HTG Wrapped 2025: 24 days of tech
24 days of our favorite hardware, gadgets, and tech
Choosing the right Wi-Fi 7 router can be tough. There are so many models out there, and which ecosystem is the right one to buy into? Earlier this year, I switched my entire network over to UniFi and I haven’t regretted it for a moment.
The UniFi system might seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be all that complicated. You can, of course, build out a pretty complex system with Ubiquiti’s hardware, but the Dream Router 7 that I went with makes building out your home network super simple.
UniFi’s Dream Router 7 itself is pretty simple—even though it’s ultra-powerful. For starters, it’s a 2×2 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi 7 router capable of up to 1,750 square feet of coverage. On the back is a 4-port 2.5Gb Ethernet switch, with the top port sporting Power over Ethernet capabilities. At the bottom is a 10Gb SFP+ connection that can be used for your WAN input or just to connect other networking equipment.
Unifi Dream Router 7 Review: The Homelabber’s Dream Router
I’m so glad that I Unified my network.
All of those features are pretty standard for most Wi-Fi routers, but what you find below the SFP+ port is where things start to get fascinating. There, you’ll find a microSD card slot that is used for the built-in NVR (network video recorder) functionality that this router has.
The UniFi Dream Router 7 is a full gateway within the UniFi ecosystem. That means it supports every app UniFi has to offer—Network (standard networking functions), Protect (networked video recorder for surveillance cameras), Access (door access controls), Talk (VoIP communications), and Connect (display control). That’s right, this $279 router is capable of all of those functions.
I mentioned “standard” networking, but the networking capabilities of UniFi far exceed most normal routers. The reason that I love the UniFi system is that it offers a fully managed networking experience, VLANs and all. I’m able to create multiple networks and control the access each network has with much more granular control than normal primary and guest networks provide.
I actually have a separate IoT VLAN that all of my smart home devices connect to, which is separate from my normal “trusted” computer VLAN. If one of those devices gets hacked, I’m not worried because none of the devices on my IoT VLAN can talk to each other or any other networked item in my house.
At the end of the day, the UniFi Dream Router 7 is the most feature-packed Wi-Fi 7 router you can buy right now. From having a built-in NVR to the managed network experience, this is one purchase I made this year that I don’t regret in the least.
9/10
- Brand
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Unifi
- Range
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1,750 square feet
The Unifi Dream Router 7 is a full-fledged network appliance offering NVR capabilities, fully managed switching,a built-in firewall, VLANs, and more. With four 2.5G Ethernet ports (one with PoE+) and a 10G SFP+ port, the Unifi Dream Router 7 also features dual WAN capabilities should you have two ISP connections. It includes a 64GB microSD card for IP camera storage, but can be upgraded for more storage if needed. With Wi-Fi 7, you’ll be able to reach up to a theoretical 5.7 Gbps network speed when using the 10G SFP+ port, or 2.5 Gbps when using Ethernet.
