UBIQUITI UDM UNIFI DREAM MACHINE All-in-one device with access point, 4-port switch, and security gateway. Everything you need for a small-scale wired and Wi-Fi network.UniFi Dream Machine (UDM) is the easiest way to introduce UniFi to homes and businesses. The UDM includes everything you need for a small-scale wired or Wi-Fi network. It's easy to use and still offers all the benefits of UniFi for homes and businesses. FEATURES High Performance Dual Band 802.11ac 4x4 Wave 2 AP Managed 4-Port Gigabit Switch Advanced Security Gateway with IDS/IPS and DPI UniFi Network Controller with Intuitive User Interface Scalable Through Additional UniFi Devices Connected to LAN Powered by Fast 1.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor PACKAGE CONTENTS 1 x Ubiquiti Udm Unifi Dream MachineUBIQUITI UDM UNIFI DREAM MACHINE All-in-one device with access point, 4-port switch, and security gateway. Everything you need for a small-scale wired and Wi-Fi network.UniFi Dream Machine (UDM) is the easiest way to introduce UniFi to homes and businesses. The UDM includes everything you need for a small-scale wired or Wi-Fi network. It's easy to use and still offers all the benefits of UniFi for homes and businesses. FEATURES High Performance Dual Band 802.11ac 4x4 Wave 2 AP Managed 4-Port Gigabit Switch Advanced Security Gateway with IDS/IPS and DPI UniFi Network Controller with Intuitive User Interface Scalable Through Additional UniFi Devices Connected to LAN Powered by Fast 1.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor PACKAGE CONTENTS 1 x Ubiquiti Udm Unifi Dream Machine |
UBIQUITI UDM UNIFI DREAM MACHINE All-in-one device with access point, 4-port switch, and security gateway. Everything you need for a small-scale wired and Wi-Fi network.UniFi Dream Machine (UDM) is the easiest way to introduce UniFi to homes and businesses. The UDM includes everything you need for a small-scale wired or Wi-Fi network. It's easy to use and still offers all the benefits of UniFi for homes and businesses. FEATURES High Performance Dual Band 802.11ac 4x4 Wave 2 AP Managed 4-Port Gigabit Switch Advanced Security Gateway with IDS/IPS and DPI UniFi Network Controller with Intuitive User Interface Scalable Through Additional UniFi Devices Connected to LAN Powered by Fast 1.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor PACKAGE CONTENTS 1 x Ubiquiti Udm Unifi Dream MachineUBIQUITI UDM UNIFI DREAM MACHINE All-in-one device with access point, 4-port switch, and security gateway. Everything you need for a small-scale wired and Wi-Fi network.UniFi Dream Machine (UDM) is the easiest way to introduce UniFi to homes and businesses. The UDM includes everything you need for a small-scale wired or Wi-Fi network. It's easy to use and still offers all the benefits of UniFi for homes and businesses. FEATURES High Performance Dual Band 802.11ac 4x4 Wave 2 AP Managed 4-Port Gigabit Switch Advanced Security Gateway with IDS/IPS and DPI UniFi Network Controller with Intuitive User Interface Scalable Through Additional UniFi Devices Connected to LAN Powered by Fast 1.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor PACKAGE CONTENTS 1 x Ubiquiti Udm Unifi Dream Machine |
UBIQUITI UDM UNIFI DREAM MACHINE All-in-one device with access point, 4-port switch, and security gateway. Everything you need for a small-scale wired and Wi-Fi network.UniFi Dream Machine (UDM) is the easiest way to introduce UniFi to homes and businesses. The UDM includes everything you need for a small-scale wired or Wi-Fi network. It's easy to use and still offers all the benefits of UniFi for homes and businesses. FEATURES High Performance Dual Band 802.11ac 4x4 Wave 2 AP Managed 4-Port Gigabit Switch Advanced Security Gateway with IDS/IPS and DPI UniFi Network Controller with Intuitive User Interface Scalable Through Additional UniFi Devices Connected to LAN Powered by Fast 1.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor PACKAGE CONTENTS 1 x Ubiquiti Udm Unifi Dream MachineUBIQUITI UDM UNIFI DREAM MACHINE All-in-one device with access point, 4-port switch, and security gateway. Everything you need for a small-scale wired and Wi-Fi network.UniFi Dream Machine (UDM) is the easiest way to introduce UniFi to homes and businesses. The UDM includes everything you need for a small-scale wired or Wi-Fi network. It's easy to use and still offers all the benefits of UniFi for homes and businesses. FEATURES High Performance Dual Band 802.11ac 4x4 Wave 2 AP Managed 4-Port Gigabit Switch Advanced Security Gateway with IDS/IPS and DPI UniFi Network Controller with Intuitive User Interface Scalable Through Additional UniFi Devices Connected to LAN Powered by Fast 1.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor PACKAGE CONTENTS 1 x Ubiquiti Udm Unifi Dream Machine |
