Is Ubiquiti Unifi worth it? I spent $8000 on my Home Network!

Mesh based home networking has taken then world by storm. Sure it's convenient but it has it's drawbacks. I don't like compromise and in part research and part leap of faith I purchased a ton of Ubiquiti's hardware to give my new house a SERIOUS upgrade. Come find out why I did it with a complete new Ubiquiti Unifi system headed up by a Unifi Dream Machine Pro. Bonus, the Unifi Protect system comes with the dream machine and paired with Unifi Protect G4 Pro Cameras is amazing. Come see my Unifi setup and learn how I put together the configuration and determine if the system I have Ubiquiti Unifi worth it.

Help me buy hardware for more benchmarking videos-

Note: Using Adorama as they have it in stock while Amazon is full of price arbitrage for the Unifi Products

Davinci Resolve Studio

My Editing Workstation

My Camera Setups

0:00 Intro
0:28 The Network Stack
1:10 The Cost
2:00 Access Points
2:50 Three Reasons I Went Nuts
3:32 Configuration and Visibility
4:30 Security Improvements
5:50 Designing for the best signal
7:04 Conclusion

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A production of John’s Films LLC

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[Moonraker]

Please do a video on your firewall settings to see how you routes are setup. Also, would like to know how you are doing DHCP for each of your VLANs...

[DanielFowlerSr]

Thank you, John! I love your configuration. You helped me understand my network and how to maximize my Davinci and media business in a home environment. Your language to describe what you got going on really demystifies the current reality many of us live in. This is a wonderful presentation that I will watch over and over until I get good like you!!!

[roxfire]

I have UniFi in my home for 4yrs and I love my UniFi network

[carbpumper]

I just learned a lot about my own UniFi network

[tonywithani]

Great video. I'm building mine at the moment and this is one best videos I've seen.

[edsavill]

Great video John!

Just a small tip, please try and improve your audio from your camera as it’s quieter than the voice over.

[barbsfpv]

I took the plunge and dropped a few grand on a Unifi system, and I agree, totally worth it. It’s basically what you have to do if you don’t want cloud-based security storage, like all the other options. If I was sending this much data to the cloud I’d be paying $1, 000 a month in overages, lol.

[michaelengseth]

TechGeek here aswell :) just bought the udm Pro and a 8 port 150w PoE switch :) i also do have a rack with a few servers and nas. so its gonna be fun to redo my whole home!

[allthebest]

I've been using Ubiquiti AC gear (Nanobeams, Bridges, Rocket Prisms, etc) doing full-blown temporary camera installs at Music Festivals and large events(Lollapalooza - Chicago, Governor's Ball-NYC, SxSW - Austin, VooDoo - New Orleans, etc.) +Axis Cameras for Production/Security - with a video wall at Command Posts for these events over the last few years... thinking about putting a vid together as to how the installs/config/operating goes - Will be at Faster Horses - Country Music Festival - Michigan - in a month after missing all of 2020

[JohnCMancini]

Thanks for the video! It looks like you have a similar setup as I am attempting to configure in my home. I have recently purchased and installed a UDM-PRO and I am trying to set up a separate VLAN for my IoT devices (including SONOS). I noticed you have SONOS in your system as well. A video on how you successfully got SONOS working with your UDM-PRO and VLAN connectivity would be helpful. Also, +1 for Home Assistant!

[DanielaTocan]

I have arround 20 Ubiquity longrange but not the newer ones.

[ErikThiart]

Not bad. Personally running MikroTik, moved from the old Ubiquiti USG and switch, when they went into dream I kicked it. Too expensive, better cameras are available from uniview and then more control is available via MikroTik. You loose a bit of the GUI, but that doesn't matter to me.

[Questchaun]

Thanks for the video, I just set up my dream machine.

[KiwiTimmy]

Great video. I love my new network. I'm still using a USG and a switch . I plan top upgrade in the near future. Prices here in New Zealand for UniFi equpiment are insane. UDM pro for example is $800

[sachavez]

Cool vid. I just moved over to Ubiquiti UniFi Network and Protect. It’s very nice!!!

[kewitt]

I like unifi, I have them for my wifi, and cameras, but I found there though put on routing wasn't as good a Mikrotik. So my switch and router are both Mikrotik. I have 2 wifi, 4 cameras, 24 switches, 8 poe+ Switch, and cloud key gen 2, and my system cost about $1500. Every room in my house has a minimum of 2 Ethernet cables. My camera is only 1080p which is good enough to see clear detail on anyone who comes to my property.

[JacobBorchardt]

I'm loving my Unifi system. So far I've only spent $1500, but i haven't stepped into the realm of unifi protect just yet (planning on doing that in the future). It's been a great system, and I'm going to be installing another unifi system at a friend's restaurant pretty soon.

[dpmex]

Great video John! I noticed that you have AT&T’s BGW320 router that has the ONT built in to the device (direct fiber to router). Do you have IP passthrough mode enabled and if so, do you have any tips on how to best do this so that UDMP does all the routing?

Also, any noticeable wifi performance improvements with your UniFi APs vs WiFi 6 that the BGW320 ships with? I don’t know if you have the WiFi 6 enabled APs in your home but if you do I wonder if it’s just as fast as the AT&T provided one or better.

[saltwaterdrew]

I set up the same system. I went from weekly complaints from the family about the “internet” to zero complaints in 12 months.

[jpreston]

I can't use Mesh my house is too big. I'm looking at the Ubiquiti system.