Ubiquiti UDM Pro hard drive malfunctions Failure reported in storage device
Ubiquiti UDM Pro hard drive malfunctions Failure reported in storage device
Has anyone else faced a hard drive issue with a UDM Pro? Share your story. Although I know hard drives can fail, it's the other components that usually cause problems for me. It took me five days to reach support and they only gave me a link without the serial number. My situation so far: 2/7/22 bought the UDM Pro with a hard drive, a switch, cameras, etc. 6/5/23 updated the OS and software – everything seemed normal afterward. 11/5/23 received a bill for pest control but never got in touch about it. Checked the cameras – they were off. Logged into the console and the protection app didn’t start. I tried launching it multiple times, but saw no activity. I sent a support file and restarted the unit. Still nothing – no protection app or status updates. Contacted support, and they said it was the drive right away. Within hours they asked about the warranty. 12/5/23 I ordered a replacement from Amazon and installed it. They told me it was compatible and that it was ready. Everything worked again. 13/5/23 they confirmed the warranty and asked to start the replacement process. 16/5/23 they sent a website for filing an RMA, but it wouldn’t accept the serial number. I’ve been waiting. My concerns: 1) the lack of urgency to get access back to my cameras, 2) the drive failed without any warning from UDM, yet when I swapped in a new one it worked fine, 3) the protection app didn’t launch and no alerts came through, 4) the failure stopped the cameras from being viewed live. In previous experiences, cheap bundles have broken hard drives – usually I got a notification or at least a live view without playback. My goal was to eventually switch to a unified NVR, but if their system can’t pinpoint exactly which drive fails, I’m not sure it’ll be reliable. Anyone else had similar issues? Did you notice any patterns or differences?
I’m unfamiliar with the RMA process for this product. The general UDM approach and Protect feature seem limited to very low-priority home use at best. Its absence of redundancy when a HDD fails, lack of built-in backup/replication options, and minimal core functionality in Protect are concerning. I’d expect more reliable handling during drive failure, but that’s understandable given the current shortcomings. I also doubt improvements will come soon, especially since Ubiquiti tends to focus on frequent UI updates rather than meaningful feature development or fixes.
Yea, it's our vacation house with neighbors that keep a good eye on the place. I only went with the full on unifi solution for simplicity. If the live view still worked I would have let it ride tell we are back there end of june but since even live view was down i couldn't wait.
Many users discover that although the product offers solid value, the support is often unreliable. Installers maintain stock of quick fixes since replacements are difficult. If you're stuck, consider switching to a different vendor that doesn't charge recurring fees.
When purchasing Ubiquiti equipment on your own, you need to be prepared to handle support yourself. They don’t provide that service directly; it comes from users who have experience with the hardware. Still, you can rely on their gear and get assistance through local third-party providers. Because of the lack of licensing costs, these companies keep prices lower for customers. The UDM isn’t designed as a full NVR system—opt for dedicated NVR or NVR Pro models that include built-in redundancy support. That said, some people like Tom from Lawrence Systems suggest alternative NVR options since they offer more flexibility and dependability. This isn’t because all UniFi components are high quality, but because certain offerings are newer and will improve over time.
Unifi OS will notify you when a drive fails. Alerts appear on all devices like UNVR, UDMP, CKG2+, etc. To receive them, enable the notifications or they won’t show up. By default, they’re disabled. In the Protect app, choose "Custom" notifications and activate the Hard Drive Issues option.