Ditch the Old Alarm Panel.
Build Something Smarter.
Modernise your home or office security with Ubiquiti’s UniFi SuperLink ecosystem β a professional-grade alarm system without the legacy costs, proprietary lock-in, or monthly subscriptions.
Your old alarm system is probably working against you. Proprietary protocols, annual maintenance contracts, a panel that hasn’t had a software update in a decade, and a monitoring company that charges you monthly for the privilege of occasionally calling the wrong number β it’s a familiar story.
Whether you’re running a small office, a multi-site business, or simply want proper protection at home, Ubiquiti’s UniFi ecosystem now offers a compelling alternative. With UniFi Protect 7.1 (released May 2026) and the rapidly expanding SuperLink sensor family, you can build a genuinely modern, integrated alarm system that lives alongside your cameras, networking gear, and access control β all managed from a single dashboard, with no per-device subscription fees.
This guide walks through the problem with legacy alarm systems, what’s new in Protect 7.1, and exactly which products you need to build a complete, reliable alarm setup β with current pricing for both UK and USA buyers.
Most alarm systems installed in homes and offices in the last 15β20 years share a common set of frustrating limitations. Here’s how they stack up against a modern UniFi-based solution.
- Proprietary wired sensors with no remote visibility
- Expensive annual maintenance contracts required
- Separate management from cameras and networking
- No real-time AI intelligence or smart alerts
- Firmware updates (if any) require an engineer visit
- Monitoring companies charge Β£20βΒ£50/month with poor response SLAs
- Panel fails silently if internet drops β no cellular fallback
- Often an attack vector β no modern security standards
- Long-range wireless SuperLink sensors, 2km+ range
- Own your hardware β no recurring software licence fees
- Unified with cameras, access control, and networking
- Edge AI-powered detection with cross-camera tracking
- Automatic OTA firmware updates over SuperLink
- SIA DC-09 dispatch to your chosen monitoring provider
- Cellular failover via SuperLink High-Availability Gateway
- End-to-end encryption and UniFi OS security architecture
Released in May 2026, Protect 7.1 builds on the 7.0 platform milestone with custom video walls, a retrained AI detection engine, the new 2nd Gen NVR with built-in Edge AI, and SIA DC-09 dispatch integration β replacing the original Noonlight-only model with a much more flexible approach.
Protect 7.1 marks the moment UniFi’s camera platform fully matures into a unified physical security system. With Alarm Manager, Case Manager, custom video walls, the new 2nd Generation NVR with on-device Edge AI, SuperLink hardware integration, and SIA DC-09 dispatch to local security providers, you’re no longer building a camera system with bolt-on sensors β you’re building a complete physical security platform with zero licence fees.
Before covering individual products, it’s worth understanding what makes SuperLink fundamentally different from Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, or standard Bluetooth sensor protocols.
SuperLink is Ubiquiti’s proprietary sub-GHz wireless protocol, purpose-built for security and IoT sensing. Operating on licensed bands (915.6β927.6 MHz in the US; 865.1β869.5 MHz in the EU/UK), it achieves 2km+ range with wall and obstruction penetration that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth simply cannot match. Latency is optimised for alarm-grade response times, and each device benefits from secure OTA updates managed directly through UniFi OS.
A single SuperLink Gateway (USL-Gateway) supports up to 96 SuperLink sensors simultaneously while also maintaining backward compatibility with legacy UP-Sense BLE devices. As of Protect 7.1, the Gateway also doubles as a Thread border router β adding compatibility with the growing Thread/Matter IoT ecosystem without separate hardware. It mounts on a wall or DIN rail, powered via PoE or USB-C.
SuperLink’s 2km+ range means a single gateway can cover outbuildings, car parks, warehouses, and detached structures that would defeat standard Wi-Fi sensors entirely. For an office campus or a home with a garage or garden room, this is a genuine game-changer versus alternatives like Ring, Ajax, or traditional wired systems.
Here are all the key products you need to build a serious alarm system with UniFi Protect 7.1. Each integrates natively with Alarm Manager β and pricing is shown for both UK and US Ubiquiti stores.
The hub of your SuperLink sensor network β and now a Thread border router as well. This is the first thing you install: it creates the SuperLink radio mesh that all your sensors communicate over. Mount it centrally for maximum coverage. Supports up to 96 USL sensors plus up to 7 legacy UP-Sense BLE devices simultaneously. A High-Availability variant adds cellular failover so alarm signals still get out even if your broadband fails.
