Review: AmpliFi Instant mesh WiFi system is a quality product with 2-minute set up, fast performance, touchscreen, more

AmpliFi announced its new mesh WiFi solution last month with the headline feature of a two-minute set up process. AmpliFi Instant also comes with a built-in touchscreen display like its popular predecessor, the AmpliFi HD. Read on for our full review of this great mesh router option.

AmpliFi Instant is a compelling choice for a variety of reasons. Between the system’s price to features/performance ratio along with its mesh flexibility for most any home size, it’s a great upgrade if you’re coming from Apple’s discontinued AirPort products or any other dated router.

AmpliFi Instant is sold as a single router starting at $99, with a two-pack running $179. I tested out the two-pack in my two-story home that’s about 1,800 square feet.

Specs

• Super fast two-minute set up
• Scalable with additional MeshPoints
• Customizable LED indicator light
• 802.11ac and mesh technology
• Touch screen for data speeds, usage, IP address, more
• MIMO with 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels
• Supports speeds up to 300Mbps on 2.4GHz and 867Mbps on 5GHz
• Two-pack covers up to 4,000 square feet
• Powered via included USB-C power adapter
• Main router includes Gigabit LAN port, one WAN port, and power port
• MeshPoint features one WAN port and power port
• Includes one Ethernet cable

Set up

The big question is does it really set up in two minutes? Yeah, it does 😄. I placed the primary router downstairs in my living room and I literally had it set up and running in just two minutes. The only caveat is that I already had the AmpliFI iOS app downloaded. But in any case, it really is a super painless and fast set up process.

AmpliFi Instant includes a handy quick start guide card which includes a QR code that opens a digital manual, but most won’t need that.

Once you plug in the power to the main router, you’ll see simple set up instructions on the touchscreen display and iOS or Android app makes set up a breeze.

Here’s how it looks:

I used the same network name and password as I’d previously been using and when all set up, all of my family’s devices automatically reconnected to the AmpliFi Instant network.

You can even opt to remotely control your network via a Google or Facebook account.

Next, I placed the MeshPoint upstairs in my office. The really neat part about this, it just sets itself up after powering on and thinking for a few moments.

You can check the status of the MeshPoint in the app under the Diagnose tab at the bottom (shown in the second screenshot below).

It’s also really easy to change the name of your MeshPoint, toggle between 2.4GHz and 5GHz, customize the LED indicator light for both routers, and more.

In use

I currently pay Comcast for download “speeds up to” 150 Mbps and using the speed test feature that’s built into the AmpliFI app, my real world results came in at a solid 123 Mbps.

The app overall has a really friendly UI which allows users to easily do things like quickly pause the internet for all devices, or do so on an individual basis.

There’s also a handy guest network feature where you can highly customize settings like the max amount of users, duration time, always on/off, a quick share option, and more.

As has become the trend with mesh router products, one downside with AmpliFi Instant is that each unit only has one WAN port for peripherals. Depending on your situation, like if you have a good amount of HomeKit accessories, you may need an Ethernet switch. However, this isn’t a big deal as you’ll see the same issue with most mesh routers and Ethernet switches are just $10.

Another aspect that I think AmpliFi Instant really nails is form factor. Incidentally, both the main router and MeshPoint are almost exactly the same size as the Apple TV 4K. It’s a nice compact footprint, and easy to hide if you’re so inclined.

However, it’s nice to place the main router somewhere visible with the touchscreen display being a unique feature that users will definitely appreciate. You can tap the display to cycle through a variety of useful information.

This includes date/time, current network speeds, data usage, router and WAN IP, and what ports are connected. It’s a quick and easy way to keep an eye on your network. But if you’d like to keep both routers hidden, you’ve always got the great app to monitor and control your network.

Conclusion

After testing out AmpliFi Instant, from the hardware to the software I feel it’s an all-around high quality product. With the seamless, fast set up, to the touchscreen display, fast performance, and easy network controls with the iOS app, it’s easy to recommend this mesh WiFi system.

Since AmpliFi Instant is new, there aren’t many review on Amazon yet, but it already has an impressive 4.7/5 average. And I agree, it’s hard to beat AmpliFi instant at its sub $200 price point for the two-pack.

AmpliFi Instant is available direct from AmpliFi and Amazon at $99 for the single router, or $179 for the two-pack.

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