UniFi Network Upgrade - ft. Micro Center

[@lulzjeffy1337]

Probably one of the nicest things you can have when doing a network buildout in your home is having the infrastructure core laid out already. The fact that your buddy already has CAT6 running to every room in the house, and it all runs back to an MDF, makes this deployment insanely simple. It can’t be overstated how nice it is to have that. I’m currently trying to figure out how to get CAT6 snaked through my walls and have it run to a panel in my basement. Insanely difficult when all the drywall and flooring is already in place. 😅

[@karan_hiremath]

Yes definitely nice to have it all set up already, but look into running cables in crown molding! Definitely the easiest way to make long runs across the house!

[@dorferino]

​@@karan_hiremath alternatively peeling out baseboards and cutting drywall where it's less visible, if they don't want crown moulding

[@brycepsi]

@@lulzjeffy1337 you could just run everything through the attic if available, you can run cat6 to each room via the attic & have a nice easy setup if you know how to. My house is old as heck but I just ran cat6 through the attic into every room and ran them all back to one spot where my switch & router is. Just a thought.

[@steelfalconx2000]

Unfortunately, sometimes you gotta cut drywall.

[@lulzjeffy1337]

@@dorferino Peeling off the baseboards to do the runs is not something I thought about! Good idea!

[@joemccall8991]

But it's soooo expensive! Oh, wait, MicroCenter pays for it all? Let me get my car keys.

[@RaidOwl]

Tell them I sent you

[@MrLautze]

A high end mesh system is just as expensive to get them kind of Download numbers over wifi.

[@brycepsi]

You should make that video about unifi, I learned a ton in just this video! Thank you

[@PolarRed]

I reckon Owl might already have got 2 paychecks with this one! 😂 (p.s. that's fine with me so long as it's honest, and yeah, so far, never sniffed any problem)

[@RaidOwl]

Microcenter sponsored the video. I asked them what they wanted to show off and they said "their Ubiquiti offerings" which was easy since I personally use UniFi Network at home.

[@owenhill5668]

I'd love to see a full Unifi video that you mentioned, it would be very useful for me. I am looking to upgrading most of home networking kit and possibly looking at the Unifi kit but will have to wait and see what the budget it. I have 2.5Gb internet coming in the not to distant future so thinking I need at least a 10Gb switch, plus NICs and a access point for WiFi (my house isn't very big but still want really good coverage without having to resort to mesh systems). I reckon I am looking at about £1,000 GBP for everything (less if I can get away with it).

[@notreal5311]

That Microcenter black friday processor combo looked pretty good, might have to make the 2.5 hour drive to Mecca!

[@user-gr4vx8xz1l]

Dude I wish my microcenter was as empty as yours. We only have one for our state so literally everyone’s there and it’s always packed. I wish they would build more microcenters they would certainly gain from it.

[@unklfrsh6447]

Ever notice how many videos there are about plugging in routers, switches, and AP’s, but also how few videos there are about techniques for installation of ethernet wiring throughout an older house (especially a two story house)? That’s because it’s technically and physically hard AF.

[@TazzSmk]

not gonna lie, I watched the whole video thinking between "what an expensive setup I could get" and "damn my ISP can't even do more than 30Mbit upload anyway", but in the end at 22:11 as you showed the before/after speeds, I realized what I already get is more than enough for now :)

[@avimakkar]

6:40 I prefer something like u7 pro Wall but they seem to be sold out forever.

[@LongerThanAverageUsername]

“UniFi ad - featuring a RaidOwl sponsorship with microcenter” fixed that for you

[@RaidOwl]

Good one, now go buy some

[@LongerThanAverageUsername]

@@RaidOwl No thanks. I have enough Unifi stuff. ; )

[@RaidOwl]

@@LongerThanAverageUsername same

[@praetorxyn]

I'm at the point where I need to put a rack in my basement for a server, so I need to plan out a network first. I'm not too worried about wiring runs aside from the access point, as at the moment, the only wired connection in the house is basically right above where the rack will go anyway, so at least replicating what I've got will only require me to run a cable or two up through a hole in the floor. But I keep dithering on what equipment to get. On the one hand, the Unifi ecosystem looks very nice, and it's nice and confusion free insofar as their website is basically a one-stop shop where you can get gateway, switches, patch panels, patch cables, access points, etc., instead of hopping all over the place. On the other hand, I saw your video a year or so ago showing the pain points of Unifi, especially where firewall rules and port forwarding etc., so there's a part of me that wants to roll Opnsense as my router. But I"ve heard using a Unifi gateway and Opnsense basically just means double NATing or having to deal with the double NAT by basically setting Opnsense as the WAN source for Unifi etc., so it seems like if you're going to run Opnsense you may as well not get a Unifi gateway, and then I'm not sure how well their equipment works without one. For instance, the Pro Max switches with Etherlight are only $100 more than the Pro ones without it and come with PoE++, so it seems like a no brainer for $100, but would Etherlight even work without a Unifi gateway? Did they ever clean up that firewall rules page and some of the other pain points you talked about?

