Ubiquiti
Ubiquiti's UniFi puts Wi-Fi, switching, gateways, cameras (Protect) and door access (Access) in one app, with no annual licence. airMAX and airFiber handle long-distance wireless links. The company is US-based.
- Headquarters
- United States
- Positioning
- EntryMid-market
- Official website
- www.ui.com
Who it suits
Boutique hotels and offices that want Wi-Fi, cameras and doors on one screen with no subscription fees.
Overview
Who Ubiquiti is
Ubiquiti is a US company headquartered in New York and listed on the stock market. It has two clearly separate families: UniFi for offices, hotels and buildings, and UISP for internet service providers and long-distance wireless links.
UniFi: several systems in one app
- UniFi Network: access points from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7 (the U7 series, such as the U7 Pro and U7 Pro Max), switches at several levels including an Enterprise line, and gateways such as the Cloud Gateway and Dream Machine.
- UniFi Protect: cameras and NVRs viewed in the same app as the Wi-Fi.
- UniFi Access: door access by card, phone or PIN.
- Everything runs on UniFi OS, hosted on a console (Cloud Gateway, Dream Machine or Cloud Key). Since 2025 UniFi OS Server can also be installed on your own Windows, macOS or Linux server.
What customers like most is that there is no yearly licence. Buy the hardware and the management software and updates are free. Remote access through Ubiquiti's cloud carries no subscription for basic use either.
UISP: wireless links and ISPs
- airMAX: 5 GHz point-to-point and point-to-multipoint radios to join buildings or carry internet where cable can't go.
- airFiber: high-capacity point-to-point links for longer distances and more traffic.
- UISP is the platform that manages and monitors this equipment.
Ubiquiti fits small and mid-sized hotels, offices and schools that want Wi-Fi, cameras and doors on one screen with no subscription, and can accept that support is not enterprise-style.
Strengths
- No yearly licence for the management software, so running costs after installation are easy to predict.
- Wi-Fi, switching, cameras and doors live in one app, so hotel front-desk staff can watch cameras and open doors from the same system.
- airMAX and airFiber are an economical way to link buildings, warehouses or points around a mine site where fiber can't be run.
- The app and dashboard are easy to read, so non-engineers can check status and restart devices themselves.
Things to know before choosing
- There is no enterprise-style support contract with vendor engineers responding within a set time. Help mostly comes from the installer, chat support and the user community.
- Warranty through resellers is commonly one year. UI Care extends replacement cover to five years on eligible products, but ask whether it applies to units shipped into Laos.
- Firmware releases are frequent and occasionally buggy. Turn off automatic updates and wait a few weeks before updating a production network.
- New and Enterprise models are not always in stock at Thai distributors. For larger projects, confirm stock before committing to a handover date.
Using it in Laos
UniFi is popular with boutique hotels, resorts, offices and private schools in Laos. airMAX is common around mine sites, farms, factories and resorts with buildings spread apart.
What we see on sites:
- Lightning: airMAX radios on tall masts and outdoor APs fail from rainy-season lightning more than anything else. Ground them, use shielded LAN cable and fit surge protection at both ends.
- The console is the heart: if the Dream Machine or Cloud Gateway dies, cameras and doors are affected too. Turn on automatic backups and consider a spare console.
- Power: the console, NVR and PoE switches must be on a UPS. A sudden outage can damage NVR disks.
- Ordering: mostly through distributors in Thailand. Keeping one or two spare APs and radios costs less than a system down while you wait.
Technicians who can set up UniFi are not hard to find in Vientiane, but designing a long airMAX link properly needs someone who understands line of sight and the Fresnel zone.
Compared with alternatives
TP-Link Omada follows a similar idea and spares are easier to find in Vientiane IT shops. If you need enterprise support and will pay for licences, Cisco Meraki offers similar cloud management with clearer warranty terms. For outdoor links that must be very rugged or face heavy interference, Cambium is worth comparing. Pick Ubiquiti when you want Wi-Fi, cameras and doors in one system with no yearly fees.
Product lines
- UniFi Network
- UniFi Protect
- UniFi Access
- UISP
- airMAX
- airFiber
Solutions that use this brand
Enterprise LAN & SwitchingA core–access LAN with VLANs, redundant uplinks and enough PoE. One looped cable no longer takes down the whole building.
Enterprise Wi-FiWi-Fi 6/6E/7 with APs placed from real measurements. Works in a full meeting room, holds calls while you walk, secured with WPA3.
Hotel Guest Wi-FiWi-Fi guests can join easily, strong in every room, each guest isolated, with your own login page and PMS link.
Point-to-Point Wireless LinksPtP/PtMP radio links over several kilometres for buildings and sites you can't cable, across roads and rivers.
IP CCTV SurveillanceH.265 IP cameras with NVR/VMS, designed around what each must see: faces, plates or overview. Built for dust, rain and power dips.
Access ControlOpen doors with a card, face, fingerprint or phone. Decide who goes through which door and when, and see every entry.
Network Monitoring (NMS)Every device, link and internet circuit on one screen, with alerts that reach IT before the first user calls.
Perimeter SecurityWatch kilometres of fence with thermal cameras, AI, fence sensors and lighting, for mines, plants and substations.FAQ
Does UniFi really have no yearly licence?
Yes. UniFi Network, Protect and Access software is free with the hardware, and basic remote access has no subscription. Costs to plan for are NVR disks, a UPS, spare units and maintenance from your installer. Some add-on services may be charged.
If an AP fails in Laos, how does the warranty work?
Usually the unit goes back through the shop or distributor that sold it, which takes weeks. That is why we recommend keeping a spare AP, swapping it in at once and sending the faulty one for claim. Check how many years the warranty covers and who handles it.
Can airMAX link two buildings several kilometres apart?
Yes, if both ends have clear line of sight with no trees or buildings in the way. Real throughput depends on distance, mast height and local interference. We survey and calculate the link first, and design in margin for heavy rain.
Should we use a console or run UniFi OS Server on our own server?
For a single site, a console such as the Cloud Gateway is simplest because it is both gateway and controller. UniFi OS Server suits organizations that already maintain servers and manage several sites. UniFi Protect cameras still need a UniFi console or NVR to record.
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