*** Official Ubiquiti Discussion Thread ***

Man of Honour
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Yeah, tried that yesterday - it's very hard to diagnose as I really can't seen any trigger, event or cause. I've raised a ticket with Ubiquiti to see if they can diagnose from logs.... puzzling. LAN is working great, so definitely something wifi related.
Presume that it's all Wi-Fi devices and not just a single one?
 
Soldato
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I'm away to stick my equipment in a 6U rack but unsure what's best for heat dissipation etc.
Which order would be best for the following components? This is what I'm thinking.

- Blank
- 16 port PoE switch.
- Patch panel
- UDM Pro
- Hikvison NVR
- Shelf for modem, Hive, and other little bits

Any better arrangement suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Soldato
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I'm away to stick my equipment in a 6U rack but unsure what's best for heat dissipation etc.
Which order would be best for the following components? This is what I'm thinking.

- Blank
- 16 port PoE switch.
- Patch panel
- UDM Pro
- Hikvison NVR
- Shelf for modem, Hive, and other little bits

Any better arrangement suggestions would be appreciated.
That will be fine. The heat should all go out the back and sides anyway. Because the NVRs plug in at the back, I tend to just sit sit them on the bottom of the rack and route the camera cables through a brush strip or similar down the back of everything else.
 
Soldato
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That will be fine. The heat should all go out the back and sides anyway. Because the NVRs plug in at the back, I tend to just sit sit them on the bottom of the rack and route the camera cables through a brush strip or similar down the back of everything else.
Excellent, thanks for the pointers. Sounds an ideal way of dealing with the NVR and cables. Appreciate it.
 
Soldato
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Hope this OK to post in this in here:

My home "network" at the moment consists of two TPLink Deco X20s, with one running in router mode and the other running as an AP (mesh) with ethernet backhaul. Out of the router node I have a little 5-port switch which then feeds a mini PC (home lab/self-host box), and two ethernet cables around the outside of the house which run all the way to the back of the house to link the other X20 and my gaming PC. It's very reliable, but I'm looking to take a bit of a step up and try a little more complex networking.

Am I right in thinking that I could get a UniFi Express plus some other UniFi AP (recommendations?) as "drop-in" replacements for the two X20s?
Is PoE reliable over longer cable runs? I think the cable to the back AP is roughly 30m in total. If so, I'd have to look at either a PoE injector or replacing the existing 5-port switch with one that does PoE.

EDIT: Just to add, ISP is Aquiss so it's a simple ethernet link from the Openreach ONT. Looks like the UniFi express does PPPoE so there should be no issues with the WAN.
 
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Soldato
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It might be best to avoid the express, posters have not had the best results with it here. The ultra seems to be the better buy if you have a fast connection but it doesn't have an access point built in.

If you have a mini PC, can you run the Unifi controller on that? If so then you can just start with a couple of access points and then branch out to a PoE switches and gateway if you feel urge to add more. You'll need something to power the access points as they operate over PoE, be that a simple PoE injector or a PoE switch (which doesn't need to be ubiquiti and can be considerably cheaper, it just wont be recognised by the unifi system.

In principle, you'll probably not notice any benefits unless you start using some of the more advanced features. While not all WiFi is made equally, ultimately they all have to operate in the same legal envelope when it comes to frequencies and radio power.
 
Soldato
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It might be best to avoid the express, posters have not had the best results with it here. The ultra seems to be the better buy if you have a fast connection but it doesn't have an access point built in.

If you have a mini PC, can you run the Unifi controller on that? If so then you can just start with a couple of access points and then branch out to a PoE switches and gateway if you feel urge to add more. You'll need something to power the access points as they operate over PoE, be that a simple PoE injector or a PoE switch (which doesn't need to be ubiquiti and can be considerably cheaper, it just wont be recognised by the unifi system.

In principle, you'll probably not notice any benefits unless you start using some of the more advanced features. While not all WiFi is made equally, ultimately they all have to operate in the same legal envelope when it comes to frequencies and radio power.
Well that's quite disappointing. I'm not doing anything particularly complex right now, everything is just on a flat network. Internet speed is 500Mbps down so it's reasonably fast but it ain't gigabit fast.