[@DIYReid]

So U6 Mesh would be good to have to put on my main floor where I have no RJ45 and don't want it on my ceiling there.

[@ufomism]

I like the u6 mesh but gets insanely hot, like burn your hand hot, so recommend putting higher up if have kids or pets

[@wizzbangtg]

Great video! What to do with your new Unifi video sounds like a useful addition to your library.

[@alanjrobertson]

Never been to a Micro Centre (we don't have them over here and not happened to come across one when I've been in the USA) but if I had one nearby I suspect my bank account would take a big hit 😂

[@RogueA.I.]

We just got one and it’s pretty sweet.

[@moortu]

I would rather have an in depth video on tp-link omada so I can make a good decision on wether the very expensive unifi is worth it over omada

[@fisherjacobc]

Looking at doing something similar at my home but with just a dream router or unifi express, and then a secondary access point. It's hard though when your cable internet comes in the corner of the basement and all you have is a singular 20 year-old cable running upstairs from the roof. Cool video, though!

[@mitchellkellerman]

Instead of getting the U6-Mesh. You should've looked at the U6-Pro Wall. I have 2 of those in my house and I love them and how they blend into the wall!

[@tuttocrafting]

intellinet is quite common in EU, not sure about active stuff. But passive ones are great for the price. But sometimes they lack advanced stuff. I use cables, fibers, patch panels and rack accessories from them.

[@notreal5311]

I've had good luck with the 8 port Ubiquiti Enterprise Switch with 120W of PoE. They're $$$ but rhey have enough ports and power budget to run 4 cameras and 4 access points plus have 2 fiber or copper uplinks. I'd probably have looked at using the Unifi Dream Router because it's got two additional POE ports and an AP built in, especially for a home install.

[@fleeseeks]

Love the video idea of doing a network upgrade

[@Airbear50]

The cute one ( UC MESH) overheats. Runs super hot and I did put a fan under to keep it cool. Might damage furniture,

[@postnick]

Seeing Unifi in a store!! amazing! Also I swear I'm the only person who thinks guest networks are dumb. Like sure I'll let my mom's iphone connect to my main network, she isn't getting into my stuff because my file shares are passowrd protected. I do however have an IOT network because ick, but I trust my friends and family enough to have my wifi.

[@UnknownEntity420]

Just because you dont have a suitable use-case for something, doesnt automatically make it "dumb". The main appeal for it is for businesses, eg: Hotels/Motels

[@tttomtxhc]

Bro rockin the flops gotta love fall weather in Houston

[@RaidOwl]

lmao too truuuuuu

[@zeendaniels5809]

Anything it's possible (and easy) when you aren't paying for the hardware 😂 Another day in paradise!

[@Nathan15038]

0:57 as an network engineer I’ve never heard of that brand either but seen it at microcenter before 😅

[@darkforcesjedi]

8 PoE ports on the UDM SE is just not enough. I ended up buying a used unify PoE switch and the NVR. I really wish it had 16 ports.

[@jahshuah]

Hoping you updated that Guest WiFi network to use VLAN 50. When you hopped back in to add the bandwidth profile, I think it was set to VLAN 1 😉

[@RaidOwl]

Good catch! Yes, that was updated.

[@jamauai]

We need Micro Center in Hawaii 😭

[@moortu]

I like Unifi, but I don't like their price. it's absolutely crazy to pay 455 for a dream machine SE, and it only has LAN: (8) GbE RJ45 ports (1) 10G SFP+ port WAN: (1) 2.5 GbE RJ45 port (1) 10G SFP+ port

[@codeman99-dev]

I hope you set him up with a domain name and SRV records for that minecraft server!

[@vancedyap]

Hopefully, another video that sponsored by Micro Center but budget version. $300 max haha 😀

[@MariosKimonos]

I am frustrated that chromecast has disabled guest mode with guest networks is there any way to allow guest to connect to chromecast?

[@chadbizeau5997]

I went from an old Google WiFi 5 network to unifi. It was a huge jump in performance scalability and manageability. The cameras have also been awesome. 4 wired for outdoor and 3 wireless for indoor have been perfect. Im getting the doorbell next. And soon ill be getting their NAS.

[@coolraul07]

12:30 - I'd try not put it so close to the microwave to avoid 2.4GHz interference. But if their household is pure 5GHz, no biggie.

