Network Upgrade For My Home Theater - Ubiquiti UniFi WiFi

My home network was a mess. I needed to clean it up and rip out the old Mikrotik and Cisco gear that was outdated. I installed all new Ubiquiti gear, gateway and Unifi PoE+ switch. My home theater now has a worthy home network.
Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway Ultra
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Ubiquiti Unifi Switch Lite 8 PoE
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TP-Link 24 Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch
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Ubiquiti Unifi Swiss Army Knife
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*affiliate links - I earn from purchases

[@randelldavis578]

Believe me I get it, you add things to see how it's gonna work, you tell your self that you'll come back to straighten things up but right now you just want to sit down and enjoy a movie or what ever, and every time you look at it you cringe up and a year or so later here we are.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Yep, that’s EXACTLY how it goes. Human nature I guess 🤷‍♂️. Thanks for watching!

[@SealedOrPorted]

This is actually a useful video for HT enthusiasts. Most in the family stream but I am a diehard local media player via Synology, QNAP, Zidoo, and Infuse. Network management and manipulation is growing in importance to the hobby.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks! Home network needs have increased exponentially over the last 15 years. The days when a family had only a laptop, a desktop and an iPad are long gone. Honestly, many households have networks that rival small businesses in complexity and scale. Thanks for watching!

[@rogerf3622]

Enjoyed your video. I couldn’t help but note your statement that you replaced the 3.6mm cable UniFi supplied with a 6mm “big beefy cable”. The smaller cables will work better, have better shielding and have zero disadvantages. You’re not welding here. And the smaller cables increase the visibility provide a much neater install. Most all of us have switched to the 3.6mm cables. I would also recommend that you eventually get a smart switch so you can isolate things on your network. One rogue device on your network or one downloaded piece of software could have access to your cameras and NAS.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

That’s good to know, thank you. And thanks for watching!

[@EsotericArctos]

The Ultra is a good basis for a home network, but the newer Cloud Gateway Max, that has full 2.5gbps is a better option now for home users, but the Ultra still has it's place if budget is a little important. It's been great to see UI finally release a new batch of Gateways that match what users need. It took such a long time to move on from the old USG's and Dream Machine style gateways. The TP Link switch is great, but I would definitely look at upgrading to a managed switch in the future as managed switches just give you so many more options. Having UI gateway and cloudkey without UI switches does limit the management capabilities.

[@mattnelson1366]

Love the upgrades, and the network rack cleanup. I'm glad you shared it, we all have areas we could cleanup and organize. It is videos like this that helps many of us to be motivated to get up and do it!

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks Matt!

[@NetITGeeks]

Beautiful. I used to have a rack like yours and then few months ago, I went nuts and got a 42U rack cabinet from Sysracks. It is a good option for home labbers because their products are like Legos allowing you to move the sections of the rack to the basement and assemble it in-situ. I also looking into the recently released Cloud Gateway Max but maybe they will release a new UDM soon so I am holding off. Yes, overkill for my home use as well. LOL

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks! Your rack sounds great! UB loves to release new products so a new UDM is likely. Thanks for watching!

[@eat.a.dick.google]

Much cleaner. More manageable.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks! I no longer get shots of anxiety when I look at it 😆

[@naizondj]

Amazing video! For sure is really clean! Imagine if you could do like drywall around those cables and put some panels on the racks so you dont see inside would be perfect🙏🔥 step by step!

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I like your suggestions. Will explore those ideas. Thanks!

[@naizondj]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome well Unless this room is like a box that nobody will get access… if is only you in the end who cares! Is enough tidy!😜 trust me…

[@makovey]

a rack mound PDU would really help here with cleaning up the power cables! should cost you 60-80 but makes a world of a difference

[@melaneeparker5628]

This definitely falls into the “oddly satisfying” category for me. 😂

[@RandomTechWZ]

Im surprised you didnt just go with a UDM Pro or SE considering you have a rack.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

That’s a good question. The extra features on the UDM Pro and SE aren’t something I could utilize so it’s not worth the extra $200 to $300. The Cloud Gateway Ultra is the perfect fit for me based on features and price.

[@carbpumper]

But you could get rid of the POE switch too

[@sergiobarrena6626]

hello...have been enjoying your videos. Good to see and hear from a "regular Joe" when it comes to home theater...you have very good information and a good way of explaining things. I do have a question as a very ripe newbie....when it comes to networking for HT, what would you say are the main things needing to be connected to a switch, let's say a Netgear: projector, AVR, Blu Ray player, streaming device, anything else? If we are strictly focusing on home theater only...not entire home networking. thank you

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks, glad you like the videos! For HT gear, a good rule of thumb is if the device has a LAN port (Internet Ethernet port), connect it to the switch. Most devices need to be kept up to date on their firmware and need an internet connection for those updates. Best of luck!