UBIQUITI UDM UNIFI DREAM MACHINE All-in-one device with access point, 4-port switch, and security gateway. Everything you need for a small-scale wired and Wi-Fi network.UniFi Dream Machine (UDM) is the easiest way to introduce UniFi to homes and businesses. The UDM includes everything you need for a small-scale wired or Wi-Fi network. It's easy to use and still offers all the benefits of UniFi for homes and businesses. FEATURES High Performance Dual Band 802.11ac 4x4 Wave 2 AP Managed 4-Port Gigabit Switch Advanced Security Gateway with IDS/IPS and DPI UniFi Network Controller with Intuitive User Interface Scalable Through Additional UniFi Devices Connected to LAN Powered by Fast 1.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor PACKAGE CONTENTS 1 x Ubiquiti Udm Unifi Dream MachineUBIQUITI UDM UNIFI DREAM MACHINE All-in-one device with access point, 4-port switch, and security gateway. Everything you need for a small-scale wired and Wi-Fi network.UniFi Dream Machine (UDM) is the easiest way to introduce UniFi to homes and businesses. The UDM includes everything you need for a small-scale wired or Wi-Fi network. It's easy to use and still offers all the benefits of UniFi for homes and businesses. FEATURES High Performance Dual Band 802.11ac 4x4 Wave 2 AP Managed 4-Port Gigabit Switch Advanced Security Gateway with IDS/IPS and DPI UniFi Network Controller with Intuitive User Interface Scalable Through Additional UniFi Devices Connected to LAN Powered by Fast 1.7 GHz Quad-Core Processor PACKAGE CONTENTS 1 x Ubiquiti Udm Unifi Dream Machine |
Last updated at 06/09/2026 20:00:13
Ubiquiti UniFi Wireless Dream Machine | UDM-US, Single Band
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Ubiquiti UDM-US Dream Machine IEEE 802.11ac Ethernet Wireless Router
Delivery between 11–23 June $93.86
Ubiquiti (UDM) Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine - All-in-one Home/Office Network Solution - USG, UniFi OS Console, WiFi AP, Gigabit Switch, 2Yr Warr
Delivery between 12–19 June $12
Ubiquiti Dream Machine
Delivery $15
Ubiquiti UniFi wireless Dream Machine | UDM-US, single band
Delivery between 16–18 June $14.39
Ubiquiti UniFi wireless Dream Machine | UDM-US, single band
Delivery between 14–18 June $13.19
Ubiquiti Networks UniFi Dream Machine 1733 Mbit/s White
Free delivery
Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine - All-in-one Home/Office Network Solution - USG, UniFi OS Console, WiFi AP, Gigabit Switch
Next-day delivery $4.87
Ubiquiti UniFi wireless Dream Machine | UDM-US, single band
Delivery between 14–18 June $14.04
Ubiquiti UniFi wireless Dream Machine | UDM-US, single band
Delivery between 14–18 June $14.15
originally posted on digitec.ch
This is a WiFi 5 MU-MIMO router targeted for power users, since configuring it requires at least basic Networking knowledge, but the device is buggy and workarounds are not clear and many settings are under deeper menu (like changing WiFi channels, etc. UDM requires you to un-package it properly, because the device just falls out of the box during unboxing.The hardware is quite powerful for a home router, which includes an ARM Cortex A57 quadcore CPU and 2GB DDR4 RAM. I have seen max 70% CPU usage with IDS / IPS on, and ~85% RAM usage. Temperatures hover around 80 - 82 C, and the fan starts ramping up during continuous data transfer over WAN.My Internet is provided by Wingo (Swisscom) which is a max 1 Gbps fiber connection.If you are buying this device for its ... MoreThis is a WiFi 5 MU-MIMO router targeted for power users, since configuring it requires at least basic Networking knowledge, but the device is buggy and workarounds are not clear and many settings are under deeper menu (like changing WiFi channels, etc. UDM requires you to un-package it properly, because the device just falls out of the box during unboxing.The hardware is quite powerful for a home router, which includes an ARM Cortex A57 quadcore CPU and 2GB DDR4 RAM. I have seen max 70% CPU usage with IDS / IPS on, and ~85% RAM usage. Temperatures hover around 80 - 82 C, and the fan starts ramping up during continuous data transfer over WAN.My Internet is provided by Wingo (Swisscom) which is a max 1 Gbps fiber connection.If you are buying this device for its Pro features, I would recommend looking elsewhere, because almost everything under the Internet Security menu is buggy, in beta