Reply With QuoteThe Captain will be along at some point but I have a Unifi system.
What's the question?
I have a technical, or potentially not so technical, question about adding an additional Ubiquiti UniFi access point to my home network that already has 2 of the same already installed.
Can anyone assist?
The Captain will be along at some point but I have a Unifi system.
What's the question?
I have a pair of the Nano WAPs installed last year.
Love them.
Fire away
i have a whole lot of unifi gear, happy to help also.
Thanks wileeeeeey et al.
I have 2 Ubiquiti UniFi access points that replaced 3 previous access points (don't know the brand/model). 1 of the previous 3 was installed behind the TV in our kitchen connected only via an ethernet cable, which I assume connected it to our router (the house is cabled with CAT6).Originally Posted by wileeeeeey
So my question is - is re-adding an access point in the kitchen as simple as simply plugging one in to the ethernet cable behind the TV or is there more to it than that?
Not a Ubiquity expert, but you will need to consider power as probably be POE so need the right switch or injector.
APs usually work together but will likely need a degree of configuration such as where to get IPs from, SSID etc although can pick some of this up remotely.
So should be fairly straightforward but be very surprised is plug and play too.
This is plenty of AP experience but no actual Ubiquity experience so they may be a bit smarter.
Been on the lash today.
Ditto tomorrow, how urgent is the request?
It will depend on how you manage the unifi platform/what other unifi devices you have.
Do you use the iOS/android app?
No, it has all been set up by the AV installer that did the rest of the house. I downloaded and had a quick look at the Ubiquiti UniFi Network app but it requires you to login, and I've never done that before. Needless to say I don't have the login details.
We have 2 of these:-
These have a single ethernet cable running into the back of them so I'm guessing they run on PoE based on what I've read in the installation guide.
Truth be told, I'm just trying to save a bit of money. I've always been pretty competent with AV/IT and I feel like the point where I decided to have an AV company in I signed over my autonomy in this regard, and at the time unknowingly [and rather naively] created an ongoing revenue stream for someone else at our expense.
Once you have the system set up on the ubiquiti app on laptops - it is all very easy, BUT - you need an account.
I can't remember what the requirement was - but I think you can set up a new account and then add the WAPs.
Phone these guys with a commitment to buy a new WAP, and they should be able to help.
They might even be the cheapest supplier.
https://www.netxl.com/ubiquiti/
(I knew a woman who didn't know what her e-mail log in was, as it was set up by her ex-husband!!!! )
Good luck
Does this help?
https://dl.ubnt.com/guides/UniFi/Uni...AC-Pro_QSG.pdf
Last edited by blackal; 14th January 2023 at 11:08.
I take it you have the ssid/password pairs?No, it has all been set up by the AV installer that did the rest of the house. I downloaded and had a quick look at the Ubiquiti UniFi Network app but it requires you to login, and I've never done that before. Needless to say I don't have the login details.
We have 2 of these:-
These have a single ethernet cable running into the back of them so I'm guessing they run on PoE based on what I've read in the installation guide.
Truth be told, I'm just trying to save a bit of money. I've always been pretty competent with AV/IT and I feel like the point where I decided to have an AV company in I signed over my autonomy in this regard, and at the time unknowingly [and rather naively] created an ongoing revenue stream for someone else at our expense.
How many ssid son the network?
What wired devices / switches do you have?
What fw/modem/router do you use?
Who’s the isp?
I’d say the first step is to contact them & get them to confirm what was installed as you say there is Poe so what powered that, switch or Poe injectors, for management is there a cloud key locally, have they used a cloud based controller or a local software based one on there laptops while setting up or just a iOS app?
Get clear on what hardware is in use be that unifi or another vendor
Ask for the management account log in details
With that you can get somwhere with minimal down time / impact
Worse case is you’ll have to factory reset all unifi gear but if you have the ssid/password combos you shouldn’t have to reconnect every wireless device manually but it will still be more painful that getting the admin login details & adopting a new ap.
Agree with the above. You should be able to access it yourself as if it's all correct you should just plug the new AP in then go into the app and click "adopt" and then name it.
Worth finding out what the main unit you have is and if the spare wire in the kitchen is already plugged into a POE port or if you can switch it to a POE socket in the main unit.
