The Ubiquiti UniFi eco-system allows enterprise administrators and privileged users to build a centrally managed 'all-in-one' network across multiple gateways, smart switches & WiFi access points using the software based UniFi Controller.
Ubiquiti UniFi is a Software Defined Networking (SDN) solution. SDN is an approach to networking which by virtualizing the network allows administrators to control, change, and manage network behavior dynamically via accessible, open interfaces, usually commissioned on-premise.
Enter the SaaS Cloud era, the biggest advantage of cloud-hosted SDN is that it can centralize and simplify control of enterprise network management remotely, with no need for additional on-site access disrupting business-as-usual (BAU) operations to end-users.
The following are advantages to hosting UniFi in the Cloud;
Reduced human resource operating expenses
Dynamic adaptability
Decreased downtime
Simplified management and planning
Tighter security
Remote availability access
Rapid scalability
Solid reliability
Increased uptime
Increased utilization reporting
Guest network security isolation & hotspot services
Managed client traffic bandwidth, capacity & speed
Deployment standardization compliance
We recommend the Ubiquiti UniFi Enterprise system for its combination of performance, reliability, scalability and performance/ price value. It features an intuitive management software interface that boasts a graphical user interface (GUI), bundled with UniFi hardware at no extra cost. Licensing and support options are available using Ubiquiti Elite SaaS plans.
So how does having control from one place benefit you as a business owner? Since Dreamtech Systems is primarily a Ubiquiti Approved Expert Systems Integrator and License Operator, we’ll focus on how the product eco-system can streamline the day to day functioning of your cloud-hosted network.
Ease of Deployment
Having a UniFi controller in the cloud (like with our dreamSERV cloud-hosted Controller) allows for extremely easy deployment of hardware. Sometimes, if the particular hardware that’s being added doesn’t have a need for any kind of special mounting or grounding, we won't even bother you by deploying kit on-premises as this can be fully deployed using remote adoption methods. We will ship the part directly to you, and if you’re at least somewhat technically inclined, you plug the power cord into a wall jack and connect an RJ45 Ethernet cable to the device from your switching appliance. The rest we do over the air!
In every case where we have a UniFi Security Gateway router (USG-3P/ USG-Pro-4) installed on site, any new UniFi equipment plugged into the network is instantly recognized by the controller and becomes available for adoption. When the software controller adopts the device, it automatically receives the correct site configuration for the device type and is ready within minutes for production usage to end-users.
For large scale deployments, we usually ship devices to our offices and configure them to the relevant cloud controller site, thereafter visit the client site and deploy the devices as/ where required physically. The main point to take away here is that there is little to no downtime in system upgrades. meaning there is no shutting down the network to integrate new equipment or having to reboot systems thereafter to have site settings take effect locally. Everything is configured from the cloud within the existing network topology.
Cost for Performance
Brands like Cisco, Brocade, HP, Aruba and Ruckus make fantastic networking equipment for large corporate environments. They offer extreme longevity, and in a scenario where Cisco is your primary hardware of choice, iOS offers an incredible amount of security and functionality. The fact of the matter is that most small businesses, and even some medium sized businesses don’t need the extra cost of Cisco enterprise equipment, and can achieve some of the same performance, if not all by utilizing Ubiquiti products.
But let's be clear, advanced enterprise solutions like Cisco and Ruckus offer an entirely different level of networking that Ubiquiti UniFi hardware is not meant to offer. That being said, you can have nearly the same feature sets for a fraction of the cost. For example, a single Cisco enterprise WiFi access point (AP) can cost anywhere from $599 - $1499, compare that to Ubiquiti’s most expensive UniFi AP at the moment, UAP-AC-XG which is known as the UniFi UAP XG (high density) at around ~$799, or their UniFi nanoHD, UAP-nanoHD at ~$179 which has a 600ft range, 4x4 MU-MIMO technology, broadcasts dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz AC wireless, and paired with a USG and cloud controller has guest control (paid or free), VLAN tagging for guest networks, band steering to 5GHz for client devices, and not to mention throughput speeds of up to 1733Mbps on the 5GHz radio.
