Ubiquity UniFi Dream Machine Is Now By Far The Best Way To Go For Networks

[RCA]

My network was XFinity + Sonicwall + Asus AC3100 + NetGear R7000 + Synology - plus Windows and Linux operating systems. It was getting too complicated for me to deal with. For one thing, this sort of work is not as interesting as some of the other things I do. -- The Sonicwall firewall (a TZ400) is a nightmare to configure and I was dependent on Sonicwall Tech Support to get around many of the problems and modifications. The configuration was getting too complex for even them to help me manage. In addition, Sonicwall "Comprehensive Gateway Security Suite" licenses are about $500-$600/year. I usually buy 3 years at at time and was coming up for renewal.

So, then I saw a YouTube video on the UniFi Dream Machine Pro:

Ubiquiti Store

Rethinking IT

store.ui.com

Ubiquiti Store

Rethinking IT

store.ui.com

Ubiquiti Store

Rethinking IT

store.ui.com

- and knew that this was exactly what I needed. For a low $379 you can get the Dream Machine with continually updated firewall security thrown in for free - no license or subscription needed. Not only that, you can put your entire home or business security onto their system. One system for all the routing and security. No yearly license fee. Cool.

It is about as simple as it gets. They sell access points, cameras, Ring type doorbells better than Ring, outside lights that turn on when there is motion and all kinds of POE switches and routers. The access point hardware is very good.

Their software allows you to lay down a floor plan created in say Chief Architect, draw in the walls with height and material, with decibel ratings so that you can plan your wireless networks in your house or business. From the plan, you can see how far differnt access points will penetrate in the house at different frequencies. - It is a cool planning tool. In fact, if you do floor plans - and you learn how to install and configure UniFi systems, you could get yourself a side business installing home network and security systems. Or, maybe just doing floorplans for an installer.

There are lots of good videos on YouTube, CrossTalk Solutions has some of the best that take you through setup and configuration.

- Which is another very good thing about Ubiquity/UniFi - there are lots of YouTube videos to teach you how to set it up.

Now, it can be relatively cheap compared to many other network/firewall solutions. But, some guys apparently get carried away and spend a lot of money setting up a UniFi home network and security system. One guy put out a YouTube video showing how he spent $8000 on his home system. That's got to be overkill. When all is said and done, I will probably wind up having spent maybe about $1K. But I am saving money compared to Sonicwall. And also, I am simplifying my life.

====
Now, for at home appraisers, you can setup different networks:

1. One for your business that other users can get access to.
2. One for the rest of the family.
3. Maybe one for your wife if she has her own business.
4. If you have boarders - you can set up one for them.
5. And one for guests, if you want.

Some may think that all you have to do is get one powerful router or access point. That really doesn't work in a large house because not only does the router/access point have to reach the user, but the users IPhone, IPad or laptop has to also be able to send signals back to the router. Those walls seriously cut down on transmission, especially when you get into 5G and now 6G territory. So, if you are doing 5G or 6G, you are often better off to get smaller access points and spread them through the house. And that is where a centralized management system can be helpful.

If you want to spend some extra money, you can get one of the newer Synology NAS systems with a PCIe slot for a 10G ethernet and hook that up to 10G ethernet port on your computer to get ultra fast downloads. That will make your local backups fast. I haven't done that yet. But it is somewhere down the road. And there are YouTube videos for setting up Synology with UniFi.

 

[RCA]

My network was XFinity + Sonicwall + Asus AC3100 + NetGear R7000 + Synology - plus Windows and Linux operating systems. It was getting too complicated for me to deal with. For one thing, this sort of work is not as interesting as some of the other things I do. -- The Sonicwall firewall (a TZ400) is a nightmare to configure and I was dependent on Sonicwall Tech Support to get around many of the problems and modifications. The configuration was getting too complex for even them to help me manage. In addition, Sonicwall "Comprehensive Gateway Security Suite" licenses are about $500-$600/year. I usually buy 3 years at at time and was coming up for renewal.

