UniFi Support Tools - IT Pro Expert

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Credentials & Setup

Default Credentials & Access

Factory Default Logins (Unadopted)

Device Type	Username	Password	Examples
Legacy	`ubnt`	`ubnt`	U6, G3/G4/G5 cameras, USG
UniFi OS	`ui`	`ui`	UDM, U7/E7 AP, G6 cameras, UXG, UCG

Important: Once adopted, SSH/device passwords are managed by your UniFi Network Application under Settings > System > Advanced > Device Authentication. They are no longer the factory defaults.

Default Network Addresses

Gateways (UDM, UDR, UXG, UCG, USG)

192.168.1.1 — most common default
192.168.2.1 — alternate gateway address
10.0.0.1 — rare legacy configuration

APs, Cameras, Switches (Unadopted)

192.168.1.20

Standard fallback IP when a device hasn’t received DHCP. Reach it over HTTP port 8080 (legacy) or HTTPS 443 (modern UniFi OS devices).

⌨️

SSH Commands

SSH Command Reference

Universal Device Commands

info

Show device model, firmware, adoption URL and status.

ssh ubnt@192.168.1.20 info

set-inform <url>

Point a device at your controller for adoption (must be reachable on 8080).

ssh ubnt@192.168.1.20 set-inform http://192.168.1.10:8080/inform

upgrade <url>

Flash firmware from a URL (device reboots automatically).

ssh ubnt@192.168.1.20 upgrade https://dl.ui.com/firmwares/path/to/firmware.bin

reboot

Reboot the device immediately.

ssh ubnt@192.168.1.20 reboot

ping <ip>

Test connectivity from the device to a remote host.

ssh ubnt@192.168.1.20 ping 8.8.8.8

UniFi OS Hosts (UDM, UDR, UXG, UCG)

ubnt-systool cputemp

Current CPU temperature in °C.

ubnt-systool cputemp

ubnt-systool portstatus

Physical port status and link speeds.

ubnt-systool portstatus

ubnt-device-info summary

System summary — uptime, memory, CPU model.

ubnt-device-info summary

unifi-os restart

Restart the UniFi OS container (not a full reboot — may drop sessions).

unifi-os restart

df -h · free -h

Disk usage across mounts, and RAM / available memory.

df -h
free -h

Camera-Specific

Factory reset — G6 / modern

Reset a modern UniFi camera to defaults.

ubnt_system_util reset-default

Factory reset — legacy G3 / G4 / G5

cp /usr/etc/system.cfg /tmp/system.cfg && cfgmtd -w -f /tmp/system.cfg && reboot

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Network & Ports

Network Ports Reference

Essential Ingress Ports (to Controller)

Port	Proto	Service	Required
11443	TCP	UniFi OS Web UI / API	✓ Core
8080	TCP	Device inform (phone home)	✓ Core
3478	UDP	STUN (NAT traversal)	✓ Core
10001	UDP	Device discovery (L3)	✓ Core
7447	TCP	Protect RTSP stream	Cameras
443	TCP	Remote access & WebSockets	✓ Remote

Guest Portal & Optional Ports

Port	Proto	Purpose
8881, 8882, 8880	TCP	Guest portal (HTTP)
8444	TCP	Guest portal (HTTPS, preferred)
22	TCP	SSH (⚠️ lock to admin IP only)
5514	UDP	Remote syslog (optional)

🚨 Security critical: never expose SSH (22) to the internet. Restrict it to your admin IP with a firewall rule, and use a VPN or SSH tunnel for remote access.

🛠️

Troubleshooting

Access Point Issues

AP Won’t Adopt / Stuck “Adopting…”

New AP not appearing in Network

✓ LED should flash white-blue (searching for controller).
✓ Power-cycle and watch for an LED change after ~30s.
✓ From the controller, ping 192.168.1.20 to confirm reachability.
✓ UDP 10001 must be open between AP and controller.
✓ Set inform manually: ssh ubnt@192.168.1.20 set-inform http://[CONTROLLER_IP]:8080/inform
✓ A maxed-out controller (high CPU) won’t process adoption.
✓ Big firmware gap between AP and controller — upgrade the AP first.

Stuck “Adopting…” for 5+ minutes

⚠ TCP 8080 blocked between AP and controller (firewall/VLAN).
⚠ Network loop — two switches cabled together.
⚠ Controller hiccup — unifi-os restart.
⚠ Factory reset (hold reset ~10s until LED goes off) and retry.
⚠ Different segment — discover via WiFiman, then SSH set-inform.

