Reddit reviews Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Key (UC-CK),White
We found 16 Reddit comments about Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Key (UC-CK),White. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Secure UniFi Hybrid Cloud Technology.Fully Integrated, Stand-Alone UniFi Controller Hardware.Remote, Private Cloud Access to the UniFi Controller.Dimensions: 0.85 x 1.71 x 4.80 inches. Weight: 3.88 oz.Package Contents: UniFi Cloud Key, Ethernet Cable, microSD Card, Quick Start Guide.
All you need:
1x UniFi Security Gateway
2x UniFi AP AC Pro
Optional: 1x UniFi Switch 8-60w. You will need some sort of switch as the USG only has one LAN port. You can use an ordinary unmanaged switch, which will be much cheaper, but then you'll need to use the PoE injectors to power the APs (they're included with the APs). This switch will power them on its own.
Optional: 1x UniFi Cloud Key. This is just a dedicated device for running the UniFi Controller, which is what you use to configure and manage all UniFi devices. You can run it on a PC instead if you want.
But since you're doing a total gut renovation, you should take the opportunity to do your network right. Your goal shouldn't be to put everything on Wi-Fi, it should be to put as many things as possible on Ethernet, and just use Wi-Fi where Ethernet isn't an option. Anything that stays put, i.e. TVs, desktop computers, streaming media players, game consoles, even printers should always use Ethernet if they support it. The more things you get off the Wi-Fi, the faster it'll be for the things that need it.
First, figure out where your network hub will be, all your lines will run to it. It's where you'll have your modem, router, and main switch. The best location is a basement, but if you don't have one, use a utility closet/room. Make sure the location is ventilated and not too hot.
Next figure out how many Ethernet lines you need. Minimum is one to every location where you'll have a TV or desk, but this is likely to necessitate additional switches. Ideally, you should run five to the location of your main entertainment center and two to every other TV and desk location. You'll also need one for each AP, these will run to the spots on the ceiling where you'll put the APs. You'll also want to run a coaxial cable to each TV location. Once you know how many Ethernet lines you need, you need to get at least that many punch-down keystone jacks (minus two, as the AP lines won't need them), a punch-down patch panel with at least that many ports, and a gigabit switch with at least this many ports (plus one for the router). Make sure your patch panel and jacks match the category rating of your cable, i.e. Cat5e or Cat6. You'll also need a few RJ45 plugs (get ones made for solid-conductor cable) and punch-down and crimping tools.
For the cable, you'll want solid conductor, pure copper cable. Don't get stranded cable, and don't get cable made of copper clad aluminum (CCA). Make sure it's riser rated, but don't get plenum rated cable. Cat5e is all you need for gigabit, and it's cheaper and easier to terminate. Get Cat6 if you want to future-proof for 10 gigabit. Get a 1000 foot bulk spool, Monoprice is a good place to get it.
You'll also need a bunch of pre-made Ethernet patch cables. You can make your own, but it's tricky to get right and time-consuming. You'll first need one for connecting each patch panel port to a switch port. These should be as short as possible, 1-3 feet. Two more for connecting the switch to the router and the router to the modem. Two more if you'll be using the PoE injectors to power the APs. All of these should still be as short as possible. Then you'll need one for connecting each Ethernet-using device to one of the wall jacks that you'll be installing, these should be 6 feet or longer if necessary.
When you do the install, first mount the patch panel at your network hub location. Run each line from the patch panel to a keystone jack, which will go in a keystone wall plate which mounts to a low-voltage bracket. The AP lines won't get keystone jacks, these (and only these) will get RJ45 plugs to connect directly to the APs. Once all the lines are installed, set up the main switch. Connect each port of the patch panel to a switch port. If you're using PoE injectors to power the APs, connect the PoE port of each injector to an AP port on the patch panel and the LAN port to the switch. Finally, connect the router's LAN port to the switch and the router's WAN/Internet port to the modem/ONT.
I would not suggest using a bunch of consumer routers for such a situation. Instead, use some dedicated hardware. Depending on how technical you are, you might be better off hiring this work out, but if I were in your shoes, I'd be looking at either a gaggle of Ubiquiti's UAP-AC-Lite WAPs, their UAP-AC-IW, or a combination, depending on where they'd need to be installed.
They are controlled via Ubiquiti's free UniFi Controller software, which can be run via their Cloud Key, on a RasPi 2 or 3, or a Windows / Linux / OSX system. You can also configure basic settings through the iOS or Android apps if you don't wish to use their Controller software. With the UniFi Controller software, all settings for all access points are in one UI. You can easily add / remove WAPs as needed.
