Pre-configuring Ubiquiti setup

[HCHTech]

I did my first cloud key setup this weekend, which of course generated a bunch of questions. This was a residential install, that included 3 AC-Lite access points, a cloud key and a toughswitch TS-5. I have a big job quoted for a commercial client with at least 8 APs, so i figured this job would be a good way to get my feet wet.

The first thing I ran into was that the toughswitch doesn't have enough juice to power a cloud key. It's 24v ports do the access points just fine, but the cloudkey needs more. Luckily, I found a 6" USB-to-microUSB cable and used the switch's native USB port to make it go. This is frustrating, because the US-8 switch that would have been the correct choice is more than double the price of the TS-5. Anyway, the first of many notes for future installs, I guess. Plus I think I read somewhere that the TS line is going away in any event.

I didn't try to pre-configure anything before I went onsite, because I wasn't familiar enough with using a cloudkey to know whether that would have saved any time - so I guess that's my main question for those that do these all the time. How do you do the main configuration before you go onsite? Obviously you will need to assign IPs on the customer's network once you're onsite, but can you still adopt and configure the cloudkey with a temporary IP? Same question for the APs. It would save a lot of time if you could pre-configure everything and then just change the IPs when you're onsite.

Lastly, this was a residential install, with a run-of-the-mill dynamic IP Comcast internet with one of their XB3 gateways. It didn't make sense to force a security gateway into the already high quote for this job, knowing we'd be double-NATing anyway if we did that, so I left it out. What combination of equipment are others using for this kind of an install?

The result was good, btw. Once it was all working, we had great coverage on both the basement and main level of this sprawling 3600s sq ft brick ranch home. And we have one port left over for one last access point in case they want to cover the back patio or something in the future.

 

[timeshifter]

with a run-of-the-mill dynamic IP Comcast internet with one of their XB3 gateways. It didn't make sense to force a security gateway into the already high quote for this job, knowing we'd be double-NATing anyway if we did that, so I left it out. What combination of equipment are others using for this kind of an install?

Want a reason to not use the cable company's provided gateway? Have a look at my thread that turned out to be about that:

https://www.technibble.com/forums/t...out-frequently-and-cant-find-the-cause.78766/

Bottom line is that installing our own router and putting the cable company box in bridge mode seems to have solved the problem. The way you wrote that, it seems you're saying that you can't put that box in bridge mode?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Using a Unifi switch instead of an edgeswitch/edgeswitchXP allows you to more fully utilize the ease of management of the Unifi controller. Especially when combined with a USG.

The Cloud Key is just a little PC, set to "obtain auto" on the network it's plugged into. So...find out what IP it's on. By default all the Unifi hardware is designed to be discovered and adopted by a local controller. So typically you connect the USG, US, UCK, and UAPs.....and then power up the USG first....if you need to change its LAN IP...change it...and then once saved...ensure the USG is powered up first...and then the US(s)..and then the UCK and APs. When logged into your unifi.ubnt portal from a PC behind this LAN, set discovery on, find the UCK, adopt..and begin your setup process.
Name the Site, name the CK, time zone, adopt the CK, update firmware CK first, I usually give the UCK a static LAN IP, adopt devices, update firmware on devices, edit default LAN properties if needed, set the backup for once a week (that's my preference), enabled advanced features, turn on bandwidth steering via group edit to all UAPs, run bandwidth test on the USG, enable smart queues based on that, rename each device, create guest vlan, set network, create guest SSID attach to that vlan, start site survey when in place and adjust power on each UAP as needed, channels of 2.4, ...those are most of the basics I start with.

 

[HCHTech]

Want a reason to not use the cable company's provided gateway? Have a look at my thread that turned out to be about that:

I've never tried to put one of the gateways that had phone lines connected to it into bridge mode. I've done it on regular modems, of course, and even on the gateways that didn't have the phone lines. I guess I thought that would screw up the phones somehow. There is a switch in the GUI for that, but you often have to have Comcast do it from their end before it works right.

