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UniFi Ecosystem

Any opinions in this page are solely my own.  Please see the Service Evaluations Disclaimer for more information.

What is the service?

Information about the service (e.g. what it is, what it does, deployment method, etc.)

UniFi is an ecosystem of hardware and software designed to simplify multiple different functions, including:

  • Network Management (switches, gateways, wireless access points)
  • CCTV Cameras
  • Physical Access Control (readiers, locks)
  • Network Attached Storage (NAS)
  • Phones (Talk)

How could the home lab benefit from utilising the service?

Information on what the home lab could benefit from by utilising this technology

UniFi provides a single-pane-of-glass interface for various network-related systems, which could prove useful for simplifying management.

Pros

  • Simplified management of various components in one interface
  • All hardware is maintained by the same company, so incompatibility is likely to be rare

Cons

  • The console does not support OAuth2-based authentication, which makes it difficult to tie into existing identity management infrastructure
  • The console is not accessible when zoomed in and does not respect various accessibility settings
  • Vendor lock-in for capabilities including networks, access control, etc. would make it difficult to migrate away in the future
  • The hardware can often restart and require updating, which can result in downtime

Decision & Justification

Whether I chose to deploy it or not, and why

I have chosen NOT TO DEPLOY this service. As someone with accessibility requirements, it is essential that applications respect my accessibility settings and respond well to zooming - The fact that the UniFi console does not support this results in this service being blocked from deployment.

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