So, then I saw a YouTube video on the UniFi Dream Machine Pro:

Ubiquiti Store

Rethinking IT

store.ui.com

Ubiquiti Store

Rethinking IT

store.ui.com

Ubiquiti Store

Rethinking IT

store.ui.com

- and knew that this was exactly what I needed. For a low $379 you can get the Dream Machine with continually updated firewall security thrown in for free - no license or subscription needed. Not only that, you can put your entire home or business security onto their system. One system for all the routing and security. No yearly license fee. Cool.

It is about as simple as it gets. They sell access points, cameras, Ring type doorbells better than Ring, outside lights that turn on when there is motion and all kinds of POE switches and routers. The access point hardware is very good.

Their software allows you to lay down a floor plan created in say Chief Architect, draw in the walls with height and material, with decibel ratings so that you can plan your wireless networks in your house or business. From the plan, you can see how far differnt access points will penetrate in the house at different frequencies. - It is a cool planning tool. In fact, if you do floor plans - and you learn how to install and configure UniFi systems, you could get yourself a side business installing home network and security systems. Or, maybe just doing floorplans for an installer.

There are lots of good videos on YouTube, CrossTalk Solutions has some of the best that take you through setup and configuration.

- Which is another very good thing about Ubiquity/UniFi - there are lots of YouTube videos to teach you how to set it up.

Now, it can be relatively cheap compared to many other network/firewall solutions. But, some guys apparently get carried away and spend a lot of money setting up a UniFi home network and security system. One guy put out a YouTube video showing how he spent $8000 on his home system. That's got to be overkill. When all is said and done, I will probably wind up having spent maybe about $1K. But I am saving money compared to Sonicwall. And also, I am simplifying my life.

====
Now, for at home appraisers, you can setup different networks:

1. One for your business that other users can get access to.
2. One for the rest of the family.
3. Maybe one for your wife if she has her own business.
4. If you have boarders - you can set up one for them.
5. And one for guests, if you want.

Some may think that all you have to do is get one powerful router or access point. That really doesn't work in a large house because not only does the router/access point have to reach the user, but the users IPhone, IPad or laptop has to also be able to send signals back to the router. Those walls seriously cut down on transmission, especially when you get into 5G and now 6G territory. So, if you are doing 5G or 6G, you are often better off to get smaller access points and spread them through the house. And that is where a centralized management system can be helpful.

If you want to spend some extra money, you can get one of the newer Synology NAS systems with a PCIe slot for a 10G ethernet and hook that up to 10G ethernet port on your computer to get ultra fast downloads. That will make your local backups fast. I haven't done that yet. But it is somewhere down the road. And there are YouTube videos for setting up Synology with UniFi.

OK. UPDATE ON THIS.

Ubiquity is full steam on marketing and coming out with products that work under ideal conditions. You can probably do an initial install of the Dream Maschine OK. You have like once chance at the very beginning to install everything right. Once you start adding on features or making changes to the network, everything falls apart. Might not be so bad if they the typical tech support. But all they have is chat. Get on in the morning around 7:00AM and you might get a response by 3:00PM. So, who has time to sit around all day with a down network?\

https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/m59804

I can't believe the guys on YouTube pushing this. I would say they are pretty dishonest.

It's a very cool looking product and they have so many add-ons. I would say, yes if you are an expert and have the time to figure out the in and outs, with money to blow, you might create a nice system. But it's hit and miss.

In my case Comcast/XFinity went out a couple of days ago and made changes to their modem software that made a mess of everything. So, now I need to reset the whole system and start from scratch - but can't get rid of the Unify app on my iphone - the only way to reset it. ..

So for most of you, this is probably not a good solution.

 

[RCA]

Well maybe I jumped the gun. I just got hold of them after 50 minutes of waiting - for the first time. They essentially answered about 4-5 issues, and I had 10 more. They cut me off. Oh well, I am up and running again, for now. I'll have to try to solve the remaining problems myself.

- But yea. at this point, if you use Ubiquty for a small business, you need a network guy or be somewhat fluent in networks.

