Planning a UniFi Network for a New Build or Townhouse

In a new build or a gut renovation of a townhouse, network quality is decided not at the router but during the shell phase: whoever plans conduits, Cat6a cabling and a technical room now saves themselves Wi-Fi repeaters and powerline workarounds later. With Ubiquiti’s UniFi ecosystem you can build a single, centrally managed network from gateway through switches to the access points. This guide shows how to size components and cabling by floor area and number of storeys.

Example topology: gateway and PoE switch in the utility room, one access point per floor (structured Cat 6/6a cabling).

Structure first: technical room and star wiring

The heart of the plan is a central point where all cables meet: a small technical room, a cabinet in the utility room, or at least a network rack in the garage. From there everything is wired in a star topology, meaning every network outlet gets its own continuous run back to the patch panel. Daisy-chaining outlets is a thing of the past.

Plan space here for the patch panel, switch, gateway and the provider’s handover point (fibre ONT or cable modem). You will also need adequate power with several outlets and some ventilation, since PoE switches give off heat under load.

Which cable: Cat6 or Cat6a

For permanent in-wall runs, Cat6a is the sensible minimum. It carries 10 Gigabit over the distances typical inside a house and is better shielded than Cat6. The price difference over Cat6 is small, while replacing cable inside a wall later is extremely expensive. Run solid-core installation cable fixed in the wall and use flexible patch cables only at the ends.

Conduits instead of direct plaster embedding: this lets you pull in more cores or fibre later.
At least two double outlets per living room (TV wall, desk); in a home office, closer to four ports.
Provide a ceiling or wall outlet at every planned AP position; PoE makes separate power sockets unnecessary.
Pull spare runs to the basement, attic and garden while the walls are still open.

The gateway: the core of routing and security

The gateway handles routing, firewall and the UniFi management (network controller). For a typical single-family home or townhouse, the UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra) is enough: compact, fanless, with around 1 Gbps throughput with IDS/IPS enabled and management for 30+ UniFi devices. It has no PoE ports and no Wi-Fi; the switch handles that.

If you have a fibre connection faster than 1 Gbps or want to run network storage and cameras at home, choose the UniFi Cloud Gateway Fiber (UCG-Fiber). It offers two 10G SFP+ ports, one 10 GbE RJ45 WAN port, up to 5 Gbps IDS/IPS throughput and room for NVMe storage. An active fan keeps the 10G load cool. Alternatively, the Dream Machine range (e.g. Dream Machine Pro) covers larger setups with a built-in drive bay for UniFi Protect.

The switch: sizing port count and PoE correctly

The switch powers access points, cameras and end devices. Two figures drive the choice: port count and PoE budget. Count every cable that terminates in the technical room and add headroom. For a townhouse with three or four access points, a few cameras and several wired links, a 16-port model is a good starting point; a single-family home with many outlets is often better served by 24 ports.

PoE (Power over Ethernet) delivers power to access points and cameras over the data cable. Make sure the total PoE budget is sufficient and that at least PoE+ (802.3at) is available on the AP ports. A 2.5G or 10G uplink to the gateway keeps the switch from becoming a bottleneck for fast Wi-Fi 7 clients. The USW-Pro-Max-16-PoE, for instance, combines twelve 1 GbE PoE+ ports, four 2.5 GbE PoE++ ports and two 10G SFP+ uplinks, a good match for the U7 range.

Access points: coverage by area and storey

As a rule of thumb, a ceiling-mounted access point covers roughly 80 to 120 m2 of open space. In a multi-storey townhouse, though, it is not area alone that matters but the number of floors: walls and concrete ceilings heavily attenuate the signal. So plan at least one access point per storey rather than hoping one unit will punch through two floors.

The current Wi-Fi 7 generation is the U7 Pro, rated by the manufacturer at around 140 m2 maximum coverage, with a 2.5 GbE uplink and PoE+. For large open living areas or many simultaneous devices, the U7 Pro Max adds streams and capacity (up to 500+ clients). The U7 Pro Wall replaces an in-wall network outlet and is ideal for hallways or stairwells where ceiling mounting is not possible. Where budget is tight, a cheaper U6 or U7 Lite access point suffices in secondary rooms.

AP placement: what matters

Access points belong on the ceiling or high on a wall, central to the room, not in a cabinet or behind the TV.
Offset APs on floors above one another slightly so they do not interfere with each other.
Avoid kitchens, metal cabinets and underfloor heating, which attenuate the signal.
For garden or terrace, plan an outdoor AP or a wall-mounted AP on the exterior wall.

Rough sizing by floor area

Up to approx. 100 m2, one to two storeys: gateway (UCG-Ultra), 8- to 16-port PoE switch, one to two U7 Pro.
Townhouse, approx. 120 to 160 m2, three storeys: UCG-Ultra, 16-port PoE switch, three access points (one per storey), optionally a U7 Pro Wall in the stairwell.
Large house, over 200 m2, with basement and garden: UCG-Fiber or Dream Machine Pro, 24-port PoE switch, four or more access points including an outdoor AP.

Recommended components (example)

Gateway: UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra (UCG-Ultra), or UCG-Fiber for a 10G connection.
Switch: USW-Pro-Max-16-PoE (2.5G ports and 10G uplink) or the cheaper USW-Lite-16-PoE.
Access points: U7 Pro for living rooms, U7 Pro Max for large open areas, U7 Pro Wall for hallways.
Cabling: Cat6a installation cable, patch panel, network rack, Cat6a keystone outlets.
Add-on: USW-Flex-Mini-2.5G as a small PoE switch behind an outlet for several devices in one spot.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Dream Machine for a townhouse? No. For most townhouses the UCG-Ultra is completely sufficient. A Dream Machine or the UCG-Fiber only pays off with connections above 1 Gbps or if you want to run UniFi Protect with local camera recording.

How many access points do I really need? Reckon on one AP per storey as a baseline and add more for large or awkward floor plans. Fewer but well-placed APs beat many poorly placed ones that interfere with each other.

Cat6 or Cat6a in a new build? In a new build, clearly Cat6a. The extra cost is minimal and you are ready for the 10-Gigabit applications of the coming years without opening the walls again.

Do I have to set Wi-Fi channels myself? The UniFi controller usually handles channel selection and transmit power automatically. With multiple APs you should run a brief optimisation after installation and check the results.

Can I expand a UniFi setup later? Yes, that is the system’s strength. As long as the gateway and switch have spare ports, you simply add more access points, cameras or switches; they appear automatically in the same controller.