AmpliFi Alien  Router Review

Reviewed Jul 22, 2024 at 10:27am
Writing modified Mar 23, 2026 at 09:41am
Tested using Methodology v0.8.2 
AmpliFi Alien

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The AmpliFi Alien is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router in Ubiquiti's AmpliFi consumer router lineup. It has a 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands. It features a 4.7-inch touchscreen that displays the network status and allows you to change various settings. The router also has a light ring on the bottom that shines green and flashes when you change settings. It's available as a standalone router or in a multi-pack with the Alien MeshPoint, an access point that allows you to configure a mesh network. We bought and tested it as a standalone router.

Our Verdict

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Apartment/Condo 

The AmpliFi Alien router is very good if you live in an apartment, condo, or single-story home. It provides fast speeds that are suitable for downloading large files quickly or handling multiple users streaming 4k content simultaneously. It doesn't have multi-gigabit networking, so you can't achieve local speeds faster than 1Gbps. It has a touchscreen on the front that allows you to monitor the router and adjust various settings. While it's on the larger side, it has a simple cylindrical design without any external antennas, making it easy to place in your living space.

Pros
  • Great top speeds.
  • Functional touchscreen and interesting design.
Cons
  • Wi-Fi 6 won't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
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Multi-Level House 

The AmpliFi Alien is a great router if you live in a multi-story home. It provides impressive speeds over long distances that are suitable for high-bandwidth uses, like downloading large game updates quickly and multiple 4k video streams at the same time. While we tested it as a standalone router, it's also available in a mesh kit for even better coverage. Design-wise, it has a touchscreen on the front that allows you to monitor the router and change various settings. Despite being on the larger side, its simple cylindrical design, without any external antennas, makes it easy to place in your home.

Pros
  • Great top speeds.
  • Functional touchscreen and interesting design.
  • Impressive range.
  • Available as a mesh kit to further improve range.
Cons
  • Wi-Fi 6 won't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
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Speed 

The AmpliFi Alien delivers great speeds and is suitable for an internet connection of up to ~750Mbps. It also supports DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection), so it can use less congested DFS-only channels to give you better speeds in noisy wireless environments. That said, it's only Wi-Fi 6, so it doesn't have a faster 6GHz band for your Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices to take advantage of.

Pros
  • Great top speeds.
  • Functional touchscreen and interesting design.
Cons
  • Wi-Fi 6 won't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
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Range 

We tested the AmpliFi Alien as a standalone router, but it's also available in a kit with additional access points. That said, even in standalone mode, it has impressive range and maintains fast speeds over a long distance.

Pros
  • Functional touchscreen and interesting design.
  • Impressive range.
  • Available as a mesh kit to further improve range.
Cons
  • Wi-Fi 6 won't take full advantage of new Wi-Fi 6E or 7 devices.
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    Apartment/Condo
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    Multi-Level House

  • Performance Usages

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    Speed
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    Range
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Mar 23, 2026: 

      We've added a link to the newly-reviewed GL.iNet Slate AX (GL-AXT1800) in the USB Ports section of the review.

    2.  Updated Jan 26, 2026: 

      We've added a link to the TP-Link Deco BE25 in the Dimensions section of the review.

    3.  Updated Dec 16, 2025: We've added an MLO Implementation test for Test Bench 0.8.2! Read the changelog for more details.
    4.  Updated Nov 04, 2025: 

      We've added a link to the newly reviewed TP-Link Archer BE700 in the Wi-Fi Specifications section.

    Check Price

    Black (1-pack)
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    Amazon.com
    Black (2-pack)
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    Amazon.com

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    The AmpliFi Alien is available as a standalone router or in a multi-pack with either another router or the Alien Meshpoint, a mesh access point with only one Ethernet port and no external screen. We bought and tested the standalone router. You can see the label of our unit here.

    Popular Router Comparisons

    The AmpliFi Alien router is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 router with a 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands. It has a unique design with a 4.7-inch touchscreen that allows you to monitor the network and change various settings. It supports mesh networking with other Alien routers or Alien MeshPoints and is available in a multi-pack.