AP Repeatedly Goes Offline

Checklist

🔌 PoE power: check the injector/switch port LED; WiFi 7 APs need PoE++ / PoE+++, not 802.3af.
🔌 Loose / damaged cable: reseat both ends, inspect the run.
📡 Interference: use AirView; watch for DFS radar hits on 5 GHz.
🔄 Channel: move to a clean DFS or non-overlapping channel.
🌐 WiFi loop / mesh: a mesh backhaul AP needs ≥ -67 dBm from its uplink.
🔧 Firmware: update to current from the controller.
💾 Controller DB bloat: Settings > System > Maintenance > archive events.

WiFi 7 (U7 / E7) Gotchas

No 6 GHz / WPA3 / underperforming

🚨 No 6 GHz on U7 Lite — it’s dual-band. Use U7 Pro or higher for 6 GHz.
🚨 6 GHz also depends on regional regulatory permission.
🚨 Devices won’t join with pure WPA3 → switch the SSID to WPA2/WPA3 mixed.
🚨 Only ~2× the speed of WiFi 6? The uplink is likely 1GbE — move to 2.5GbE (Pro) or 10GbE (XG/XGS/E7).
🚨 If an AP locks up needing a reset after hours/days, check for a known firmware regression and update.

Slow WiFi / Poor Signal

Diagnose

1. Client RSSI: -50 excellent · -65 good · -75 fair · -80 poor (dBm).
2. AirView: look for neighbour APs overlapping your channels.
3. Airtime: high airtime + interference = a channel problem.
4. Source: microwaves / baby monitors hammer 2.4 GHz.
5. Throughput: speed-test the client — limited by wireless or by the uplink?
6. Rogues: check Client Insights for bandwidth hogs.

Fix

🔧 Move to a less crowded channel (AutoSelect can pick poorly).
🔧 Raise transmit power from minimum to medium/high.
🔧 Enable band steering to lift dual-band clients off 2.4 GHz.
🔧 Relocate the AP away from metal, microwaves and thick walls.
🔧 Drop channel width from 160/80 to 40 MHz under heavy interference.
🔧 Let the AI Optimizer retune if you’d rather not do it by hand.

Roaming / Hand-off

Devices stick to a distant AP

💡 Enable 802.11k/v for faster roaming.
💡 Raise minimum-RSSI (e.g. -80 → -75 dBm) to push earlier roams.
💡 Band steering too aggressive? It may force 5 GHz when 2.4 GHz is closer.
💡 Toggle Fast Roaming off to test if it’s the culprit.
💡 iOS caches APs — forget and rejoin the network.

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Troubleshooting

Camera Issues (G6 / G5 / G4 / G3)

Camera Won’t Adopt / Pending

Steps

🔍 LED: solid blue = adopted · flashing = searching · off = no power.
🔍 Confirm PoE reaches the camera (switch port LED / power output).
🔍 ssh ubnt@controller ping 192.168.1.20
🔍 On a separate VLAN? You’ll need DHCP relay and an allow path to the console.
🔍 TCP 8080 blocked between the camera network and Protect?
✓ Power-cycle and allow ~30s to boot.
✓ Set inform: ssh ubnt@[CAM_IP] set-inform http://[NVR_IP]:8080/inform
✓ Upgrade firmware via the web UI before adoption if it’s old.
✓ Factory reset (hold reset ~10s) if truly stuck.

Offline After Adoption

Causes

⚠️ Intermittent (hourly): PoE, cable, or network instability.
⚠️ After a firmware update: update didn’t finish — restart Protect and the device.
⚠️ After storage filled: recording stopped and Protect restarted — free space.
⚠️ In bad weather: moisture in the connector — check waterproofing.
⚠️ After 30+ days uptime: reboot periodically.

Recover

1️⃣ Power-cycle (PoE off ~10s).
2️⃣ Check PoE budget: ubnt-systool portstatus.
3️⃣ Restart Protect: unifi-os restart on the NVR.
4️⃣ Update camera firmware.
5️⃣ Replace a bent/crimped cable.
6️⃣ Try a different PoE port.
7️⃣ Still down → forget and re-adopt.

No Live View (camera shows “Online”)

Checks

❌ RTSP blocked: allow TCP 7447 device-to-NVR.
❌ NVR overload: high bitrate + high CPU forces lower quality.
❌ Network loop: Protect can disable video — check switch topology.
❌ Codec change: just switched H.264 ↔ H.265? Revert and retry.
❌ Browser cache: hard refresh (Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-R).

No Recording / Motion Not Triggering

Checklist

💿 Storage full — df -h, keep >10% free.
💿 Recording actually enabled for this camera?
💿 Motion sensitivity too low (default 50 is often too high a threshold).
💿 Smart detection set to alert only — enable “record on detection”.
💿 Recording schedule disabled for this time/day?
💿 Codec unsupported by the NVR firmware? Update.

