Finally upgraded my home wifi to something that works - managed wifi review

[killramos]

I really want the unifi G4 cameras. Not sure there is a better 4K camera alternative and nest is basically a dead ecosystem right now.

Unifi has some really cool stuff in the early access pipeline, a dual camera doorbell, bones for security system and other home automation stuff. HomeKit support isn’t there yet but homebridge has had some success in the aftermarket.

[Buster]

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I really want the unifi G4 cameras. Not sure there is a better 4K camera alternative and nest is basically a dead ecosystem right now.

Unifi has some really cool stuff in the early access pipeline, a dual camera doorbell, bones for security system and other home automation stuff. HomeKit support isn’t there yet but homebridge has had some success in the aftermarket.

I was looking at he G4 cameras, but only the Pro is out right now, the bullet is in EA, and we cant order them here.

[rage2]

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I don't think Wifi6 is on the immediate horizon for ubiquiti. I'm not in a rush to upgrade.

Yea, I'm in no rush to upgrade either. Was just hoping open mesh hardware would survive till shit's available, probably another 2 years. Right now I don't know if I trust the hardware to last with how much we're home. The living room AP reboots itself once or twice a day, basically a sign that it's about to go south. Can't have work suffer right now.

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@S, you already know this. Run the network controller on a server: https://www.ui.com/download/unifi (under software).

Yea, it's not poking through my firewall correctly or something. Haven't had the time or patience to troubleshoot it. Took long enough to figure out how to nicely block guest from accessing my LAN resources but allow certain ones.

[kenny]

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I really want the unifi G4 cameras. Not sure there is a better 4K camera alternative and nest is basically a dead ecosystem right now.

Unifi has some really cool stuff in the early access pipeline, a dual camera doorbell, bones for security system and other home automation stuff. HomeKit support isn’t there yet but homebridge has had some success in the aftermarket.

The biggest problem for Unifi camera solution is still the software side. It is a very small step up from piecing together IP cameras + 3rd party software / NVR units.

Nothing comes close to Nest unfortunately in terms of ease of use/setup and features. For ex. it still uses rudimentary motion detection (% of frame vs actual people/object detection)

[The_Penguin]

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I had purchased an Edgerouter before I knew it didn't work with the Unifi ecosystem.

Same. I was a bit disappointed, but not a huge deal. 2 different web interfaces one for my APs and switch, other for my router. It won't kill me. And my Kijiji router was such a great deal.
Also see no reason for cloudkey personally. I just run the controller on one of my servers. Not sure what extra cloudkey would buy me.

[revelations]

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Thought you were talking about stock price lol.

I'm slowly switching to unifi AC-Lites. Picked up one unit to test, pretty robust interface, shit is buried in the weirdest places for more advanced setups. I will miss the access anywhere over a webpage config with open mesh, and open mesh's guest network behind a NAT that you can't do on unifi without the USG.

If Ubiguity ever manages to make the AC units as easy to configure for the AVERAGE home user, buy their stock - thats the biggest hold back for them. The HARDWARE is robust, but the software requires nerding out.

[killramos]

You mean... Amplifi?

lol

[revelations]

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You mean... Amplifi?

lol

That is not AC hardware.

[killramos]

Not sure I get what you mean by “AC hardware”?

[revelations]

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Not sure I get what you mean by “AC hardware”?

What Rage2 was talking about -

https://www.ui.com/unifi/unifi-ac/

This is a pro-sumer/commercial grade setup. Its not intuitive to setup (but dont need command lines either) however, once its optimized they are amazing.

[rage2]

But Amplifi is their AC gear but in a prettier package and easy as hell. There's just no advanced options to configure them like the AC.

The distinction between the 2 is perfect IMO. I'm just complaining about the UI on the controller software burying options inconsistently. And no NAT for guests. USG solves that but I'm cheap, especially for an interim solution.

