Get FASTER Internet: Ubiquiti UniFi Setup and Cost at Home

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Күн бұрын

How I upgraded my home network with Ubiquiti UniFi, including my setup, cost, and if I’d do it again.
📘 CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
01:48 - My Setup
04:43 - Why I Chose This
06:22 - Installation & Cost
07:19 - Performance & Recommendations
08:12 - Final Thoughts
🍿 WATCH NEXT
• Video
🧑‍💻 GEAR
UniFi Dream Machine SE: amzn.to/3ItK0lt
UniFi Dream Machine Pro: tinyurl.com/32hjk7e8
UniFi Standard 24-Port Switch: amzn.to/3Iv2z8Z
UniFi Lite Access Point: amzn.to/49M3xJR
UniFi U6 Lite Access Point: tinyurl.com/ywb6kxrr
UniFi U6 Long Range Access Point: amzn.to/49M4ems
UniFi U6 In Wall Access Point: amzn.to/3T8IUR6
CyberPower Rackmount Surge Protector: amzn.to/3T8j3IZ
CyberPower USP (battery backup): amzn.to/3IxUpwF
🔗 LINKS
Video article: www.michaelsleen.com/unifi/
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🎬 FILMING
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Mini Tripod - Peak Design Mobile Tripod: amzn.to/48zoIOI
Gimbal - Hohem iSteady M6 Gimbal for Smartphone - amzn.to/3Wqi0r6
Gimbal - Hohem AI Tracking Sensor - amzn.to/3y85bYv
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Video Editing - DaVinci Resolve (Free Version): tinyurl.com/3hksxnxx
👤 ABOUT ME
I'm Michael Leen, a lifelong tech enthusiast in the United States who believes technology is a tool that should help - not hinder - our productivity. I produce weekly video content on KZfaq spanning smart home automation, mobile devices, and other tech tools to help us lead more productive lives.

Пікірлер: 68

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

Let me know what your home network setup looks like, and if you’re on UniFi, what your experience has been. 👉Click here to see my networking gear: tinyurl.com/fvn5rna8.

@gjheydon 2 ай бұрын

I have had a UniFi network setup for the last 5 years. I have spent an embarrassing amount of money on it. But then I work from home full time (even before the pandemic) so this was a no brainer. This week I have replaced all my down lights with LIFX download lights and added Shelly plus 1/2 pm’s behind every switch. 18 lights and 15 Shelly’s to my WiFi and my network didn’t even care and it is still as stable and my lights and switch’s work perfectly.

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

I could probably add hundreds more devices to my network and it would continue to cruise right along. Really happy with it. Thanks for watching!

@hectorrodriguez4384 2 ай бұрын

Rookie moves

@Polkster13 2 ай бұрын

I struggled for nearly two years with my Internet and my smart home until I went with Ubiquiti. I now have the CLI Modem, UDM SE router, Enterprise 24 PoE Switch, Talk Touch Max Phone, Talk Touch Phone, Talk Flex Phone, G4 Doorbell Pro (two cameras) with adapter to PoE, three UI Chimes, UniFi Smart Sensor on Garage Door, three U6 Pro Access Points, two U6 Mesh access points (one inside and one outside), three G4 Bullet cameras, two G4 Pro cameras, AI360 camera, G5 Pro (early access) camera, and a G4 Instant camera. I have two UNVR Pro for video recording (one for inside cameras and one for outside cameras). I plan on adding at least 8 more cameras, another 24 port PoE switch, an Aggregation Pro switch, and a second UDM SE for "Shadow Mode". I now help others with their setups including running Ethernet cabling in their homes and use my home as a showcase for the different products and what you can accomplish with Ubiquiti gear.

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

Sounds like you’re all in! I’m curious on the performance difference between the G4 and G5 Pros.

@BlackBagData Ай бұрын

Absolutely love my Unifi setup and 100% agree with all your reasons. I even bought their rackmount modem and love it! The experience is stellar for me for the 3 years I’ve owned my equipment.

@michaelsleen Ай бұрын

Glad to hear it, and thanks for watching!

@chronos47 2 ай бұрын

I just love Unifi. I installed my first AP 8 years ago and finally got my gateway last month. going to save up for a outdoor AP for our driveway. It is a bit more pricey than most solutions, but it just works.

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

Would be curious to hear about your experience with the outdoor AP if you get it. In my case, I dug an underground trench in our backyard to bring an AP to our detached garage, which also covers our outdoor space.

@ian.ketterer 2 ай бұрын

Love this video! I also switched to UniFi last year for almost the exact reasons that you listed, and I’m loving it. I retired last year so I had the time to convert of my phone lines to be able to use the CAT5a (that’s what the builder used when we built the house 14 years ago) throughout the house, and I bought several switches to use after mounting 8 of our cameras. It’s expensive, but we have solid WiFi coverage with the APs and the continuous camera coverage can’t be beat. Again, that’s a solid video that you shared👍🏽👍🏽…

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing! It’s an expensive system but rock solid as you said, and I’m really happy with it.