With regards to running the Unifi controller on the mini PC, will that be doing all routing, DHCP etc? It only has a single NIC on there so I'm not sure I'd be able to run all the features?
 
Soldato
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Well that's quite disappointing. I'm not doing anything particularly complex right now, everything is just on a flat network. Internet speed is 500Mbps down so it's reasonably fast but it ain't gigabit fast.

With regards to running the Unifi controller on the mini PC, will that be doing all routing, DHCP etc? It only has a single NIC on there so I'm not sure I'd be able to run all the features?
No, the unifi controller is what it says on the tin. Its where you make all your configuration choices and it 'controls' the devices, it can be run on basically anything including certain Ubiquiti devices (like the express), a PC, a Pi, in a docker container, within a VM or even in the cloud. You don't need to run it 24/7, you can just use the phone app but you loose out on some of the features such as logging and stats.

The express isn't a bad device per say, its just entry level, you've got a router, access point and controller all in one device for £130. In premium network gear world, that isn't a lot of money and you ultimately get what you pay for.

Your plan to use an express and a single access point isn't necessarily a bad idea and will work (you'd still need to power the second AP as the express doesn't have PoE so you'd need an injector or PoE switch), what is not clear is what you are ultimately looking to achieve over and above your current set up.

What's not working for you on your existing setup? (by the way, wanting new nerd toys to play with is more than an acceptable reason:D)

I'd definitely suggest doing some more research before spending any money, for example, the access points have specific use cases. The 'disks' are designed to be ceiling mounted, the 'mesh' devices are omni directional and inwall devices are meant to be mounted on/in a plasterboard wall. We would need to know where you plan to place the AP before making a recommendation.

I've got a fairly modern 4 bedroom house which is approximately 132m2, a single access point (U6 Pro in my case) located on the landing ceiling (the middle of the house) provides good coverage in every room (500+mb). I later added 2 more access points to cover the drive and back garden as coverage outside was pretty bad/non-existent. The former is in the detached garage and the latter is mounted on the outside wall of the house, all are hardwired back to the loft where they are powered by a PoE switch.

Fortunately where the internet comes into the house is right next to a gutter downpipe so while the cable up to the loft is ran externally, its not visible. I did have to trench an Ethernet cable out to the garage though.
 
Soldato
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No, the unifi controller is what it says on the tin. Its where you make all your configuration choices and it 'controls' the devices, it can be run on basically anything including certain Ubiquiti devices (like the express), a PC, a Pi, in a docker container, within a VM or even in the cloud. You don't need to run it 24/7, you can just use the phone app but you loose out on some of the features such as logging and stats.

The express isn't a bad device per say, its just entry level, you've got a router, access point and controller all in one device for £130. In premium network gear world, that isn't a lot of money and you ultimately get what you pay for.

Your plan to use an express and a single access point isn't necessarily a bad idea and will work (you'd still need to power the second AP as the express doesn't have PoE so you'd need an injector or PoE switch), what is not clear is what you are ultimately looking to achieve over and above your current set up.

What's not working for you on your existing setup? (by the way, wanting new nerd toys to play with is more than an acceptable reason:D)

I'd definitely suggest doing some more research before spending any money, for example, the access points have specific use cases. The 'disks' are designed to be ceiling mounted, the 'mesh' devices are omni directional and inwall devices are meant to be mounted on/in a plasterboard wall. We would need to know where you plan to place the AP before making a recommendation.

I've got a fairly modern 4 bedroom house which is approximately 132m2, a single access point (U6 Pro in my case) located on the landing ceiling (the middle of the house) provides good coverage in every room (500+mb). I later added 2 more access points to cover the drive and back garden as coverage outside was pretty bad/non-existent. The former is in the detached garage and the latter is mounted on the outside wall of the house, all are hardwired back to the loft where they are powered by a PoE switch.

Fortunately where the internet comes into the house is right next to a gutter downpipe so while the cable up to the loft is ran externally, its not visible. I did have to trench an Ethernet cable out to the garage though.