AC Lite -> Amplifi Instant
AC Pro -> Amplifi HD/Gamers Edition

[killramos]

Ok so by “AC Hardware” you just mean unifi’s access points? Notably those you quoted are like 3 gens old now. I bet if you tore them down you would find surprisingly little different between the actual hardware inside a unifi AP and the amplifi AP’s. Especially unifis mesh stuff. The difference really comes down to software and how it’s managed, with a side sprinkling of no hardline backbone for amplifi.

On more interesting news, apparently Unifi’s wifi6 AP’s just hit the FCC DB so maybe hold off on those lites @rage2 lol. https://www.reddit.com/r/Ubiquiti/co...ppears_on_fcc/

I have at least one UAP AC Lite sitting on my desk right now if you want to borrow an AP when your mesh system dies Rage.

Edit: rage beat me to it on the Unifi amplifi comparison.

[revelations]

shit, and here I thought the AC was old school hardware with old school UI - and the Amplifi stuff was all newer hardware and modernized!

[rage2]

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On more interesting news, apparently Unifi’s wifi6 AP’s just hit the FCC DB so maybe hold off on those lites @rage2 lol. https://www.reddit.com/r/Ubiquiti/co...ppears_on_fcc/

I have at least one UAP AC Lite sitting on my desk right now if you want to borrow an AP when your mesh system dies Rage.

Thanks. I bought one to test and have a migration plan setup already lol. Bought 5 more, waiting for them to show up. As for Wifi 6 gear, I don't think anything has been certified for the new spectrum yet, that reddit comment says the same thing. My guess is we're still 2 years away for launch, and 4 years away for affordability.

[killramos]

Fair enough. I’m currently poor boying my unifi setup with a single AC Pro.

New place has no Ethernet backhauls so that’s going to be a project for this summer, should be easy enough once I get cables to the attic. Once I have the backhauls done I’ll probably just use my AC lites again until 6 shows up.

3 AP’s plus 1 outdoor that I will add is definitely overkill for a bungalow.

[94CoRd]

My good ol' Meraki trial is coming to an end this year, AP expires in a week. Would the recommendation be to replace my 1 AP with 1 UniFi AC-Pro in same location, or 2 UniFi AC-Lite, 1 on each floor of the house. The single Meraki covered the house pretty well, but this will be my first foray in to Ubiquiti. When the MX and MS licenses expire in December, hoping to get a Dream Machine pro in place.

[The_Penguin]

We have Meraki APs at work, they're great, other than the subscription model.
Apples to oranges home vs. office, but my Ubiquiti APs seem equally as good. I have 2, but I suspect I could have gone with just one quite adequately.

[chongkee_]

To those who have multiple Unifi APs, do you have guys have it set up as a mesh or separate SSIDs?
Currently have an AC-LR on the north side of my main floor but signal on the south side of the 2nd floor is poor.
Thinking of adding a second AP, either a Pro or another LR just not sure what the best setup would be.

[killramos]

We have the Meraki’s are work as well, I spend way too much time chatting with my IT guy and we are swapping all our infrastructure to unifi once the warranty is up on the meraki.

We only have 80 people in the office so it’s easy enough to swap everything.

- - - Updated - - -

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To those who have multiple Unifi APs, do you have guys have it set up as a mesh or separate SSIDs?
Currently have an AC-LR on the north side of my main floor but signal on the south side of the 2nd floor is poor.
Thinking of adding a second AP, either a Pro or another LR just not sure what the best setup would be.

Mesh is the wrong word, but it’s all on the same SSID. If you do a good job tuning your network powers you should have no need for multiple SSID’s unless you want a guest network.

Also keep 2.4 and 5Ghz on the same ssid too and you are winning.

[rage2]

I’m not a fan of inconsistency with a mixed 2/5 network. I have 5 ssids at the house, 5 and 2 primary separate, 5 and 2 guest separate, and a combined 5 and 2 for the users with Apple Watch which shares your WiFi settings from your phone and is 2.4 only which doesn’t work on a 5 only ssid.