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Ubiquiti launches UniFi OS Server for self-hosting

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71–80 of 341 posts

Re: Ubiquiti launches UniFi OS Server for self-hosting

#71

This is awesome because of how un-Apple-like it is. With Apple, they leverage the ecosystem and force you to buy everything to make a cohesive experience. Want to have cellular on your Mac? We expect you to buy an iPhone and a laptop and tether. If you want to have unifi WAPS without the UCG - this enables that. It's awesome that they do that, even though right now, it's the cohesiveness of the Unifi ecosystem that i…

> If you want to have unifi WAPS without the UCG - this enables that. You could always do this. UniFi Network always had a self-install option.

Even better - you don't even have to run Network - UniFi APs have standalone mode - https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/12594679474071-Standal...

Re: Ubiquiti launches UniFi OS Server for self-hosting

#72
post #2

After many (many!) years I finally got around to my childhood dreams of building a home network rack, centered around the Unifi stack. I've got the new 10 gig switch, the dream machine SE, a bunch of cameras, and I've been very impressed with their stuff. The experience "just works" and feels like they take inspiration from Apple. The whole camera setup can be "closed" by shutting off outside access, this self-hostin…

I really love my Dream Machine. Super reliable. What I don't like that much is their UI. It is super weirdly done. It is not natural to use, at least if like me, you use it once every 6 months or more.

Re: Ubiquiti launches UniFi OS Server for self-hosting

#73
post #7
post #6

Recently switched from a UDM Pro Max to a Firewalla Gold Pro and couldn't be happier about the move. Software that works > software that has everything but requires magic to get checkboxes to adhere to a save state-this is a common issue with UniFi Network options. They need far better QA before I recommend anyone use them as an OS. 1 of numerous examples: https://community.ui.com/questions/Device-Static-IP-Not-Savi.…

What issues did you encounter when using Unifi? From what I’ve seen, Unifi seems like the closest to an "Apple-like" experience - especially given how much more robust their capabilities are compared to most other providers.

I couldn't get my Elgato Key Light Air (or whatever its called) to work on my Unifi network - something was amiss with the WLAN settings that others reported was specific to unifi.

I didn't like how they stopped supporting on-prem Unifi Video server, and only allow you to use it with a hardware appliance now.

They moved beyond "just build good product" and into unwanted cloud services and closed ecosystem.

If this is a re-opening of some of their self-hosting, then great. They're back to par, I guess?

Re: Ubiquiti launches UniFi OS Server for self-hosting

#74
post #6

Recently switched from a UDM Pro Max to a Firewalla Gold Pro and couldn't be happier about the move. Software that works > software that has everything but requires magic to get checkboxes to adhere to a save state-this is a common issue with UniFi Network options. They need far better QA before I recommend anyone use them as an OS. 1 of numerous examples: https://community.ui.com/questions/Device-Static-IP-Not-Savi.…

Might be better, but it’s 4x the cost. Firewalla Gold SE at $509, vs UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra at $129. In my experience, the software does work fine. Works way better out of the box than most routers I’ve used.

Yeah I use an OpenWRT router that cost ~$125 and should have just about all of the capability of the $500 Firewalla

Re: Ubiquiti launches UniFi OS Server for self-hosting

#75
post #6

Recently switched from a UDM Pro Max to a Firewalla Gold Pro and couldn't be happier about the move. Software that works > software that has everything but requires magic to get checkboxes to adhere to a save state-this is a common issue with UniFi Network options. They need far better QA before I recommend anyone use them as an OS. 1 of numerous examples: https://community.ui.com/questions/Device-Static-IP-Not-Savi.…

$889 for a SOHO router? Who is this aimed at?

Re: Ubiquiti launches UniFi OS Server for self-hosting

#76
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Still dont understand why this is such a big issue, and I have been reading threads about it for a year now. Just turn on cloud access, accept the t&cs and then turn it off again. If you are really scared then you can isolate that device in a vlan or DMZ temporarily. I run many commercial and residential networks, and this is definitely a non issue for me.

I stopped buying Ubiquiti when I reset my UDM Pro and took it to another house without internet access, and it refused to "activate" without an Internet Connection or a phone app connection. Seems they are more interested in selling a lifestyle rather than actual production network equipment.

What are you using instead?

Re: Ubiquiti launches UniFi OS Server for self-hosting

#77
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Still dont understand why this is such a big issue, and I have been reading threads about it for a year now. Just turn on cloud access, accept the t&cs and then turn it off again. If you are really scared then you can isolate that device in a vlan or DMZ temporarily. I run many commercial and residential networks, and this is definitely a non issue for me.

I stopped buying Ubiquiti when I reset my UDM Pro and took it to another house without internet access, and it refused to "activate" without an Internet Connection or a phone app connection. Seems they are more interested in selling a lifestyle rather than actual production network equipment.

Im not excusing Ubiquiti here, I agree thats pretty annoying.

However a UDM pro is a router (as well as other things). The expectation is that it is connected to WAN.

Unifi switches and access points etc do not have the same online requirement.

Re: Ubiquiti launches UniFi OS Server for self-hosting

#78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea that Ubiquiti pushes out buggy software as production-ready and that we're all their beta testers is a pretty common meme on their subreddit.

I hear this talked about in the past but is it still true today? I've at least never experienced it (and I stick to the Stable/Release channel). I have 4 AP, 9 cameras, NVR and Dream Machine - I guess I got lucky over the 2.5 years I've had Unifi.

In my experience they got a lot better in the last 2-3 years with reliability and polish. I never really had any problems prior to that myself, but I know they definitely did used to have a much more deserved reputation for buggy releases.

Re: Ubiquiti launches UniFi OS Server for self-hosting

#79
post #68
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. They make excellent access points and their lite beam/air fibre products are great. But UniFi has serious limitations when it comes to anything beyond the basics. An off the self Asus all in one home router actually has more features and capabilities.

> An off the self Asus all in one home router actually has more features and capabilities. This is just not true at all. I agree unifi can be buggy at times, and their super clean interface means they need to hide stuff all over the place, but I havent found any network configuration I couldnt do on Unifi yet. Care to elaborate on exactly which functions standard asus routers have over Ubiquiti gear?

VLAN with an id of 0 isn't possible on the new interface last I checked. Which, granted is a weird thing to do, but...

Re: Ubiquiti launches UniFi OS Server for self-hosting

#80

I set up a small Ubiquiti setup with Pi-hole, then moved into a home serviced by AT&T Fiber, which comes with an all in one fiber modem and WiFi hub. I started using it before I could unpack, then did a little research on how I could disable WiFi, DHCP, and/or DNS in order to use my own equipment. The WiFi isn't great in all parts of the house so I planned on setting up APs at strategic points. But of course laziness…

There was a guy on dslreports selling certificates for $10 each, and you could just load it up into one of the cheap sfp modules off of aliexpress. Plug it straight into the router of your choice. No reason to use their junk. I've done the same with a different provider.

This is interesting--do you have a link to the sale or instructions as to how that was working?
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