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Ubiquiti has some exciting news for home and SMB users looking for top-notch modern networking solutions—think multi-Gigabit and Wi-Fi 7.
Today, the networking announced not one, not two, but three new compact UniFi Cloud Gateways to expand its UniFi family, including the Dream Router 7 (UDR7), UniFi Express 7 (UX7), and Cloud Gateway Fiber (UCG-Fiber).
As the number 7 in their names suggests, the first two have built-in Wi-Fi 7. The UCG-Fiber, on the other hand, is the latest non-Wi-Fi UniFi “router”. Yet, it might be the most exciting of all. Let’s find out more!
Ubiquiti’s latest UniFi Cloud Gateway trio: Much more than your typical routers
It’s important to note that calling these new cloud gateway devices “routers” is an understatement.
All of them, especially the UDR7 and UCG-Fiber, can do a lot more than a simple router. They are hardware consoles capable of simultaneously handling multiple UniFi applications, among which the Network app that makes them “routers” is one.
Tip
Generally, all UniFi cloud gateways (a.k.a. hardware consoles) share the same basic features and settings, but their capacities vary depending on the hardware specs.
Main applications in the UniFi Application Suite include:
- Network (default): This application enables the hardware to function as an advanced router by managing all things network-related, including network settings/features, security, firewall, Wi-Fi, and the support for extenders/access points to form a mesh system.
- Protect: The support for IP cameras as an advanced surveillance system, including a built-in NVR.
- Talk: A locally hosted Voice-over-IP system.
- Access: A “platform designed for Access Control Systems”—per Ubiquiti. Examples are door-related security IoT devices, such as doorbells, keyfobs, locks, etc.
- Connect: Application that manages digital signage and EV Stations
Each of these applications is a world in itself, with various in-depth customization and different types of UniFi devices.
Still, from the perspective of home and most small-business users, who care primarily about the network portion, these devices can be considered advanced routers of different tiers or flavors.
So, how advanced are they?
Dream Router 7 (UDR7): An entry-level Multi-Gig UniFi Cloud Gateway with built-in Wi-Fi 7
The UDR7 replaces the UDR that came out three years ago (which replaced the original UDM). It’s Ubiquiti’s third compact egg-shaped cloud gateway designed for the home or small businesses.
Per Ubiquiti, like its predecessor, the UDR7 is “fully capable of running all UniFi software and is loaded with an LCM status screen, PoE-capable 2.5GbE switch, SD-Card storage, integrated power supply, and a super-antenna system for hi-performance Wi-Fi.”
The UDR7 comes with dual-stream (2×2) Wi-Fi 7 specs, four 2.5Gbps ports, and one SFP+ port (10Gbps). Like most Wi-Fi 7 routers, it forgoes Gigabit ports altogether.
Considering the specs, those needing a single Wi-Fi broadcaster will find the new Dream Router 7 a complete Wi-Fi solution by itself. Living in a large home? You can pair the UDR7 with one or a couple of UniFi access points to build an advanced system to extend the Wi-Fi coverage. In this case, the UDR7 itself can power one AP via the built-in PoE port.
Additionally, its support for IP phones (via the Talk app) and security cameras (Protect), complete with the ability to function as a local NVR with upgradable microSD-based storage, are handy bonuses.