[@coasterfest]

I went for three U6 meshes in my home for exactly that reason!!! Use the ceiling mounted ones at my business, but that's exactly what I think their 'look' is suited to, business, not the home. My partner would kill me if I started sticking UFOs on every ceiling at home. Really hope they do a U7 Mesh

[@justinliu7788]

How about the U6 Enterprise in wall?

[@coasterfest]

@@justinliu7788definitely better than the discs, but the good thing about the mesh is that it stands nicely on any surface and doesn’t look out of place, TV stand, shelf, window board, desk, drawers. There’s no need to mount it permanently anywhere. (I have mounted a couple, but I also have two free standing.)

[@EsotericArctos]

Just a query. I noticed during the video you mentioned cameras a few times. Was there a reason you didn't go for the UDM Pro max with two HDD bays and then a slightly more powerful PoE switch to accomodate the extra? Just curious :)

[@RaidOwl]

Not in stock haha

[@EsotericArctos]

@@RaidOwl Always the way with Ubiquiti lol

[@tubeman25]

where did u et the dark mode shirt?

[@RaidOwl]

Techno Tims web store

[@flo3622]

I guess can’t setup mesh system without UniFi network on udm or cloudkey ?

[@jam471975]

Unifi Access Points do not have a web interface on them to configure them directly. The only way to configure and manage Unifi AP's is with Unifi's Network Application. You can get the Unifi Network Application on either hardware device like a CloudKey, Dream Machine, or a Cloud Gateway... or you can download the Unifi Network Application Server for Windows, Mac, or Linux and install it on a computer.

[@oliverbutterfield9844]

Even if it wasn’t in the title or thumb, it was pretty obvious where it was going as you described what you wanted 😂

[@RaidOwl]

Lol I have a bad poker face

[@DavidMahon-b1u]

They can all wirelessly uplink AND downlink (the mesh name means nothing at all).

[@DerrickDevine]

What's the advantage that Unifi brings to the layman person who doesn't give two craps about VLANs and segmented networks? I'm thinking the price doesn't warrant the "upgrade" to be honest. For example, tplink mesh with a backplane network over powerline could triple the speed as well but for like pennies on the dollar compared to unifi.

[@RaidOwl]

If you don't care about anything other than connecting to the internet then you'd be fine with any reputable brand.

[@DerrickDevine]

@@RaidOwl I see a lot of Unifi videos and as someone who has tried them, Omada, and just mesh APs...I don't see much of an advantage to Unifi because of the price. If Omada stays affordable, that's pretty much what I'd choose each time if I want a SDN.

[@lulzjeffy1337]

There’s basically no advantage. Unifi occupies that middle space of being consumer friendly/accessible while offering enterprise level features. And for homelabbers and network junkies who love that level of customization, it’s bar none one of the best product ecosystems. If all you care about is connecting to the internet and having a reliable wireless signal in your house, just about any mid to top shelf modem/router combo will get the job done.

[@notreal5311]

Unifi line is definitely Prosumer. One of the great benefits is because they're used in Prosuner market there are a bunch of guides on how tonconfigure them and do just about everything. The one big downside for me is that they're slow to adopt 2.5gb NICs, just now rolling our products when some others have it as default on all theirs for the last 6+ months. Most people won't notice the difference, but if youre going Prosumer....

[@DerrickDevine]

@@notreal5311 Why not save over a thousand dollars with Omada then? 200 bucks for the entry package and you're up and running with comparable performance. I think this is just like people choosing a BMW/Volvo when a Toyota will work just fine.

[@NzTim]

Some days i hate living in New Zealand . I'd love a dream machine se but at at $1,100 NZD i cant justify it at the moment

[@patrickjoseph3412]

lol guy @1:25 wearing a ltt hoddie

[@RaidOwl]

sure looks like it

[@doktorprok]

What are the drawbacks if you "proceed without an account" ?

[@RaidOwl]

You ever heard of Guantanamo Bay?

[@tonybeckett66]

I think I have to go POE, please excuse me

[@PolarRed]

Damn! I really wish I had a friend who could kit me out with a whole Unifi setup for free! I'd have saved over €3500! 🤣

[@rsisente]

IMO, only negative to unifi is availability of devices at times.

[@hornetbad]

Oh so today I am a Trendnet ha ? OK I'll take it 😜

[@chaosfenix]

I have a love hate relationship with Unifi. I love them because they are dead simple while offering advanced features. They also don't have a subscription. This makes them my go to recommendation for normies looking for an upgrade. I still use them predominantly in my own network. I am somewhat frustrated with their recent offerings though. They have increased prices all while not really offering increases in speeds. It has forced me to look into Mikrotik for switching. It sucks because it is a downgrade on the UI but for standard switching you are going to get faster devices for what you are spending.

