New UniFi Gear. Recs?

[GaitherBill]

I received my UniFi Travel Router. I paired it with a small 10,00 MAH power bank.

Set up is extremely easy and straightforward using the Unifi app I already had on my phone.

It asked which console to use as its settings source and happily grabbed the info from my UDM Pro and created the main SSID I use after asking which one to use.

It will only broadcast one SSID at a time.

I fly out Thursday on American Airlines, and will test it out in the Admirals Club Lounge and on the flight.

 

[Exordium01]

It will be nice having my devices including my Kindle seamlessly connected to the interwebs.

This is more or less what I use mine for. If you have poor WiFi signal to the router, the VPN connection can drop in and out and it doesn’t always auto reconnect and you might need to go into the app to reconnect. I’ve yet to find a hotel where the UTR is the speed-limiter. I have a portable battery but am typically not camped out long enough and using multiple devices long enough for it to be worth taking out and setting up. As I said above, it does get quite toasty while in use but I have not had issues with multiple days of uptime when left in a hotel room. I will typically use the USB-C charging pass through port for my watch so I don’t need to bring an additional AC adapter.

 

[gregatron5]

Uhh… update your gear, everybody.

 

[continuum]

How about we say why?

Spoiler

It's a CVE 10

 

[GaitherBill]

Currently in the AA Admirals Club lounge using my UTR.

It was a little impatient connecting to the free lounge WiFi but worked with only a few additional clicks.

Teleported just fine back home to my UDM Pro.

Edit: this is working seamlessly.

 

[GaitherBill]

Currently on the plane connected through the UTR to the free WiFi.

Consistently I have to try to connect to the captive portal twice because my iPhone is being impatient.

After that it’s fine.

Once we’re in the air I’ll get my iPad out.

Edit: on the plane. iPad worked seamlessly

 

[JasterMereel]

I hate UniFi equipment now.

If I wanted to do all the replacements and upgrades that I want, it is approaching about $3k in equipment. I guess I have to start saving up for it.

 

[Hap]

You hate it because you like it and that means more expense? Just to make sure I understand.

 

[JasterMereel]

Also, y'all were right. I should have started off by running fiber to the detached garage.

With the idea of doing that properly, here is my current plan. Please critique it.

• Ultimate goal is to put a Device Bridge Switch in the detached garage to supply power to at least 3 PoE cameras as well as at least 3 WiFi devices out there. I'll need an AC Adapter 210W to power it along with the PoE ports.
• On each end, I'll need a Media Converter and a 1G Multi-Mode Optical Module.
• I'll need an outdoor rated fiber cable to run it from my house, along the existing aerial lines, and into the detached garage.

I'll start with a PoE switch in my network closet and run an Ethernet cable into a Media Converter to power it. I'll install the SFP optical module and then connect one end of the fiber cable to it. On the other end of the fiber, it'll plug into another SFP optical module. That module is installed in the other Media Converter. There's an Ethernet cable running from that into the Device Bridge Switch, the DBS powers the Media Converter. Then, the DBS supplies PoE and WiFi to everything in the garage.

How's does this plan sound? Anything I am missing or forgetting?

 

[Arty50]

Unless I'm missing something, the WiFi on the Device Bridge Switch is only there to allow the switch to wirelessly uplink to a Unifi AP. I don't believe it acts like an Access Point.

If you're going to run fiber to the garage, you're much better off getting something like the USW-Flex-2.5G-8-PoE. It has a 10G SFP+, so you won't need a media converter on that end. If you need WiFI in the garage, run an AP off one of the PoE ports on the USW-Flex-2.5G-8-PoE.

 

[JasterMereel]

Unless I'm missing something, the WiFi on the Device Bridge Switch is only there to allow the switch to wirelessly uplink to a Unifi AP. I don't believe it acts like an Access Point.

If you're going to run fiber to the garage, you're much better off getting something like the USW-Flex-2.5G-8-PoE. It has a 10G SFP+, so you won't need a media converter on that end. If you need WiFI in the garage, run an AP off one of the PoE ports on the USW-Flex-2.5G-8-PoE.