Hardware specifications: UDR7 vs. UDR vs. UDM
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Name | UniFi Dream Router 7 | UniFi Dream Router | UniFi Dream Machine |
| Model | UDR7 | UDR | UDM |
| Operating Roles | Cloud Gateway | Router | |
| Wi-Fi Bandwidth | Tri-band BE1100 | Dual-band AX3000 | Dual-band AC2000 |
| 6GHz band (channel width) | 2×2 BE: Up to 5.7Gbps (20/40MHz/160/320MHz) | None | |
| 5GHz band (channel width) | 2×2 BE: Up to 4.3Gbps (20/40/160/240MHz) | 2×2 AX: Up to 2.4Gbps (20/40/160MHz) | 4×4 AC: Up to 1.7Gbps (20/40/80MHz) |
| 2.4GHz band (channel width) | 2×2 BE: Up to 688 Mbps (20/40MHz) | 4×4 Wi-Fi 4 (N): Up to 576Mbps (20/40MHz) | 2×2 Wi-Fi 4 (N): Up to 300Mbps (20/40MHz) |
| Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) | No | n/a | |
| Multi-Link Operation (MLO) | Yes (UniFi OS 4.1.15 and later) | n/a | |
| Wi-Fi Coverage (estimate) | 1500 ft2 | ||
| Processing Power | Quad-core Arm Cortex A53 1.5GHz CPU, 3GB RAM | Dual-Core Cortex A53 1.35GHz CPU, 2GB RAM | Quad-core Arm Cortex A57 1.7GHz CPU, 2GB RAM |
| Storage | Undisclosed internal flash, 64GB microSD pre-installed in SD card slot | 128GB internal flash, microSD card slot for a 128GB larger card | 16GB internal flash |
| Dimensions | 4.33-inch (110 mm) wide 7.25-in (184.2 mm) tall | ||
| Weight | 2.4 lb (1.1 kg) | 2.54 lb (1.15 kg) | 2.32 lb (1.05 kg) |
| PoE Port | 1x 802.3af | 2x 802.3af | None |
| PoE Power Budget | 15.4W | 40W | n/a |
| Max PoE Per Port | 15.4W | n/a | |
| Multi-Gig Port | 1x SFP+ (WAN/LAN), 1x 2.5GBASE-T WAN/LAN), 4x 2.5GBASE-T LAN | None | |
| Gigabit Port | None | 1x WAN, 4x LAN | |
| Power Method | Standard AC power cord | ||
| Power Supply | AC/DC, Internal, 50W | AC/DC, Internal,14.4W | |
| Supported Voltage | 100-240V AC | ||
| Power Consumption (per 24 hours) | ≈ 315 Wh (tested with no PoE device) | ≈ 228 Wh (tested with no PoE device) | Not tested |
| Internal Fan | Yes | ||
| Max TX Power | 2.4GHz: 23 dBm 5GHz: 26 dBm 6GHz: 24 dBm | 2.4GHz: 26 dBm 5GHz: 26 dBm | 2.4GHz: 23 dBm 5GHz: 26 dBm |
| Antenna Gain | 2.4GHz: 5 dBi 5GHz: 7 dBi 6GHz: 6 dBi | 2.4GHz: 3 dBi 5GHz: 4.3 dBi | 2.4GHz: 3 dBi 5GHz: 4.5 dBi |
| Wireless Security | WPA/WPA2/WPA3 | ||
| Mesh Ready | Yes (with UniFi access point) | ||
| Notable Design | Egg shape design, Color-changing ring status light, Front-facing 0.96″ vertical status screen, microSD slot | Egg shape design, Color-changing ring status light | |
| UniFi Application Suite (concurrent supported apps) | Network, Protect, Talk, Access, Connect | Network | |
| Max UniFi Device Support (Concurrent access points, cameras, phones, etc.) | 30+ | 20+ | Up to 40 UniFi APs |
| Max Camera Support (Protect app) | HD (5) 2K (2) 4K (1) | n/a | |
| Max Concurrent User Support (end-devices) | 300+ | 150+ | undisclosed |
| IDS/IPS Throughput (routing bandwidth with security turned on) | 2.3Gbps | 1Gbps | 900Mbps |
| Software Version (at review) | UniFi OS: 4.1.18 Network: 9.0.114 | UniFi OS: 2.4.9 Network: 7.1.61 | UniFi OS: 1.1.6 Network: 5.12.35 |
| Release Date | February 25, 2025 | April 26, 2022 | November 2019 |
| US Cost (at launch) | $279 | $199 | $299 |
UniFi Express 7 (UX7): A flexible Wi-Fi 7 router
The UX7 cloud gateway is closer to a standard Wi-Fi router since it features only the Network app of the UniFi Application Suite mentioned above. As a result, you can pair it with only UniFi access points to extend the Wi-Fi network—it can’t host other UniFi devices, such as IP cameras or phones.
In return, it’s more flexible. Specifically, apart from the default router role, it can work as a wired UniFi access point itself or a wireless mesh node to extend the coverage wirelessly. On this front, according to Ubiquiti, the UX7’s support for the MLO feature is, for now, limited only to the fronthaul (for clients). If you use the UX7 in a fully wireless setup, it’ll still use the 5GHz as the backhaul link.
Other than that, the UniFi Express 7 has a 2.5Gbps and a 10Gbps Multi-Gig port and shares the same Wi-Fi specs as the UDR7 above.