@rmm2138 2 ай бұрын

I did a similar install this year but opted to use Netgate pfSense 4200 as my router/firewall. I have a Unifi 24 port POE switch, 3 APs, and a UPS all mounted in a rack. I did the cat6 wiring myself. I am using Synology with Reolink cameras for same reason … no subscription fees. Overkill … maybe but I am loving learning more every day. Thank you for sharing you experience with Unifi. I am a fan of their equipment.

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

No subscription fees were critical for me. I have numerous UniFi Protect cameras, which I may cover in more detail in a future video, but I always hear great things about Reolink -- just haven't personally used them.

@matthewstapleton3629 2 ай бұрын

Love this , thanks ! Subscribed

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the sub!

@alberttseng6589 11 күн бұрын

Great system you have, I have a smaller one, dream router and cameras

@mapotoyfu 2 ай бұрын

I made the switch 5 years ago and i'm not looking back. I upgraded again to the Unifi lineup with the UDM Pro SE and went all out on other equipments (UNVR, USW Aggregation, USW ProMAX and three cameras) and i think these were all worth the price so far.

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

Nice! I keep eyeing the NVR…

@holohane 2 ай бұрын

I’ve a similar setup to what you’re describing although mine is about five years old at this stage. Very happy with UniFi. Worth the expense for the reliability and things like VLANs for segregation of IOT devices from main network among other things.

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

Great to hear it’s been solid five years later!

@drdyno 2 ай бұрын

Like a lot of the commenters I have an embarrassing amount of money spent on my UniFi setup over the almost 15 years I have had it. I stay away from the dream machine products though as I run my own controller based in the cloud. I currently have a UXG-Pro with full gigabit service to it from my ISP. From my gateway it splits into a 10gig link to my 16 and 24 port unifi switches. I have the entire home networked with hard wired connections in every single room, some of the rooms have the 5 port lite switches that split off and connect to the TV's. I am running 3 U6 Pro AP's that cover the entire house. My biggest addition is I have a small dual WAN router connected to the secondary WAN port of my UXG-Pro. On the secondary router I am running a Verizon and AT&T cellular connections in load balancing for maximum speed and redundancy. All of this is backed up by a 2200VA UPS and all power is backed up by a whole house 24KVA generator. So unless a catastrophic event happens I will be up and running.

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

What a great setup! Hardwired connections in every room is my dream.

@gumshoe-tech 2 ай бұрын

I agree, I love Ubiquiti. I recently ran Fiber from the back of the house switch to the UDMPro, I think my cate 5e was going across several Power cables causing me issues. With Fiber no issues! I found that the Ubiquiti cameras were so-so at night, I recently swapped a couple of Cameras out to Annke cameras and found there night vision superior at 1/3 the cost. I am moving NVR to Frigate to get more options.

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

I do wish the night vision was better on the G4 Bullets.

@anthonyhandley825 2 ай бұрын

I upgraded my system a few months back from my old ASUS AX11000 system. Needless to say I am never looking back. My ISP HATES ME when I call and say there is a problem. I can tell them what time the issue was and what the issue is. The techs show up after asking could the issues be your equipment lmao. I laugh when they show up and go oh shit yea it’s not your equipment lol.

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

Yeah, that'll make 'em think twice.

@samuelmoser Ай бұрын

Hey thanks for the great video. I am currently expanding my unifi setup at home. I don't need as much as you do but I just wanted to ask how big your home is and how many ACs you use and if all are connected via ethernet or do you use some of them in meshin mode?

@michaelsleen Ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for watching. 2,000 sq ft plus the detached garage. All access points are connected to Ethernet.

@ccfas 18 күн бұрын

Hi Michael, thank for this video! I am planning to do this as well for the same reasons that you point out! However I am thinking to plug a USW-Enterprise-24-PoE direct into my ISP router and connect 2 APs and 2 computers on it as well. Do you know if its possible? (Direct connection to ISP router and normal PC connected to PoE+)? Thank you in advance!!

@michaelsleen 17 күн бұрын

It should work if you just plug it in, but if you want to use it as a managed switch with VLANs, etc., then you’ll need a UniFi Controller.

@Mkarm76 Ай бұрын

I am in the same situation you have been in. So tired of bad wifi and access to cameras and other products being slow, or not even accessible! Have just ordered a Unifi Dream machine special edition, this is probably where my journey begins!

@michaelsleen Ай бұрын

Enjoy the ride! Thanks for watching.

