Written 22 Aug 2026. Specs from the maker pages linked below. Prices from those stores. I haven't used these.
Two about-$80 APs. Radio and power class differ. The cheap injector can be the trap: EAP613 vs EAP653
Same street price band. Different radio and PoE class. Match af vs at before you buy power.
On B&H both pucks were $79.99 this pass. That is not a reason to flip a coin. EAP653 is AX3000 (2402 + 574) with HE160. EAP613 is AX1800 (1201 + 574). For a closet house the radio upgrade is real. The power-class upgrade is the one that breaks a 15.4 W injector.
EAP613 sips 802.3af at 10.9 W. EAP653 wants 802.3at and lists 15.5 W. A TL-POE150S is af only. One EAP653 does not fit it. Use a TL-POE160S or a 4-port 64 W fanless switch. Both APs also take 48 V passive. That is 48 V, not 24 V. Read the 24 V traps.
What to buy
| Box | Radios / uplink | PoE | Street, 22 Aug 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAP613 V2 | AX1800, 2×2, 1G | 802.3af / 48 V passive / 12 V DC (adapter not included). 10.9 W PoE. | Amazon $79.99. B&H $79.99–$84.99. EAP613 review. |
| EAP653 V1/V3 | AX3000, 2×2 + 2×2, HE160, 1G | 802.3at / 48 V passive / 12 V 1.5 A (adapter not included). 15.5 W. | B&H $79.99. Amazon B0B5JRXDG4. |
Power is still a 5-port brick or a pair of injectors. cheap PoE for two APs if you have not bought the switch yet. If you already have an at-class port, take the 653. If you are hanging two pucks off a thin af injector pair, take the 613. Neither is a Wi-Fi 7 tax. Compare either of them to a U7 Lite only after you decide whether you want a UniFi app. That fork is EAP653 vs U7 Lite.
Skip
Skip EAP653 UR (B0DCWNFNRW). Listing copy mixed Wi-Fi 7 marketing onto an AX3000 SKU. Skip jumping to EAP773 / U7 Pro at ~$190 until the WAN is faster than the AP. That is the Wi-Fi 7 tax.
Sources
EAP613 maker. EAP653 maker. EAP653 3.0 datasheet. B&H compare 613 / 653 / 670. Street figures move.