They are PoE powered, so you don't have to have power run to whichever locations you decide to install them (a limitation you will have with a bunch of consumer routers), and they come with the PoE injector needed. You can also power them from a PoE switch, but be aware that the UAP-AC-Lite doesn't use 802.1at/af PoE specs -- it uses a 24v passive PoE, and there aren't many switches (that I'm aware of) that support it. If you go this route, you might look at the UAP-AC-Pro, which won't have this issue, but is a bit more expensive. :)
You're building a new house, with a brand new network -- don't cheap out on this part, as it'll only bring you misery in the end (especially if you have a WAF to deal with). :D
Ubiquiti access point(s) and their "Cloud Key" controller for management/captive portal springs to mind.
Optionally, depending on how point-and-click you want the management for this deployment to be, also their "USG" router, and a US-8-60W PoE switch to complete the UniFi hardware set.
Amusingly, on amazon.de (used as an example to get EU pricing), those four items together come to €499.34 (UAP-AC-Pro, US-8-60W, USG, UC-CK). How's that for ever so slightly under-budget?
It would need a small amount of work customising the captive portal if you want to do social media logins - I've never done that personally, but someone might know the details. Their forums would be a good place to start if you want to look for someone who has done that, or general advice.
The gateway is definitely optional, and any cheap PoE switch would be fine (or non-PoE, as the AP will also ship with a PoE injector). The controller software can be run on any old PC or VM with 1-2GB of RAM (although I personally like the cloud key for convenience), so you could get the cost down as low as just the AP if you've got a switch and a spare computer.
It also gives you a nice ability to expand with another AP in future if this takes off and you need extra capacity, and a nice management interface which is optionally accessible over the internet without being on-site, which might be nice if you have to help troubleshoot this remotely.
I would go ubiquiti. Deployed a number of AP's and they're solid and cost effective. They also have built in security features so you can tag traffic with a VLAN or restrict access to your other local subnets, OR have it act as it's own dhcp server.
Regarding the need for a controller, I was unclear on this originally as well. TECHNICALLY, you don't need a controller. I setup a friends AP at home using my iPhone app (easy but not for you IMO)
I would suggest 1 of 2 options(option 2 if you've got the ~$72 to spare):
Option 1:
Install the UniFi Controller on a PC on the network and only run it when you need to access/make changes. You can also do this on say your personal laptop, plug in and run it to manage the AP and then take the laptop home and the AP will continue working just fine.
The downside with this route is that if you want a captive guest portal, you have to have the controller running full time onsite to host that webpage and manage that feature. No live controller onsite = no captive guest portal. Might not be a problem if you don't want your guest wifi having a login however it's good to do so. Also with no live controller, you don't get logging of wireless activity regarding users logging it and out, if you care about that.
Option 2:
Buy the Ubiquiti Unifi Cloud Key for ~$72, which will act as a controller so you can have the captive portal. It also allows you easier remote management of your wireless network if you need to make changes while offsite.
Personally, unless your willing to get a little trick with a VM running on an onsite server, a raspberry pi running the controller, I would suggest just getting the cloud key. You CAN run it on an existing PC, but the dedicated controller is nice and cheaper to power/run 24/7.
Of course there are other AP manufactures out there but this is going to be the easiest for you to configure and manage IMO.
Pardon for the ramble but if you have any other questions let me know :-). Also if anyone has anything to add to this please do.
Seems like you are going with the UniFi products looks good.
Personally I would go with the USG over the edge router. Since you are going with all other UniFi equipment you can manage everything in the same controller software. Also if you are going with all that UniFi equipment I would consider adding a cloud key to run your controller software:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017T2QB22/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You def want to go with cat 6 over cat5e, if you want to future proof a bit go with Cat 6A.
As someone else said its Modem->Router (USG)->Switch->Devices / APs
Here is a good video on setting up a full UniFi network:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcfIpTso_Ys
Don’t use that netgear garbage. Ubiquiti makes really nice enterprise class network equipment which is super simple to set up and manage. At a minimum, all you need is cat5-e (cat 6 fine too) distributed around the house and a couple access points connected to the hard lines:
Ubiquiti Networks Unifi 802.11ac Dual-Radio PRO Access Point (UAP-AC-PRO-US) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_gHiRDbHKHSSRR
(2 access points cover my 2500 sqft house and a third covers my detached garage and back yard)
You can optionally buy a PoE switch (power over Ethernet) to connect to the access points so that the power is transmitted through the network cable and you don’t have to plug them in to a wall outlet. This will work if you choose this route (you will have to configure this switch to turn on PoE on ports connected to access points).