What I have now:
Ubiquity Dream Machine Pro (aka UDMP).
2 x USW-Lite-POE- 8 swiitches
1 Unify XG 6 PoE (4 x 10G ethernet ports + 2 10G SFI Ethernet ports)
1 Layer 3 U6 Pro 6G Access point
2 x Flex Layer 2 5G Access point

Plus now a Synology DS1821+ with a 2 x 10G ethernet ports, when hooked to my computer and the XG 6POE switch, will give my 10G downloads. And that is nice. Not that it is working yet. Another story.

 

[alebrewer]

I was just about to drop the hammer on one of those, Bert. Appreciate the follow up intel.

 

[RCA]

I was just about to drop the hammer on one of those, Bert. Appreciate the follow up intel.

Well, they are a mixed story. Yet I can tell you this, when I go into Central Computers, I see a lot of them on the shelf now. And given the pandemic and supply chain problems, I guess they might be excused for some of their problems. They might get somewhere long term against Cisco at least in the small and medium business market.

Their system is finicky. There may be multiple ways to get something done, but only one works. So you experiment or maybe are lucky enough to get good advice. They are always coming out with new products and betas and making changes to software as well. What works for installation in November may not work for installation in December. So if you decide to make changes to your network, you may be in for a surprise.

You want to design it up front, get everything done and leave it frozen as long as you can - because about any change to the existing connections can create a whole new learning situation.

Their cameras look nice, and it would be good to be able to integrate them in with their network - but they are a lot more expensive than say Lorex. Lorex also has improved and I think I will stay with Lorex for surveillance.

Now we were using Ring - and my wife liked that. But Ubiquity doesn't like Ring- and a lot of people haven't been able to get the two to work together. Ubiquity has it's own version of the Ring doorbell - and the latest looks indeed nicer (not yet shipping) and doesn't require a subscription like Ring. So, I don't know what to do about the doorbell. That's one of those problems.

But fortunately, Lorex now has a nice smartphone app for the surveillance video And Lorex gives us a complete view of the entire front yard and the street, a big improvement over Ring video. It also records 24/7, but you can filter for motion on playback. So it is cool. My wife can live with that. I may upgrade the Lorex NVR, as it is pretty cheap and I need more storage (2TB is not enough), - besides other improvements. I calculate we need about 8Tb for video storage to be able to go back at least 30 days and also support 5 4K video cameras. By default I mask out neighbors property, unless they ask for us to cover it. I do include public roads and property though.. Crime is going up everywhere. And to my wife's chagrin, we keep getting more cougars and coyotes roaming the streets at night. She's afraid of them attacking our dogs. I never hear the end of it. And that's the thing about Ring, everybody is always reporting sightings. It's driving me nuts: Cougars/Mountain Lions (the same) and Coyotes. On the bright side because of her obsession with our dogs possibly being attacked by a mountain lion jumping in our back yard, someone out walking a dog in front of our house, - and so on - she doesn't complain about me spending money on surveillance.

I'm always planning for the ultimate break-in. What if they shut the electricity off? Will they try to grab the NVR, or destroy the cameras with high power laser? Well there are good defenses. A PTZ camera situated high is very difficult to target with even a Class III or Class IV laser - which by the way requires a federal license to own.

Most of the break-ins so far are some distance away. And it appears in homes without video surveillance. A lot of the burglars have got to be pretty dumb, nowadays there are just too many cameras around - at least in this area. Can you shut down two or three overlapping cameras simultaneously that are uploading to the cloud? -- Not really. You will get recorded.

So, anyway, I will use Ubiquity mostly for the network. Although I may someday add one Ubiquity PTZ high up above the roof, as back up. We will probably keep Arlo for indoor video, because it is so flexible.

 

[Stantheman]

OK. UPDATE ON THIS.

Ubiquity is full steam on marketing and coming out with products that work under ideal conditions. You can probably do an initial install of the Dream Maschine OK. You have like once chance at the very beginning to install everything right. Once you start adding on features or making changes to the network, everything falls apart. Might not be so bad if they the typical tech support. But all they have is chat. Get on in the morning around 7:00AM and you might get a response by 3:00PM. So, who has time to sit around all day with a down network?\

https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/m59804

I can't believe the guys on YouTube pushing this. I would say they are pretty dishonest.