    This router delivers great top speeds and very impressive range in standalone mode, which is even better than some mesh systems in its class, like the TP-Link Deco X5000 and eero Pro 6. That said, it's only Wi-Fi 6, and other routers in the same price category, like the TP-Link Deco XE5300 and the TP-Link Archer BE550, support Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, respectively.

    If you're looking for more options, check out our recommendations for the best Wi-Fi routers, the best Wi-Fi 6 routers, and the best long-range Wi-Fi routers.

    UniFi Dream Router 7

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    The AmpliFi Alien and the UniFi Dream Router 7 are tri-band routers from two of Ubiquiti's product lines. The AmpliFi has a 2.4GHz and two 5GHz bands, while the UniFi has a 2.4GHz, a 5GHz, and a 6GHz band. Performance-wise, the UniFi has better top speeds, while the AmpliFi has better range. Otherwise, the UniFi has a much more robust feature set with highly configurable software and faster wired networking ports, while the AmpliFi is a consumer product with fewer configuration options.

    UniFi Dream Router

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    The AmpliFi Alien and the UniFi Dream Router are Wi-Fi 6 routers from two of Ubiquiti's product lines. The AmpliFi is a tri-band router that delivers better speed and range than the UniFi. The UniFi, on the other hand, has a much more robust and configurable feature set that's better suited for advanced users. If you value performance and convenience, the AmpliFi is the better pick, but if you prefer in-depth configuration and options for expanding your network, the UniFi is the better choice.

    Test Results

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    Design
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    Dimensions
    Height
    LockedLock" (Lock cm)
    Width
    LockedLock" (Lock cm)
    Depth
    LockedLock" (Lock cm)
    Depth With Cables
    LockedLock" (Lock cm)

    The depth with cables measurement is taken with the power cable and the WAN cable plugged in, and the WAN and power ports are recessed at the bottom. If you have a LAN cable plugged in, the depth is 5.79 inches (14.7 cm).

    If you're looking for a smaller router, check out the TP-Link Deco BE25 or the GL.iNet Slate AX (GL-AXT1800).

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    Network Ports
    WAN Port Speed
    LockedLock Gbps
    LAN Port Count
    LockedLock
    10 Gbps Ports
    LockedLock
    2.5 Gbps Ports
    LockedLock
    1 Gbps Ports
    LockedLock
    10 Gbps Ports (SFP+)
    LockedLock

    If you're looking for a router with PoE (Power over Ethernet) ports, check out the UniFi Dream Router.

    USB Ports
    USB-A 3.0 Ports
    LockedLock
    USB-A 2.0 Ports
    LockedLock
    USB-C Ports
    LockedLock
    USB-C Speed
    LockedN/A
    In The Box

    • Ethernet cable
    • Power adapter
    • User documentation
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    Wall/Ceiling Mount
    Mount Type
    LockedLocked
    Wi-Fi
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    Interior Long Range
    Lowest Speed
    LockedLock Mbps
    Average 5GHz Speed
    LockedLock Mbps
    Average 6GHz Speed
    LockedN/A
    Test Configuration
    LockedStandalone

    We bought a single unit of this router and tested it in standalone mode, so the mesh satellite position line on this graph isn't applicable.

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    Interior Short Range
    Highest Speed
    LockedLock Mbps
    Average 5GHz Speed
    LockedLock Mbps
    Average 6GHz Speed
    LockedN/A
    Test Configuration
    LockedLocked

    We bought a single unit of this router and tested it in standalone mode, so the mesh satellite position line on this graph isn't applicable.

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    Wi-Fi Specifications
    DFS Channels
    LockedLocked
    Multi Band
    LockedTri-Band (2.4 / 5 / 5)
    6GHz Band
    LockedLocked
    Wi-Fi Version
    LockedWi-Fi 6 (ax)

    If you're looking for a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router with a 6GHz band, check out the TP-Link Archer BE700.

    MLO Implementation
    MLO SupportLockedLocked
    EMLSR/EMLMR Support
    LockedLocked
    Max Number Of Simultaneous Links
    LockedLocked
    TID-To-Link Mapping Negotiation Support
    LockedLocked
    Wi-Fi Coverage
    Indoor Coverage - Same Story
    Indoor Coverage - 1 Story Above
    Broad Coverage