I Upgraded to a 10Gbps UniFi Setup—So You Don’t Have To. Is it Worth It for Your Smart Home in Singapore?

Most Singapore ISPs now offer 10Gbps broadband plans under the Smart Nation push. Your contract is expiring and you are itching for an upgrade (below prices are in SGD). Tempting, right?

ISP	3Gbps	5Gbps	10Gbps
Singtel	39.9	52.7	74.81
M1	29.5	36.9	50.9
Starhub	39.31	52.7	59.34
MyRepublic	-	-	29.99
ViewQuest	18.98	-	30
Whizzcomms	28	-	29.99
SIMBA	-	-	29.99

But should you upgrade your router, access points, and network switches just to match that speed?

I did exactly that! And I upgraded my home to a full UniFi 10Gbps Wi-Fi 7 setup.

Here’s what actually happened, what it cost, and why you might not need to follow in my footsteps.

At Automate Asia, we always propose what’s practical for our clients. Of course, which business doesn’t want to sell a higher-value invoice? But practicality comes first. If you still want to follow my footsteps and max out your network for bragging rights, I’ll be more than happy to satisfy that vanity.

The Setup: My 10Gbps UniFi Home Network

I subscribed to SIMBA’s 10Gbps plan and paired it with UniFi’s latest enterprise-grade gear.

New Setup (10Gbps):

• UniFi Cloud Gateway Fiber – 10Gbps SFP+ WAN support

• UniFi U7 Pro XG Access Point – Wi-Fi 7 with 10Gbps Ethernet

• 10Gbps SFP+ to RJ45 PoE injector (to make sure the U& Pro XG gets a 10G connection)

  
  

Old Setup (2.5Gbps):

• UniFi Cloud Gateway Max – 2.5Gbps WAN + 4× 2.5Gbps LAN

• UniFi U7 Lite Access Point – 2.5Gbps PoE

10Gbps vs 2.5Gbps Unifi Setup

Wired Speed Test Results

I ran UniFi’s built-in speed test since my laptop doesn’t have a 10Gbps port.

Setup	Result
2.5Gbps Gateway	~2.3Gbps
10Gbps Gateway	~7Gbps

That’s a close to 200% improvement but still far from the 10Gbps promise.

Turns out, this is a common cap. Based on chats with other geeks, most ISPs in Singapore top out around 7Gbps real-world speeds due to backend shaping.

Wi-Fi 7 Test with Pixel 9 Pro XL

Next, I tested Wi-Fi 7 using a Pixel 9 Pro XL, standing right under the U7 Pro XG.

Setup	Max Speed
U7 Lite (Wi-Fi 6)	~1.4Gbps
U7 Pro XG (Wi-Fi 7)	~2.0Gbps

It’s an improvement—but only about 600Mbps more under perfect conditions. And you’ll need a Wi-Fi 7 phone or laptop to see it.

What Most Homes Really Need

Let’s do some simple math. Even a tech-loving family of four barely uses half a gigabit.

Family of 5 watching 4K movies at the same time

Activity	Mbps per Device	Devices	Total
Netflix 4K	25	2	50
Zoom HD Call	3	1	3
YouTube 1080p	8	1	8
Cloud Gaming	50	1	50
Smart Devices (background)	10	5	50
Total Usage			161 Mbps

Even a 1Gbps broadband plan handles this easily. So unless you’re doing 8K video editing from a NAS or hosting servers, a 10Gbps plan won’t change your daily experience.

The Real Reason People Want 10Gbps: Feel-Good Speedtests

Let’s be honest, speedtests are addictive. You hit “Go,” the bar flies across, and dopamine hits. And it's the nearest thing to prove that you've got value back from your "investments".

But here’s the catch:

• Throughput = how much data your network can push (what speedtest measures)

• Latency = how quickly it responds (what affects calls, games, voice assistants)

Most devices can’t even handle 10Gbps.Your phone, tablet, and laptop are limited by their own chipsets, usually around 1–2Gbps max.

So if you’re upgrading purely for the “shiok” factor, just know it’s a costly thrill.

Cost Comparison: 2.5Gbps vs 10Gbps Setup

Using UniFi’s US store prices for reference:

Item	2.5Gbps Setup	10Gbps Setup
Gateway	Cloud Gateway Max (~USD $199)	Cloud Gateway Fiber (~USD $279)
Access Point	U7 Lite (~USD $99)	U7 Pro XG (~USD $199)
PoE Injector	2.5Gbps (~USD $19)	10Gbps (~USD $39) SFP to RJ45 10 Gbps (~USD $65)
Total	~USD $317 (~SGD $409)	~USD $582 (~SGD $750)

That’s over 80% higher cost for modest real-world gains.And once you add 10G switches and cabling, your cost could easily double again.

10Gbps setup with multiple U7 Pro XG

Should You Upgrade?

Here’s a quick way to decide.

Question	If Yes	If No
Do you need >2.5Gbps across multiple devices?	Consider 10Gbps	Stick with 2.5Gbps
Do you have Wi-Fi 7 phones or laptops?	Minor benefit	No gain
Do you transfer large files on LAN daily?	Worth considering	Skip it
Do you just love testing speed?	Your money, your joy	Save it

Final Thoughts

Unless you’re a power user or content creator, 2.5Gbps is more than enough.

If you’re like me and just enjoy testing limits, go ahead to ownself test ownself shiok. Just remember what you’re really paying for. You might want to watch the following video for my rant:

Looking to Build a Smart Network?

At Automate Asia, we design networks that balance performance, cost, and smart home integration.

We can help you plan:

• 1Gbps to 10Gbps wired networks

• Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 setups

• Smart home integration with Homey, Tuya, or Home Assistant

• CCTV, and remote access networks

Contact us for a free consultation and let’s futureproof your home the right way.