1.2Gbps FTTP Router Recommendation

ChrisD. said:
I don't think that's very fair, there have been loads of gateway improvements since the days of the Pro4. I even moved away from UniFi due to a lack of features, and have since moved back. Multiple WAN, shadow mode, WireGuard server & client, policy based routing, much better site to site VPN support, OSPF (BGP coming soon) to name a few.

It's a fair shout, but the point was made by @robj20 was that UniFi is a simple system for people with little networking knowledge to get started with and even do advanced things if they wish. MikroTik requires much more knowledge, the UI is painful, and if you run MikroTik a router/firewall and UniFi switches/AP you have to remember to make network changes in both systems. Many people won't touch full Chinese branded cameras and UniFi represent one of the best subscription free alternates, all while keeping it very wife friendly for things like the Protect app.
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The Pro4 had true multi-WAN in 2015, you just couldn’t access it through the UniFi controller.

Shadow mode isn’t a router function per se, it’s just better failover. Again, already present in 2015.

Wireguard could easily be implemented on the Pro4 (it probably already has been) and it’s not a UniFi ‘feature’.

UniFi had superb USG to USG VPN support out of the box in 2015. It was even secure.

Policy based routing, OSPF and BGP are hardly ground-breaking stuff. A £30 hAP can do all of that. Of course a USG Pro4 could do it.

And they want PRIMO money for the UDM Pro/Pro SE. And in many ways the new UXG Ultra buries it. And probably ends this thread because 2.5GhE in and out is what the OP wanted.

As for the Chinese built surveillance equipment, there are two arguments against it. Firstly that the equipment somehow ‘phones home’ which is clearly nonsense if you check your firewall logs. Yes, if you use P2P it moves all your data through a server farm in Guanxiou but just use Wireguard and it won’t do that anymore. And in any case, it presumes that the CCP government is somehow interested in when you come and go from your home. Unlikely. And you are assuming that UniFi doesn’t have a Homeland Security backdoor (which it most likely does).

The other argument is that somehow the CCP government is making things with slave labour to persecute Muslims in China. That’s kind of like not buying anything American because they persecute Muslims in Guantanamo Bay (and arguably lots of other countries). The simple fact is that Sinophobia is in the interests of the United States and they’re pushing it HARD. UniFi gear is made in China. Only the cameras and the NVRs are made in Vietnam because of NDAA and they couldn’t sell them otherwise. So if you’re not going to buy a Chinese camera, don’t buy a Chinese Router. Buy Latvian if you can’t buy British.

And I’m certain your wife is not stupid and doesn’t need a wifey-friendly app to do anything, so that’s a lame excuse.

MikroTik doesn’t need to be difficult. You can make it difficult, but it does 99.99% of what anyone wants out of the box. I’d argue that UniFi is harder to get going than MikroTik because MikroTik doesn’t have a broken PPPoE routine.
 
WJA96 said:
The Pro4 had true multi-WAN in 2015, you just couldn’t access it through the UniFi controller.

Shadow mode isn’t a router function per se, it’s just better failover. Again, already present in 2015.

Wireguard could easily be implemented on the Pro4 (it probably already has been) and it’s not a UniFi ‘feature’.

UniFi had superb USG to USG VPN support out of the box in 2015. It was even secure.

Policy based routing, OSPF and BGP are hardly ground-breaking stuff. A £30 hAP can do all of that. Of course a USG Pro4 could do it.

And they want PRIMO money for the UDM Pro/Pro SE. And in many ways the new UXG Ultra buries it. And probably ends this thread because 2.5GhE in and out is what the OP wanted.

As for the Chinese built surveillance equipment, there are two arguments against it. Firstly that the equipment somehow ‘phones home’ which is clearly nonsense if you check your firewall logs. Yes, if you use P2P it moves all your data through a server farm in Guanxiou but just use Wireguard and it won’t do that anymore. And in any case, it presumes that the CCP government is somehow interested in when you come and go from your home. Unlikely. And you are assuming that UniFi doesn’t have a Homeland Security backdoor (which it most likely does).

The other argument is that somehow the CCP government is making things with slave labour to persecute Muslims in China. That’s kind of like not buying anything American because they persecute Muslims in Guantanamo Bay (and arguably lots of other countries). The simple fact is that Sinophobia is in the interests of the United States and they’re pushing it HARD. UniFi gear is made in China. Only the cameras and the NVRs are made in Vietnam because of NDAA and they couldn’t sell them otherwise. So if you’re not going to buy a Chinese camera, don’t buy a Chinese Router. Buy Latvian if you can’t buy British.

And I’m certain your wife is not stupid and doesn’t need a wifey-friendly app to do anything, so that’s a lame excuse.

MikroTik doesn’t need to be difficult. You can make it difficult, but it does 99.99% of what anyone wants out of the box. I’d argue that UniFi is harder to get going than MikroTik because MikroTik doesn’t have a broken PPPoE routine.
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Broken PPPoE? I just put my BT details in and away it went, been 100% stable since.
I think it's obvious you don't think much of Unifi stuff, I really like it, huge step up from the BT Smart Hub.
 