or simply non-functional depends on which firmware version is in the device.After upgrading to firmware v1.7.2, I cannot choose a country to block in GeoIP filtering dashboard (world map). I have to use the old setup menu and individually choose countries from a drop-down menu rather than through the world map.Deep packet inspection stops working for macbook pro devices after few hours and DPI service needs a reset. (looks like the situation is better after reseting and re-installing fw 1.7.2)Changing the 2.4GHz SSID is tricky and is hidden under deep menu.I cannot assign static IP address to many clients, which are connected using WiFi repeaters / WiFI dongles / WiFi mesh devices. My last router WRT1900ACS was able to easily assign the static IP to these devices.Configuring and using L2TP VPN was easy.Speedtest metrics from the device will not be the same as speedtest.net or fast.com.(This review will be updated as and when time progresses)
originally posted on scorptec.com.au
Deployed a small-scale UniFi network for roughly 10 computers. This all-in-one has pretty much all the features necessary to ensure a secure, reliable network. Flawlessly handles a NBN 100/40 WAN connection.It does have this weird rubber surface that although feels premium, won't allow 3M Command Strips to stick to it, and thus cannot permanently attach to a wall / surface.Another flaw is that you can't explicitly define particular devices to have higher priority for QoS (ie. used for VoIP phones) and thus have to rely on the implicit QoS.
originally posted on scan.co.uk
First off only had this a day so impression may change over time. Coming from a Synology router which in itself was feature packed but latest software updates constantly broke things.This device however is the reverse.HardwareWell built stylish solid device, a great entry into the Unifi system as you get the cloud key, router, security appliance and Wireless AP all in a stylish bundle. The separate cost of all these is far higher than this all in one. The great thing is you can expand your netwrok easily by adding the full range of products.WIFIThis is as solid as the router it replaced. Great thing is you can add new AP if your house outgrows your router and it configures the devices automatically.SoftwareThis is both the devices strength and also ... MoreFirst off only had this a day so impression may change over time. Coming from a Synology router which in itself was feature packed but latest software updates constantly broke things.This device however is the reverse.HardwareWell built stylish solid device, a great entry into the Unifi system as you get the cloud key, router, security appliance and Wireless AP all in a stylish bundle. The separate cost of all these is far higher than this all in one. The great thing is you can expand your netwrok easily by adding the full range of products.WIFIThis is as solid as the router it replaced. Great thing is you can add new AP if your house outgrows your router and it configures the devices automatically.SoftwareThis is both the devices strength and also it's weakness. I knew of a few of the issues before purchasing by visiting the forums and there were for features not important to me. It seems they love adding features, call them beta then move on and add newer things without fixing the bugs of the previous items. So check the current bug list to see if a key feature you want is problematicSetting up was as easy as it gets. Plug in, turn on and open the app on your phone, do the basic setup and you are good to go. Log in from a pc to tweak the myriad of settings, and there are tonnes.I have spent 4 hours so far and have it near perfect but no doubt i will tinker as i learn more about all the options.From, firewalls, device monitoring deep packet inspections, port forwarding, bandwidth management QOS, Voip, VPN etc etc this device has enterprise features in a easy to understand frontend perfect for the advanced home user.This is it's strength, however at the same time it manages to mess up some basic (but not essential functions) For example, you do a speed test when setting up so it can work out your network capacity and assign QOS percentages. I have ran the speedtest about 20 times, it has not once even started yet alone complete, quick scan of the forums and it has not worked in a year. Every now and then i will get 404 errors and have to refresh the page for it to reload.The settings are all over the place so it takes a while to work your way around, however there are new beta settings layout which is much cleaner and easier