Ubiquiti Networks has established itself as a leader in enterprise networking equipment for SOHO and SMB environments. Two of Ubiquiti‘s most advanced consumer WiFi system offerings aimed at tech enthusiasts are the Dream Machine and the Dream Router. On the surface, both systems seem quite similar – supporting the latest WiFi 6 standards, combining routing, switching, firewall and access point capabilities into one unit, and being manageable from Ubiquiti‘s UniFi controller software. However, once you dig deeper there are considerable differences to weigh up.
Background on Ubiquiti‘s Dream Products
First launched in 2019, the Dream Machine was Ubiquiti‘s inaugural mesh WiFi system for prosumers and small businesses. It consolidates an enterprise-grade WiFi 6 access point, 8-port gigabit switch with auto-sensing PoE/PoE+, security gateway with deep packet inspection, and the UniFi Network Controller into a compact, all-in-one unit.
Two years later in 2021, Ubiquiti announced their Dream Router product. Unlike the Dream Machine, the Dream Router runs on a Linux OS natively instead of Ubiquiti’s own firmware. It retains the convenient tabletop form factor but upgrades to WiFi 6E tri-band technology and packs even more advanced routing capabilities powered by a 2GHz 64-bit ARM processor and 128GB NVMe SSD according to PCMag.
Now that both the Dream product lines have firmly established themselves let‘s see how they stack up across the metrics that matter most.
Hardware and Design
The Dream Router and Dream Machine share a similar aesthetic with their clean white polymer cases. However, lifting up the hood reveals meaningful hardware advantages on both sides:
| Spec | Dream Router | Dream Machine |
|---|---|---|
| WiFi Chipset | Qualcomm IPQ8078 WiFi 6E Quad-core 64-bit ARM v8 Processor | Qualcomm IPQ4019 WiFi 6 |
| Wired Ports | 1 WAN, 4 LAN Gigabit Ethernet (with 2 PoE+ 802.3at) | 1 WAN, 8 LAN Gigabit Ethernet |
| Wireless Standards | WiFi 6 Tri-band with DFS | WiFi 6 Dual-band |
| RAM | 2GB DDR4 SDRAM | 2GB DDR4 SDRAM |
| Storage | 128GB SSD | 16GB eMMC |
| Processor | Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 1.7 GHz | Dual-core ARM Cortex-A57 1.7GHz |
| Power Supply | 48V 0.5A PoE (af/at) | 24V 1.5A PoE (af only) |
| Max Power Draw | 20W | 39W |
| Dimensions | 8.7 x 8.7 x 1.9 in | 8.5 x 4.3 x 1.5 in |
| Weight | 1.87 lb | 1.15 lb |
Table data gathered from Ubiquiti product spec sheets
Analyzing the table above, we see hardware advantages for both devices with no singular winner:
- The Dream Router supports the latest WiFi 6E standard – Using the cutting-edge Qualcomm IPQ8078 chipset with tri-band 4×4 MU-MIMO technology and DFS band scanning for interference-free channels. WiFi performance, range and device support should be superior.
- More capable 64-bit ARM processor – The quad-core v8 CPU on the Dream Router edges out the Dream Machine‘s older dual-core chip. Expect snappier performance under heavy workloads.
- Double the wired Ethernet ports – The integrated 8-port switch on the Dream Machine accommodates more wired devices out of the box. The Dream Router provides 2 PoE+ powered ports however.
- 5x the built-in NVMe storage – 128GB on the Dream Router should allow hosting far more caching, videos, backups and VM images than the 16GB on the Dream Machine.
- Higher power efficiency – Under max load, the Dream Machine draws almost half the wattage as the Dream Router resulting in lower electricity bills.
Neither system clearly comes out ahead on hardware. The needs of your environment and budget will determine whether storage, PoE, WiFi 6E support or efficiency matter more.
Software Ecosystem
Hardware specs don‘t tell the full story. An equally important consideration is the software platform and ecosystem enabling each system.
The Dream Router runs OpenWrt Linux natively while the Dream Machine uses Ubiquiti‘s proprietary UniFi OS firmware:
| Software | Dream Router | Dream Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | OpenWrt Linux distribution with custom Ubiquiti kernel modules | Ubiquiti UniFi OS (Linux-based) |
| Configuration | Command line interface or web UI | UniFi Network mobile app or web UI |
| Security Features | OpenVPN, IPsec, Tor, suricata IDS | intrusion prevention system, internet filtering, DPI, anomaly detection |
| Monitoring and Diagnostics | Rich CLI output, web UI charts | Deep application visibility with DPI in UniFi |
| Routing Protocols | Static routes, RIP, OSPF | Static routes only |
| VLANs | Yes | Yes |
| Spanning Tree Protocols | STP, RSTP, MSTP | No |
| QoS Tags | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Access | SSH, Telnet, HTTP/HTTPS | HTTPS |
| NAT | Full modern NAT with conntrack | Yes |
| Site-to-Site VPN | OpenVPN, IPsec | IPSec |
| Backup | Config backup with restore options | Limited config backup |
| Guest Network | Yes | Yes |
| IoT Network | Yes | Yes |
| Application Prioritization | SQM QoS engine with cake/fq_codel support | Smart Queue enterprise-grade QoS |
| Automation | PHP, JSONRPC, Lua scripting interface. Perl, Python, Bash, ZSH also available | No configurable API |
Analyzing the software capabilities shows the Dream Router pulling ahead for advanced use cases while the Dream Machine leads for simpler plug-and-play deployments:
- OpenWrt on the Dream Router provides greater configurability and customization with industrial-strength routing protocols, better diagnostics and built-in scripting. It also allows hosting additional Linux applications in Docker, LXC containers or VMs.
- The Dream Machine offers better out-of-the-box security via its IPS, anomaly detection and internet filtering features. Its simplified mobile app and web UI streamline remote monitoring and management.
- Protocol support favors the Dream Router with OSPF dynamic routing, MSTP spanning tree and superior QoS handling via SQM helping it scale better.
Verdict: Evaluate Your Needs Before Choosing
So which device comes out on top in a battle between Ubiquiti‘s Dream Machine and Dream Router WiFi platforms? The truth is neither system definitively wins across all evaluation criteria.
For less technical users wanting a secure plug-and-play mesh solution, the Dream Machine is hard to beat. It brings enterprise-class wireless performance, switching and security capabilities together in a compact and mobile-friendly package. Reliable performance with zero hassle makes it an easy choice for homes and small businesses like cafés or professional offices.
Power users and IT professionals will gravitate towards the Dream Router however. Unleashing the potential of OpenWrt Linux with upgraded routing silicon and abundant NVMe storage solidifies it as a versatile networking Swiss Army knife. Whether your goals include hosting VMs, leveraging containers or running a VPN termination endpoint – the Dream Router has you covered. Its WiFi 6E support provides future-proofing with cutting edge wireless technology as well.
Ultimately both Ubiquiti Dream systems represent industry-leading all-in-one solutions. Let your specific user requirements guide whether innovative WiFi 6E routing or simpler managed security suits your wireless networking needs best!