The DBS does allow a backhaul connection. The primary focis is wireless uplink, but I have read that you can do a backhaul for it. But the idea of getting the Flex 2.5G and a separate uplink is a good one. I'll take a look at that option too.

 

[Miwa]

Unless I'm missing something, the WiFi on the Device Bridge Switch is only there to allow the switch to wirelessly uplink to a Unifi AP. I don't believe it acts like an Access Point.

If you're going to run fiber to the garage, you're much better off getting something like the USW-Flex-2.5G-8-PoE. It has a 10G SFP+, so you won't need a media converter on that end. If you need WiFI in the garage, run an AP off one of the PoE ports on the USW-Flex-2.5G-8-PoE.

This is what I'd do (and what I did to my office in my house). Fiber from the Pro 16 to a Flex 2.5. In my case I had to find some 10G SFP adapters with SC ports to match the fiber.

 

[JasterMereel]

Also, y'all were right. I should have started off by running fiber to the detached garage.

With the idea of doing that properly, here is my current plan. Please critique it.

• Ultimate goal is to put a Device Bridge Switch in the detached garage to supply power to at least 3 PoE cameras as well as at least 3 WiFi devices out there. I'll need an AC Adapter 210W to power it along with the PoE ports.
• On each end, I'll need a Media Converter and a 1G Multi-Mode Optical Module.
• I'll need an outdoor rated fiber cable to run it from my house, along the existing aerial lines, and into the detached garage.

I'll start with a PoE switch in my network closet and run an Ethernet cable into a Media Converter to power it. I'll install the SFP optical module and then connect one end of the fiber cable to it. On the other end of the fiber, it'll plug into another SFP optical module. That module is installed in the other Media Converter. There's an Ethernet cable running from that into the Device Bridge Switch, the DBS powers the Media Converter. Then, the DBS supplies PoE and WiFi to everything in the garage.

How's does this plan sound? Anything I am missing or forgetting?

Alright, this plan won't work. I can run a wired backhaul for the DBS, but I can't use it as an access point which is exactly what @Arty50 said.. The WiFi in the device is only for wireless backhaul.

Now, the plan is to use the Flex 2.5G PoE and a U7 Long-Range access point.

EDIT: But before that, I want to replace my UDR7 with a Cloud Gateway Fiber and a U7 Pro XG.

 

[GaitherBill]

Using the UTR again in the air with AA. Works just fine.

Pleased with my purchase.

 

[JasterMereel]

Can anyone give an overview of the use cases where a dome/turret camera vs a bullet camera?

 

[Paladin]

Can anyone give an overview of the use cases where a dome/turret camera vs a bullet camera?

Not specifically about the Unifi models but in general the dome camera design is useful when you want to cover a large/wide area with either a PTZ (motorized moving) camera or a 'fish-eye' camera that has a special lens to cover a wide field.

Turret might be very similar. Some dome or turret models don't actually have a motorized PTZ feature but you can manually reposition them for times when you might have subject of interest in a specific area for a while, and then another area at a later point but you can't cover it all with a single position of the camera. Like if you park on one side of your home, and then for some reason park on the other side for a while.

Bullet cam is usually small, cheaper, and more focused in field of view. Good for if you want a lot of cameras for various complex areas or if you only need coverage of a singular area (interiors with halls and stuff).

 

[Miwa]

I have both Unifi Bullets and Turrets, for the most part the difference is just form factor and slightly different in how they are mounted (turrets have a pigtail). I use the turrets for corners with 90deg views and the bullets more in hallway-like areas. I mostly picked what went where by looks, not function though. I have 1 G6 Turret (hard to get here), 1 G5 Turret and 3 G5 Bullets.

 

[Hap]

Yeah for UniFi, there isn't much difference other than form factor, I have a wide swath of UniFi cameras and I honestly can't tell the difference between dome/turret. They do have PTZ, but you have to really step up and they are huge. They do have a fisheye or two in a dome form factor.

