Ubiquiti Networks

Introducing…

I’m a big fan of Ubiquiti Networks. Their equipment has proven quite capable in my use case scenarios and it is priced significantly below all competitors while still being at the business/enterprise level. I like their systems so much, I’ve created this page dedicated to it. Whether this is your first introduction to Ubiquiti Networks or if you are a Ubiquiti pro, I hope you’ll find something helpful here!

What Does Ubiquiti Do?

Ubiquiti offers network and CCTV related equipment and software. Their product lines include:

• Amplifi – This is their consumer oriented brand and offers home WiFi solutions.
• UniFi – A software defined network similar to Cisco’s Meraki.
• UniFi Video – Offers a Network Video Recorder (NVR) and a number of cameras for the creation of a CCTV system.
• UniFi LED – A newer product line, this is for IP based lighting, something I’m excited about but haven’t had the chance to try yet.
• airFiber – This is primarily aimed at ISP’s that need to move data wirelessly. They have a variety of radios and antennas that can work over long distances.
• UFiber
• airMAX – Like airFiber but a bit more general business oriented. Again, long distance equipment, etc.
• EdgeMAX – Routers and switches that are similar to UniFi but without the SDN layer, perhaps similar to Cisco’s Catalyst and ASA systems.

Training

Training is available through a number of UniFi partners. There are several courses offered:

• Ubiquiti Broadband Routing & Switching Specialist (UBRSS)
• Ubiquiti Broadband Routing & Switching Admin (UBRSA)
• Ubiquiti Enterprise Wireless Admin (UEWA)
• Ubiquiti Broadband Wireless Specialist (UBWS)
• Ubiquiti Broadband Wireless Admin (UBWA)

In addition, openlearning has several courses available. These are not the official certification classes above but are aimed to meet the needs of individuals who cannot attend the classes.

routehub also offers a course.

Information You Need

• Ubiquiti UniFi Support Site – Official UniFi support site, lots of articles on how to accomplish various tasks using UniFi.
• Ubiquiti UniFi Blogs – There is a main blog, but it is pretty general. If you are looking for the details on firmware updates, software releases, etc. you’ll want to keep an eye on these blogs.

These Are Particularly Useful

Above I’ve linked to the UniFi Support Site, so I’m not going to link to every article in the support site here, just those that I think one might find especially helpful.

• UniFi (Controller)
  • How to Install & Upgrade the UniFi Controller Software.
  • How to Install and Update via APT on Debian or Ubuntu.
  • How to View Log Files.
  • Device Adoption.
  • Device Adoption Methods for Remote UniFi Controllers.
  • Advanced Adoption of a “Managed By Other” Device.
  • Network Types.
    • Overview of Corporate, Guest, WAN, VLAN-Only, Remote User VPN, and Site-to-Site VPN, and VPN Client configurations.
  • How to Configure Auto Backup.
    • Not difficult, but something you should absolutel be doing!
  • Ports Used.
    • Outlines the ports used by the Controller and how exactly they are utilized.
  • UAP Status Meaning Definitions.
    • Brief definitions of what the various statuses a device can have in the controller mean.
• UniFi (General)
  • Accounts and Passwords for Controller, Cloud Key, and Other Devices.
• UniFi (Conceptual / High Level)
  • Fast Roaming.
  • High Density WLAN Scenario Guide.
    • Covers how to best build a high density WLAN from the ground up.
  • Wireless Uplink.
    • Explains both conceptually and practically how to use a wired WAP to act as a wireless source for other unwired WAPs and the limitations to this functionality.
  • Communication Protocol Between Controller and UAP.
• UniFi (Troubleshooting)
  • Network Controller: Association Failures.
  • Downloading Log Files Using SCP.*
• UniFi (Advanced)
  • How to Adopt a USG Into an Existing Network.
  • EdgeSwitch CLI Command Reference.
    • Technically, this is for the Edge series of Ubiquiti devices, not UniFi – but for practical purposes there is a lot of crossover and there isn’t a CLI reference for UniFi that I am aware of.
    • FYI, both are built on top of VyOS (Vyatta).
• Other General
  • Intro to Networking – How to Establish a Connection Using SSH
  • Intro to Networking – Introduction to Virtual LANs (VLANs) and Tagging
  • Into to Networking – Packet Routing Tables & Protocols
• airMAX Point to Point and Point to Multi Point
  • Which Product Do I Use?

Community

• (Unofficial) Ubiquiti Networks Subreddit.

Useful Tools and Utilities

• There are community written scripts to make upgrading UniFi controllers/devices simpler. See UniFi Installation Scripts.