Upgrade your network this holiday season.
Upgrade your network this holiday season.
UniFi stands out as an excellent course selection. For those who prefer advanced tech, MikroTik offers a solid alternative that delivers comparable results at a lower price, though it sacrifices the intuitive interface and detailed visualizations of UniFi.
I have it set up at home, but I need something straightforward and dependable for your dad's place. If the internet goes down, I won't be able to reach anything anymore.
It operates as a computer managing your controller software—similar to a local network manager, like 192.168.x.x on a typical router. Ubiquiti offers various ways to reach this software, such as a cloud key, a Linux machine like a Raspberry Pi, or Windows. If the controller isn’t reachable, the network remains functional, but adjustments (just like those made via 92.168.x.x on a consumer router) won’t be possible.
UniFi seems like a solid option. I've already configured a VPN to handle my parents' MikroTik devices from my own space.
The UniFi system operates through a router, switch, and APs that lack a visible graphical interface. The GUI is managed via a USB drive (Cloud Key), functioning like a computer according to Semper's explanation.
You can connect via SSH directly to the devices, though I'm not sure if the controller must be running for this. Since you haven't needed to SSH before, it's unclear whether active status is required. To treat them like a router, the controller software must be up and remote access must be enabled. The UniFI controller can be reached at https://localhost:8443/ or through the Cloud Access Portal remotely.
The controller doesn’t need to be active when connecting via SSH to devices; manual updates are lost if the controller later overwrites them. We considered launching UniFi for certain clients but found some essential features could only be altered through SSH, not the Cloud interface—making them vulnerable if changes were made on the controller. Consequently, we opted against UniFi for those accounts. Luckily this won’t affect the upcoming rollout because the required functionalities are more complex and can be handled via the Cloud GUI instead.
It's really surprising that this feature isn't included in the router. I get why it's not present on other devices, but I'd expect it to be there like most routers. For my home setup, I might be able to set up a Linux VM on my server to run it.