IR / Night Vision

IR dim or not working

🌙 IR mode set to OFF — switch to AUTO / ALWAYS ON.
🌙 Out of range — typical IR reach: ~6m (Instant), ~30m (Bullet/Turret/PTZ), ~40m (Pro Bullet). Reposition if the scene is beyond that.
🌙 Other IR sources (heaters, lamps) saturating the sensor.
🌙 IR bouncing off a nearby shiny surface — change the angle.
🌙 Out-of-date firmware — IR tuning improves in updates.

High Bandwidth / Storage Use

Camera filling storage fast

💾 4K continuous ≈ 200GB/month — consider 2K or motion-only.
💾 Switch H.264 → H.265 to save ~40%.
💾 Drop 30fps → 15fps if motion capture is enough.
💾 Enable adaptive bitrate for quiet periods.
💾 Busy scene (moving trees/shadows) inflates bitrate.
💾 Motion-only recording saves ~60–70% over continuous.

AI / Analytics Not Working

Face ID, LPR or smart detection missing

🤖 Advanced features need AI hardware — an AI Key (G4/G5/G6) or an AI-series camera (native). ONVIF cameras need an AI Port.
🤖 Smart detection toggled off — Protect > Settings > Smart Detections.
🤖 Face ID needs enrolled faces before it can match.
🤖 LPR needs the correct country/region set.
🤖 NVR CPU >90% pauses AI — check free -h and load.
🤖 Out-of-date camera firmware reduces accuracy — update G6 units.

🖥️

Troubleshooting

Gateway / Controller Issues

Won’t Boot / Web UI Unreachable (11443)

Gateway stuck booting or no UI

🔌 No power LED — try another outlet/PSU; verify the supply is rated for the model.
🔴 LED flashing red — critical fault; attempt recovery (hold reset ~10s while powered).
🔵 LED flashing blue forever — boot hung; wait 5–10 min, then reset if it persists.
🔵 Solid blue but no UI — UniFi OS is still starting; give it another ~3 min.
⚡ PoE-powered models — confirm the injector/switch port supplies the device’s full wattage, or use the bundled PSU.

Web UI Slow / “Service Unavailable”

Diagnosis & recovery order

💾 Disk space — df -h; keep >10% free or the UI will choke.
⚙️ CPU/RAM & temp — free -h and ubnt-systool cputemp.
🔄 Restart the stack — unifi-os restart clears most temporary hangs.
📊 Archive old events — Settings > System > Maintenance frees database space.
🗑️ Hard-refresh the browser — Ctrl+Shift+R against https://[IP]:11443.
🔁 Full reboot if a service restart doesn’t help.
⚠️ Suspected DB corruption — restore the most recent backup.

High CPU Temperature / Throttling

Console running hot (>80°C)

🌡️ Check with ubnt-systool cputemp; find runaway processes with top.
🌬️ Improve airflow — front intake, rear exhaust; don’t box it in.
🎥 Trim the camera load or switch 4K → 2K / H.265 to cut transcode heat.
🧠 Offload Protect to a dedicated NVR (UNVR / UNVR Pro) on large sites.

Storage / SMART Errors

Protect storage full or disk faults

💿 Disk full stops recording — df -h to confirm.
1️⃣ Reduce retention days. 2️⃣ Switch to H.265. 3️⃣ Motion-only recording. 4️⃣ Remove unused footage. 5️⃣ Larger / extra drive.
⚠️ SMART warnings mean the drive is failing — back up and replace promptly.

Remote / Cloud Access

Can’t reach the console remotely

🌐 Remote Access toggle — Settings > System (Control Plane) > Console.
👤 Re-sign-in to your Ubiquiti account if the session expired.
🔥 Outbound HTTPS to unifi.ui.com on 443 must be allowed — test: curl -I https://unifi.ui.com.
📡 Check status.ui.com for a service incident.
🔐 ISP blocking inbound? Use the built-in Teleport/WireGuard VPN as a workaround.

PoE Budget Exceeded

Some devices won’t power up

⚡ Symptoms — a few APs/cameras stay dark or restart at random under load.
🧮 Add up device wattage vs the switch’s PoE budget (see the Switching section’s PoE table).
🔧 Fixes — prioritise critical ports, add a SmartPower RPS, move high-draw devices to a dedicated injector, or step up to a higher-budget switch.

Sizing tip: size your UPS against the switch’s total wall draw (PoE budget + system overhead), not the PoE budget alone — a 720W-PoE switch can pull ~820W from the wall.

