5G as your main internet: UniFi 5G Max and 5G Max Outdoor
The UniFi 5G Max is a full 5G modem that runs on PoE and joins your UniFi network as a WAN. Ubiquiti calls it "reliable as a primary connection and seamless as a backup WAN". It suits homes where 5G beats the NBN connection on offer, or anyone who wants a faster backup than the 5G Backup in our backup internet guide.
Which one to get
The 5G Max Outdoor is the same modem in a weatherproof case with stronger antennas, for weak signal and regional sites.
| 5G Max (U5G-Max) | 5G Max Outdoor (U5G-Max-Outdoor) | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Good signal indoors or at a window | Weak signal, rooftops and regional sites |
| Antennas | 4 built in | 6 built in, including 2 high-gain (9 dBi peak, 85° × 85° beam) |
| Mounting (included) | Desk stand, wall or window | Pole (25–63.5 mm) or wall |
| Weatherproofing | None (indoor model) | IPX6, or IP67 with the cable-gland door kit |
| Operating temperature | 0 to 40 °C | −40 to 65 °C |
| Screen | 1.3-inch touchscreen | — |
Both share the same 4G and 5G bands, a 2.5 GbE port, PoE power (up to 14.5 W) and two SIM slots: one nano-SIM, plus a second nano-SIM or an eSIM. Ubiquiti's spec sheets quote peak speeds of 3.4 Gbps down and 560 Mbps up on non-standalone 5G, and 1.8 Gbps down on standalone 5G.
Only need a backup? The cheaper UniFi 5G Backup in our backup internet guide can do that; get the worldwide model (U5G), which lists band 28. Starting from scratch? The Dream Router 5G Max builds a 5G modem into a gateway with Wi-Fi 7; check its bands the same way.
Check it suits Australian networks
Both models list band 28 (700 MHz), which the US 5G Backup lacks. Optus says a device must support it to work on its 4G network. Telstra calls it its main 4G frequency. Without it, a device may get no connection where it's the only 4G frequency, usually outside major cities and regional hubs. Here's how the 5G Max band list compares with what each carrier publishes:
| Carrier | What the carrier publishes | 5G Max coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Telstra | 4G: mainly 700 MHz, plus 1800, 900, 2100 and 2600 MHz in some locations. 5G: 3.6 GHz, plus 850 MHz and 26 GHz mmWave in selected areas | All except 26 GHz mmWave |
| Optus | 4G: devices must support 700 MHz (band 28). 5G: 900 MHz low band plus mid-band spectrum; in northern NSW and southern Queensland, 3.6 GHz plus 3.7 GHz licences | Band 28 and every 5G band Optus names |
| Vodafone | 4G: 700, 850, 1800 and 2100 MHz. 5G: 700, 850, 2600 and 2800 MHz | All except 2800 MHz, which isn't a standard 5G band. Vodafone says a modem should support all its listed frequencies, so ask Vodafone which band it means |
Three more checks before you buy:
- Australian approval. Ubiquiti lists FCC, IC, CE, PTCRB, GCF, AT&T and T-Mobile certification, but not Australia's RCM, so confirm it with your supplier.
- Imported units. Telstra warns that a device set up for another country may be blocked from its network or get reduced coverage. Buy from an Australian supplier.
- The right plan. In the US, Ubiquiti says T-Mobile Home Internet SIMs don't work in the 5G Max, and T-Mobile users need a data-only plan. Check that your Australian SIM works in your own modem, and what its data allowance is.
You'll need
- The 5G Max or 5G Max Outdoor, and a UniFi console or Cloud Gateway. Ubiquiti lists UniFi Network 10.0.162 or later for the 5G Max; the Outdoor's spec page doesn't list a version.
- A PoE port that can supply 14.5 W, Ubiquiti's maximum figure. That's more than the 12.95 W a basic 802.3af port guarantees at the device, so a PoE+ (802.3at) port is the safe choice.
- One or two SIMs with data plans. With two, it can fail over between carriers.
- For the Outdoor: a pole 25–63.5 mm across or a wall, outdoor-rated Ethernet cable, and the cable-gland door kit if you want IP67. Cabling concealed in walls, ceilings or floors must be installed by, or under the supervision of, a registered cabler.