to navigate and you can switch between the 2 easily. And you will need to, for example setting firewall rules in classic view works fine. Try setting the same rules in the new view and you get a non descript error messageI must point out these minor quirks are not a reason to look elsewhere, this device is as feature packed as you can get with very powerful hardware, and im sure the quirks will be ironed out.Before purchasing this i checked out all the higher end units from asus, tp-link etc and none of them compare in hardware style, feature set or component power, and none offer the expandability that Unifi offer, all this for a price far cheaper than the competitionTLDRSuperb performance both in hardware and wifi stability with endlessly powerful feature set, yes the software has it's quirks but not enough to make you look elesewhere. An absolute powerhouse at bargain basement price
Ubiquiti UniFi Wireless Dream Machine | UDM-US, Single Band
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Ubiquiti UDM-US Dream Machine IEEE 802.11ac Ethernet Wireless Router
Delivery between 11–23 June $93.86
Ubiquiti (UDM) Ubiquiti UniFi Dream Machine - All-in-one Home/Office Network Solution - USG, UniFi OS Console, WiFi AP, Gigabit Switch, 2Yr Warr
Delivery between 12–19 June $12
Ubiquiti Dream Machine
Delivery $15
Ubiquiti UniFi wireless Dream Machine | UDM-US, single band
Delivery between 16–18 June $14.39
This is a WiFi 5 MU-MIMO router targeted for power users, since configuring it requires at least basic Networking knowledge, but the device is buggy and workarounds are not clear and many settings are under deeper menu (like changing WiFi channels, etc. UDM requires you to un-package it properly, because the device just falls out of the box during unboxing.The hardware is quite powerful for a home router, which includes an ARM Cortex A57 quadcore CPU and 2GB DDR4 RAM. I have seen max 70% CPU usage with IDS / IPS on, and ~85% RAM usage. Temperatures hover around 80 - 82 C, and the fan starts ramping up during continuous data transfer over WAN.My Internet is provided by Wingo (Swisscom) which is a max 1 Gbps fiber connection.If you are buying this device for its ... MoreThis is a WiFi 5 MU-MIMO router targeted for power users, since configuring it requires at least basic Networking knowledge, but the device is buggy and workarounds are not clear and many settings are under deeper menu (like changing WiFi channels, etc. UDM requires you to un-package it properly, because the device just falls out of the box during unboxing.The hardware is quite powerful for a home router, which includes an ARM Cortex A57 quadcore CPU and 2GB DDR4 RAM. I have seen max 70% CPU usage with IDS / IPS on, and ~85% RAM usage. Temperatures hover around 80 - 82 C, and the fan starts ramping up during continuous data transfer over WAN.My Internet is provided by Wingo (Swisscom) which is a max 1 Gbps fiber connection.If you are buying this device for its Pro features, I would recommend looking elsewhere, because almost everything under the Internet Security menu is buggy, in beta or simply non-functional depends on which firmware version is in the device.After upgrading to firmware v1.7.2, I cannot choose a country to block in GeoIP filtering dashboard (world map). I have to use the old setup menu and individually choose countries from a drop-down menu rather than through the world map.Deep packet inspection stops working for macbook pro devices after few hours and DPI service needs a reset. (looks like the situation is better after reseting and re-installing fw 1.7.2)Changing the 2.4GHz SSID is tricky and is hidden under deep menu.I cannot assign static IP address to many clients, which are connected using WiFi repeaters / WiFI dongles / WiFi mesh devices. My last router WRT1900ACS was able to easily assign the static IP to these devices.Configuring and using L2TP VPN was easy.Speedtest metrics from the device will not be the same as speedtest.net or fast.com.(This review will be updated as and when time progresses)
Deployed a small-scale UniFi network for roughly 10 computers. This all-in-one has pretty much all the features necessary to ensure a secure, reliable network. Flawlessly handles a NBN 100/40 WAN connection.It does have this weird rubber surface that although feels premium, won't allow 3M Command Strips to stick to it, and thus cannot permanently attach to a wall / surface.Another flaw is that you can't explicitly define particular devices to have higher priority for QoS (ie. used for VoIP phones) and thus have to rely on the implicit QoS.