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Network

Network & VLAN Issues

No IP / DHCP Not Working

Device shows fallback 192.168.1.20

🔍 DHCP enabled? Settings > Networks > the relevant network.
🔍 Scope exhausted? Widen the DHCP range.
🔍 Wrong VLAN — device can’t reach the DHCP server; check port profile / native VLAN.
🔍 Rogue DHCP server handing out addresses — track it down and disable it.
🔍 Read the logs — Settings > System > Logs for DHCP errors.

Network Loop / Devices Flapping

Ports cycling up and down

⚠️ Usual cause — two switch ports patched together by accident.
🔎 Find it: ubnt-systool portstatus, then unplug cables one at a time until the flapping stops.
✅ Fix — remove the offending cable, and enable Spanning Tree (STP/RSTP) plus Loop Protection so it can’t happen again.

VLAN Reachability

VLAN clients can’t reach controller / each other

🔀 Port tagging — tagged uplinks carry the VLAN; access ports use the right native VLAN.
🔀 DHCP in the VLAN — provide a scope there or configure a DHCP relay on the gateway.
🔀 Firewall / zone rules — Network 9’s Zone-Based Firewall may be blocking inter-zone traffic by design; check the zone matrix.
🔀 Test — SSH to the device and ping [CONTROLLER_IP].

DNS / Routing

Names won’t resolve / no internet

📡 Verify DNS servers — Settings > Networks.
📡 Test from a device — nslookup google.com.
🔥 Allow outbound DNS (UDP/TCP 53); watch for filtering that’s too aggressive.
📡 Reliable resolvers — 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare), 8.8.8.8 (Google), 9.9.9.9 (Quad9).

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Gateways & NVRs

UniFi Gateways & Recorders (2026)

All-in-One Cloud Gateways (with Protect / NVR)

UDM Pro Max Dream Machine Pro Max

Top-tier 1U gateway. Dual 3.5″ bays, 128GB NVMe for AI events, ~50× 1080p / 25× 2K / 15× 4K cameras, optional 10GbE. Approx. £599 — 2–4 week lead time.

UDM Pro (UDMP) Dream Machine Pro

Professional 1U gateway. Single 3.5″ bay, ~24× 1080p / 14× 2K / 8× 4K. The long-standing enterprise workhorse. Approx. £379.

UDM SE Dream Machine SE

1U gateway with PoE built in. Single 3.5″ bay, full routing + Protect, ~24× 1080p / 14× 2K / 8× 4K. Approx. £399.

UDR7 Dream Router 7

Compact WiFi 7 all-in-one. Built-in 64GB microSD, runs Network + Protect + Talk + Access + Connect, one PoE port to power an AP or camera. Best for home offices / very small sites (2–4 cameras, ~7-day retention). NEW · Approx. £279.

UDR 5G Max Dream Router 5G Max

Cellular-first desktop gateway. Full 5G up to 3.4 Gbps downlink, WiFi 7, 10G SFP+, microSD storage. Built for sites with no wired internet — pop-ups, trailers, failover. NEW 2026.

UDW Dream Wall

Wall-mounted gateway. 512GB microSD + 128GB SSD, ~12× 1080p / 7× 2K / 4× 4K. For tidy small-office / residential installs. NEW · Approx. £699.

UCG Max Cloud Gateway Max

Compact desktop gateway. 1× M.2 NVMe (to 2TB) for Protect, ~15× 1080p / 8× 2K / 5× 4K. NEW · Approx. £199–279.

UCG Fibre Cloud Gateway Fiber

Fibre-optimised gateway with SFP+ WAN. ~10 Gbps routing (≈5 Gbps with IDS/IPS on). Ideal for fibre ISPs. NEW · Approx. £279.

UCG Industrial Cloud Gateway Industrial

First product in the rugged UniFi Industrial line. Fanless metal chassis, PoE+++ (90W) ports with a 270W budget, SFP+ cage, 1× 10GbE + 4× 2.5GbE, microSD, 3GB RAM. For harsh / outdoor enclosures. NEW 2026 · Approx. £499 ($579).

Compact Gateways (Network only — no camera storage)

UCG Ultra Cloud Gateway Ultra

Tiny desktop router. ~30 managed devices / 300 clients, ~1 Gbps IDS/IPS. Runs UniFi Network only — no Protect storage. Plan for ≤25 switches/APs in practice with full threat management on. Approx. £129.

Express 7 (UX7)

Smallest WiFi 7 all-in-one — gateway + WiFi 7 AP in one puck. Runs UniFi Network (not the full app stack). Perfect starter console for a flat home/small-office network. NEW · Approx. £199.

Enterprise & High-Capacity Gateways

Enterprise Fortress Gateway (EFG)

Rackmount enterprise gateway. ~500+ devices / 5,000+ clients, ~12.5 Gbps IDS/IPS, dual 25G SFP28, dual hot-swappable PSUs (only UniFi gateway with field-replaceable power, no downtime). Pairs with CyberSecure Enterprise.

