band steering. The guest network allows you to add a specific number of guests to your network while the diagnose tab alerts you when something is wrong. The router has a basic built-in firewall but it doesn’t have any built-in VPN support.
When it comes to performance, this dual-band 802.11ac wifi system can deliver speeds of up to 2.35 Gbps and with the help of the long rage meshpoints, they can cover a longer area with wifi coverage and eliminate dead spots. Given the small size of the router, it still performs exceptionally well. On the 2.4 GHz band at 30 feet, the downloading speeds are about 38.54 Mbps while the uploading speeds are about 16.25 Mbps.
At 40 feet on the 2.4 GHz, it delivered better speeds of 41.65 Mbps downloading speed and 16.22 Mbps on the uploading speeds band. On the 5 GHz band at 30 feet, the router scored 86.39 Mbps on the download speed and 16.22 Mbps on the upload speed. At 40 feet the download speed was 127.82 Mbps and 16.24 Mbps on the upload speed.
Pros
- Very easy to download the app and setup
- Impressive wifi speeds at longer distances
- Extends your wifi range and signal strength
- Excellent wifi system for large homes
Cons
- It can randomly go offline
Amplifi HD
- WHOLE HOME WiFi SYSTEM: Not Just a Wi-Fi router, it's a Wi-Fi system. The AmpliFi HD Kit includes a Wi-Fi...
- 802.11AC TECHNOLOGY FOR FASTER SPEEDS AND BETTER COVERAGE: AmpliFi HD is more than a wireless router:...
This is also a mesh home wifi system that will provide you with reliable wifi connectivity for your entire home. If you’re tired of hiding your big, bulky routers on the shelves, this amplifiHD router has a modern design that will blend in very well with your furniture and interior décor.
It has a clean, thoughtful design that you can even place in the middle of your living room. Apart from its elegant design, this amplifi HD router is designed with mesh technology which will help in maintaining its long-range performance without the help of external antennas to maintain a strong signal. The router is an all-white unit with an LCD at the front that shows you the current time and speeds and a thin white LED strip at the base.
If you tap on the screen it can also display all the connected devices, your router and WAN’s IP addresses, amount of data moved in and out of your router, and the speed meter. You can even configure this router from the screen. This router has two meshpoints that are white and slender and you can plug the bottom part directly into your AC outlet to connect wirelessly.
They’re made in two parts that are joined with a magnetic ball-and-socket design with an upper part designed as a powerful antenna you can point at different angles to boost the reception. This router’s mesh system can support up to 10 extra antennas in a single network and cover a distance of 20,000 sq. feet with only 2 antennas. It can deliver speeds of 5.25 Gbps using 3 dual-band antennas. At the back of the router are 4 gigabit LAN ports, a WAN port, and a USB 2.0 port.
Setting up this router is very simple. All the configurations will happen through the Android or iOS app. You just plug in the router, connect it to your modem, then open the app. It will locate your router then you can enter your network information and create a password. Then plug in the meshpoints in different rooms around your home.
You can change the router settings very easily and configure everything from the mobile app so you don’t need to go to the web interface. Some of the features in this router include band steering and router steering. Router steering tries to force your devices to connect first to the main router if the meshpoints have a poor connection and the band steering directs devices on the 5 GHz band that tends to have higher bandwidth and is often less crowded than the 2.4 GHz band.
You can customize the advanced settings to optimize your network, change channel width for both bands, forward ports, setup standard filtering, DHCP rules, and access restrictions. If the network is for your office, you can set up a separate public network, restrict the number of users, time to use the network, and restrict certain content to your network. However, the app dashboard lacks certain features like the QoS.
The amplifiHD delivers incredible performance thanks to the 802.11ac. The file transfer speed when close and far remains constant at 850 Mbps thanks to the meshpoints. It has a coverage area of 20,000 sq. feet which are a very strong connection all around your home leaving no dead spots. At 5 feet on the 2.4 GHz band, the router can deliver speeds of 195.22 Mbps for the download and 177.99 Mbps for the upload.
At 30 feet, it scored 146.29 Mbps for the download speeds and 197.23 Mbps for the upload speeds. On the 5 GHz band at 5 feet, it scored speeds of 534.86 Mbps on the download and 368.04 Mbps on the upload. At 30 feet, it dropped slightly to 373.34 Mbps for the download speed and 161.06 Mbps for the upload speed. However, the speeds of your unit can change depending on the construction of your home or office like concrete walls.
Pros
- Easy to monitor your network through the mobile app
- Easy setup and management
- Has a sleek design
- Solid performance on all ranges
Cons
- Doesn’t have the QoS and parent control features
- Doesn’t support MU-MIMO
Conclusion
The amplifi LR and HD are both mesh wifi networks that use the latest technology to provide better wifi connection, speed, and range for your devices using their meshpoints. They both have similar designs for the main router and the meshpoints, but with different transfer speeds.
So, which one is better, amplify LR or HD?
The winner is AmplifiHD because it’s a high-density router that is very powerful and designed to penetrate and weave through tough building materials like concrete, dense walls, and bricks that can weaken the strength of its signal. It can deliver transfer speeds of up to 5.25 Gbps while its LR version can only deliver 2.35 Gbps.
FAQ
Is a mesh network better than a wifi extender?
Yes, a mesh network is better because wifi extenders will reduce the performance of your wifi network while mesh networks don’t. They’re superior when it comes to reliability and performance.
Is the amplifi dual-band?
The amplifi HD mesh wifi system is a dual-band 802.11ac router that is paired with two 802.11ac meshpoints. It’s designed with the latest technology and a sleek look that blends well with your home décor.