The X20s I have now are absolutely fine, I get full internet speed right across the house, and even get decent signal out to the Tesla on the drive. I'm not looking to get a full professional setup or anything like that so I think "entry level" is still OK for my use case. I've just been having a look at a couple of YouTube vids of the software interface and it looks like it's opening up quite a few opportunities. Things like: VLANs (I can do a separate IoT on the X20s but get no control over routing etc), logging and stats as you mention; actually being able to configure things in the web interface (you have to use the phone app on the X20); a few more firewall options; and yes there's a bit of "oooo shiny new nerd things" in there too :D

My WiFi setup probably pains most people - the router/main node is sat the in very corner of the house where the ONT is (where both the fibre for it and the Virgin Media presentation are) on the middle shelf of a TV stand, and then a CAT6 runs outside around the house to the very opposite corner of the house upstairs, where the other node is sat on my PC desk. The house is a 3-bed detached, but it's a new-ish build so only around 95-100m2 or something like that. I will not ceiling mount any APs, wall-mounts might be a bit of a hard sell with my wife-to-be, and a big attraction of the X20s in the first place was that they look inconspicuous just sat on a shelf/desk :)

It looks like most of the "cheaper" AP options in the UniFi lineup don't really seem to offer the same "dump it on the desk" kind of look, except maybe the U6-Mesh and that's £170+ - this is way more than I'm comfortable spending. I was kinda intending to maybe get the U6-Lite and just sit it upside down on the desk (don't shoot me!) :D
 
Soldato
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The ceiling mount is pretty subtle and they look far more 'at home' than most fire alarms. Trust me, it will get lost on the celling and you'll not notice it when its up (turn the LED off in the settings). Mrs Sk8 has stringent requirements when it comes to aesthetics. I probably wouldn't recommend the bigger AP's like the U6 LR or U7 Pro, they are a bit less subtle (quite a lot thicker) but the U6 Pro passes the wife test and the lites are very small.

For a modern 3 bed house, you'll only need one for full coverage inside.

The U6-Mesh is a high end access point, far better than the one in the express, hence its cost. Dumping a U6 lite on a desk will work but at reduced performance, its a directional access point unlike your X20's which are omni directional. It's signal spread comes out the front in a doughnut shape and is not designed to have devices connected 'behind' it and therefore the signal strength behind it is weak.

If your going to spend the money on a prosumer/small business network setup, you kinda have to do it 'properly' to get the most benefit from it. Otherwise you'll spend a bunch of money and not see any real improvement or meet your objectives. It is also worth considering WiFi 7 is literally just round the corner and the current WiFi 6 line up will get superseded in the not too distant future. The U7 Pro is already available, its only a matter of time before the range gets fleshed out.
 
Soldato
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The ceiling mount is pretty subtle and they look far more 'at home' than most fire alarms. Trust me, it will get lost on the celling and you'll not notice it when its up (turn the LED off in the settings). Mrs Sk8 has stringent requirements when it comes to aesthetics. I probably wouldn't recommend the bigger AP's like the U6 LR or U7 Pro, they are a bit less subtle (quite a lot thicker) but the U6 Pro passes the wife test and the lites are very small.

For a modern 3 bed house, you'll only need one for full coverage inside.

The U6-Mesh is a high end access point, far better than the one in the express, hence its cost. Dumping a U6 lite on a desk will work but at reduced performance, its a directional access point unlike your X20's which are omni directional. It's signal spread comes out the front in a doughnut shape and is not designed to have devices connected 'behind' it and therefore the signal strength behind it is weak.

If your going to spend the money on a prosumer/small business network setup, you kinda have to do it 'properly' to get the most benefit from it. Otherwise you'll spend a bunch of money and not see any real improvement or meet your objectives. It is also worth considering WiFi 7 is literally just round the corner and the current WiFi 6 line up will get superseded in the not too distant future. The U7 Pro is already available, its only a matter of time before the range gets fleshed out.
To be honest, the lack of ceiling mount is mostly the need to run a new cable up through the walls into the loft and back out again. Same for the wall mount ones, I thought I'd be able to get one and just leave the cable dangling out of the bottom but it looks like it has to be fed into the back and so I'd have to drill holes in walls and feed new cables etc. I'm not doing that.