First off only had this a day so impression may change over time. Coming from a Synology router which in itself was feature packed but latest software updates constantly broke things.This device however is the reverse.HardwareWell built stylish solid device, a great entry into the Unifi system as you get the cloud key, router, security appliance and Wireless AP all in a stylish bundle. The separate cost of all these is far higher than this all in one. The great thing is you can expand your netwrok easily by adding the full range of products.WIFIThis is as solid as the router it replaced. Great thing is you can add new AP if your house outgrows your router and it configures the devices automatically.SoftwareThis is both the devices strength and also ... MoreFirst off only had this a day so impression may change over time. Coming from a Synology router which in itself was feature packed but latest software updates constantly broke things.This device however is the reverse.HardwareWell built stylish solid device, a great entry into the Unifi system as you get the cloud key, router, security appliance and Wireless AP all in a stylish bundle. The separate cost of all these is far higher than this all in one. The great thing is you can expand your netwrok easily by adding the full range of products.WIFIThis is as solid as the router it replaced. Great thing is you can add new AP if your house outgrows your router and it configures the devices automatically.SoftwareThis is both the devices strength and also it's weakness. I knew of a few of the issues before purchasing by visiting the forums and there were for features not important to me. It seems they love adding features, call them beta then move on and add newer things without fixing the bugs of the previous items. So check the current bug list to see if a key feature you want is problematicSetting up was as easy as it gets. Plug in, turn on and open the app on your phone, do the basic setup and you are good to go. Log in from a pc to tweak the myriad of settings, and there are tonnes.I have spent 4 hours so far and have it near perfect but no doubt i will tinker as i learn more about all the options.From, firewalls, device monitoring deep packet inspections, port forwarding, bandwidth management QOS, Voip, VPN etc etc this device has enterprise features in a easy to understand frontend perfect for the advanced home user.This is it's strength, however at the same time it manages to mess up some basic (but not essential functions) For example, you do a speed test when setting up so it can work out your network capacity and assign QOS percentages. I have ran the speedtest about 20 times, it has not once even started yet alone complete, quick scan of the forums and it has not worked in a year. Every now and then i will get 404 errors and have to refresh the page for it to reload.The settings are all over the place so it takes a while to work your way around, however there are new beta settings layout which is much cleaner and easier to navigate and you can switch between the 2 easily. And you will need to, for example setting firewall rules in classic view works fine. Try setting the same rules in the new view and you get a non descript error messageI must point out these minor quirks are not a reason to look elsewhere, this device is as feature packed as you can get with very powerful hardware, and im sure the quirks will be ironed out.Before purchasing this i checked out all the higher end units from asus, tp-link etc and none of them compare in hardware style, feature set or component power, and none offer the expandability that Unifi offer, all this for a price far cheaper than the competitionTLDRSuperb performance both in hardware and wifi stability with endlessly powerful feature set, yes the software has it's quirks but not enough to make you look elesewhere. An absolute powerhouse at bargain basement price
I'll try to keep this short:TLDR – ( Skip to 4 )1. (Background) I typically kill my routers within 18 to 30 months, so basically every2 years I replace my routers. I move over 1TB on a slow month over my ISP and that doesn't include local traffic. So to say I'm a power user is almost an understatement. I'm not a corporate IT support specialist or anything like that but I am an engineer so I love details and being able to analyze and monitor what's going on in my network.2. (My Network) My philosophy is that if you can wire your devices, wire them. The reason for this is simple. The fewer devices connected wirelessly the less the wireless network congestion. And the next added benefit is a way more stable network since wired