The bridge between your legacy hardwired sensors and the modern UniFi platform. If you’re replacing an existing alarm system that still has working door contacts, PIRs, or beam sensors wired in, the Alarm Hub lets you retain and repurpose all of that existing cabling. It provides 32 hardwired input zones, supports standard end-of-line resistors (1β5.6kΞ©), and connects to UniFi Protect over PoE++. The steel-enclosed panel supports 12V SLA battery backup β essential for maintaining alarm function during power cuts.
The bread-and-butter of any alarm system. These slim magnetic contact sensors mount on door or window frames and immediately report open/closed status to Protect. With an up to 6-year battery life, they’re genuinely fit-and-forget. Deploy one on every external door, every ground-floor window, and any internal door you want to monitor. Unlike legacy wired sensors, these require no cabling β just stick them in place and adopt in the UniFi app within seconds. Also sold in a discounted 3-pack.
The SuperLink motion sensor is a passive infrared (PIR) detector designed for versatile installation across hallways, reception areas, server rooms, and open-plan offices. Like the entry sensor, it delivers up to 6 years of battery life and integrates directly into Alarm Manager for triggered responses β including automatically swinging a PTZ camera to cover the detected zone. Install at key internal choke points to catch intruders who bypass perimeter sensors.
Uses advanced acoustic analysis to detect the characteristic frequency signature of breaking glass β catching forced entry attempts that bypass standard door contacts entirely. It also incorporates motion sensing for dual-function coverage. At 134.5mm in length with adhesive or screw mounting, it installs cleanly alongside windows, glazed partitions, or shopfronts. One sensor can cover multiple windows in the same room.
A welcome addition to the SuperLink family β a compact pocket-sized remote with programmable Arm, Disarm, and Panic buttons, plus a fourth customisable action button. Up to 10 years of battery life from a single CR2450 cell. Ideal for users who don’t want to fish out a phone to arm/disarm, or for vulnerable users needing a panic button by the bedside or in a back office. Requires Protect 7.1 and a SuperLink Gateway. Multiple fobs can be assigned to different users with individual permissions.
The glue between UniFi Protect and the physical world. This compact SuperLink module provides both input and output interfaces β letting you trigger or respond to third-party devices based on alarm events. Use it to activate a standalone siren or strobe, control a doorbell chime, trigger a garage door, operate an electric gate, shut off a water valve, or switch lights as part of an alarm response. It can equally receive input from third-party sensors (such as existing hardwired PIRs or beam sensors) and feed those triggers back into Alarm Manager.
The wireless SuperLink siren is now shipping β delivering a 110 dB audible alarm alongside emergency LED lighting in an all-weather enclosure. Because it’s SuperLink-connected, it can be placed in optimal deterrent positions without being limited by cable runs. Triggered automatically through Alarm Manager. Available in two variants: battery/DC-powered (USL-Siren) for cable-free deployment, or PoE-powered (UP-Siren-PoE) for permanent fixed installations where Ethernet is already pulled.
The original UniFi BLE sensor packs motion, ambient light, temperature, and humidity detection into one compact unit. It connects via Bluetooth LE through the SuperLink Gateway or any compatible UniFi Protect access point. While lacking the SuperLink range of newer sensors, it’s ideal for indoor environments like server rooms, reception desks, and equipment closets where you want environmental awareness as well as motion detection. Fully compatible with Protect 7.1 and Alarm Manager.
Beyond intrusion, this sensor covers the environmental threats that cost businesses the most: water leaks, temperature extremes, and humidity. It detects standing water via floor-level contact points, dripping water from above via top contacts, and supports external probe extensions via 3.5mm jack. Combined with temperature, humidity and ambient light monitoring, it’s essential for server rooms, plant rooms, basements, or any space where a pipe burst or HVAC failure could cause significant damage. Powered by a CR123A battery for long-term operation.
The new 2nd Generation NVR doubles camera capacity over the original (up to 60 HD or 30 4K cameras) and brings built-in Edge AI directly to the recorder β no separate AI Key required for vector indexing, image-based search, Person Re-Identification, or natural language search. Adds an integrated HDMI ViewPort for direct display output (turning the NVR into a live monitoring station out of the box) and improved RAID protection. A Pro variant (UNVR-G2 Pro, ~Β£800/$999) doubles capacity again with 8 drive bays. Fully local, no recurring fees.
