UniFi AC-Lite vs. LR – Which Access Point delivers better Wi-Fi coverage in your home?

The UniFi AC-Lite and the Unifi AC-LR are indoor access points designed by Ubiquiti to give you a strong and reliable Wi-Fi network throughout your small home and office. The degree of Wi-Fi coverage in your home or office depends on the recommended range coverage capabilities that have been assigned to your access point by its manufacturer.

Excellent Wi-Fi coverage in your home means that you are able to pick up your Facetime calls from anywhere, you are able to game from a different room away from your router and you are able to comfortably stream your 4K videos without having to struggle through buffering. Considering the multiple devices in the market, it may be slightly difficult to pick out a specific one that would give you a guarantee of such a reliable network. In this article, we try to narrow down your options to a comparison between the UniFi AC-Lite and LR. The table below shows their top features and outlines their differences.

What are the differences between the UniFi AC-Lite and the UniFi AC-LR?

UniFi AC-Lite vs. LR- How do they compare?

Design and Structure

The UniFi AC-Lite and the UniFi AC-LR both come in a white color and a shell like design. They are both fitted with an LED ring indicator at the center. The difference in their design and structure is seen in their size and weight. This affects their deployment and portability. The UniFi AC-Lite has size dimensions of 6.3 x 6.3 x 1.24 inches while the UniFi AC-LR has size dimensions of 6.92 x 6.92 x 1.70 inches. In as much as the difference is minimal, the UniFi AC-LR is slightly bigger than the UniFi AC-Lite.

Speed and Performance

Both the UniFi AC-Lite and the UniFi AC-LR provide you with fast throughput speeds of 1317 Mbps for your connected devices. The bandwidth speeds have been distributed as 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. In relation to speed, they both have equal throughput speeds and simultaneous dual band operation with MU-MIMO technology.

Range and Capacity

The major difference in the UniFi AC-Lite and the UniFi AC-LR is seen in their Wi-Fi coverage in terms of the range they cover. The UniFi AC-Lite covers a range of up to 400 feet around your home while the UniFi AC-LR extends the Wi-Fi signal to a range of up to 600 feet around your home. On that note, the UniFi AC-LR provides better Wi-Fi coverage in your home when compared to the UniFi AC-Lite.

UniFi AC-Lite vs. LR – A Comparison Overview

UniFi AC-Lite

Ubiquiti UAP-AC-LITE UniFi AP AC LITE 802.11ac Gigabit Dual-Radio PoE

• Original brand product.
• Two-year warranty against factory defects.

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The UniFi AC-Lite has been designed for small homes, businesses and offices. It comes in a white color and its shape is almost similar to a shell. Towards the inside, it has been featured with 2X2 AC1200 antennas and has one Gigabit Ethernet port. It delivers throughput speeds of 1167 Mbps to your connected devices which is distributed as 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz band.

Additionally, it covers a range of up to 400 feet and delivers a stable internet connection to your devices. However, you should ensure that the environment that you place it around does not have too many obstacles because they will affect the Wi-Fi coverage by your access point. Also, when you move your devices too far from your UAP AC-Lite, you may face connectivity failures on your devices.

Towards the back of the UniFi AC-Lite, you will find a Gigabit 802.3 af/A PoE which runs power to your network.  Its optimal radio frequency performance is enhanced by airtime fairness which minimizes problems on your system by reducing the airline access of devices, band steering which pushes your connected devices to the 5 GHz channel for faster throughput speeds and spectral analysis which collects the feedback on both the 2.4 and 5 GHz channels. The reliability, configuration and expandability of your network using the UniFi AC-Lite is improved by the UniFi control software which is easy to use and set up. With this software you are able to easily configure and manage your network.

Pros

• Standard Wi-Fi coverage
• Fast throughput speeds
• Reliable network
• Easy to setup and configure
• Possesses features for expanding your network

Cons

• Too many SSIDs on network reduce WLAN performance
• Poor customer service support

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UniFi AC-LR

Ubiquiti Unifi Ap-AC Long Range - Wireless Access Point - 802.11 B/A/G/n/AC (UAP-AC-LR-US),White

• Ubiquit Unifi AP AC Long range
• The installer needs networking knowledge to get it to work properly so for people that can’t get it to...

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Ubiquiti developed the UniFi AC-LR for long range deployments and it is the only access point with higher Wi-Fi coverage distance than the rest. It comes in a white shell like shape and it has a blue LED ring light towards the center whose behavior indicated the status of your access point and the status of your network.

Its performance has been optimized by high performing antennas which transmit high power so as to connect your distant Wi-Fi devices. It delivers the Wi-Fi signal to your devices over a range of 600 feet and has fast throughput speeds of 1167 Mbps. Its bandwidth speed is distributed as 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 867 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. For better network performance, it has been equipped with simultaneous dual band operation with 2 x 2 MIMO on the 5 GHz band and 3 x 3 MIMO on the 2.4 GHz band.

Its optimal radio frequency performance has been optimized by spectral analysis which collects feedback on channel interference on its 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, band steering which pushes your connected devices to faster and interference free 5 GHz channel and airtime fairness which minimizes problem-client effects on its performance by limiting airtime access. Aside from that it operates with the UniFi controller V4 software which allows you to easily setup and configure your UniFi AC-LR and also allows you to control and manage your network.

Pros

• Easy to use GUI system
• Excellent Wi-Fi coverage
• Fast throughput speeds
• High performing antennas
• Strong and reliable network

Cons

• Too many SSIDs on network reduce WLAN performance
• Poor customer service support

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Conclusion

The UniFi AC-LR and the UniFi AC-Lite are both indoor access points with equal throughput speeds and simultaneous dual band functionality, however, the UniFi AC-LR is seen to have better Wi-Fi coverage than the UniFi AC-Lite.

Final Verdict; So, which is better- the UniFi AC-Lite or the LR?

The UniFi AC-LR is better than the UniFi AC-Lite. It has been designed to expand the Wi-Fi coverage in your home and provide you with a stronger and more reliable network throughout your home. With this access point, you are able to avoid connectivity issues such as lost internet connections and dropping Wi-Fi signals.

FAQs

Does my UniFi AC-LR access point come with a PoE injector?

Yes it does.

How many devices can my UniFi AC-LR access point serve at the same time?

The UniFi AC-LR is capable of serving 50+ connected devices however you can put them on separate guest networks so that you can maximize its performance. However, when you have too many devices and too many guest networks it reduces the throughput and its overall network performance.