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robj20 said:
Broken PPPoE? I just put my BT details in and away it went, been 100% stable since.
I think it's obvious you don't think much of Unifi stuff, I really like it, huge step up from the BT Smart Hub.
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Well, since I sold nearly £300K worth of UniFi switches and access points in calendar year 2023 I’m going to differ with you on that and simply say that I’m not wearing my rose tinted spectacles when I look at anything from UBNT.

Their routing offer has been shocking for years. It looks like they’re finally getting some nice products out but they’re playing catch-up. I won’t touch the cameras or Protect. Not because they’re bad but simply because they’re way too expensive for what they are and they really don’t scale well beyond say, 8-12 cameras. And the fact that they literally abandoned the old UniFi Video customers when they re-invented themselves as Protect. The security stuff is very ordinary as well. Paxton are the market leader for a reason and UBNT don’t match them on security features, flexibility or price.

I’m not interested in selling something once and running away. I want referral sales and repeat sales and upgrade sales. I’m also not interested in interminable follow-up support calls. It has to work and keep working.

Yes, UniFi is a huge step up from a BT Smart Hub, but is that much of a yardstick? It’s OK, and it’s not without its faults. Rather than say I don’t think much of it, can we agree that I think it’s a curates egg?
 
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robj20 said:
Id love to see some alternatives then for the same price? That do the same thing.

I have the SE, U6 Pro and U6 Mesh, all covered from the same interface, even I managed to setup VLANS.
I'm about to add a Pro Max 24 POE and some cameras, lights and doorbell.
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Omada is the obvious alternative, basically the similar hardware/software and even the UI skin/terminology is remarkably similar and the ER8411 is quite similar to the UDM Pro line, AP’s literally use the same chipsets etc.

Presumably you have considered other options? Cameras, lights and doorbells gain nothing from the availability of 2.5Gb ports, they’re low bandwidth and only need the required PoE standard. A sub £100 Aruba can do that, gives you twice the SFP+ ports, long term support and you can still manage the connected Unifi devices from the same UI you do now, the only exception is the switch management is via another very easy to use interface. Just a thought.
 
Avalon said:
Omada is the obvious alternative, basically the similar hardware/software and even the UI skin/terminology is remarkably similar and the ER8411 is quite similar to the UDM Pro line, AP’s literally use the same chipsets etc.

Presumably you have considered other options? Cameras, lights and doorbells gain nothing from the availability of 2.5Gb ports, they’re low bandwidth and only need the required PoE standard. A sub £100 Aruba can do that, gives you twice the SFP+ ports, long term support and you can still manage the connected Unifi devices from the same UI you do now, the only exception is the switch management is via another very easy to use interface. Just a thought.
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I don't need 2.5gb for the cameras and lights that's where the UDM SE comes in.

The Pro Max I want for my pc and Nas mostly lot of 4k videos back and forth.
Also think the POE++ will come in handy powering a flex switch on the garage.

The Omada thing is that's the TP-link stuff then yes I did briefly look at those but a few things put me off not least the subscription involved.

I even considered the Qnap 1602p thing, but that just seemed pricey and when I looked was difficult to get hold of.

In the end unifi just seemed to tick the most boxes.
 
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robj20 said:
I don't need 2.5gb for the cameras and lights that's where the UDM SE comes in.

The Pro Max I want for my pc and Nas mostly lot of 4k videos back and forth.
Also think the POE++ will come in handy powering a flex switch on the garage.

The Omada thing is that's the TP-link stuff then yes I did briefly look at those but a few things put me off not least the subscription involved.

I even considered the Qnap 1602p thing, but that just seemed pricey and when I looked was difficult to get hold of.

In the end unifi just seemed to tick the most boxes.
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All good points and I don’t think Omada has a subscription. Did you mean Meraki? That is lovely but you need to open a vein to afford it.
 
robj20 said:
I don't need 2.5gb for the cameras and lights that's where the UDM SE comes in.

The Pro Max I want for my pc and Nas mostly lot of 4k videos back and forth.
Also think the POE++ will come in handy powering a flex switch on the garage.

The Omada thing is that's the TP-link stuff then yes I did briefly look at those but a few things put me off not least the subscription involved.

I even considered the Qnap 1602p thing, but that just seemed pricey and when I looked was difficult to get hold of.

In the end unifi just seemed to tick the most boxes.
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If you want to move data quickly between boxes, why not skip 2.5Gb and go direct to SFP+, NIC’s are the same price and DAC’s are cheap, transceivers and fibre are hardly expensive. Admittedly the Aruba is only Poe+ (30w Class 4), but it’ll power a Flex and give 20w PoE onwards vs 46w with ++, heck with the hundreds you save even buying new, you could use an injector for ++.

Obviously you do you, just figured it was worth mentioning :)
 
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