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.
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
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.
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 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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