In this case, I didn't want to add another $120 to the quote. This was already a fairly big job for a residential install.

I did run into something unusual, they had a "Wink" controller - which operated a honest-to-goodness traffic light they have mounted to the side of their house. They have a large pool and all of the neighborhood families come and go. So they put this traffic light up to have a visual sign when the pool was available or unavailable. He controls it with an app on his phone - Green light = Pool's open, Red Light = Pool's closed -Yellow light means they are swimming in the nude - come in at your own risk - haha. No problem configuring it, once I figured out how - you have to connect with bluetooth to the thing to give it the network credentials - it connects wirelessly to the network/internet and then wirelessly to it's light controllers. Pretty high-tech for an 80-yr-old!

 

[HCHTech]

he Cloud Key is just a little PC, set to "obtain auto" on the network it's plugged into. So...find out what IP it's on. By default all the Unifi hardware is designed to be discovered and adopted by a local controller. So typically you connect the USG, US, UCK, and UAPs.....and then power up the USG first....if you need to change its LAN IP...change it...and then once saved...ensure the USG is powered up first...and then the US(s)..and then the UCK and APs. When logged into your unifi.ubnt portal from a PC behind this LAN, set discovery on, find the UCK, adopt..and begin your setup process.

That's basically what I did - I was just wondering if there was the ability to do any of the configuration on my bench before I went onsite. That would let you find any DOA equipment & such. Do you just wait until you get onsite to open everything up and confgure it?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I usually prep all managed networks at my shop ahead of time....built it all here, configure, update, etc etc.

 

[marley1]

Unifi switch instead of Touchswitch (old school)

Us-8-150 if needing all Poe.

Use cloud controller vs cloud key

Pre provision all
Label all
Look like pro!

 

[Bryce W]

Label all
Look like pro!

A little label printer can give you more credibility in the eyes of your customers than most certifications

 

[CLC]

I don't use cloud key's myself, I just use the cloud controller hosted on a droplet over at digital ocean, with backups it costs me about $7.50 a month. http://www.jeff-ferguson.com/2016/11/21/unifi-5-2-9-installation-script-for-digital-ocean/ They also have add-on firewalls.

 

[Michael Tisdale]

I usually prep all my managed networks at my office ahead of time as well. There are so many unknowns that can crop up taking up onsite time, I'd rather know my kit is configured and ready and spend my time working on the other parts that could use improvement.

 

[jzukerman]

I don't use cloud key's myself, I just use the cloud controller hosted on a droplet over at digital ocean, with backups it costs me about $7.50 a month. http://www.jeff-ferguson.com/2016/11/21/unifi-5-2-9-installation-script-for-digital-ocean/ They also have add-on firewalls.

Same except I use Linode for the virtual server provider and CentOS for the OS. A little tedious to download the "not supported" generic linux UniFi controller software since the link is hidden behind their beta forum, but it works fine once installed.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Same except I use Linode for the virtual server provider and CentOS for the OS. A little tedious to download the "not supported" generic linux UniFi controller software since the link is hidden behind their beta forum, but it works fine once installed.

Linode is a great host, fast servers. We have our UNMS server there, and our remaining Unifi cloud server..used to run it at RackSpace (the one I used to make the article here on TN on rolling your own Unifi cloud controller many years ago) but have since moved it to Linode.

Used to have around 100 sites on that Unifi controller down to around 50-ish now. Been moving most of our clients to either CKs or other local Unifi controllers and we just bind it to our unifi.ubnt cloud account. Have over 150 sites on there now. Hope to empty the cloud Unifi controller down to around 10 or so...for legacy sites and odd ball stand alone installs.

 

[mikeroq]

I try to stage it in shop beforehand.
Quit using tough switch years ago. Using Unifi switches now.
Never used a cloud key. I might for a home install. Pretty much all my installs are at businesses so I install a local controller on their server.
Enable cloud access with unifi.ubnt.com

I did setup our controller on digital ocean running Ubuntu. Running in a docker container.