UniFi: network equipment with centralized management for small businesses

UniFi — a line of networking equipment from the American company Ubiquiti: gateways, switches, Wi-Fi access points, surveillance cameras, telephony and access control. The main difference between UniFi and MikroTik is not the devices, but the management approach: the entire network is configured from a single web interface, rather than on each device separately. This makes UniFi convenient for companies where the network is managed by a generalist administrator rather than a network engineer.

What a UniFi network consists of

• Gateway (Cloud Gateway) — a router and firewall that also runs the network management system. The lineup includes desktop Cloud Gateway Ultra and Cloud Gateway Max, Cloud Gateway Fiber for 10 Gbps links, rackmount Dream Machine Pro and Dream Machine Pro Max. The legacy USG gateway is no longer produced.
• Switches — managed, including Power over Ethernet (PoE) for access points, cameras and IP phones.
• Access points — ceiling, wall-mounted and outdoor, with Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 support in newer models.
• Application systems — UniFi Protect (video surveillance), UniFi Talk (telephony), UniFi Access (access control). They run on the same gateways and are managed from the same interface.

How management is organized

The network is managed by the UniFi Network application. It used to be called the “UniFi controller”: it’s a program that stores the configuration of all devices, distributes settings to them and collects statistics. It can be deployed in three ways.

1. On the gateway. Cloud Gateway and Dream Machine run UniFi OS, and the Network application is already built in. This is the primary option for a new office: no separate server is needed.
2. On a dedicated Cloud Key device — if the gateway is third-party, while access points and switches are UniFi.
3. On your own server or virtual machine. For a long time there was a separate UniFi Network Server application for this. In 2025 Ubiquiti introduced UniFi OS Server — the same UniFi OS that runs on gateways, but for installation on your own server. Ubiquiti recommends replacing the standalone Network Server application with UniFi OS Server; it provides features that were not in the old application, for example site merging (Site Magic).

Devices that have received their settings continue to operate without the management application: only the ability to change settings and view statistics is lost. Remote management of multiple sites goes through the Ubiquiti cloud service UniFi Site Manager.

Why UniFi is convenient for small businesses

One panel for the whole network. Access points, switches, gateway and cameras are visible on a single map. A new access point appears in the interface after connecting to the network, and it’s enough to “adopt” it — it will receive its Wi-Fi settings automatically.

Seamless Wi-Fi. Several access points form a single wireless network, and an employee moves between them without connection drops. This is important for IP telephony and video meetings in an office spanning multiple rooms or floors.

Segmentation without the command line. Separate networks for staff, guests and cameras (VLANs) are created in the interface, as is a guest portal with a password or vouchers.

Clear monitoring. You can see which devices are connected, where the signal is weak, which access point is overloaded and who occupies a channel.

Unified ecosystem. Video surveillance and access control run on the same hardware, without a separate server.

Limitations

• Less flexibility. Configuration options are limited to what the interface exposes. Complex routing, nonstandard VPNs or fine-grained traffic queueing are strengths of MikroTik, not UniFi.
• Ecosystem cost. A single UniFi device is moderately priced, but a full network — gateway, PoE switch, several access points — costs more than one MikroTik router with a couple of access points.
• Vendor lock-in. The advantage of centralized management works only if the entire network is UniFi; devices from other vendors do not integrate into the interface.
• Dependency on updates. The interface and features change with each UniFi OS release, sometimes noticeably; updates should first be tested on one site.

How to deploy a UniFi network in an office

1. Choose where management will run. For a single office the Cloud Gateway is the simplest: the Network application is already built in. If the gateway remains unchanged, install the application on a Cloud Key or on your own server under UniFi OS Server.
2. Connect devices. Access points and switches in the same local network find the application themselves and appear in the list as pending adoption (adoption). If a device is in another network, point it to the application’s address via SSH with the command set-inform http://<address>:8080/inform.
3. Segment the network. Create separate networks (VLANs) for staff, guests, cameras and phones and rules that prevent guests from accessing the work network.
4. Configure Wi-Fi. Usually two wireless networks are enough: a work network with WPA2/WPA3 and a guest network with a portal or a separate password that is changed periodically.
5. Enable automatic configuration backups in the application settings and store a copy off the gateway.
6. Define an update policy. Automatic firmware updates are convenient, but can interrupt connectivity during working hours; it is safer to schedule updates in the evening.

Common mistakes

• A single flat network. Cameras, guests and accounting are in one subnet, and a compromised camera gives access to the entire office.
• Signal too strong. Access points at maximum power interfere with each other, and clients stick to a distant AP instead of a closer one. Power and channels are better selected according to the floor plan.
• Management application on a work laptop. If the laptop is turned off or taken away — the network runs, but cannot be managed, and statistics are lost.
• No backup. If the gateway fails, the entire configuration must be recreated from scratch.

Supplies to Russia

Since March 14, 2022 Ubiquiti has restricted sales to Russia and Belarus under US export control rules: some equipment may be supplied only to subsidiaries and joint ventures of American companies and their allies, and supplies to government customers are prohibited. These restrictions apply to distributors and resellers. There is no official manufacturer support in Russia. Before building a UniFi network, clarify warranty terms with the supplier and check how updates and cloud access will work in your network.

MikroTik or UniFi

Often both approaches are combined: a MikroTik router functions as the gateway and VPN server, while Wi-Fi is built on UniFi access points managed by UniFi OS Server or Cloud Key.