[@vpklotar]

I totally agree. Went to unifi many years ago when they were adorable and had good software. Ever since then every update has caused the devices to be less stable and every device is now much more expensive. I'm also planning on going Mikrotik for switching, maybe WiFi and maybe routing (if I don't go for pfsense on a SFF).

[@ufomism]

Let’s how Alta Labs is successful, run by ex-Ubiquiti engineers. Their Route 10 already looks promising

[@chaosfenix]

@@ufomism I mean their stuff looks fine but honestly I am not blown away by it. Their switches are all still Gigabit switches though they do have POE for a decent price. The route10 is probably the most compelling thing in their entire lineup.

[@trick0502]

Can I ask a serious question, what is the point of anything faster than wifi6? Really, if you need something faster than that, you’d wire it. Who’s really transferring large file over WiFi? I honestly just don’t see the point. For me it’s more about reliability and signal strength throughout. If I need WiFi speeds above a gig, I’ll run a wire.

[@tvojejbabkydedko]

8:20 😂😂

[@yerachmielb1]

5:54 I think you forgot to add the face/voice effect there... 🤣

[@RaidOwl]

hahaha I know right?

[@yerachmielb1]

@@RaidOwl I don't think the video counts without it. 😉

[@ThatRandomDude914]

“Huauauauauajauajauiuajiaua”? - Brett 2024

[@kristof9497]

Thanks.

[@sekritskworl-sekrit_studios]

Should have called out the DreamMachine Max NOT having ANY POE.... Which is "Pookie" from "New Jack City" level of Crackhead crazy!!!!... Maybe even Tyrone Biggums from Chappelle Show!

[@balla2172]

alta is suppose to be unreal also

[@buhizkewl7105]

I prefer to get all of my homelab/networking advice from someone sporting flip-flops. Would be even more legit if they were Tiddies, though.

[@RaidOwl]

My feetsies gotta breathe

[@chj915]

For 150 Mbps download network at home, UniFi products seem to be a bit too pricy. Yeah, other than the price, I think the UniFi products are great. But you've got what you paid for. As per an average user at home, especially for someone who does not know much about network and wifi, they barely even touch the router/switch/Access Points if nothing breaks, isn't the choice of UniFi an overkill?

[@adgeegfad]

Yeah it's easy until you cut the check 😂

[@RaidOwl]

Lmao as are most things

[@Chukijay]

All it takes is money

[@RaidOwl]

Big tru

[@rrrrrrrr290]

don't buy U7 APs as they dont work , ask anyone that have them

[@notreal5311]

Heard recent firmware updates fixed the issues

[@hexiron3852]

>mfw I noticed thast the same mIcrocenter I go to

[@theflash9068]

Easy, spend 7000 dollars to have a better network. Sure !!

[@RaidOwl]

You’re bad at math

[@theflash9068]

@RaidOwl Nah its just a random number I chose arbitrarily, I spent like max 40$ on my setup. I'm using my isp's router cause it covers my houses very well. This sound a lot like a "just spend $$$$" kind of solution if you ask me

[@UnknownMoses]

I tried unfi and really really did not like the product

[@RaidOwl]

That’s okay

[@flostechnikwelt]

Moin

[@neko77025]

Flip Flops .. you lost some respect points

[@RaidOwl]

Oh no...

[@Koop1337]

Hard pass on Unifi gear. I prefer to struggle in agony.

[@RaidOwl]

It builds character

[@Catchgate]

Ad

[@RaidOwl]

And it’s marked as such

[@Sharvil_Saraiya]

TP-Link Omada, HPE Aruba, GrandStream & Zyxel have far better WiFi performance than UniFi. Even some home routers from TP-Link, Asus & Netgear perform far better than Unifi APs maturity is realising this and stop wasting money behind UniFi gear

[@sharkey086]

U6 mesh are garbage and you'll regret it soon!

[@notreal5311]

I ran 6 of them in the desert with no AC for about 50 users (inside metal buildings) and had no issues. Was worried about temps (since they're the hottest running APs in the lineup) but no issues besides them being HOT. What issues have you experienced?

[@tvojejbabkydedko]

4th

[@PowerUsr1]

you got the legs of someone who would vote for trump.

[@RaidOwl]

Idk what that even means 😅

[@billasweather7833]

based

[@bigamishdoinks]

It's a bit disappointing that instead of looking at options on upgrading, it's always "We're going Unifi, because MicroCenter sponsored this video" or "Because I use it and it's so EEZEE to use!". Honestly, I would have loved to hear that they decided to go the TP-LINK route and did something different, while saving money.

[@RaidOwl]

I have videos on Engenius, Asus and Omada as well if you’d like to check those out.