Wi-Fi settings that matter (and the ones to leave alone)
Most UniFi Wi-Fi complaints trace back to three things: channel width, transmit power and roaming settings. Set those deliberately, let Channel AI choose channels, and leave almost everything else at default.
Where the settings live
- Each Wi-Fi network: Settings › WiFi › [network name]. Set Advanced to Manual to see every option.
- Default channel widths for all APs: Settings › WiFi › Default WiFi Speeds › Custom.
- One AP's radios (channel, width, power, Minimum RSSI): UniFi Devices › [AP] › Settings.
- Several APs at once: open Radios, choose Select All, then Edit Radios. Some builds label this area AirView.
Recommended values
| Setting | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Channel width, 2.4 GHz | 20 MHz | The band is crowded, and wider channels overlap your neighbours. |
| Channel width, 5 GHz | 80 MHz at home; 40 MHz in dense sites or offices | Wider is faster; narrower leaves more clean channels. |
| Channel width, 6 GHz | 160 MHz, or 320 MHz on Wi-Fi 7 | Australia allows four 160 MHz or two 320 MHz channels (see below). |
| Transmit power, single AP | High | Maximum coverage. |
| Transmit power, several APs | High, or Medium if APs are close together or the site is busy | Lower power means less overlap, so devices roam to the nearest AP sooner. |
| Security | WPA2/WPA3 | New devices get WPA3 and older ones still join. 6 GHz always uses WPA3. |
| Protected Management Frames | Optional (Required on WPA3-only networks) | Supports WPA3 without locking out older devices. |
| Band Steering | On | Moves dual-band devices off crowded 2.4 GHz. Turn it off if a device struggles. |
| BSS Transition | On | Lets APs suggest a better AP to a device. |
| Fast Roaming (802.11r) | On, except for devices that don't support it | Ubiquiti strongly recommends it, but turn it off for older devices without 802.11r support. |
| Multicast to Unicast (formerly Multicast Enhancement) | On for homes and small networks | Helps casting and discovery. Turn it off if smart-home or Matter devices misbehave. |
| Minimum RSSI | Off | It disconnects weak devices but doesn't steer them anywhere. |
Australian channels
With the country set to Australia (see our setup guide), UniFi should offer only what the ACMA's class licence for low-power devices allows. The ACMA sets frequency ranges rather than channel numbers, so the channels below are worked out from those ranges.
| Band | Allowed in Australia | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 GHz | Channels 1–13 | Stick with 1, 6 and 11 at 20 MHz, as overseas. |
| 5 GHz | 36–48; 52–64 (indoors only, with DFS); 100–116 and 132–140 (DFS); 149–165. Channels 120–128 are excluded. | There's only one 160 MHz channel (36–64), so 80 MHz suits most homes. Outdoor APs can't use 52–64. |
| 6 GHz | 5925–6585 MHz since October 2025, at up to 250 mW indoors or 25 mW indoors or out | Room for four 160 MHz channels or two 320 MHz channels. Outdoors, 6 GHz runs at very low power. |
The rest of the upper 6 GHz band, above 6585 MHz, is planned for mobile broadband, so don't expect more Wi-Fi channels there.
Steps
- Set channel widths first. Use Default WiFi Speeds for every AP, or set widths per AP. Channel AI never changes width or power, so these come first.
- Set transmit power on each AP using the table, then fine-tune after measuring.
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Run Channel AI on each band (it needs at least two APs). Open Radios (or AirView) › Channel AI, choose a band, click Optimize, review the summary and click Apply Changes.
- To exclude channels, open Channel AI › Channel Plan › Expand. If you run Zigbee or Thread, exclude the 2.4 GHz channels they use.
- DFS channels add capacity, but if an AP detects radar it must stop using that channel immediately, and the channel stays off-limits for at least 30 minutes. Avoid DFS if you see random disconnects.
- Network 10.6 added a nightly Channel AI run with selectable radios. Ubiquiti hasn't documented where it's switched on, so check the Channel AI view. Skip it if you set channels by hand.
- Set security and roaming on your main network. Go to Settings › WiFi › [network] and set Advanced to Manual. Choose WPA2/WPA3 with PMF on Optional, and turn on BSS Transition and Fast Roaming.
- Set Handoff Suggestions if you see it (renamed from Roaming Assistant in Network 10.4). Ubiquiti recommends a threshold below −70 dBm.
- Give IoT devices their own network. Create a 2.4 GHz-only network with WPA2 and Fast Roaming off; our VLAN guide puts it on its own VLAN. Turn on Enhanced IoT Connectivity only if a device still struggles; Ubiquiti says it's usually unnecessary.
- Use MLO only where it fits. The Multi-Link Operation (MLO) checkbox is in Settings › WiFi › [network]. It needs Wi-Fi 7 APs and devices and forces WPA3, so keep IoT devices elsewhere. Network 10.2 and later warn you if Fast Roaming is also on.
Check it worked
- Radios / AirView: check signal, channel utilisation, interference and retries for each AP. Better than −60 dBm is excellent and −60 to −70 dBm is fine. Devices should roam between −70 and −75 dBm, and below −80 dBm is unstable. Wireless mesh uplinks need −60 dBm or better.
- Time Machine for Radios (Network 10.6): shows the last 24 hours of radio metrics, configuration changes and events, so you can see whether a change helped.
- Roaming history: Network 10.1 added roaming insights to AirView's Connectivity view. Filter by device, AP or band to see successful and failed roams. For one device, Client Observability (10.5) shows a 24-hour timeline including its roams.
- WiFi Doctor: a one-tap fix in the UniFi mobile app (Network 10.1+) aimed at roaming, IoT connectivity and stability problems.
- WiFiman app: speed tests, live signal and roaming on your phone, plus a floor-plan mapper on phones with LiDAR.
Leave these at default
DTIM interval, Minimum Data Rate Control, Group Rekey, SAE settings, UAPSD, Proxy ARP, Multicast & Broadcast Control, Interference Blocker, Hide SSID and Minimum RSSI.
- Minimum RSSI can make a weak device rejoin the same AP in a loop. Ubiquiti recommends it only for high-density sites, set per AP starting around −80 dBm after a site survey.
- Multicast & Broadcast Control blocks device discovery between APs, and devices get no IP address unless your DHCP server's MAC address is allow-listed.
- WPA3-only and MLO networks can lock out older phones, printers and smart-home devices.
- 6 GHz-only networks cause discovery problems; broadcast 6 GHz alongside 5 GHz.
Sources: Channel AI · SSID and AP settings · Optimizing WiFi connectivity · WiFi troubleshooting guide · Unable to connect to WiFi · IoT devices on WiFi 7 · DFS channels · Minimum RSSI · Managing broadcast traffic · MLO · Network 10.1 · Network 10.6 · Network release notes · Home Assistant Matter integration · ACMA LIPD Class Licence 2025 · ACMA lower 6 GHz explanatory statement · ACMA upper 6 GHz decision
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.