Ubiquiti UniFi Switch 8 60W (US-8-60W) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU3WUX1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nNiRDbW2HP8HG
Any one of these progressive options is a valid stopping point, but I recommend buying the secure router/gateway and then the cloud key. These allow you to do advanced network management (main + guest Wi-Fi networks, custom qos throttling):
Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway (USG) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LV8YZLK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1RiRDbW5SEFNM
Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Key (UC-CK) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017T2QB22/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vSiRDb8SMX7ZY
The guest network is worth the price of admission for added security. Put all your random wireless devices (i.e. the internet of things) on this network to isolate them from your major devices (PCs and phones). Reason being the IoT devices are frequently hacked and used to access your home network.
Also, this is what the Cloud Key does. If you buy a Cloud Key, this is something you can plug into the network that already has the controller software present. You can just use it as the controller for all Ubiquiti products.
first off, don't rent a router from your ISP. you will need to use a modem or gateway depending on the type of internet you are getting. if you are using cable or dsl i would also suggest to buy your own modem as well. it's a modern version of renting a rotary phone from the company and a racket.
you can get a router and wifi combo that is new and good for about $150 or more for faster or more advanced features.
as far as game plan for your home here is my suggestions
to start you off since you just moved in and are already renting it for now just use the provided router from to fiber provider so you can get connected and plan the rest of this build out.
depending on the layout and size of your home (cinder block construction is terrible for wifi and other rf signals) you may need multiple access points. my suggestion is to look into a brand of networking equipment called ubiquity.
they are relatively new to the market and have really shaken up the price and feature packs. set up is mainly through a web and mobile app and is very easy for a relatively new person to IT. there is also a huge community here on reddit and youtube showing off features and giving how to's.
here is my goto suggestion if you are willing to invest in an infrastructure more than a single router.
the fiber will come into your property and go through a modem and gateway provided by the isp you would then plug it into a router:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Security-Gateway-USG/dp/B00LV8YZLK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526552321&sr=8-2&keywords=unifi
This is a smaller model that is a router and firewall combo by ubiquity, its about 110 at amazon
Then you plug the router into a switch:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Managed-Gigabit-US-8-150W/dp/B01DKXT4CI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1526552321&sr=8-3&keywords=unifi
This is a sort of backbone device that you would use to send the internet to other devices and for other devices to comunicate with each other. this one is a poe switch which means it can send power to some devices like access points over the one cat 5 cable. this one has 8 ports so that means 7 outboard devices can be connected to the network because one is needed for the router. they make larger ones with more ports for more devices. this model is currently 194 on amazon
you will then need access points:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1526552321&sr=8-5&keywords=unifi
these are radios that broadcast wifi to your wireless devises these connect to the switch with cat 5 cables and are best placed near where you are going to use wifi devises the average home would benefit from two or three of these one to cover the living room kitchen great room area and one to cover the bedroom hallway are and possibly one for the backyard pool area (that might be important because of your external walls). this model is currently 80 on amazon.
if you deploy this list you will also need a cloud key:
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Cloud-Key-Control/dp/B017T2QB22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526553343&sr=8-1&keywords=cloud+key
this is a devise that manages the network and stores configuration files locally. it's like a mini server. this is about 78 on amazon.
you will also need cat 5/6/7 cables of various lengths and a power strip for about 500 you can get a really great network that can cover your whole house and that can easily be upgraded incrementally as technology improves. My suggestion would be to get all this mounted in a closet somewhere and get cat5/6/7 run to all the things that you can and place the access point in the house so you get the best coverage possible for the IOT devises in your house. as your network grows and you need more wired ports you can add a switch or replace the one with a 24 or 46 port one. when wifi tech improves past ag you can just replace the access points without affecting the rest of the network.another big thing is to run cable to anything you can this will help with keeping your wifi fast since there are less devices on the wifi.
Edit:
If there are two main points they would be:
There is a software (free download) or hardware (cloud key)
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Cloud-Key-Control/dp/B017T2QB22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481832397&sr=8-1&keywords=cloud+key
>Would it be ok for me to run it on the domain controller
Its doable, however from a security perspective you shouldn't be installing anything third party software on a domain controller.
If you are really interested in unifi products, check out r/Ubiquiti
Ubiquiti Unifi Cloud Key - Remote Control Device (UC-CK) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017T2QB22/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_pqRJBb0PSX5WA
This is what I bought. I couldn’t find any hard reference points for the V2.
Did some research, drank some Ubiquiti koolaid and this is what I'm looking at now
1: Netgear Modem - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I5TJGSE/
2: Ubiquiti Security Gateway - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LV8YZLK/
3: Ubiquiti Wireless AP - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PRO512/
4: Ubiquiti Cloud Key - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017T2QB22 (sure Rasp Pi but by the time buying everything and configuring it I don’t mind forking over the extra $30)
Leave the un-managed switches as is for now.
