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AmpliFi Wi-Fi system pairs router, extenders, app, and speedometer

AmpliFi Wi-Fi system pairs router, extenders, app, and speedometer

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Home Wi-Fi is a vital, fickle friend, and thankfully a handful of companies are doing something about it. The most prominent among these is probably Google's OnHub, but now Ubiquiti Networks is getting into the mix with it's new AmpliFi product. Instead of offering a single fix-all-your-problems monolith like OnHub, AmpliFi is a whole system, including two range extenders out of the box — and you can buy more if you need them.

Ubiquiti, a specialist in enterprise-oriented wireless systems, is new to the consumer market, but AmpliFi doesn't look like an enterprise box. There's a nice circular display on the front of the router to inform you of your upload and download speeds. And, as is all the rage these days, there's an app to help with configuration, monitoring status, and provisioning guest access.

Unfortunately, the price is steep: the base model comes with two range extenders and costs $199. To get the AmpliFi "HD" with full Wi-Fi broadcast strength, you'll have to drop $349. The routers don't ship for another six to eight weeks, so you'll have a while to ponder how much enterprise-inspired Wi-Fi stability is worth to you.

Correction: All models of the AmpliFi support the 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard; a previous version of this article stated that it was only available on the HD model.