Ubiquiti offers a range of cost effective wired and wireless networking equipment. This equipment quality is like that of professional enterprise level gear however the price is realistic for the average home or small business consumer. Ubiquiti wireless solutions allow solid networks to be created on a strict budget. Ubiquiti has turned a corner in the industry practically creating a new market and demand. The simplicity and effectiveness of Ubiquiti products enables the deployment and management of secure and reliable networks. Previously, building networks of similar quality would have required expensive equipment from brands like Cisco or Juniper. Ubiquiti offers cost effective solutions to problems small and medium sized businesses cannot afford to fix with enterprise level gear.
A single Ubiquiti access point can be used to solve the wireless needs of many small homes and offices. A proper installation of a Ubiquiti access points generally requires running a single Cat5e cable to the ceiling location where the AP is mounted. The other end of the cable gets plugged directly into the wired network. If a POE switch is not available, an included POE injector can be placed in line from the switch to the AP for power. The AP mounts to a standard ceiling with an included bracket. Once all the previous steps are completed, a configured AP and be plugged in and mounted.
Ubiquiti Access Points need to be configured with a software based controller. Before you mount your access point to the ceiling you should pre-configure the settings with the Unifi controller. The Unifi controller is a piece of software that is used to configure and manage the AP. The controller can do more than just configure the access point, it can also manage other Ubiquiti Unifi devices. The controller is the centralized location for managing Unifi Security Gateways, Unifi Access Points, and Unifi Switches. Instead of individually connecting to each router, switch, or access point when a change is needed, the controller allows changes to be made to multiple devices at once. Furthermore, the changes are saved in the controller, then pushed out to the devices. In the event that a hardware problem occurs with a device, a new device can quickly be configured and swapped in. This is very important if you are managing a network where excessive downtime is not acceptable. The controller software can be installed on almost any device running Windows, Linux, or MacOSX. Ubiquiti Even offers the “Cloud Key” device with the controller software preinstalled. The best practice would be to install the controller on a dedicated machine where it is always running. Once installed, the controller However, many people will “Configure and Forget” with little issues. When the AP is configured, the configuration is sent to and stored on the Access Point. Ubiquiti Access Points operate as “standalone” devices. Once the access point has been configured, it does not need to stay connected to the controller to remain operational. While not recommended, Ubiquiti Access Points can function for years without talking to a controller. However, without a controller, it will not be possible to update, make changes, or troubleshoot the device.