It's a very cool looking product and they have so many add-ons. I would say, yes if you are an expert and have the time to figure out the in and outs, with money to blow, you might create a nice system. But it's hit and miss.

In my case Comcast/XFinity went out a couple of days ago and made changes to their modem software that made a mess of everything. So, now I need to reset the whole system and start from scratch - but can't get rid of the Unify app on my iphone - the only way to reset it. ..

So for most of you, this is probably not a good solution.

As a previous employee of Cabletron, competition is tight, and much to the chagrin of the Development Engineers the Salespeople sell "vaporware".

 

[RCA]

As a previous employee of Cabletron, competition is tight, and much to the chagrin of the Development Engineers the Salespeople sell "vaporware".

Well after finally getting hold of their tech support yesterday (twice), today everything is working fine. One thing tech support had me do was update my XG 6 PoE Access Point using Putty/SSH - strange the network User Inferface couldn't do it automatically. Now I am going through more YouTube videos on optimizing the network; (1) How to set bandwidth restrictions and channels to avoid overlapping of access points, and so on. Tech support yesterday was damn good. I'm sure they must be under a lot of strain with new clients. But that is the key - getting hold of tech support.

Learning how to deal with networks is an experience thing. You just have to struggle years learning the ins and outs, encountering and solving network problems.

And here is where you can sell your floorplans, - the JPGs can be uploaded as a background in the Ubiquity Design Development tool. Fairly exact room measurements are important to planning location of Access Points, best type of Access Points, channel and bandwidth settings and so on.

 

[RCA]

My simple system (without my Desktop AMD Ryzen 5950x, and Supermicro Windows Server which are located on the other side).

1. Got Active Directory working on Synology, which means it defacto replaces my old Windows Server which kept burning out Nucs and was a pain to maintain. The Synology 1821+ is really a lot easier to deal with.
2. And I have the 10G ethernet connection with my PC working for fast backups.
3. BTW, watch out for Microsoft's OneDrive. I just had it destroy my Documents folder where I keep my appraisals, when I went to switch my MS Domain over to the Synology Active Directory. Never expected anything like this. But after searching on Google, it is a common problem. One reason to do backups.
4. I had everything completely backed-up to pCloud. But now I found, downloading from pCloud can be frustratingly slow, once you get beyond a certain amount of initial downloading ....
5. Another reason to have a local backup on Synology - restoring will be much faster.
6. But you still want a backup in the cloud, just in case there's an earthquake, your house burns down or whatever.

Protocol:
1. Don't open any ports on your internal network/computer system. None!! No VPN, No Website, No Email.
2. That is to say, keep your websites, email and VPN external. You can't compete with hackers unless you are a full time network administrator.
3. Keep at least one set of local backups. Everything backed up (incremental) like once a week and continuous incremental backup on you dynamic data like appraisal reports.
4. Keep one set of backups on the cloud. You can do continual with pCloud at a reasonable fee. Download speed with recovery is not very good however.
5. Keep equipment insurance.

 

[Stantheman]

Nice set up, although, your rack looks like an accident waiting to happen. I hope you have a good TVSS.

 

[RCA]

Nice set up, although, your rack looks like an accident waiting to happen. I hope you have a good TVSS.

I thought someone might say something. I am still cleaning up, after my Sonicwall -> Ubiquity conversion.

1. I still have to earthquake proof everything, with screws. Which I do when I'm pretty sure I am finished.

2. Note though, the separation between the devices. The smaller aluminum Unifi 10G switch, is a heavy monster that heats up quite a bit. Thy Lorex is never warm, the Synology usually not, but if it is actively doina a full backup, - who knows. In any case, there is no problem setting the Synology on the Lorex. I always place a fan on a stack of items like this and watch the temperature. Routers and switches can get hot.

3. Many users make the mistake of stacking devices, one right on one top of the next. Letting them heat up can do a lot of damage over time. ... It impacts on how many years those devices will last.