@ekkuto 2 ай бұрын

I'd love to know more about the security camera setup. Specifically, how much footage you can store? Is this expandable? Can you access it remotely in a secure way? Can you integrate it with the rest of your setup e.g. a doorbell rings, you see the camera on a smart home hub? Asante sana.

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

A deep dive into my security camera setup is on my to do list. You can go as big or small on the local storage as you'd like, and it can be accessed remotely using a cloud connection (or you can restrict to local only). It's integrated with the rest of my setup. For example, when someone rings the video doorbell, it displays an image of the front door on a wall-mounted smart home control panel (and on our TV, our phones, etc.). Asante kushukuru.

@johnsedwards 2 ай бұрын

I am relatively new to Unifi, but I think the 24 port standard switch uses sfp ports, not sfp+. I think even though you are using the DAC cable, you are negotiating at 1Gbps, not 10Gbps. I am planning to use a similar setup once my UDM Pro arrives.

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

Yes, the Switch 24 PoE has SFP ports, whereas the Pro 24 PoE has SFP+. I'm using an SFP+ cable, but recognize the standard switch is limited to 1Gbps. Thanks for watching.

@rfceron Ай бұрын

Really nice setup. Question tho, I won't initially have the cameras so I'm wondering if I need the 24 switch or should the gateway be enough given that it has 8 ports already.?

@michaelsleen Ай бұрын

I would think about what your current needs are for ports (e.g., access points, smart home hubs and bridges) vs. what you can see yourself adding in the near term (e.g., cameras). If the gateway is sufficient, no need for the switch, and you can always add a switch later.

@kaw1980q 2 ай бұрын

i would like to see your garage set-up and how you ran your line to the garage too

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

Noted, thanks for the suggestion!

@joejoe6949 2 ай бұрын

I I live in a duplex and i have unifi network. Not over kill you get what you pay for.

@dj_paultuk7052 Ай бұрын

If you are just wanting to improve the WiFi in a typical house then UniFi's can be setup standalone using just PoE injectors. In a typical UK house or apartment you would only need 1. So around £130. (UBNT Certified installer).

@michaelsleen Ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

@thecharleswilson Ай бұрын

Best money I’ve spent.

@lawrencemanning 2 ай бұрын

I just have a bunch of Wi-Fi APs in a mesh and get great coverage. But one thing I’d like is a segregated network for the few smart devices I have on Wi-fi. Have you done much towards that goal? I assume that kind of functionality is a given for that sort of gear?

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

I have separate networks for: 1) smart home devices, 2) Sonos wireless music system, 3) phones and laptops, and 4) guest access, and then hardwired Ethernet for the smart TV, office setups, and various smart home hubs.

@lawrencemanning 2 ай бұрын

I’m curious how you manage the firewall rules in such a setup. One issue is that you want most/all those networks to have access to the HA installation. So you will need a firewall policy that permits that access, but can you avoid HA being a weak point in the segregation?

@michaelsleen Ай бұрын

I plan to publish another video that goes into the specific WiFi, Network, VLAN, and Firewall rules that I’m using, so stay tuned!

@masterbond9 2 ай бұрын

i dont have unifi, but i live in a mobile home in a mobile home park in a middle class town. everyone around me has wifi, but theyre all routers designed for larger spaces, which is fine, until you get into smaller spaces like apartments and mobile homes. i can connect to 13 different networks from my home. it is so bad that i have direct line of sight to 1 roku and 2 walls blocking another roku, both less than 50 feet away, but their network cards just arent strong enough to pick my network up, even my one+ 11 struggles to connect sometimes. i picked up a TP-Link Deco mesh wifi system that im hoping could alleviate some of the issues i have, but havent set it up yet

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

Sounds like you’re having to deal with a lot of network interference. Hope things improve with the Deco mesh setup!

@masterbond9 2 ай бұрын

@@michaelsleen yea, I'm hoping so too. I'll install it when I can, likely the next time the rokus decide they don't want to be connected to the network anymore...

@drumminstickman 23 күн бұрын

Good pic

@Tylerbkelly14 2 ай бұрын

FYI TV's ethernet adapters only accept 100meg connections.

@michaelsleen 2 ай бұрын

Yes, I am aware. Admittedly Ethernet to the TV was not the most necessary upgrade. Thanks for watching!

@dbcooper7326 19 күн бұрын

The Unifi store is out of stock constantly.

@michaelsleen 19 күн бұрын

I know the US store struggled with out of stock inventory during the height of the pandemic, but my sense is this has improved greatly. Not sure about other country storefronts.

@shunorrr 20 күн бұрын

100 devices????? wtf

@courtenaybotterill5591 27 күн бұрын

Don't buy this stuff if you live in the UK. The returns process is done by sending stuff to the Netherlands. Your products get customs charges for returns! This stuff is garbage!