connections don’t randomly start ... MoreI'll try to keep this short:TLDR – ( Skip to 4 )1. (Background) I typically kill my routers within 18 to 30 months, so basically every2 years I replace my routers. I move over 1TB on a slow month over my ISP and that doesn't include local traffic. So to say I'm a power user is almost an understatement. I'm not a corporate IT support specialist or anything like that but I am an engineer so I love details and being able to analyze and monitor what's going on in my network.2. (My Network) My philosophy is that if you can wire your devices, wire them. The reason for this is simple. The fewer devices connected wirelessly the less the wireless network congestion. And the next added benefit is a way more stable network since wired connections don’t randomly start acting weird unless your router is dying. As of right now, I have 16 wired and 7 wireless devices on my network. The wireless devices will fluctuate. With this amount of units and data being processed, it takes a toll on your router. FYI, Routers are specialized computers for those that didn’t know, and the more units + more data flowing on the network, the harder that router has to work. I am also planning on adding more devices as time goes on and as much details about my network as possible helps a lot.3. (My Solution) So after around 12 years, and 4 routers ( 2 Netgear's, 1 Asus, 1 Buffalo [My favorite BTW before the dream machine] and attempting to use my Fios router and a spider looking like Linksys [this was 3 years ago, I tried it and had to exchange it for the Asus ) coincidentally, the Asus lasted the longest but that’s a story for another day. A lot of my Geeky friends have constantly been recommending that I look at the Ubiquity, specifically the Unify line of products based on what they know I do on a day to day basis with my network. So I finally decided to take the plunge since I had a hand me down switch that was already a Unify product and from what I saw I really liked what they were trying to do with their products. I’ll include some pics as well. Boy did I go down the Rabbit hole! I ended up replacing 2 other switches that I had as well with Unifi switches in addition to having Setup the Dream Machine.4. (Conclusion) Finally getting to the Meat and Potatoes here. Not only am I able to Monitor every aspect of my network from ANYWHERE in the world but my network performance is significantly improved. Not only wirelessly but also wired I have a Plex Media Server and for my 4K playback files, I had to limit the file sizes because I would get consistent buffering when the TV port limit was being approached ( 100 Mbps ) so I chalked it up to reaching the physical limit of the 100 Mbps connection. My jaw hit the floor when I attempted to play one of my high bit rate files (never played on any other router) and it played with no issues. I bought an Xbox One S partly because it does 4K and it has a Gigabit port so that would resolve the 100 Mbps limit but Plex + Xbox is a whole other can of worms for another day. Back to the Dream Machine (DM).A. I can see the CPU and RAM usage of the DM.B. I can monitor network usage for each and every device.C. Not only can I monitor but I can also stop access, from across the world!!!!!!!!D. A nifty network map is automatically generated with all devices and once you know and or figure out what device is what, you can name them all for easier Identification.E. If you add other Unifi devices to the network, you can seamlessly add it to the network via the controller that you setup.Now point E leads me into the few negatives that you have to pay attention to…….. Setup. If you have little to no experience, you will be in for a wild ride but if you have some networking experience, you’ll be fine. Of course, the more complicated your network is the longer and harder the setup process will be but the initial setup process just to plug it in and get started is simple enough. Point D also has issues as occasionally, wired devices will jump to another port or device randomly and eventually go back to where it belongs. I contacted their support once via chat and they are accessible but typically only during business hours. I didn’t try in the middle of the night. Also, there’s a very active subreddit with tons of ppl that are ready to help. I’ve had it for about a month now and I would say this just about sums it all up. If I remember, I’ll do a follow-up in a year or 2 but by then they will probably have a newer unit out with more features that I want. So I end this with what one of my Geeky friends said: “In the end, I was swept away by a dream.”