I think it just boils down to me wanting the features of UniFi in the same physical setup I have now. I guess that's not going to happen right now.

EDIT: Actually, I suppose if I splashed the cash I could either get 2x Express with one running just as an AP (about £250), OR splash more cash and get a Cloud Gateway Ultra too, using the two Express as APs, though that'll bring the total up to nearly £350 plus whatever a 4-8 port PoE switch costs. That total is starting to feel frivolous for what will be a little bit more wifi/network segregation and scratching a little nerd itch :D
 
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Soldato
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The X20s I have now are absolutely fine, I get full internet speed right across the house, and even get decent signal out to the Tesla on the drive. I'm not looking to get a full professional setup or anything like that so I think "entry level" is still OK for my use case. I've just been having a look at a couple of YouTube vids of the software interface and it looks like it's opening up quite a few opportunities. Things like: VLANs (I can do a separate IoT on the X20s but get no control over routing etc), logging and stats as you mention; actually being able to configure things in the web interface (you have to use the phone app on the X20); a few more firewall options; and yes there's a bit of "oooo shiny new nerd things" in there too :D

My WiFi setup probably pains most people - the router/main node is sat the in very corner of the house where the ONT is (where both the fibre for it and the Virgin Media presentation are) on the middle shelf of a TV stand, and then a CAT6 runs outside around the house to the very opposite corner of the house upstairs, where the other node is sat on my PC desk. The house is a 3-bed detached, but it's a new-ish build so only around 95-100m2 or something like that. I will not ceiling mount any APs, wall-mounts might be a bit of a hard sell with my wife-to-be, and a big attraction of the X20s in the first place was that they look inconspicuous just sat on a shelf/desk :)

It looks like most of the "cheaper" AP options in the UniFi lineup don't really seem to offer the same "dump it on the desk" kind of look, except maybe the U6-Mesh and that's £170+ - this is way more than I'm comfortable spending. I was kinda intending to maybe get the U6-Lite and just sit it upside down on the desk (don't shoot me!) :D
Sound of guns cocking all over the internet.

If they worked well upside down on a desk no-one would ceiling mount anything. And they wouldn’t make the U6-mesh ‘cone can’ or the in-wall devices.
 
Soldato
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Sound of guns cocking all over the internet.

If they worked well upside down on a desk no-one would ceiling mount anything. And they wouldn’t make the U6-mesh ‘cone can’ or the in-wall devices.
I have a U6 Pro “upside down” on a 3D printed stand in a small understairs cupboard. It provides excellent WiFi coverage all over my large-ish five bedroom house.
 
Soldato
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I have a U6 Pro “upside down” on a 3D printed stand in a small understairs cupboard. It provides excellent WiFi coverage all over my large-ish five bedroom house.
Hadn't considered this - looks like there's a few stands available in a few places online that can take some U6 and make them as though the were wall mounted, which I guess could work quite well as it'd then be "pointing out" of that corner of the house and should be OK on coverage. It's not a large house, 2 APs is probably overkill anyway :D
 
Soldato
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I have a U6 Pro “upside down” on a 3D printed stand in a small understairs cupboard. It provides excellent WiFi coverage all over my large-ish five bedroom house.

Of course it does. There are properties (especially timber framed properties) where you can convince yourself you’ve got good coverage. Then someone like me fits it properly and you really do get proper coverage.
 
Soldato
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Hadn't considered this - looks like there's a few stands available in a few places online that can take some U6 and make them as though the were wall mounted, which I guess could work quite well as it'd then be "pointing out" of that corner of the house and should be OK on coverage. It's not a large house, 2 APs is probably overkill anyway :D

Grab those straws! The beam pattern is like a lamp shade. It goes out and sideways. There is only reflected signals directly underneath the access point. So if you ‘aim’ it like a satellite dish you don’t get the effect you think you will.
 
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