BY96 Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 I hope someone can give me a little advice. I recently moved from a Netgear system to a Araknis 220 router and Araknis 220 POE 24-port switch. My dealer recommended Unifi APs, so I installed three of the new WiFi 7 ones. In reading more about the Unifi APs, I have learned that while the APs can work independent of the Unifi-ecosystem, there are more options if a have a Unifi Controller running. I installed the Mac network software and really like the options it gives me for monitoring and controlling the APs. However, I am not sure I want a computer running 24/7. I realize the software does not have to be on all the time, but Unifi does recommend it for monitoring purposes. Here is my question - What Unifi controller could I buy to run the software without needing a router or other features? I have found the Cloud Gateway Ultra (which is a great price), the UniFi Express, the CloudKey+, and the Gateway Lite, but cannot tell from the descriptions on their website if any of these would work to run the controller while leaving the router duties to Arakanis. Thanks for any help! Update - I just found this table online. Looks like all the options can manage the APS, and the Cloud Key G+ and the computer software are the only two that do not include routers. However, some of the other options, even with routers, are cheaper, so I don't know if I can bypass the router function in one of those. https://lazyadmin.nl/home-network/unifi-controller/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alt Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 You will want a cloudkey+. BY96 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BY96 Posted March 22 Author Share Posted March 22 5 minutes ago, Alt said: You will want a cloudkey+. Thank you! Can you help me understand why it is the right option? I am so confused how these different devices are similar/different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chopedogg88 Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 I have a hosted unifi cloud controller we can just point your devices to that if you want. You shouldnt need a router. BY96 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BY96 Posted March 22 Author Share Posted March 22 11 minutes ago, chopedogg88 said: I have a hosted unifi cloud controller we can just point your devices to that if you want. You shouldnt need a router. Would that give me regular access to my APs without accessing the other devices on the cloud account? I don't mind buying one of these devices to manage the APs locally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyknight Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 21 minutes ago, BY96 said: Thank you! Can you help me understand why it is the right option? I am so confused how these different devices are similar/different. If local, you'll want a cloudkey because it is NOT a router, and not creating a router on router (gateway) setup. BY96 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BY96 Posted March 22 Author Share Posted March 22 4 minutes ago, Cyknight said: If local, you'll want a cloudkey because it is NOT a router, and not creating a router on router (gateway) setup. That makes sense. It is a little more expensive then their cheapest routers, so I wasn't sure if I could just bypass the router feature of the others, but for simplicity, the CloudKey does seem best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control4Savant Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 5 hours ago, BY96 said: I hope someone can give me a little advice. I recently moved from a Netgear system to a Araknis 220 router and Araknis 220 POE 24-port switch. My dealer recommended Unifi APs, so I installed three of the new WiFi 7 ones. In reading more about the Unifi APs, I have learned that while the APs can work independent of the Unifi-ecosystem, there are more options if a have a Unifi Controller running. I installed the Mac network software and really like the options it gives me for monitoring and controlling the APs. However, I am not sure I want a computer running 24/7. I realize the software does not have to be on all the time, but Unifi does recommend it for monitoring purposes. Here is my question - What Unifi controller could I buy to run the software without needing a router or other features? I have found the Cloud Gateway Ultra (which is a great price), the UniFi Express, the CloudKey+, and the Gateway Lite, but cannot tell from the descriptions on their website if any of these would work to run the controller while leaving the router duties to Arakanis. Thanks for any help! Update - I just found this table online. Looks like all the options can manage the APS, and the Cloud Key G+ and the computer software are the only two that do not include routers. However, some of the other options, even with routers, are cheaper, so I don't know if I can bypass the router function in one of those. https://lazyadmin.nl/home-network/unifi-controller/ Continue to run/manage your APs on your local machine. There’s absolutely no reason to use a cloud key or cloud account. The controller being “online” has no bearing on your network/wifi performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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