UniFi Network

After a little research I recently installed a cloud key, 16 port POE switch, a UniFi security gateway and 4 access points. I’m an amateur and know just enough to get myself into trouble. This system rocks! It was Super easy to get going. It gives you a ton of information via the app (90% I have no idea what it is! But I’m learning) With a little Google search I can easily manage the system. Just this morning I got a STP alert and was able to easily (once I figured out what STP meant) find the issue and resolve it. It turns out that a SONOS player that was wired directly to the network was also communicating via wireless to another SONOS, wired to the network, creating a loop which was slowing the network. The system had already stopped the loop on its own. I simply unplugged one SONOS from the network and problem solved. The whole family is super happy with the new network and it’s speed (only limited by our ISP). I’m a Ubiquiti fan now!

I am really happy to see an update and it all seems to work really well! It’s still miss several features, but I know they’re coming! The problem I actually have are the colors. They are very bright and hard on the eyes, and I’m young. Maybe it’s the OLED screen on the X, but I think they are too bold in general. They just need to be a little softer. I do like the definition between the colors though. I love the new icons/tabs at the bottom of the screen. They look really slick. I know this is also very nitpicky, but I really, really, dislike the new app icon; of a UniFi AP. UniFi is so much more that Access Points at this point, it’s an entire ecosystem and network. I really don’t think having an Access Point as the icon is appropriate and I just don’t want to click on it. It makes me cringe. Maybe it’s because it looks too much like a weird button? I’m fine if you want to update the icon (it needed it), but I really wish it would be reflective of the whole product line. The old icon was great. Maybe just some fresh colors and make it flatter. Less is more now a days, which I feel is how the app is headed, which I like, aside from that icon. Please, please, change it. Maybe a picture of a network jack? I don’t know, but not an access point that is so nondescript, that it looks like somebody’s poor implementation of a button.

As is the case with every networking vendor I work with, supplemental mobile app support is treated as a secondary effort to their main management thick client or browser based interface. I’ve always believed this is an area where a vendor could really set themselves apart from the average crowd. Evidently it is not embraced as a strong enough competitive differentiator to warrant a rise above mediocrity. Meaning, no one in Ubiquiti sales management, or product management, believes a purchase decision will be swayed based on the merits of equal iOS app support to that of the browser. Having said that, Ubiquiti has done a very nice job including the necessary essentials in their Unify iOS app support. I’ve found the interface intuitive, well secured w/ 2FA, and an extremely convenient alternative to my laptop for many things. When I can ditch my laptop completely, that will be a 5 star day. Not holding my breath but I remain optimistic. My last comment that hopefully someone at Ubiquiti will read.... “Thank you a million times over for finally adding upnp configuration support to the web client interface!” Keep up the good work.

I started with a few unifi AP's about 4 years ago. This app at first was more of a poor monitor of your network lacking any features. It has now become an indispensable tool. It is feature rich and allows for not only monitoring but setup of AP's and unifi switches. No longer do you have to configure a device then carry it to a location. With this app you can do it on the spot. This is very helpful when configuring a switch as you can label the ports at the on the spot. We have also started using the cloud key and its integration is very good. Plus - now you can also use the app to configure AP's without a controller. This app alone is a good reason to get Unifi access points. Very very pleased with this app and its amazing progress. On top of all that they just keep adding more feature but keep it simple to use. These guys rock !!!

I had been hearing a lot about Ubiquiti’s gear from my work peers. Now that I finally gave in and purchased the gear necessary to replace my Cisco gear for my home network, I can see immediately why. The setup was the smoothest experience I’ve ever had and this app is the cherry on top. I wish I would have found it near the start of the setup, but as it is, I’m now sitting down after dinner watching TV and doing the final setting changes within mere hours of receiving all the gear from UPS this morning. Had this been for an enterprise network, this utility has many more features that I would turn on. Simply amazing the difference from my old network. The best feature of all is managing devices and clients from a single pane of glass from power up. UI is intuitive, simple, and feature rich. I’m never going back to Cisco!