You simply cannot beat the price for performance that UniFi equipment offers. All UniFi switches come with 802.3af PoE technology, and some offer 24v passive, as well as 48v 802.3at PoE+ that support compliant devices requiring the higher power consumption. The usage of PoE injectors becomes obsolete when utilizing a UniFi switch, as all power/ data requirements are catered for from a single device, using SDN technologies to configure as required to the associated hardware appliance. Compare the price of a Cisco 3650 48p GbE/ SFP+ 750w switch at ~$6999 to UniFi’s 48p PoE/ SFP+ 750w switch (US-48-750W) at ~$1099. Again, Cisco is advanced enterprise hardware, which most companies would not require, so Ubiquiti makes sense for smaller/ medium operating businesses that want enterprise grade equipment at market disrupting pricing, with GUI management software.
Total Visibility
As we've discussed with our customers over the years, one of the things that we keep hearing is how little access their contract SLA IT vendors give them to their own networks. This seems to not make sense, surely? The customer owns the network, they own the equipment, and it’s their facility, they should at least have an idea as to what’s going on if they so desire, not so? That’s where our dreamSERV Cloud Controller comes in handy. In a complete UniFi estate, the customer can see everything that’s going on within their network.. from connected clients, user access permissions, total traffic utilized, bandwidth reports, synchronized speed and throughput tests, to information broken down into individual protocols using deep packet inspection (DPI). It’s all available from a single 'pane-of-glass' available within the cloud-hosted UniFi Controller, and better yet, available via apps on mobile smart devices supporting both Android and iOS/ iPadOS operating systems. The UniFi smart eco-system is forever expanding with system firmware updates available from Ubiquiti, increasing their hardware logic to be greater and more dynamic.
Depending on what privileges the customer wants, they have the option to revoke access to certain guests or users that might be abusing the network and internet bandwidth. Visibility is key in staying aware of the security and health of your network as wel. The UniFi Controller monitors “heartbeats” of all UniFi devices on the network, and will send alerts when hardware has lost power, been unplugged, and even when rogue access points have been detected.
Aside from security, the UniFi Controller can offer valuable insights into how your network is being used and what changes would benefit the speed and efficiency of the network. For instance, since expanding WiFi at a local church and adding end-user iPhone's to the network, on any given Sunday morning there are more than 60 devices connected to a single WiFi AP in the sanctuary, which also happens to be connected to the same switch the church live streams from. This may cause an extreme 'bottleneck', putting undue strain on the single WiFi AP which will in turn create lag/ jitter for those connected to the WiFi network that may want to use mobile devices during the service. Without the cloud-hosted UniFi Controller, there is no way we are able to see what is happening, and how we plan to mitigate this proactively by moving clients off from one WiFi AP to the another, in order to spread the client bandwidth utilization load evenly. This is handled 100% remotely.
Longevity
This is probably our favourite part about Ubiquiti’s UniFi products. Because the appliances are built to be controlled remotely and with upgrades in mind, they are future proof in the form of new features that weren’t necessarily available when they were initially released to public for purchase. Case in point.. the UniFi Security Gateway Pro 4 (USG-Pro-4) currently only has 2x LAN ports (RJ45), 2x WAN ports (RJ45) and 2x SFP WAN ports.
Wouldn’t it be great to use the 2x SFP ports for fibre or to stack copper (DAC) to downstream switches? At the time of device release, an administrator could not do this as only RJ45 on 2x LAN ports were available for the configuration, however with a later released firmware, available completely free from Ubiquiti, an administrator can now reassign these ports to LAN or WAN, however they choose fit to for their networking estate.
It’s amazing to us that hardware now 4+ years old is still getting updated with new features and current release firmware. Some of the original UniFi WiFi AP’s (UAP 802.11n) are still kicking along just fine. These however fall into the 'LTS', long-term-service branch of firmware updates and eventually will becomes end-of-life (EOL) with no future firmware updates being made available from Ubiquiti.
Example of a single-site UniFi System Deployment below;
In conclusion, we are avid Ubiquiti followers and love the modern cloud managed UniFi eco-system. We'd love to show you how useful it can be to your small/ medium/ large scale business. The simplicity behind the technology is just excellent, and it just works!
Contact us today for a free site assessment and quotation on your UniFi network implementation, utilizing our dreamSERV Cloud Controller as your management gateway.
- info@dreamtech.co.za