Sensors tell you something happened. Cameras tell you what happened, and who did it. Protect 7.1’s completely retrained AI detection engine is tightly integrated with Alarm Manager, creating an intelligent two-layer security system.
When a SuperLink sensor triggers in Alarm Manager, associated cameras immediately begin recording at maximum quality. PTZ cameras automatically swing to preset positions covering the triggered zone β and as of 7.1, PTZ vehicle tracking lets cameras follow a moving vehicle through their field of view. By the time you receive the notification, there’s already timestamped video evidence of the event, with the new Edge AI engine making the entire library forensically searchable.
For the best sensor-to-camera coverage, pair each SuperLink zone with a UniFi G5 or G6 series camera. G6 Dome or G6 Turret cameras work well indoors; G6 Bullet for external coverage. For wide-area monitoring, a G5 PTZ or the newer G6 PTZ can auto-pivot to cover multiple SuperLink zones from a single installation point β dramatically reducing hardware cost while improving coverage. With Protect 7.1’s vehicle PTZ tracking, a single PTZ can now actively follow a car across a forecourt.
A step-by-step overview of how to deploy a complete SuperLink alarm system from scratch β or migrate from a legacy installation.
A summary of all products discussed, with UK and US pricing side-by-side and guidance on what’s essential versus optional depending on your deployment scale.
| Product | SKU | π¬π§ UK | πΊπΈ US | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuperLink Gateway | USL-Gateway | Β£105 | $129 | Wireless sensor hub + Thread router | Essential |
| Entry Sensor | USL-Entry | Β£31 | $39 | Door & window open/close | Essential |
| Motion Sensor | USL-Motion | Β£37 | $49 | Interior PIR detection | Essential |
| Glass Break Sensor | USL-GlassBreak | Β£42 | $49 | Acoustic forced-entry detection | Essential |
| Remote Control KeyFob | USL-FOB | Β£29 | $39 | Arm/Disarm/Panic remote | New Β· Recommended |
| Relay Module | USL-Relay | Β£32 | $39 | 3rd-party integration & automation | Recommended |
| SuperLink Siren | USL-Siren | Β£89 | $109 | 110 dB wireless deterrent | Recommended |
| All-In-One Sensor | UP-Sense | Β£49 | $59 | Multi-function BLE indoor sensor | Optional |
| Environmental Sensor | USL-Environmental | Β£38 | $49 | Flood, temp & humidity monitoring | Recommended |
| UniFi NVR Gen 2 | UNVR-G2 | Β£555 | $699 | Recording + on-device Edge AI | New Β· Recommended |
| Alarm Hub Kit | UP-AlarmHub-Kit | Β£325 | $399 | 32-zone hardwired sensor bridge | Hybrid / Enterprise |
| HA Gateway | USL-Gateway-HA | TBA | TBA | Cellular failover alarm signalling | High Availability |
| High-Gain Antenna | USL-Antenna | Β£39 | $49 | Extended SuperLink range | Large sites |
Protect 7.1 marks a significant shift in how UniFi handles professional monitoring. The original 7.0 release shipped with a Noonlight-exclusive integration, but 7.1 replaces this with full SIA DC-09 standard support β the industry-standard protocol for alarm transmission to central monitoring stations. The practical impact: you can now integrate UniFi Protect with your local security service provider of choice rather than being locked into a single vendor. For UK customers, this means you can connect to ARC (Alarm Receiving Centre) providers operating to BS 8484 / EN 50136 standards. For US customers, any UL-listed central station that accepts DC-09 events will work. Combined with cellular failover via the HA Gateway, this delivers properly resilient, vendor-neutral monitored intrusion alerting.
Ready to Upgrade Your Security?
Whether you’re replacing an ageing alarm panel in an office or building a smart home security system from scratch, UniFi Protect 7.1 and the SuperLink sensor family offer a compelling, scalable, and genuinely modern solution.
Talk to Us About Your InstallationReady to upgrade your old, vulnerable alarm system with an modern super AI advanced solution?
Contact IT Pro Expert for your Ubiquiti UniFi Protect Alarm System and/or Camera Security installation and guidance.
We also offer custom solutions to go with UniFi products, other smart systems and can include global alarm notifications or integration to legacy radio alarm links or sms triggers.
* Note: Noonlight is only available in the USA but we can offer a various alternatives for any country.