UXG Enterprise

High-throughput enterprise gateway/router for large multi-VLAN sites; supports CyberSecure Enterprise threat library.

On the horizon Dream Machine Beast · EFG Core · Enterprise 100G

Shown at NAB 2026 and not yet generally available: the UDM Beast (~750+ devices, 8× 10GbE, dual 3.5″ bays, Shadow Mode HA), Enterprise Fortress Gateway Core, and 25G/100G enterprise switching. Treat specs as provisional and confirm on the UniFi Store before quoting.

Dedicated NVR Appliances (Protect only)

UNVR Instant

Desktop NVR. Single 3.5″ bay, ~15× 1080p / 8× 2K / 6× 4K. Entry-level recorder. Approx. £199.

UNVR G2 refresh

1U, 4× 3.5″ bays, RAID 1/5. The second-gen UNVR adds a faster CPU and larger capacity, runs up to 16 cameras at 4K without an AI licence, and stays backward-compatible with G3–G6. Best upgrade once you outgrow the original 4-bay. Approx. £299+.

UNVR Pro

2U, 7× 3.5″ bays, RAID 1/5/10, ~70× 1080p / 35× 2K / 24× 4K. Approx. £499.

ENVR Enterprise NVR

3U, 16× 3.5″ bays, RAID 1/5/10, ~210× 1080p / 140× 2K / 70× 4K. Enterprise-scale surveillance. Approx. £1,999.

💡 Sizing a recorder? Camera counts above assume default settings — real capacity depends on codec, frame rate, retention and AI load. Use the IT Pro Expert calculator: UniFi Protect Storage Calculator.

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Cameras & Protect

UniFi Protect Cameras (G6 + AI)

G6 Generation — 8MP 4K, Multi-TOPS AI Engine

G6 Bullet

Versatile outdoor bullet. 1/1.8″ 8MP sensor, true 4K, glare-free IR to ~30m, IP66. The default all-rounder. £199 · PoE.

G6 Turret

Same sensor and AI as the Bullet in a compact 3-axis turret. IP66, discreet. £199 · PoE.

G6 Dome

8MP 4K dome with an IK10 vandal-proof housing and integrated Ethernet for fast installs. Ideal for retail and high-traffic interiors. £249 · PoE.

G6 Instant WiFi

Wireless plug-and-play with the same 8MP 4K sensor and AI engine. WiFi Auto-Link setup, IPX5, ~6m IR — best for short-range spots near an AP. £179 · WiFi.

G6 PTZ

Dual 1/1.8″ 8MP lenses, 10× hybrid zoom, 350° pan / 100° tilt, auto-tracking, ~30m IR, microSD, NDAA-compliant. PoE+ (~24.5W). £399 · PoE+.

G6 180 wide-area

Two 1/1.8″ 8MP sensors stitched into a seamless 16MP, 180° ultra-wide image — cover a frontage or forecourt with one camera and fewer cable runs. For hotels, retail and public spaces. NEW · PoE.

G6 Pro 360

Ceiling 360° fisheye. 1/1.6″ 12MP sensor, full panoramic capture with digital PTZ after recording, and Smart IR with four individually controllable zones. Approx. £299 · PoE.

G6 Pro Bullet

Premium long-range bullet. Larger 1/1.2″ sensor, 2.36× optical zoom, ~40m IR, NDAA-compliant. Best image quality in the line. £479 · PoE.

G6 Pro Entry value AI

Entry-tier G6 with on-device Smart Detect — the natural replacement for the G4 Pro at a similar price, bringing 4K + AI down-market. NEW · PoE.

New form factors — Multi-Sensor & Edge

AI-MS Multi-Sensor (AI-MS-4)

Four separate image sensors on one mount giving a full 360° view, with on-device AI that tracks a subject across all four and stitches it into a single event timeline. Replaces mechanical PTZ where pan/tilt motors would wear out — retail entries, school corridors. NEW camera category.

G6 Edge / Pro Bullet Edge

NVR + Edge AI + camera in a single unit. Standalone operation with on-board recording (microSD), integrated AI-powered search, 2.36× optical zoom and a 1/1.2″ sensor — no separate recorder needed for a one-camera site. NEW.

Edge AI — AI Key, AI Port & AI Cameras

UniFi AI Key

Edge AI appliance (PoE++). Re-processes smart detections from your cameras — up to ~1,800 events/hour — to add NeXT AI natural-language search (“person in a red shirt near the entrance”), AI alerts, speech-to-text transcription and image enhancement. Brings LPR + facial recognition to G4/G5 (and to G6 for the full feature set). All on-premises, no cloud. Approx. £800.

