Searching for updated networking gear – gateways, firewalls and access points.
Searching for updated networking gear – gateways, firewalls and access points.
It's puzzling since RouterOS offers basic low-level settings, just like any other enterprise CLI system. If you peeked behind the scenes for Meraki and Unify, the setup would resemble standard procedures. Everything seems hidden, making the process smoother without you needing to manually adjust every setting. For me, I prefer understanding exactly what hardware is doing, but that doesn't eliminate the frustration. A controller isn't essential. Most problems stem from incorrect country settings—for instance, using 'United States' instead of 'United States (3)' can cause clients to jump frequencies, leading to lost airtime and requiring a reboot. Another issue arises when using the CapsMan tunnel for traffic forwarding; the device lacks the capacity, which can be frustrating. The only drawback with Mikrotik APs is dealing with 802.1k roaming and passive PoE, which isn't as bad as what you'd face otherwise. Additional configuration can make a big difference, especially outside of VoIP, where the transition feels most natural. Currently, the best options seem to be the RB4011 with hAP AC setup, powered by the AP itself. With beta support, you can run WireGuard directly on it, achieving nearly full gigabit speeds (minus overhead) and basic DDNS. For other VPNs or IPS solutions, you'd likely need to use Untangle or Opensense, but those come with extra power demands, costs, and troubleshooting hassle. Personally, I wouldn't recommend Unify at all. The software bugs, clunky GUI, and the ineffective IPS have damaged their reputation. Controllers are unnecessary; APs work well, but a controller adds unnecessary complexity. The choice really depends on how much configuration depth you require.
Hey everyone, just wanted to share an update. My initial idea was to purchase a Unifi nanoHD AP and connect it with an EdgeRouter. After evaluating the costs, I opted for the Unifi Dream Machine instead. I reviewed more reviews and found it to be quite impressive—it offers a solid built-in AP that works independently. It also includes its own controller software (though not all UBNT hardware is supported, like the Camera Server NVR module). I managed to secure a great deal from the UBNT store for $389 CAD, which was significantly cheaper than other options I found, even on eBay. I haven’t installed it yet, but I took it out of the box and wow, the design is really sleek and elegant. The construction quality is top-notch too. It clearly draws inspiration from Apple’s packaging style, making unboxing a smooth experience. I’m planning to set it up this week or on the weekend (I have five more days before Meraki locks me out of existing hardware). Once it’s ready, I’ll start selling the units—around $100 CAD each for the gateway, AP, and PoE switch, or $250 CAD for the full bundle. This is based on listings I saw on eBay. I’ll also post pictures later, either here or in a new thread, if anyone wants to keep an eye out. These units are unlicensed, which keeps the price low compared to new models (for example, the newer MR42 AP retails for about $1200 CAD with a 3-year license). If you have any suggestions for alternative pricing on older hardware, feel free to share (check the opening post for model numbers). I’ll keep sharing updates soon.
Nice. After you get things settled, if you want you can also run other containers on the UDM. There is an active community around it. The central point is https://github.com/boostchicken/udm-utilities The most useful things to run are either PiHole or NextDNS, and also nTopNG if desired.
It seems the UDM design can be extended in that way because the UBNT controller runs on Linux. That’s quite insightful. I don’t know of specific guides, but I’ll check the GitBub if needed.
The documentation is available on GitHub, though the organization isn’t perfect. Usually each category has its own README. Help is provided through the Unofficial Ubiquiti Discord, where contributors like boostchicken are often active. The server access link is https://discord.gg/ui. The UDM supports two operating systems: first it starts UbiOS—a custom Linux buildroot—running Podman compatible with Docker. One container runs UnifiOS, a Ubuntu variant used for the controller. The UDM-Utilities project leverages Ubiquiti’s update process to add extra containers and boot-time functionality. To prevent blocking, they’d need a full redesign.