UniFi Express 7: Hardware specifications
 | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | UniFi Express 7 |
| Model | UX7 |
| Operating Roles | Wi-Fi Router, UniFi Access Point, UniFi Mesh Point |
| Wi-Fi Bandwidth | Tri-band BE1100 |
| 6GHz band (channel width) | 2×2 BE: Up to 5.7Gbps (20/40MHz/160/320MHz) |
| 5GHz band (channel width) | 2×2 BE: Up to 4.3Gbps (20/40/160/240MHz) |
| 2.4GHz band (channel width) | 2×2 BE: Up to 688 Mbps (20/40MHz) |
| Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) | No |
| Multi-Link Operation (MLO) | Yes (fronthaul only) |
| Wi-Fi Coverage (estimate) | 1500 ft2 |
| Processing Power | Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 at 1.5 GHz, 3GB RAM |
| Dimensions | 4.61 x 4.61 x 1.67 in (117 x 117 x 42.5 mm) |
| Weight | .93 lb (422 grams) |
| Multi-Gig Port | 1x 10GBASE-T WAN 1x 2.5GBASE-T LAN |
| Gigabit Port | None |
| Power Method | USB-C port |
| Power Supply | AC/DC, Internal, 50W |
| Supported Voltage | 100 -240V AC |
| Power Consumption (per 24 hours) | TBD |
| Internal Fan | No |
| Antenna Gain | 2.4GHz: 4 dBi 5GHz: 7 dBi 6GHz: 6 dBi |
| Wireless Security | WPA/WPA2/WPA3 |
| Mesh Ready | Yes |
| Notable Design | Front-facing 0.96″ Status Display |
| UniFi Application Suite (supported apps) | Network |
| Max UniFi Devices | 30+ |
| Max Concurrent User Support (end-devices) | 300+ |
| IDS/IPS Throughput (routing bandwidth with security turned on) | 2.3Gbps |
| Release Date | February 26, 2025 |
| US Cost (at launch) | $199 |
UCG-Fiber: Finally, a compact UniFi Cloud Gateway with multiple 10Gbps ports
In more ways than one, the UCG-Fiber is a major upgrade to the UCG-Max by featuring three 10Gbps ports, including two SFP+ and one Multi-Gig BASE-T. Additionally, it has four 2.5Gbps ports, one of which features PoE+.
On the port front alone, the Cloud Gateway Fiber is even better than the many current full-size cloud gateways, such as the UDM-SE, making it by far the most exciting compact UniFi console. But there’s more: the UCG-Fiber has more processing power and higher IDS/IPS Throughput, which allows it to handle security much better.
Like the UCG-Max, the new UCG-Fiber has an NVMe slot for hosting an SSD for the NVR 2 storage. In this case, it shares the same M.2 SSD Tray as the older model (not included).
Alternatively, you can get it with the SSD (and the tray) included, up to 2TB, though it’s a better idea to get a non-storage version and the tray itself and then add an NVMe SSD of a (larger) capacity that fits your needs.
Based on my experience with the UCG-Max, it’s safe to say the UCG-Fiber will work with third-party SSDs of any capacity—you can use an NVMe SSD of any length, but not one with a heatsink. Not sure which drive to get? Below is my top-five pick.
Top 5 best NVMe SSDs
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Name | Crucial T705 PCIe 5.0 SSD’s Rating | Samsung 990 EVO SSD’s Rating | WD Blue SN5000’s Rating | Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G and Rocket 4 Plus’ Rating | Micron Crucial P310 M.2 SSD’s Ratings |
| Price | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rating | |||||
| Description | |||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Buy this product |
While many might consider the lack of built-in Wi-Fi a drawback, and rightfully so, it can also make the hardware more flexible. You can easily add a UniFi access point to it to turn your network Wi-Fi, keeping the UCG-Fiber itself from being obsolete simply because there are changes on the Wi-Fi front.