Might be worth putting up a pic of the main unit.
Yes be good to see the equipment. I.E do you have a cloud key , what router is there, is the switch Poe and is it UniFi etc etc
We have a Cloud Key which I can see on the network but am unable to access via a web browser as I don't have the username and password. It is plugged into 1 of our 2 Pakedge switches.
Am I right in thinking that if I can access this I'm halfway there to adding an additional AP?
I'm reticent to post any pictures because it's all in a bit of a state at the moment, not to mention in need of a good dust!
Essentially, we have Virgin Media broadband with the Virgin router in modem only mode connected to an additional Araknis router via ethernet. Additionally there are 2 more ethernet cables from the Virgin router that disappear into the spaghetti junction at the back of our AV rack.
Aside from my AP quandary I'm also confused about what the Araknis router is actually doing.
I’d never heard of Araknis routers, had to google them, it seems to be a platform pushed for it & av integrators the key ‘usp’ is Ovrc a remote management feature, why that & not a unifi router which with the clouds key would also have supported remote management only your installer can say.
Unfortunately you will need the admin credentials for the cloud key to administer the unifi implementation, without that given the strange choice in router & currently un identified switches I’d be loath to start tinkering I’d wait until they have been provided.
Also I’ve never heard of “ Pakedge switches.” google throws up nothing, I assume a miss type?
I’m assuming you last point is why an Araknis router rather than what is a router in the more general sense.
Last edited by Captain Morgan; 15th January 2023 at 08:20.
Basically, the Virgin modem/router/wifi device is pretty bad at all those tasks, it's therefore quite common to put it in "Modem Only" mode and have devices for the rest.
Your router takes your internet connection and provides protection via firewall, along with (as the name implies) routing traffic to the correct devices on your network that request it. I suspect youirs has an ethernet switch to provide for hard-wired devices as well, but some don't
The Ubiquiti WAPs just provide Wifi.
For powering up:
Your new WAP will either need a hard wired connection to a PoE port on the switch/router (if available), or the PoE power injector.
If you use a PoE port on the switch/router then thats it, just go to the Ubiquiti setup (see below)
If you dont have a PoE port or can't hardwire to power, then you need a PoE injector to power the device.
Once the device is powered:
You need the login/password for your Ubiquiti Cloud Key (or Android app). Once you can log into the Ubquiti config it really is as easy as finding your new device and adopting it.
Once you do this, if you used an ethernet cable to the switch for PoE power, then job is done.
If you used a PoE injector/no ethernet connection then you can use the Ubiquiti in "mesh" mode to connect to an existing Ubiquiti WAP.
Obviously this all implies that at least ONE WAP has to have a hardwired conneciton to your router/switch.
I'm quite familiar with the Ubiqiti system.
Was just checking where the OP lives, it might be something best (and more quickly) solved by a pop round and a coffee.
Sadly I see there are more than a few hours between us.
Sent through the ether by diddling with radio waves
Pakedge are Control 4 Switches so I expect the OP is running a fairly complex smart home setup. OP I share your pain - when I moved in the IT people had the passwords for the WiFi, CCTV etc. I have now taken this all back off them and maange it myself - we still have Control 4 and just changing the TV to a new one involves them changing settings, a bit frustrating but I can live with that. It would be nice to use my C4 for more at some point as currently it is just an expensive TV remote !
i can understand by passing the virgin modem (in my own set up i have connected my Unifi dream machine directly to the ONT the providers modem has never left its box) but i dont get the mismash of components, surely all Unifi equipment would make sense,
anyway OP worst case you could reset it all and start again but im sure they can provide the login details.
Yeh I assume as mentioned above, the company that installed it all wanted to keep all their clients on the same system to remotely manage them. Not sure that's the best move for the client myself but....
Interesting a google yesterday didn’t throw anything up but it’s been a ‘heavy’ events weekend.
It does seem the more we pick at this the more the op has/had some kind of managed service & at a minimum should be getting the relevant admin account details from them.
I’m sure he’ll be along to clarify/confirm in due course.
Many thanks for all of your replies, I've been at Disneyland Paris for a few days and have only just got home.
I will read, digest and reply in due course once I've re-acclimatised.
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