Was not aware that you can flash unifi ap with open-wrt. This turns it into a POE wireless router/switch with control over the two eth ports? Sounds awesome has anyone tried it?
When I moved continents in late 2022, I bought Unifi's WiFi 6 APs specifically because I knew I could flash OpenWRT on them without issues. I wouldn't try running them as a router, but as APs for an existing network, they work great.
We are all using Unifi stuff because there are no alternatives.
Of course it all depends on which bits of the Unifi ecosystem you are using. If you just want a singular device like a firewall or a WiFi AP, you can find alternatives.
But for the full stack from firewall to switches to APs, there just isn't anything that integrates as well as Unifi gear.
I have have lanner tech router that I installed a as internet gateway. I have been very happy with it. Works well, lower power, small has multiple ports. Can use SSD for storage.
One must install the OS; whether that is OpenWRT, OpenBSD or whatever OS. This means that one needs to be quite familiar with the OS install. So, one probably needs to be a technical person. The one I got had x64 intel based CPU, so it should run just about any linux or BSD distribution. The one that I got has a serial port for the console (no VGA, HDMI, display port etc).
Aruba Instant On. It's Aruba's enterprise hardware with all knobs stripped and on a huge discount.
I suppose some people might find their use of a cloud based "controller" disagreeable, but I honestly think it's a plus — it's barely ever needed and it's one thing less to maintain.
> I suppose some people might find their use of a cloud based "controller" disagreeable, but I honestly think it's a plus — it's barely ever needed and it's one thing less to maintain.
Until your network gets pwned because the cloud controller gets breached.
I set it up once using the built-in WebUI, forgot about it and it just works. That is part of the beauty, no need for anything like Unifi controller running when you need to make some changes.
I use an EdgeRouterX. It is also made by Ubiquiti but the Edge series is quite different from Unifi, seems more to be targeted at maybe ISPs, it has a built-in management UI and does not require (or work with) a Unifi controller. I also use a Zyxel switch with PoE to power the U6 Lite.
I think the main point is that it should not and does not matter what you use. You can mix and match anything you want if those devices work on their own and do not require any central management.
I do not need or want some Unifi controller and being able to look at data about my devices and being locked into their products, I just want devices that want that I configure once and forget about them.
This person clearly did no research into the requirements to run a ubiquity device.
It's meant for enterprise / SME. The design decisions reflect that.
they have a series of other products, such as the dream machine and express that might’ve been better suited for him, but instead he chose the professional equipment.