Hardware specifications: UCG-Fiber vs. UCG-Max vs. UDM-SE
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Fiber | Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Max | Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine Special Edition |
| Model | UCG-Fiber | UCG-Max | UDM-SE |
| Built-in Wi-Fi Bandwidth | None | ||
| Processing Power | Quad-core ARM Cortex A73 at 2.2 GHz, 3GB RAM | Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 at 1.5 GHz, 3GB RAM | Quad-core ARM Cortex-A57 at 1.7 GHz, 4GB RAM |
| IDS/IPS Throughput (routing bandwidth with security turned on) | 5Gbps | 1.5 Gbps | 3.5Gbps |
| Storage | 1x NVMe storage slot | Integrated 128GB SSD, 1x 3.5-inch SATA storage bay | |
| Dimensions | 8.3 x 5 x 0.5 in (212.8 x 127.6 x 30 mm) | 5.6 x 5 x 1.2 in (141.8 x 127.6 x 30 mm) | 17.4 x 1.7 x 11.2 in (442.4 x 43.7 x 285.6 mm) |
| Weight (without HDD or SSD) | 1.5 lb (675 g) | 1.1 lb (519 g) | 10.9 lb (4.95 kg) |
| Gigabit Port | None | 8x LAN | |
| PoE Port | 1x 802.3at (PoE+) | None | 6x 802.3af (PoE) 2x 802.3at (PoE+) |
| PoE Power Budget | 30W | n/a | 180W |
| Max PoE Power Per Port | 30W | n/a | PoE: 15.4W PoE+: 30W |
| Multi-Gig Port | 1x 10GBASE-T WAN/LAN 1x SFP+ WAN/LAN 1x SFP+ LAN, 4x 2.5GBASE-T LAN | 1x 2.5GBASE-T WAN 4x 2.5GBASE-T LAN (or WAN) | 1x 2.5GBASE-WAN or LAN 1x SFP+ WAN or LAN 1x SFP+ LAN |
| Power Method | DC Jack 54V, 1.1A (power adapter included) | USB-C (power adapter included) | Universal AC input, USP-RPS DC input |
| Supported Voltage | 100 -240V AC | ||
| Power Consumption (per 24 hours without PoE devices) | ≈ 300 Wh | ≈ 390 Wh | ≈ 430 Wh |
| Internal Fan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Notable Design | Compact design with 0.96″ LCM status display | Standard rackmount, 1.3″ touchscreen | |
| UniFi Application Suite (concurrent supported apps) | Network (default), Protect, Talk, Access, Connect | ||
| Max UniFi Device Support (Concurrent access points, cameras, phones, etc.) | 50+ | 30+ | 100+ |
| Max Camera Support (Protect app) | HD (15) 2K (8) 4K (5) | HD (20) 2K (12) 4K (7) | |
| Max Concurrent User Support (end-devices) | 500+ | 300+ | 1000+ |
| Software Version (at review) | UniFi OS: 4.1.16 Network: 9.0.114 | UniFi OS: 4.0.6 Network: 8.4.59 | UniFi OS: 3.1.9 Network: 7.4.156 |
| Release Date | February 26, 2025 | July 16, 2024 | January 22, 2022 |
| US Cost (at launch) | $279 (no storage) $399 (1TB) $529 (2TB) (buy now!) | $199 (no storage) $279 (512GB) $349 (1TB) $479 (2TB) (buy now!) | $499 |
Availability
The new cloud gateways are available immediately at Ubiquiti’s online store. Based on the specs and my initial impressions, they are worthy upgrades to the previous models, so it’s safe to pick your favorite and get it today.
However, if you want to make the decision based on their real-world performance, check back soon for their in-depth reviews. I’m particularly excited about the UCG-Fiber and the UDR7.
Update: In-depth reviews are available: UX7, UDR7 and UCG- Fiber.
Hey Dong
With the UniFi express 7 when you say that it will use the 5GHZ spectrum as a backhaul link, that’s not dedicated backhaul is it? It can’t be I’m guessing because it’s a tri band?
It’s not dedicated, Nipun.
Thanks Dong! Waiting for the full review before I buy. I’ll be using it as a wireless setup.
Noted, I’ll review the UDR7 and UCG-Fiber first, though.
Hey Dong
I’m going to buy the dream router 7 as my primary router and then add the express 7 in a wireless mesh configuration. Just before I buy though, you said this is possible a few days ago when I asked the question but this is what was said online. Just checking- is it true? Does Ubiquiti not support this configuration in this moment in time?
Excerpt below
Yes, you can use the Ubiquiti Dream Machine (UDM) WiFi 7 as your main router and then add the UniFi Express 7 as a wireless mesh point, but there are some important considerations:
1. Compatibility for Wireless Mesh
• UniFi Express 7 can be adopted into a UniFi network, but it is primarily designed as a standalone access point or wired extension.
• As of now, Ubiquiti does not officially support wireless mesh functionality with the UniFi Express 7.
• The Dream Machine WiFi 7 (or any UniFi router) supports wireless mesh with other UniFi Access Points (APs) that are explicitly designed for mesh (such as the UniFi U7 Pro).
Regards
Nipun
Not true. You need to stop reading their content. I’m testing it in a wireless setup right now. Wait a day or so for the review to find out more.
It’s pointless, if not idiotic, to use any other PoE UniFi access point as wireless mesh unit since it already use a network cable for powering.
Amazing! Thank you. And thanks for helping us out here, I find this forum invaluable. I’ve made a little donation. Hope it helps 🙂
👍
Thanks for the support!
Hi Dong,
Thank you for you comparisons and information.
I had a question around the nvme, do these run at 10Gbps or 32Gbps? Or are they further restricted.
I have a cloudkey plus with a 2tb ssd but they are rated at max 6 Gbps. Would I see a great performance increase? Especially in protect when viewing cctv?
Thanks
That’s a good question, Tee, and I’ll find out as I’m testing it. However, considering the network ports, that’d make no difference.