Ubiquiti Finally Announces the UniFi Switches

They don't seem to be on sale quite yet though..

So would it be safe to assume that the Switches are running a small embedded linux os that could maybe one day be the Unifi Server for configuring the APs as well, if it isn't able to yet?

scottalanmiller

Linux seems unlikely but possible.

scottalanmiller

This is really unlikely to replace the UniFi management console. Why would you want that in a switch?

Dashrender

Does the console have to be running all the time? if not, then there would be no point in putting it in the switch, but, if like a Cisco controller, it has to always be on, then putting it in a switch, and not needing yet another device running would be awesome.

scottalanmiller

If course not. It's just a configuration tool. These would be bricks if that was required.

scottalanmiller

The console is a desktop app to make setup easy. That's all.

Since when is it a desktop app? Last time I checked it was a Linux server only. Usually just can be run as a VM but I'd be nice not to have the extra thing and bulit into the switches web interface so it could centrally manage all unifi devices.

Looks like they must of completely overhauled the Unifi controller in the last few months. It doesnt require a full linux machine anymore.

scottalanmiller

@thecreativeone91 said:

Since when is it a desktop app? Last time I checked it was a Linux server only. Usually just can be run as a VM but I'd be nice not to have the extra thing and bulit into the switches web interface so it could centrally manage all unifi devices.

The UniFi console has always been a Windows desktop application.

scottalanmiller

@thecreativeone91 said:

Looks like they must of completely overhauled the Unifi controller in the last few months. It doesnt require a full linux machine anymore.

Been a long time. All the Ubiquiti installs that I did almost two years ago were Windows desktop console applications.

@scottalanmiller said:

@thecreativeone91 said:

Since when is it a desktop app? Last time I checked it was a Linux server only. Usually just can be run as a VM but I'd be nice not to have the extra thing and bulit into the switches web interface so it could centrally manage all unifi devices.

The UniFi console has always been a Windows desktop application.

yeah. that's true

@Hubtech said:

@scottalanmiller said:

@thecreativeone91 said:

Since when is it a desktop app? Last time I checked it was a Linux server only. Usually just can be run as a VM but I'd be nice not to have the extra thing and bulit into the switches web interface so it could centrally manage all unifi devices.

The UniFi console has always been a Windows desktop application.

yeah. that's true

Meh, 3.0x was only available as a linux software less then a year ago when I did my last install of it. You would access it through a web browser to configure all your APs in one place. It's great to have it that way for larger networks though.

Seems there are still references to it. https://community.ubnt.com/t5/UniFi/UniFi-controller-vmware-appliance-3-2-1/td-p/587395

scottalanmiller

Are you sure that the appliance was the only option?

@scottalanmiller said:

Are you sure that the appliance was the only option?

I know that it wasn't. i've got some 2-3 year old APs out there. i've never configured through linux, always my lappytappy. but this is an unimportant argument that is not relevant to the the thread.

I'm excited about these switches. I do kind-of wish that they werent all POE

@Hubtech Why no POE? I think that's probably so if you buy a switch it's easier to sell you APs and Phones latter. I love POE but if you aren't using it the switch will be slightly less power efficient. Probably not to much though since there is no actual load using the power rails for it.

@scottalanmiller said:

Are you sure that the appliance was the only option?

It's possible there was a 2.x software but, I didn't even look at it as 2.x at that point had some issues with apple devices so I went to 3.x even though it was still in "Beta" or as UBNT calls it "Early Release". It worked great. For that setup though an appliance was preferred anyway. Its was a deployment of 4 sites across a vpn (different subnets). and the board of supervisors wanted monthly statics on the usage of wifi (both Guest and staff).

@thecreativeone91 said:

@Hubtech Why no POE? I think that's probably so if you buy a switch it's easier to sell you APs and Phones latter. I love POE but if you aren't using it the switch will be slightly less power efficient. Probably not to much though since there is no actual load using the power rails for it.

Well, if you wanted a closet of the same equipment, for example, let's say you only needed one 48 Port POE switch to handle all of your APs and Phones, but you had 100 PCs on the network. Why have POE switch that isn't POEing. haha

scottalanmiller

@thecreativeone91 said:

@Hubtech Why no POE? I think that's probably so if you buy a switch it's easier to sell you APs and Phones latter. I love POE but if you aren't using it the switch will be slightly less power efficient. Probably not to much though since there is no actual load using the power rails for it.

I wish that they were not PoE too. Makes them unnecessarily expensive and draw too much power.