Ubiquiti USG vs. Edgerouter – which is the best networking router?
Having a router with Ethernet ports will enable you to port your IP cameras and gaming consoles with ease while still accessing the internet. We review the Ubiquiti USG and Edgerouter and tell you which is the most suitable.
Today, it is highly likely that you will have a multitude of devices that need the internet to function optimally. You will find most homes coming with complex IP cameras and various entertainment consoles for games and Smart TV that need connection to Ethernet ports. Purchasing a separate switch and router may not make sense if the devices are not many.
Ubiquiti USG and the Edgerouter offer you up to 4 Ethernet ports for your consoles. The routers are easy to manage due to their user-friendly software and are compact enough to fit in small homes. You do not need to be a network expert to operate them. In this review, we examine the key factors that have made these two routers at the top of many consumers purchase lists.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between the Ubiquiti USG and Edgerouter?
Model |
Ubiquiti USG |
Edgerouter |
Color |
White |
Black |
Dimensions |
135mm x 135mm x 28.3mm |
4.33 x 2.95 x 0.87 (inches) |
Processor |
CaviumOcteon dual- core 500MHz |
MediaTek CPU 880MHz |
RAM |
512MB DDR2 |
256MB DDR3 |
Storage |
2GB |
256MB flash memory |
Speed |
WAN to LAN performance of 928Mbps |
Supports speeds of up to 1Gbps |
Availability |
Ubiquiti USG vs. Edgerouter – How do they differ?
Design
The key difference between the Ubiquiti USG and Edgerouter is that the former is white in color and the later black in color. Both routers come in a metallic casing with the Edgerouter having a matte finish that does not retain fingerprints. The ER-X also has some white accents around the ports and on top where the logo is. The ER-X comes with mounting brackets that enable you to mount it on walls. Since the router is lightweight in design you can place it anywhere on your desk without it consuming so much of your space. It also comes with rubberized feet for stability and router protection. The Ubiquiti USG is small and measures 135mm x 135mm x 28.3mm.
Connections
The Edgerouter comes with five 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports that are located on the front. Instead of powering the device with an adapter you can use eth0/PoE IN. While you can configure any of the ports to WAN, the order is that eth0 is used for WAN, while eth1 and eth4 are for LAN. You can use the router as a managed switch or use any port to act as LAN. This means creating a dual-WAN system that can operate as 2 WAN + 1 LAN. This works great for load-balancing. The Ubiquiti USG comes with three 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet ports, one dedicated console that are located at the front. The labeling is from left to right and you have WAN, LAN and VOIP. If you are using the CLI interface then you can reconfigure the ports to do anything and are not limited by the labeling. Connection status to the USG is through a circle LED light on the top of the router. When it is white it indicates that the router is not adopted but is fully booted, when it turns blue it means it is provisioned and adopted, when the router is upgrading device firmware it will keep flashing a blue and white color. Lastly, anytime the LED light is flashing blue then it means the device is been activated through the UniFi Controller.
Hardware and Installation
The EdgeRouter runs on a dual core MediaTek chip that clocks 880MHz. You also get 256MB of flash memory and a 256MB DDR3 RAM. This enables the router to deliver 130K packets per second for its 64 byte packets. The USG uses a dual core processor delivering speeds of 500MHz. This means it is a bit slower than the Edgerouter. The storage space is larger at 2GB with a DDR2 512 RAM. Installation of the Ubiquiti USG is through the UniFi controller software or the optional CLI. The controller is easy to use due to its friendly GUI. You can access the software remotely or through cloud. You can also use the Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Key that kind of acts as a hybrid of the two. The moment you connect your devices to the router the controller will automatically detect them and try to port them. You can review your traffic status among other things from the controller.
Ubiquiti USG vs. Edgerouter – A Comparison Overview
Ubiquiti USG – Overview
- 3 Gigabit Ethernet ports, CLI management for advanced users
- 1 million packets per second for 64-byte packets
The Ubiquiti USG is a small white colored router that measures 135mm x 135 x 28.3mm. A dual-core 500MHz processor powers it. This is supported by 512MB DDR2 of RAM and this enables the router to deliver 1GBps for the 64 byte packets and for the 512 bytes 3Gps. At the back of the router you have three 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet ports, and one dedicated console ports. The Ethernet ports are well labeled – WAN, LAN, and VoIP.
