UniFi USW Pro Max 24 PoE Review: 2.5GbE and Layer 3 for the Modern Office

The USW-Pro-Max-24-PoE mixes 2.5 GbE access ports, 10G SFP+ uplinks, Layer 3 routing and Etherlighting into a 400W PoE switch — a future-proof core for offices moving past gigabit.

Gigabit to the desk is starting to feel slow, and WiFi 7 access points want more than a gigabit uplink. The USW-Pro-Max-24-PoE answers both with 2.5 GbE access ports, 10G SFP+ uplinks and full Layer 3 — a switch you can build an office around for years.

Future-proofing: (5/5)

Value: (4/5)

Management: (5/5)

What you get

Access ports	16x GbE (8 PoE+, 8 PoE++) + 8x 2.5 GbE PoE++
Uplinks	2x 10G SFP+
Switching capacity	112 Gbps
Total PoE budget	400W
Routing	Layer 3
Extras	Etherlighting, touch display, fanless-quiet operation

How it compares

Pro vs Pro Max vs Pro XG

Feature	Pro 24 PoE	Pro Max 24 PoE	Pro XG 24 PoE
2.5 GbE ports	—	8 (PoE++)	8 (PoE+++)
10 GbE ports	—	—	16 (PoE+++)
10G SFP+	2	2	—
25G SFP28	—	—	2
Switching capacity	88 Gbps	112 Gbps	460 Gbps
PoE budget	400W	400W	720W
Layer 3	Yes	Yes	Yes

Pros

• 2.5 GbE access ports feed WiFi 7 APs properly
• 10G SFP+ uplinks
• Layer 3 routing on-switch
• 400W PoE for plenty of devices
• Etherlighting + touch display make patching painless

Cons

• Not 10GbE-to-the-desk (that's the Pro XG)
• Rack-mount only
• Overkill for a small all-gigabit office

Price Comparison — Ubiquiti UniFi Network, 24-Port, POE 400W, (8) 2.5GbEPoE++, (16) GbE Ports - (8) PoE+, (8) PoE++, (2)10G SFP+, Layer3, Rack Mount,

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Do I need 2.5 GbE switching?

If you're deploying WiFi 7 or WiFi 6E APs, yes — their uplinks exceed a gigabit. 2.5 GbE access ports stop the switch becoming the bottleneck.

What's Etherlighting?

Ubiquiti's per-port RGB lighting that shows link speed and status at a glance — genuinely useful when you're working in the rack.

Pro Max or Pro XG?

Pro Max for 2.5 GbE to the desk with 10G uplinks; Pro XG when you need 10 GbE to the desk and 25G uplinks. Most offices want the Pro Max.

Related reading

• UniFi switch buying guide — PoE budget, ports and Layer 3 explained
• WiFi 7 AP buying guide — the APs your switch will power
• USW Pro XG 8 PoE review — compact 10 GbE switching
• Ubiquiti for small business — switching in a full SMB build

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