UniFi AI Port

Bridges third-party ONVIF cameras into UniFi Protect with AI. Requirements: ONVIF support, resolution within 3840×2160 at a standard aspect ratio, camera on the same subnet as the console, and a full-range mic if you want speech detection. Pair with an AI Key for advanced analytics.

AI Series cameras (AI Pro, AI Turret)

Built-in AI silicon — facial recognition and licence-plate reading work natively, with no AI Key or AI Port required. The simplest route to plate/face features at the edge.

Smart Features Across G6 & AI Models

Find Anything search: with AI hardware, search footage by object, colour, accessory (backpack, sunglasses), vehicle make/model, plate, keyword or sound.
Face ID & LPR: facial recognition and licence-plate reading (native on AI series; via AI Key on G4/G5/G6).
Person / Vehicle / Animal / Package: on-device smart detection filters false alerts.
Edge AI: analytics run on-premises (camera, AI Port or AI Key) — video never leaves the site.
IR night vision: ranges vary by model — ~6m (Instant) up to ~40m (Pro Bullet).

📊 Storage planning: 4K continuous recording can use ~200GB per camera per month. Use the IT Pro Expert Storage Calculator to size drives for your camera count, codec and retention.

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Switching

UniFi Switches (2026)

Match the switch to the AP. A WiFi 7 AP on a 1GbE uplink is capped at gigabit. U7 Lite/Pro want 2.5GbE; U7 Pro XG / XGS and E7 want 10GbE. Pick the line by uplink speed and PoE budget first, port count second.

Switch Lines at a Glance

Lite / Standard 1GbE

Layer 2, gigabit ports, 1G uplinks. Fine for WiFi 5/6 APs, IoT and basic office traffic. A bottleneck for WiFi 7 — e.g. Lite 8 PoE offers only ~52W of PoE.

Pro L3 · 10G SFP+

USW-Pro-24-PoE / Pro-48-PoE. Adds Layer 3 (inter-VLAN routing, static routes, DHCP server), 10G SFP+ uplinks, near-silent PWM fans and RPS/DC redundancy.

Pro Max 2.5GbE · Etherlighting

The flagship for WiFi 7. Selective 2.5GbE PoE++ ports, 10G SFP+ uplinks, Layer 3 routing and Etherlighting™ port LEDs. The right backbone for modern installs.

Pro XG 10GbE access

10GbE to the access port. Pro XG 24 PoE = 16× 10GbE + 8× 2.5GbE, PoE+++ (90W) per port, 25G SFP28 uplinks. Built to power E7 / U7 Pro XGS at full speed.

Enterprise

2.5GbE access ports with the largest PoE budgets, optimised for high-density WiFi 7 in large sites.

Ultra / Flex edge

Compact switches that can themselves be PoE-powered — no power outlet needed at the desk or in the ceiling. USW Flex 2.5G 8 PoE is a handy small WiFi-7-ready edge switch.

Representative Pro Max PoE Switches

Model	2.5G / 1G ports	Uplinks	Notes
Pro Max 16 PoE	4× 2.5G + 12× 1G	2× 10G SFP+	Fanless. 2–4 WiFi 7 APs. ~£399
Pro Max 24 PoE	8× 2.5G + 16× 1G	2× 10G SFP+	Office backbone. ~£799
Pro Max 48 PoE	2.5G mix	10G SFP+	720W PoE budget. ~£1,299

PoE Standards Quick Reference

Marketing	Standard	Max / port
PoE	802.3af	15.4W
PoE+	802.3at	30W
PoE++	802.3bt Type 3	60W
PoE+++	802.3bt Type 4	~90W

Etherlighting™ & Power

Etherlighting™ port LEDs

Illuminated ports show link speed and can be colour-coded per VLAN. Great for remote support (“unplug the blue glowing cable”) and dense racks. Tip: you need UniFi’s translucent Etherlighting patch cables to see the full effect — opaque cables block the light.

SmartPower RPS

Redundant power supply that fails over for Pro and Enterprise switches — keeps the backbone up if a switch PSU dies.

⚡ Sizing a UPS: a switch’s PoE budget is not its total draw. A Pro Max 48 PoE pulls ~100W internally on top of its 720W PoE budget — ~820W at the wall. Size backup power from the switch’s max power consumption on its tech-specs page, not the PoE figure. Aim for ~20% PoE headroom for growth.

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WiFi & Access Points

WiFi 7 Access Points (U7 / E7)

WiFi 7 · 802.11be — the U7 / E7 line

U7 Lite entry

Dual-band WiFi 7, 2.5GbE uplink. Small offices, guest networks, budget rollouts. ⚠️ No 6 GHz band. Approx. £99–139.

