UniFi Swiss Army Knife Ultra Review

Ubiquiti released their most compact access point, the UniFi Swiss Army Knife Ultra. This is the first access point in the new Ultra line from UniFi. The Ultra line can be seen as the entry line for UniFi network equipment.

The name of the new UniFi Swiss Army Knife Ultra, or in short the UK Ultra, may raise some questions, but it’s pointed toward the versatility of this small access point.

In this article, we are going to take a look at the new UniFi Ultra access point and how it compares to other UniFi access points.

UniFi Swiss Army Knife Ultra Review

The UniFi UK Ultra is a small, affordable, and versatile access point. Its true strength is in the different mounting options and small size. You can mount this access point, both indoors and outdoors (IPX6 rated), and it can be mounted on a wall, ceiling, desk, or pole.

In the package, you will find a drop ceiling mounting plate, a level guide, a security screw, and straps to mount the access point to a pole. On the back of the access point, you will find a backplate, which you can easily remove. The backplate can be used for wall, ceiling, and pole mounting.

It also has 2 RP-SMA connectors, that allow you to mount external antennas on it. Both an omnidirectional and directional antenna are coming soon for this access point, which will make it a great option for outdoor use.

But there is also a downside of this access point that we need to address, it only supports WiFi 5 and WPA2. At the moment of writing, the first WiFi 7 capable access points are coming up from UniFi, so this access point is a bit outdated from the technology standpoint.

Now that doesn’t really have to be a problem. Of course, WiFi 6 or 6E offers a greater throughput, but package handling and is better at handling multiple connections simultaneously. But with the low price point and small side, this access point is perfect to place in your garden, or garage or to fix that blind spot in your house.

Specifications

WiFi Standard	WiFi 5 – 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
2.4 Ghz Speed	300 Mbps
5 Ghz Speed	866.7 Mbps
Concurrent Clients	200+
MIMO	2 x 2
Max TX Power 2.4Ghz	20 dBm
Max TX Power 5Ghz	20 dBm
Antenna Gain 2.4Ghz	6 dBi
Antenna Gain 5Ghz	6 dBi
Coverage	115 m² (1,250 ft²)
Power usage	up to 8 W (measured 3.96 W)
Outdoor	Yes – IPX6
Dimensions	137 x 84 x 34 mm (5.4 x 3.3 x 1.3″)

I don’t have any information yet about the antenna gain and range with the external antennas. When released, I will update the article.

Good to know is that you can power the Ultra UK using Power over Ethernet. Just like with most UniFi access points, and PoE adapter isn’t included. You can buy one separately or use a UniFi switch that supports PoE out.

Mounting and Configuring

Setting up the UniFi UK Ultra is just like the other UniFi Access Point for the most part. I recommend reading my updated UniFi Network installation guide for all the ins and outs when it comes to configuring your network.

To mount the UK Ultra, you can use the mounting plate that you can slide off the back of the switch. The mountain plate can be used on a wall, or ceiling, or be strapped to a pole with the supplied ty-raps.

At the bottom of the mounting plate, there is a small opening for the ethernet cable. This can be fed through the bottom or can come from behind. After you mount the mounting plate, you can just slide the access point over the plate.

When using the UniFi Swiss Army Knife Ultra outdoors, you have one option in the device settings that is good to know. When using the Omni or Panel antenna on the UK Ultra, you will need to change the antenna type accordingly:

Also, you (must) enable the Outdoor Mode so that the broadcasting policy matches the regulations of your country.

Comparing the UK Ultra

The UK Ultra is marketed as an affordable and versatile access point that can be used outdoors as well. Given the fact that it only supports WiFi 5, you probably won’t buy this access point when you are looking for great throughputs. For that, you will need to look at the new UniFi 6 line access points.

But when you are looking for an outdoor access point with a decent range, or a budget-friendly access point for in-house or in the garage, then this might be a good option.

So we are going to compare this access point with another outdoor capable access point from UniFi, the U6 Mesh, and their least expensive access point, the U6 Lite.

UK Ultra vs U6 Lite

When looking for an indoor access point, then the U6 Lite is next to the UK Ultra the most affordable access point. The big difference between the two is that the U6 Lite supports WiFi 6 on the 5Ghz channel, which results in a higher throughput.

It also supports the newer and more secure WPA3 protocol, but when it comes to mounting options, you can only mount the U6 Lite to the ceiling or wall.

Important to note is the difference in Antenna gain. A higher antenna gain allows the access point to hear the client better. This is especially important when you need to cover a greater distance.

	UK Ultra	U6 Lite
MSRP Price	$89.00	$99.00
WiFi Standard	WiFi 5 – 802.11a/b/g/n/ac	WiFi 5 / 6 (5Ghz only)
2.4 Ghz Speed	300 Mbps	300 Mbps
5 Ghz Speed	866.7 Mbps	1200 Mbps
Concurrent Clients	200+	300+
MIMO	2×2	2×2
Max TX Power 2.4Ghz	20 dBm	23 dBm
Max TX Power 5Ghz	20 dBm	23 dBm
Antenna Gain 2.4Ghz	6 dBi	2.8 dBi
Antenna Gain 5Ghz	6 dBi	3 dBi
Coverage	115 m² (1,250 ft²)	115 m² (1,250 ft²)
Outdoor	Yes – IPX6	No

UK Ultra vs U6 Mesh

When you are looking for an outdoor access point, then the current option would be the UniFi U6 Mesh. But the UK Ultra is actually a pretty good choice. Again, the different mounting options allow you to easily mount the access point where you need it.

But also the higher antenna gain allows you to cover a greater distance, not to mention that the UK Ultra is only half the price of the U6 Mesh. The U6 Mesh however is a full WiFi 6 capable access point, with 4×4 MIMO, making it capable of reaching higher throughput speeds and handling more clients.

	UK Ultra	U6 Mesh
MSRP Price	$89.00	$179.00
WiFi Standard	WiFi 5 – 802.11a/b/g/n/ac	WiFi 6
2.4 Ghz Speed	300 Mbps	574 Mbps
5 Ghz Speed	866.7 Mbps	4800 Mbps
Concurrent Clients	200+	300+
MIMO	2×2	4×4
Max TX Power 2.4Ghz	20 dBm	22 dBm
Max TX Power 5Ghz	20 dBm	26 dBm
Antenna Gain 2.4Ghz	6 dBi	3 dBi
Antenna Gain 5Ghz	6 dBi	5 dBi
Coverage	115 m² (1,250 ft²)	140 m² (1,250 ft²)
Outdoor	Yes – IPX6	Yes – IPX5

Wrapping Up

The UniFi Swiss Army Knife Ultra is really a small and affordable access point. Even though it only supports WiFi 5, it is still a perfect budget-friendly access point. Keep in mind that not every network requires high throughput or many simultaneous connections.

And for outdoor use, this access point is really a great option.

I hope you liked this review, if you have any questions, just drop a comment below.