Why so many? it's a mix of my wife wanting full window coverage and a friend that installs these as a side business and we use my house (external) as a testbed. The internal is all about the shops, particularly about keeping an eye on the lasers if they are running.

Spoiler: Cameras

 

[GaitherBill]

Snagged a couple AC Mesh on eBay for cheap.

Good to have on hand as cold spares just in case.

You can throw those things anywhere and be good to go.

 

[w00key]

Dome is often vandal resistant, with an IK rating similar to IP rating.
Mini-domes are less intrusive in customer occupied areas.
Turret is optically better, no glass or plastic bubble messing up the image. But more exposed, give it a whack and it breaks.
Bullet gives more space to optics, there's a reason why camcorders have that shape. It is also a statement - most are very visible, don't try anything, you are being recorded vibe. Of course you have mini-bullets, but that's just weird - for subtle monitoring just pick another form factor.


Domes and turrets often have PTZ variants.
Bullet are Z-only, never seen a modern one with PT.

[edit] bullet => turret in PTZ sentence.

 

[Hap]

Dome is often vandal resistant, with an IK rating similar to IP rating.
Mini-domes are less intrusive in customer occupied areas.
Turret is optically better, no glass or plastic bubble messing up the image. But more exposed, give it a whack and it breaks.
Bullet gives more space to optics, there's a reason why camcorders have that shape. It is also a statement - most are very visible, don't try anything, you are being recorded vibe. Of course you have mini-bullets, but that's just weird - for subtle monitoring just pick another form factor.


Domes and bullets often have PTZ variants.
Bullet are Z-only, never seen a modern one with PT.

Several of my UniFi cameras, including one turret, have blue LED rings designed to make someone look right at the camera. As soon as they cameras detect movement, the rings start moving in a circular pattern - drawing the eye and face toward the camera.

In other news, my Doorbell Pro PoE is powered up, but neither Protect or Network can see it. I suspect a damaged cable such that power is getting through, but data is not.

 

[Andrewcw]

Currently in the AA Admirals Club lounge using my UTR.

It was a little impatient connecting to the free lounge WiFi but worked with only a few additional clicks.

Teleported just fine back home to my UDM Pro. View attachment 130938

Edit: this is working seamlessly.

Looks like they just made a very old consumer product of theirs from the Amplifi brand they killed into the Unifi eco system.
To the best of your knowledge are you able to assign static "Local" ip addresses via DHCP though the VPN it creates?

Not that i'm on Unifi anymore, this is more of a curiosity.

 

[KD5MDK]

Bullet cameras are easier to aim without seeing a picture, too. You can generally get the field of view right without even powering the camera on.

 

[Hap]

So Ubuiquiti is adding PTP in their AV Networking equipment to eliminate latency. We used PTP over a decade to completely remove time sync drift between compute systems, but IIRC, it was bloody expensive as every device had to have PTP capability into the hardware. It's inferred by Ubiquiti (all the diagrams are their new AV switches without any of their current switches in the network). Not fond of the fact they aren't making this clear up front.

 

[JasterMereel]

I've been messing with my zone based firewall setup. Here's a few highlights.

• The setup is a Home network (trusted network for all my main devices), Cameras network, IOT network, and Management network for all the Ubiquiti networking gear.
• Had to move the printer from the IOT network to the Home network because my laptop couldn't find it otherwise. This is the only issue I had with mDNS.
• I have 2 PiHoles on the Home network and all the devices, except for the Management network, is using this for DNS.
• mDNS is working from the Home network to the IOT network because I can AirPlay to a couple of devices on the IOT network.
• Home network can reach Cameras and IOT but cannot reach Management.
• Cameras network can reach itself, but cannot reach Home, IOT, or Management.
• IOT network can reach itself, but cannot reach Home, Cameras, or Management.
• Everything is pulling a DHCP address properly.

I think I'm done? Is there anything else I should be checking or configuring?