U7 Pro standard

Tri-band WiFi 7 with 6 GHz, 6 spatial streams, 2.5GbE uplink. The best-value workhorse for high-density offices. Approx. £189.

U7 Pro XG 10GbE

Tri-band WiFi 7, 6 streams, 10GbE uplink — removes the uplink bottleneck for multi-gig clients. Approx. £279.

U7 Pro XGS flagship

Ceiling-mount 8-stream WiFi 7 with a dedicated spectral-scanning radio for real-time airspace analysis, and 10/5/2.5/1 GbE uplink. The natural add for any 10G UniFi console. NEW · Approx. £279 ($300).

U7 Pro Max premium

Ceiling/wall, 8 spatial streams, 10GbE. Large enterprise coverage with maximum capacity. Approx. £349.

E7 Enterprise top-end

UniFi’s flagship enterprise WiFi 7 AP. Massive multi-band capacity; 10GbE uplink is mandatory and it wants a PoE++/PoE+++ switch (e.g. Pro XG 8 PoE). An “E7 Audience” variant targets large venues. Approx. £499.

U7 In-Wall room

WiFi 7 in-wall AP with a small built-in PoE switch. Hotels, apartments, offices. NEW.

U7 Mesh / Pro Wall outdoor / wall

U7 Mesh: weatherproof outdoor WiFi 7 with ~3× the range of U6 Mesh. U7 Pro Wall: wall-mounted tri-band WiFi 7, 2.5GbE. Approx. £199 each.

WiFi 7 Capabilities

320 MHz channels (6 GHz): huge contiguous bandwidth on clean spectrum.
Multi-Link Operation (MLO): now live in UniFi OS / Network — combines bands for lower latency. (Note: real-world gains are limited until clients support EMLMR.)
4K-QAM: higher data density than WiFi 6.
Target Wake Time (TWT): longer battery life for IoT.
6 GHz band: reserved for WiFi 6E/7 — no legacy interference (regional availability applies).

⚠️ Deployment note: 6 GHz / WiFi 7 expects WPA3. Older printers, TVs and IoT may fail to join — use WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode for those SSIDs, or keep a 2.4 GHz IoT SSID. Test before a full rollout.

💡 Switch first: WiFi 7 APs need 2.5GbE (U7 Lite/Pro) or 10GbE (Pro XG/XGS/E7) PoE uplinks. Pairing them with 1GbE switches wastes the radios — budget a Pro Max or Pro XG switch alongside the APs.

🧠

Software & AI

UniFi OS, Network 9 & Protect 6

Network 9 — Zone-Based Firewall

Zone-Based Firewall (ZBF)

Group networks into zones — Internal, External, Gateway, VPN, Hotspot, DMZ — and write policy between zones instead of juggling per-VLAN rules. The zone matrix shows traffic flow at a glance; predefined zones are locked, and you can add custom ones. Each rule carries a description for team documentation.

Object-Oriented Networking (9.4+)

Reusable objects (IP/port/network groups) referenced across rules. Migrate off legacy firewall rules now — a future major version (V10) is set to force the transition.

Find ZBF: Network 9.4 → Settings > Zones (or Policy Table). 9.3 → Settings > Policy Engine > Zones. Use Auto Allow Return Traffic on a policy if return traffic isn’t already permitted.

Multi-Site & Security

Site Magic SD-WAN

Licence-free, one-click encrypted site-to-site mesh across up to ~1,000 sites — no manual IPsec. Lives under the VPN zone in ZBF.

Site Manager API

Programmatically manage and monitor many consoles from one place — useful for MSP fleet automation and reporting.

UniFi CyberSecure

Local IDS/IPS signature library (Proofpoint + Microsoft MAPP). CyberSecure ≈ 55,000+ signatures, $99/yr, with a Memory-Optimized Mode for smaller gateways. CyberSecure Enterprise ≈ 95,000+ signatures, $499/yr, for EFG / UXG Enterprise. Runs on-box — no traffic leaves the site.

Shadow Mode HA

Gateway high-availability / failover on supported enterprise consoles — a standby takes over if the primary fails.

AI Across the Platform

UniFi AI Optimizer

Scans for RF interference and auto-tunes AP channels and power, plus surfaces optimisation recommendations from traffic patterns — less manual RF babysitting.

Protect 6 — Find Anything

Natural-language and attribute search across footage (object, colour, accessory, vehicle make/model, plate, keyword, sound) — full power requires AI hardware (AI Key or AI-series cameras).

Protect 6 — Alarm Manager

Build custom triggers (“person with a black backpack”), test an alarm before relying on it, fire webhooks, and chain automations — turn on floodlights, drive a PTZ, or unlock a door via UniFi Access.