I would say a couple Ubiquiti Lite's would cover the WiFi needs well.
You can just use all Ubiquiti gear to keep management unified. You can install the controller software in a VM or get the HW controller.
US-16-150W UniFi Switch
Ubiquiti Unifi Security Gateway (USG)
Ubiquiti Unifi Cloud Key - Remote Control Device (UC-CK) - This can be omitted and you can run the same SW in a VM on a always on PC. You can also just spin it up when you want to make changes, but then you will not be able to use some of the advanced features.
So, by all rights I would heavily recommend getting a professional to do this for you, they will be available to help with any issues that crop up down the line. That saaaaiiidddd... you could also do this.
Get:
This will run you shy of $900 and will take care of the network forever... until something breaks. Then whatever poor SOB has to take over for you has to figure out what's been done and how to fix it. If you can get that approved, come back for help on how to put it together. It will take some trial and error to figure out if you need additional APs depending on the space, but these are beefy units.
I have never seen a piece of Ubiquiti gear die, aside from what I've killed myself. As long as people don't fuck with it, it should work fine for years.
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As far as data storage goes, a proper Synology NAS would be my recommendation, but it depends on how much storage space you need. So, how much do you need? If you need less than 12TB, you can get away with a 2 bay device like the DS218 ($250 - https://www.amazon.com/Synology-bay-DiskStation-DS218-Diskless/dp/B077PJX8TH). The amount of storage will determine the cost of the drives, 4TB would be ~$300, 12TB would be ~$900.
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Last item would be a battery backup. This is not optional. It will keep electricity hijinks from kiling your data or equipment. Never plug anything else into it and leave it alone once set up. https://www.amazon.com/APC-Compact-Protector-Back-UPS-BX1500M
Great! Thanks for the info. Yes, the switch is all gigabit. And I do like the idea of separate vLans.
I was not aware of the need for the controller software to run 24/7. That is a good tip. I thought it was just for configuration. This is an office with essentially no IT person there on a day to day basis, so I am trying to keep things as simple and self running as possible.
We don't have a dedicated server, but a cloud key will do the same thing? This one?
https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UniFi-Cloud-Key-UC-CK/dp/B017T2QB22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468952346&sr=8-1&keywords=cloud+key
I was worried about not having remote access to configure the system, but it looks like this may allow me to access the configuration remotely as well as keep the controller software running. Will this do that? And is it the right version?
Thanks again!
If you need wired access, you can either use a non-managed 8-port switch (under $30) or pony up for Ubiquiti's managed POE switches. My recommendation is to stick with the UniFi line of products if you do end up getting another switch. They are insanely easy to configure and setup and provide you with the best of management, features, throughput, configuration, stability, uptime, etc.
This product line works together very seamlessly and gives you great control over the network, how its used, by whom, and so on.
Good luck.
>I recently moved to a new home and now have gigE internet service. Unfortunately, my old router and WAP can't handle the speed (Wireless-N Airport Extreme). To fix this, I about a TP-Link Archer C7, and I'm still not seeing the speeds that I want, but I'm still not happy with my performance.
Awesome. You made my shitlist of people I'm jealous of. lol Except that extreme router. lol
>When I connect the modem directly to my computer, I'm seeing 980 Mbps.
Seems about right.
>When the Aiport Extreme
Gonna stop you right there. Throw that thing away and bury it at a crossroads at midnight.
>and separate gigabit switch are involved, I'm seeing about 250 Mbps,
Exactly.
>and with the Archer C7 and gigabit switch, I'm seeing about 780 Mbps down.
rubs eyes How is that possible?
>So, I'm looking to take the Archer C7 back
Good!
>in favor of a USG and Unifi WAP. On average, what speeds should I expect from a USG?
I know I'm gatekeeping lol but it's A.P. The wireless is implied. This is where the questions start however.
>I need 1300 square feet of WiFi coverage.
You need unifi mesh to make things less labor intense. That or two unifi AC pros for solid coverage. You can get away with one (placed in the center most part of your home) if you absolutely had to do without.
You'll also need the following:
The concept is. You either buy a Ubiquiti Edge Router 4 / a Unifi Security Gateway with an SFP WAN. and have the ISP give you a direct fiber hand off and use one of the copper GTEK SFP patch cables to patch you over to a unifi / ubiquiti switch (please make sure this is either POE / not). This is a cost consideration. Hook your AP to the boona end of the switch and presto blamo you have just shy of a 1 gig internet access internally.
Good luck! Comment if you have any questions.