unifi AP no stock, any alternate suggestions please

For you really need the Pro models, I have the unifi 6 Lites and they work great. The pro models as far as I know are for really busy places with lots of users. If its for your house the U6 Lites will be grand. I also have a nanoHD and I get serious through put with it even thought it's WiFi 5.

On their website you can set alerts for when stuff comes back into stock. Need to setup a UI account and then it will email you when its in stock.

You can use a PI no problem but you actually don't need a controller to set up the APs you can set them using the Unifi mobile App, you wont have all the functions and features of the Unifi controller system but if you just need APs then just use the mobile app.

Otherwise consider using the Unifi Dream Router it has POE and its Wifi 6 and you might be able to drop one of your access points considering this has Wifi. Don't know if its fully released yet but you could get one or two APs set up using the mobile app while waiting for this.

Dream Router – Ubiquiti Inc. its €223 but it has all the functions of the UDM and even an SD slot for video recording if you want to go down that route.

Yeah you don't need the gateway you can just plug the AP into one of the ethernet plugs on your virgin modem and set it up using the Unifi mobile app. You could then turn off the radio on the Virgin modem and use the Unifi AP as your wireless AP.

You will have access to a lot of the Wifi functions but not all the advanced features that the Unifi console will give you.

I have been using an Asus RT-AX86U in lieu of the Virgin modem, no issue whatsoever and very good connections speed.

My older Asus RT-AC86U is connected in Mesh Mode to increase the house coverage.

Asus provides regular firmware updates.

The aggressive design is not for everyone, but I like it :)

https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/asus-rt-ax86u

I don't remember if you can set up multiple SSIDs in the basic app setup I think you can just rename the 5ghz and 2.4ghz. Setting up separate SSIDs for IOT is more advanced and in theory and best practice you should put them on their own LAN. All this fancy stuff is in the Unifi controller. I think just get the AP and mess around with it and then properly set it up when you get a Dream Router or likes

Curious about the Unifi Dream Router. I use a Virgin Router with wifi turned off, but it doing DHCP, and my Ubiquiti AC-PRO plugged into it. What would the benefits of the Unifi Dream router be over the Virgin Router.

Re the Dream having POE, what would that typically be used for? If I was to add a few unifi lites wouldn't I need a POE switch?

Would the VF router come out completely then? Can it take signal from coax cable and do the broadbamd authentication, dhcp etc?