[@joshhastieYT]

A decent cleanup. Personally id have gone UDM of some type so it'd be rack mounted. As I said though, looks good.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks! I considered the UDM but the Ultra does everything I need and the price is right. And this is kinda weird, but I like the look of the Ultra. It’s such a cool little device. Thanks for watching!

[@EC_USC]

Looking good! Fun project to tackle.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks!

[@KrispKiwi]

Clipping the start of this video to send to my friends who don't care about their cable management.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Happy to be of assistance 😁

[@joshdearborn2500]

Nice video! I was wondering what your experience has been using a TP-Link switch with the Uninfi controller? Are you able to manage any of the ports or do you even need that capability for your switching needs?

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! The TP-Link switch works seamlessly with the Unifi controller in that the switch is basically invisible to the network. It’s an unmanaged switch so there is no configuration to done at all. I have my game consoles, desktop PCs, smart TVs etc plugged directly into the TP-Link switches. It’s an effortless way of connecting those devices to my network. I can’t make in changes to the configuration of the ports on the TP-Link switches, but I have no need to. Thanks for watching!

[@usmankhalid990]

Awesome video! Wire management is a must! Been really enjoying the content and was wondering if you would consider doing a video on home theather speaker placement (bedlayer and atmos channels). I find that there is a ton of information out there but it’s not always consistent, so would love to hear your thoughts on the subject and how you settled on locations.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I love your suggestion! I’ve learned a lot about speaker placement over the last couple years (stuff I wish I had known when designing my theater 😬). I will put that video idea on my list. Thanks for watching!

[@usmankhalid990]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome appreciate it and can’t wait for that particular video and the rest to come!

[@velodyneman]

Fun video. Now you just need to dust the rack in part two.😂

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

I knew someone was gonna notice 😆. Details details!

[@jerseystechlife1143]

once you start on unifi you will be going down a rabbit whole as deep as the home theater rabbit hole. I have gotten away from those kinds of patch panels and gone with the keystone patch panels for ease of fixing a bad port.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Unifi is great! I installed my first Unifi AP about 9 years ago. Never looked back lol. I looked into the keystone patch panels. I think they are superior but I couldn’t justify the added cost since I’m only using 10 of the ports. Plus I kinda enjoy punching down the cables 😆. Thanks for watching!

[@ZippyDooDa435]

Use keystone patch panels instead of the punchdown ones, much easier/cleaner Cut a piece of plywood to fit the bottom of the rack, paint it black. Move the UPS down to it in the back Get a cheap rackmount PDU with front/back plugs, plug everything into that. Plug PDU into UPS

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Great suggestions, thanks!

[@michaeltiebout7092]

I would highly recommend to move to a rack mount UPS. You'll thank me later! I switched over and my rack looks so much better!

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Hmm, I think I may have to look into that. I hadn’t thought of it before but that is a great suggestion! Thanks for watching!

[@StephenAtt797]

Great video. No matter how I try to "neated things up" it never turns out as neat as I envision. My HT rack actually contains a 12 port switch that is driven from my TPLINK router next to the ISP's demarc on the top floor (HT rack on the bottom floor). My 3 WAPs are all older (no long avail) Unifi AP-Lite's, they work great and cover the rest of the house and outdoors. But that UniFI GW Ultra looks interesting and it would be nice to have all devices managed via one controller. Not looking to swap out the router since it replaced a very short lived ASUS$$ that once went out for repair (2 months) and then died. I have a small/cheap TPLink router that was a WAP that served until I could replace that ASUS. So not willing to replace the bigger TP Link right now. But certainly will keep an eye on that Ultra. Thanks again and nice clean up, we probably should all think about doing some type of review ever couple of years as things come and go in our systems.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

@@StephenAtt797 thanks, glad you enjoyed the video! So far I’m very impressed with the UniFi GW Ultra. I think it will be a big seller. It’s perfect for a home environment that has a more complicated network than the average house, but isn’t at Enterprise level. Thanks for watching!

[@StephenAtt797]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome Sounds good , their other options (Dream Machine??) were way over the top from both capabilities and expense. Good luck with it.

[@jmlauranson1891]

Good Job!!!

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thank you. And thanks for watching!

[@davidkloempkenMN]

When do you know you should upgrade to a small rack like you have? Also do you share you plex with others?

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Good question. If you have enough equipment that you can’t easily and cleanly hold it on a shelf, then it’s likely time to put in a rack. Also, if you want a patch panel then a rack is super nice to have. I shared my Plex with some family members, but they don’t watch it much 😁

[@doctorno3912]

Nah bro, that's not an embarrassment that's a proper living and breathing network. Making it tidy/pretty can get fairly expensive, especially when using ubiquiti products. Making it look nice is the final stage after accumulating all the costly hardware.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

I appreciate that! That’s a good perspective to have. And it’s true, it can get pretty darn expensive to get it to the next level. I think I’ve got it to a point where I can hold off spending any more money. I’ve at least cleaned it up to where it’s easy to see where everything goes. Thanks for watching!

[@EverythingHomeTheater]

Looks great

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

@@EverythingHomeTheater thank you!!

