I have a really odd memory. When picking up my wife’s dinner from a restaurant, I frequently forget her order, but I can recall even the most insignificant information from years ago. Knowing every router I’ve ever used is one of them. A Microsoft 802.11b router came initially, then the standard WRTG54G, a Netgear 802.11n router, two 802.11ac AirPort Extremes, and lastly the older Google Wifi model. I just had the opportunity to test out the new AmpliFi Alien router, so I was eager to test out some of its capabilities, such as Wi-Fi 6 support for the iPhone 11 Pro.<\/p>\n

Hardware<\/h2>\n

The hardware itself is nicely made. Because it blends in better, I like the black hue over Google’s white. It is slightly larger than Apple’s previous AirPort Extreme and considerably taller than Google’s base station. The unboxing went as expected. The router itself, a CAT6 cable, a power cord, and an instruction book are all included. The router has a touch screen that you can use to check your internet speed, see the time, and make quick adjustments to your network.<\/p>\n

Key Hardware Features<\/h2>\n

\n
• Wi-Fi 6 performance.<\/li>\n
• 5 GHz 8\u00d78 Wi-Fi 6 radio (Max speed 4804 Mbps)<\/li>\n
• 2.4 GHz 4\u00d74 Wi-Fi 6 radio (Max speed 1148 Mbps)<\/li>\n
• 5 GHz 4\u00d74 Wi-Fi 5 radio (Max speed 1733 Mbps).<\/li>\n
• 4-Port Gigabit Ethernet switch<\/li>\n
• Touchscreen display<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  AmpliFi Alien Set up Experience
  \n<\/h2>\n

  Ubiquiti advertises a one-minute setup process, although I am often quite dubious of such claims. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it took me only a minute to setup a single unit. It powers on after being plugged in, and I connected to it using the iPhone app. The preparation was perfect. I’m not referring to a setup where I had to restart the app several times before it would connect; rather, it was finished immediately. You may choose your SSID and password using the app, and then everything is set up.<\/p>\n

  I made a walk around my home after this initial access point was operational and found coverage everywhere. I could easily survive on with this one router. However, I have CAT6 wiring throughout my entire house, so of course I won’t stop at one. I started putting up router 2 in my additional room upstairs. It connected with the main unit right away. Mesh was used to establish the first connection, but if a wired backhaul is available, you can switch to it using the app. Overall, the setup went smoothly. I’ve never configured a home router that was so simple.<\/p>\n

  What Makes AmpliFi Alien Different?<\/h2>\n

  <\/p>\n

  In general, they are performing the same function for the majority of routers released in recent years. Although some might have a nicer user interface or a few extra features, the main focus is on offering dependable Wi-Fi in the home. Larger properties may now be covered more easily thanks to mesh systems. I was considering the advantages of the Alien router over other products as I was using it. In spite of the fact that Eero offers a router and two satellites for less money, it costs $379.99 for just one router. You might be correct if you compare Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi, but AmpliFi Alien offers three features that, if you require or desire them, make it the sole choice.<\/p>\n

  Wi-Fi 6<\/h3>\n

  In recent months, I’ve written about how Wi-Fi 6 will affect business environments, but I haven’t talked much about home markets. In the workplace, it’s far more significant than it would be in a single-family house (multi-dwelling units are another story).<\/p>\n

  Wi-Fi 6 is improving capacity for businesses, but most homeowners aren’t having as much trouble with it as are enterprises. When compared to many commercial clients, who can easily have 350+ connected devices on their Wi-Fi at any given moment, my home has 35 devices (mainly Homekit switches). Wi-Fi 6 will enable enterprise networks to better serve a large number of devices. Wi-Fi 6 has here, so if you want to make your home network as future-proof as possible, AmpliFi Alien is currently your best option.<\/p>\n

  Teleport (VPN Home)<\/h3>\n

  The ability to teleport home is another AmpliFi Alien feature that I can’t imagine not having at this point. The whole AmpliFi portfolio includes this capability, not only the Alien model. You can avoid utilising a third-party VPN because of it. There are many excellent ones available, but they are not free. The Teleport app can be used to establish a VPN connection to your home network while you are in a coffee shop. By employing this, you can improve your privacy over just using public Wi-Fi by having your connection go through your home network.<\/p>\n

  This function will be useful when travelling. Suppose you use YouTube TV to watch your local stations, but when you travel, it only lets you access the channels available where you are. You can make YouTube TV think you are at home using the free Teleport feature.<\/p>\n

  The absence of a macOS programme and a permanent connection are the main drawbacks I have with this functionality. Connecting to your home network and leaving it active would be ideal. When switching from Wi-Fi to LTE, I discovered that it would disconnect. In my head, it would auto-connect unless I whitelisted SSIDs for which I wanted to use Teleport. Other suppliers would copy this feature if they were wise.<\/p>\n

  Router to Router VPN<\/h3>\n

  The router-to-router VPN function of AmpliFi Alien is the last feature that distinguishes it. Through the use of this feature, two AmpliFi routers can connect to each other via a site-to-site VPN. Why then would you require this?<\/p>\n

  Consider the scenario when you wish to watch a local baseball team on MLB.TV. A specific device could VPN to an AmpliFi unit in a different city. Then, stuff that isn’t available on the market would be accessible on your Apple TV, Fire Stick, or Roku. If you reside in a nation that restricts access to particular websites, streaming services, etc., you might also use this option. You can easily access services in a secure manner by connecting to an AmpliFi device in another nation.<\/p>\n

  Wrap-up on AmpliFi Alien<\/h2>\n