The USG also doubles up as a firewall. When you make purchase for the router you get a quick installation guide, mounting screws, and power adapter. Once you plug in the router you will notice a nice square blue glow on the top. You will have to learn how to interpret the lights as each color has a different meaning. When it glows white it means the router has not adopted but is fully booted, the blue color means it is provisioned and adopted, if it is alternating between blue and white then it means the device is upgrading its firmware while if the device is flashing a blue light it means the device is been activated through the UniFi controller.
Most of the UniFi devices are controlled through the UniFi controller software. You can also do this through a CLI (Command Line Interface). You can host the UniFi controller on either cloud or a server. You can also get the Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud key that acts like a hybrid between remote management of the software and it been in cloud.
Once you have connected your devices to the Ubiquiti USG the software will automatically detect them. You may find some devices waiting for adoption and all you have to do is click on the device press adopt. You can also check the status of your LAN and WAN networks – these are displayed as circles. USG has differentiated itself from competition through its Deep Packet Inspection (DPI). This allows one to get all manner of traffic statistics where you now which port is generating most of the traffic and protocols used. The USG also acts as a firewall and this protects your network from attacks. When the USG is put to the test it scores a good 928Mbps for WAN to LAN performance.
What we liked:
- UniFi controller gives you centralized control of the USG
- Powerful firewall to protect network from hackers
- Convenient VLAN support
- VPN encrypts secure private communications over the internet
- QoS for enterprise VOIP
What we did not like:
- The limited ports
Edgerouter – Overview
- Product Type:Networking Router
- Item Package Dimension:7.112 cm L X 10.16 cm W X 14.986 cm H
The Edgerouter X comes equipped with a dual core MediaTek 880MHz chip that is supported by 256MB flash memory and a 256MB DDR3 RAM. The router is capable of transmitting up to 130K packers per second for 64byte. You should note that the router does not have wireless capabilities on itself but one has to connect it to a wireless access point.
Through the EdgeOS you can turn the router into an OpenVPN server. This configuration can be done through the CLI. The new casing for the Edgerouter is a metallic casing which deviates a lot from the plastic ones they used for the EdgeRouter Lite. It is black in color and that’s how you differentiate it with the Ubiquiti router. For the color it has a matte finish that does not retain any fingerprints. You will have white colors surrounding the ports and logo.
The EdgeRouter measures 4.33 x 2.95 x 0.87 inches and is lightweight at 6.17 oz. Due to its size you can place it anywhere in the house including wall mounting it with the two 4-way mounting brackets that come with the device. It also comes with rubberized feet that clearly position it in place and prevents it from toppling over. The router also comes with vent holes that come in handy during heat dissipation. The router will generate some heat but there is adequate air flow to prevent it from overheating. The display LED lights are positioned on top of the five ports – eth0, eth1, eth2, eth3, eth4. When a link has been established it will turn green and when there is activity the LED light will keep flashing.
At the rear of the router is a reset button and AC power port (12VDC). The main basis for performance on the Edgerouter is its software rather than its hardware. You should be able to pass traffic of up to 1Gbps in between ports, this translates to an upload speed of 810Mbps and download of 720Mbps. If you choose to enable the hardware upload you should be able to reach speeds of up to 930Mbps. However, this feature will also disable the QoS feature. The setup for the Edgerouter is straightforward. just connect to the ethO/PoE and use the user interface in the web browser for various configurations.
What we liked
- Great price
- Durable Metallic casing
- Easy to use EdgeOS
- Many configuration options
Cons
- Has a high learning curve
Conclusion: So, which is better – Ubiquiti USG or Edgerouter?
This round our clear winner is the Ubiquiti USG. The router is compact enough to fit in most homes. It offers three 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports and the UniFi controller software makes installing and setting up the router a breeze.
FAQ
Is the UniFi controller available on cloud?
You can setup the controller remotely or access it through cloud. You can also use the Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud key that acts as hybrid between the two.
Can I mount the Edgerouter on a wall or ceiling?
Yes, the router with wall brackets that you can use it to mount on your walls. It also comes with rubber feet that make it very stable when placed on desks. It is compact and small enough not to occupy lots of space.