Protect 6 — Incident reports

Group and annotate related clips into a structured, exportable report; auto-archive detections to a local NAS or cloud for retention/compliance.

🚪

Access Control

UniFi Access & Physical Security

Core Components

UA-Hub-Door — Access Hub

Controller for one door. PoE-powered; supports multiple readers, lock outputs, and auxiliary inputs/outputs for sensors, exit buttons, sirens and door openers.

UA-G2 — Access Reader G2

NFC + mobile reader with camera and intercom. Unlock by NFC card, the UniFi Identity app, PIN or QR. Weather-resistant for entry doors.

UA-Ultra — Access Ultra

All-in-one single-door controller with the hub built in — no separate Access Hub needed. Wave-to-unlock supported.

UA-Blade — Smart Reader

Compact second-gen NFC reader. Hand-wave unlock and greeting messages; connects back to a UA-Hub over PoE.

Locks & Door Hardware

Electric Strike (fail-secure)

ANSI-compliant strike wired to the hub’s lock relay (typically 12V). Stays locked on power loss.

Magnetic Lock (fail-safe)

270kg / 540kg holding-force variants. Powered = locked; releases on power loss — pair with a request-to-exit and check local egress codes.

Intercom, Display & Chime

UA-Intercom / UA-Display

Video intercom plus a touchscreen viewer for visitor screening — two-way audio and live view, PoE-powered. Ties into Protect for call recording.

UA-Chime

PoE chime/announcer for entry alerts; pairs with a doorbell or hub.

Access 3.x Newer Capabilities

Two-person (dual-auth) rule: require two credentials before a high-security door releases.
Relay module: drive lifts, barriers, turnstiles and third-party hardware from Access.
Interface Designer: customise the on-reader screens, greetings and branding.
Deeper Protect link: tie door events to camera clips and automations (lights, sirens, notifications).

Where it runs: the UniFi Access app no longer needs a Pro-class console — it runs on UDR7 and the compact Cloud Gateway range as well as UDM Pro / Pro Max / Enterprise Fortress Gateway. Match expected door and reader counts to the console’s resources, and use a self-contained UA-Ultra for very small single-door sites.

🏗️

Network

Design & Best Practices

Small Office (< 20 devices)

UCG Ultra / Express 7 for network-only, or a UDR7 / UDM SE if you want Protect on the gateway.
1–2× U7 Pro for WiFi 7 coverage.
A Pro Max 16 PoE (fanless) or Flex/Ultra PoE switch for access.
2–4× G6 cameras (Bullet/Turret + an Instant for awkward WiFi spots).

Medium Business (50–200 devices)

UDM Pro Max (or UXG + UNVR) as gateway + Protect.
4–8× U7 Pro / Pro XG, mixing standard and high-uplink units by area.
Pro Max / Pro XG access switches with a 10G aggregation layer.
Dedicated UNVR / UNVR Pro once camera counts climb.
8–24× G6 cameras; UniFi Access on reception and secure doors.
Turn on the AI Optimizer to auto-tune RF as the estate grows.

Enterprise (500+ devices)

Enterprise Fortress Gateway (EFG) or UXG Enterprise as the core, with Shadow Mode HA where uptime is critical.
Fleets of U7 / E7 Enterprise APs on 10GbE uplinks.
Pro XG / Enterprise switching with a 25G SFP28 backbone.
ENVR / UNVR Pro for large camera estates; RAID for resilience.
UniFi Access with identity integration for site-wide control.
CyberSecure (or CyberSecure Enterprise on EFG/UXG Enterprise) for IDS/IPS threat signatures.

The recurring gotcha: WiFi 7 APs need 2.5GbE or 10GbE uplinks. Pairing them with 1GbE switching throws away most of what you paid for — budget the switch layer alongside the APs.

🔗

Resources

Tools, Calculators & Links

IT Pro Expert Tools

🧮 UniFi Protect Storage Calculator

Size a Protect deployment exactly — camera count, resolution, FPS and retention days.

Open Calculator →

📋 UniFi Protect / CCTV System Comparison

Side-by-side of UNVR models, UDM variants, camera limits and storage specs.

View Comparison →

🎥 CCTV Choosing & Setup Guide (2026)

Choosing, placing and configuring UniFi cameras for solid coverage.

Read Guide →

Official Ubiquiti

UniFi Console & Downloads

Cloud console: unifi.ui.com · Apps & firmware: ui.com/download

WiFiman (survey & discovery)

wifi.ui.com — iOS, Android, web, macOS, Windows.

Support, Store & Status

Help: help.ui.com · Store: store.ui.com · Community: community.ui.com · Status: status.ui.com

UniFi Support Toolkit

Ubiquiti UniFi Specialists