[@Antimonkat]

Network videos mamke perfect sense for home theater hobbyists. I just got myself a new QNAP sever for primeday, going from 6 bays to 16, cus I need more space!

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Nice upgrade!

[@gary4593]

You did great job it looks lot better now. You mention you have Plex do you have free version or paid version? Is there much differences between free version to paid version?

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks! I use the free version. I’ve looked at the paid version but the extra features aren’t really worth it for my situation. Thanks for watching!

[@gary4593]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome Thankyou for your reply.

[@franciscos.5839]

Cloud Gateway Max just came out...should have purchased that one instead.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

I may still get it when the 2 TB model comes out next month.

[@MattyDaddy14]

Hey buddy! Loved this video!! 🎉 I think it’s really cool when reviewers go behind the scenes and show what it’s really like!!🎉 Btw. I noticed on your last video with the new outlaw amps, that it looked like there was only one main ac outlet going to a coupe power strips…. Just curious if you actually installed/wired a dedicated 20amp/multiple dedicated 15amp circuits to your media closet?? 🎉 thanks

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I had the contractor wire up a dedicated 20 amp circuit to the media closet. It’s been working great. Thanks for watching!

[@mikeortiz2139]

This is something I really need to learn about. Right now it's all over my head.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

What do you currently use for your home network?

[@mikeortiz2139]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome so we bought a house, and there's a Ubiquity disc on the ceiling. My guess is the garage door opener wasn't getting wifi in the garage. In addition, we have an NVR system with POE cameras and it stopped working about 2 months after we moved in. I reset the system and essentially couldn't get it all reconfigured. I don't know if it's a paid subscription or anything.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

There’s no subscription for the Ubiquiti equipment. However, you need to have the Unifi controller software running on a PC or server to configure the AP (the Ubiquiti disc). I decided to go with the Unifi Cloud Gateway Ultra router because the Unifi controller program runs on it. Makes it super easy to manage. I’m considering putting together a ‘network-in-a-box’ that would include the gateway/router/AP’s all preconfigured and delivered. But I don’t know if there would be enough demand for something like that.

[@mikeortiz2139]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome I'll look into that, thanks. Does the Unifi router replace the one from my ISP or just run off an ethernet from it?

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

@@mikeortiz2139 it depends on what type of provider you have. If you have a cable internet provider, there will be a cable modem. You would connect the Ubiquiti router to the cable modem via Ethernet. If you have an internet provider who has an Ethernet router in your house, the Ubiquiti router would replace it.

[@FrankieKennethL]

George , are you going to Audio Advice live?

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

Hey Frankie! I wish I could! But we’ve got some things scheduled that unfortunately can’t be moved around. Hopefully next year 🤞. What about you? You going?

[@FrankieKennethL]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome ahhh gotcha. I understand. Was hoping to see ya again. This time maybe hang out. I know mmWave was hectic lol. Anyways I am going. It’s only 3 hrs drive from me. I did it last year and truly enjoyed it. It’s a different vibe than mwave, larger in ways cause they do a lot of hi girls setup type things. But doesn’t have as great of a ‘for camaraderie’ type atmosphere either. Maybe next year you can come and make it

[@zloinaopako]

Have you been fired after uploading this video? Chances are that your employer may have seen it.

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

lol, not yet

[@kristopherleslie8343]

Your employer doesn't live with you sir

[@kristopherleslie8343]

I commend you for redoing it but I do see you still need some assistance to clean it up. I do like that you reused your patch panels, but I personally wouldn't have. Get a Vertical cable keystone patch panel 24 port patch panel 24 or 48 port Switch 24 port patch panel NOTE: Use 6 inch patch cables and start cabling from the HARD RIGHT of your patch panels since you don't have a full 48 port switch. You really don't want those longer cables because your already not going to keep managing it (its a chore) so make it as neat as possible this go round. Those longer cables basically look unprofessional and will add to it not being tidy. Properly braid your pulls so they are tighter and cleaner. Label your cables since we both you :) your going to need an easy way to identify them. Replace those power strips with a PDU. Last but not least, install a couple of fans. DUST YOUR ENTIRE SETUP :) GG on the install

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

All good suggestions! Thank you! It definitely still needs some finishing touches. Thanks for watching!

[@kristopherleslie8343]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome looking forward to your updates ☝️✅✅✅✅

[@briandarroch]

You can use a Instant Indoor PoE Converter (INS-3AF-I-G) to convert PoE to passive PoE. It only saves you a mains connection but you can reboot the AP by cycling the PoE on the switch

[@GeorgeTheaterAtHome]

That’s interesting! I didn’t even know they made those. Good to know! Thanks!

[@lowercasestephen7080]

@@GeorgeTheaterAtHome Check the port settings of the managed Unifi Switch. There is sometimes an option to change POE+ into 24V passive. Might not work but worth checking out. Go into Unifi Devices > Select the Switch > Select Port Manager > Select the port and check under the POE option for 24V passive.