Hey everyone, I’m in a bit of a dilemma upgrading my home network and could really use your insights. I’m looking to step up to WiFi 6 and ensure a gigabit connection in my multi-floor house, which is connected by a central open staircase, allowing for open signal flow between floors. Currently, I’m using a WiFi 5 router, but it’s hitting its limit at 867Mbit on 5GHz, which isn’t quite cutting it anymore and there are multiple 5ghz options with >3gbit speed.

I’m considering two options: the UniFi Dream Machine router and the UniFi 6 Pro access point. The Dream Machine is more expensive but sleek, and I think it would fit well in my entrance area, which seamlessly transitions into the living room — a central spot for good coverage. However, the UniFi 6 Pro is less expensive and seems to cover my needs since I already have gigabit routers. My only concern with the 6 Pro is that i am very unsure where to mount it:

• Mounting in the ceiling of the entrance area doesn’t work, since I have some wodden beams on the ceiling
• Mounting on the wall: Not sure about the aesthetics and also it’s not recommended.

Given the layout of my house and my current setup, I’m seeking advice on which would be a better fit. The Dream machine would be a no brainer because of placement and aesthetics, only if it wasn’t so damn expensive and given that I don’t need any of it’s extra features.

Any suggestions or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

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Edit: The current placement of my old router+access point

https://preview.redd.it/lvw5gm7oiizb1.png?width=2392&format=png&auto=webp&s=ce8c99c24397b3fb6812d31e8dacd561ff17fa12