Step 1: Find the best spot
- Test before you fix it in place. Adopt it somewhere temporary first (Step 2), then compare signal readings in a few spots. Ubiquiti's signal table rates RSRP above −80 dBm as excellent and below −100 dBm as poor. It rates RSRQ above −5 dB as excellent and below −15 dB as poor. The guide doesn't say where the 5G Max shows these readings; look in its panel under UniFi Devices.
- Indoors, try a window, and keep it away from metal and out of cabinets. The indoor model is rated to 40 °C, and a sunny window can get hotter than that in an Australian summer.
- Outdoors, mount the Outdoor high and aim it towards your carrier's nearest tower. Its high-gain antennas have an 85° × 85° beam, so try a few directions and keep the one with the best readings.
Step 2: Connect and adopt
- Insert the SIM or SIMs. The second slot takes a nano-SIM or an eSIM.
- Plug it into a PoE port on your gateway or a switch, wherever the signal is best. Ubiquiti says it's adopted as a UniFi WAN interface either way, so you don't need a new cable run to the gateway.
- Adopt it in UniFi Devices, and keep it powered while it updates. Ubiquiti says a modem firmware update can take 10 minutes.
- Check the APN if it won't connect. Ubiquiti's release notes mention APN profiles on the 5G Max but not where they're set, so look in its device settings, with the APN from your carrier.
- Set a data limit and an alert for each SIM, so a heavy month doesn't use up your allowance.
Step 3: Choose how UniFi uses it
Ubiquiti's failover guide doesn't name the menu where you set each WAN's role, but it puts WAN port settings and custom SLAs under Settings › Internet, so start there:
- Main connection. Make the 5G WAN your highest-priority WAN, and keep the NBN, if you have it, as failover. Ubiquiti says traffic moves to the next highest-priority WAN when one fails, but doesn't show where priority is set; look for it in Settings › Internet.
- Load balancing. Choose Load Balancing to share traffic with the NBN by weight, such as 80/20. Each connection stays on one WAN, so a single connection never gets both speeds.
- Backup only. Choose Failover, as in our backup internet guide.
- Pick what uses 5G. Ubiquiti says routing policies and SLAs decide when 5G is used, and for which devices or networks. Add a policy-based route for particular devices or a VLAN, and turn off its Kill Switch if that traffic should still fail over.
Check it worked
- The 5G Max shows as online in UniFi Devices.
- Run a speed test from a wired computer and compare it with your NBN speed.
- If it backs up or shares the NBN, test failover as in our backup internet guide: start a continuous ping, unplug the NBN connection, check the pings resume, then plug it back in.
Watch out for
- No public IP. Mobile connections often lack one, so port forwards and inbound WireGuard may not work. Teleport is built to work behind NAT, though Ubiquiti says it needs IPv6 on the gateway's WAN in some circumstances (see our remote access guide).
- No mmWave. The 5G Max doesn't list a 26 GHz band, so it can't use Telstra's mmWave 5G.
- Data use. As your main connection, 5G uses far more data than a backup does. Check your plan's allowance and set the per-SIM limits.
- Remote SIM isn't here yet. Ubiquiti lists remote SIM for the Outdoor as coming in a future update.
- Power cuts. The 5G Max goes down with the switch or gateway that powers it, so put them on a UPS.
- Two ways to connect. Ubiquiti's release notes mention a LAN mode, used when it's plugged into your network as in this tutorial, and a WAN mode, adopted through a gateway's WAN port. It's powered only by PoE, so a WAN port without PoE needs an injector.
Sources: UniFi 5G announcement · 5G Max release notes · WAN failover · High availability in UniFi · Cellular signal strength and quality · Public access to local resources · Teleport VPN · Telstra network FAQ · Optus 3G changes · Optus 900 MHz 5G · Optus 3.7 GHz spectrum · Vodafone network frequencies · ACMA: types of cabling work · ACMA: cabling your home or office
Disclaimer: This guide reflects UniFi software and official documentation as of 22 October 2026. Menus, features, plans and policies change, so check each step on your own equipment and back up first. It's general information, not legal advice, and you use it at your own risk. UniFi is a trademark of Ubiquiti Inc., and other names belong to their owners.