TLDR: Recommended for dead simple setup to get up and running in minutes with more depth of customizable features and functions than complex corporate network pros could ever use.I used to run 4 SSIDs across my Verizon Quantum Router and a pair of Ubiquiti AP-AC-LRs. The Quantum router gave me a 5ghz network for home office and upstairs bedrooms, as well as a 2.4ghz network for whole house coverage. Because the router was in the basement home office, coverage at the other end of the house was weak. That's why I got the pair of Ubiquiti AP-AC-LR's - they gave me solid coverage throughout the house, but only as their own network. Thus, mobile phones and laptops had to be configured to access and switch between networks SSIDs, which did not give good results. ... MoreTLDR: Recommended for dead simple setup to get up and running in minutes with more depth of customizable features and functions than complex corporate network pros could ever use.I used to run 4 SSIDs across my Verizon Quantum Router and a pair of Ubiquiti AP-AC-LRs. The Quantum router gave me a 5ghz network for home office and upstairs bedrooms, as well as a 2.4ghz network for whole house coverage. Because the router was in the basement home office, coverage at the other end of the house was weak. That's why I got the pair of Ubiquiti AP-AC-LR's - they gave me solid coverage throughout the house, but only as their own network. Thus, mobile phones and laptops had to be configured to access and switch between networks SSIDs, which did not give good results. Connecting to and controlling the Ubiquiti AP's through the cloud portal was OK, but I wanted a local Network Controller. That's when I found the UniFi Dream Machine, which IS the UniFi Network Controller device (so I didn't need to buy a separate CloudKey module). It has simplified my network, making it easier to manage and use, and has given me more functionality and better diagnostic data than I dreamed of.Now I have one home network blanketing the house across all 3 Ubiquiti nodes, automatically switching client devices among the nodes and between 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands to optimize user experience regardless of their location in/around the house. The main home network has my printer and NAS connected for full media server and local backup. I also have a guest network SSID spanning the same 2 radio bands and 3 access points (but blocking access to my NAS, so my kids and their friends can go online but not mess up my network or backups), AND I now have a dedicated IOT SSID so those devices are connected to the internet but isolated from the rest of the network (commercial IOT devices generally have little or no security and few if any updates/patches).In addition to looking great, the configuration features are very fine-grained for setting up and tuning the logical networks and physical nodes. Any Unifi devices you have will be controlled from one portal interface (e.g., switches, AP's, etc.). The unexpected surprise was all of the network traffic statistics this thing gives me (by app, by site, by protocol, by client, etc.). I can see when and how much my daughter is surfing/streaming on her phone when she's supposed to be doing homework on her computer.If you're familiar with Ubiquiti's extensive UniFi line of products, this is a great central component with which to manage the whole network/site. It really is plug and play with full Network Controller functionality and lot's of network tuning, security, and expansion possibilities.If you're new to Ubiquiti and/or trying to decide between the UniFi or AmpliFi/Alien lines (or other vendors' lines)), I found in my research that while the AmpliFi HD Mesh and Alien units are certainly competent, they're definitely home-use-only and limited to their own mesh components/kits. They just don't have the full Network Controller functionality and expandability that the UniFi Dream Machine has. I'll forego wifi 6 for now to get better functionality overall (and since I don't have have any wifi 6 client devices I'm not really losing anything now).I highly recommend this device for both novice home users and expert home/SMB network managers/DIYers.
The only issue I had with my Dream Machine was at initial setup, and I think that was as much my issue as the device's - I just had a hard time getting the initial connection to run the setup wizard. Ever since I've gotten it connected, it's been smooth sailing.The connection has been solid, including the network extension via an additional access point in the upstairs far-corner of the house. It effortlessly handles multiple WiFi networks/SSIDs (including the ability to isolate the kids' gaming connection). And I love the ability to securely administer the network remotely.I only have a couple of relatively minor complaints about the Dream Machine. 1) The range of the base unit was a bit disappointing. I would have traded some of the sleek form factor for ... MoreThe only issue I had with my Dream Machine was at initial setup, and I think that was as much my issue as the device's - I just had a hard time getting the initial connection to run the setup wizard. Ever since I've gotten it connected, it's been smooth sailing.The connection has been solid, including the network extension via an additional access point in the upstairs far-corner of the house. It effortlessly handles multiple WiFi networks/SSIDs (including the ability to isolate the kids' gaming connection). And I love the ability to securely administer the network remotely.I only have a couple of relatively minor complaints about the Dream Machine. 1) The range of the base unit was a bit disappointing. I would have traded some of the sleek form factor for better range. 2) With all of the outstanding traffic-shaping and ability to block individual sites and even traffic types, the big thing that's missing is the opposite. I'd love to be able to turn off all network traffic EXCEPT the music server my son listens to at night (for example). But that requires going through and blocking "everything else" - which is a daunting task to get right.
The software for this device is not ready. There are a bunch of missing features, and super basic things like disabling the pointless boot 'chime' don't even work. Which is a shame because the HW seems pretty good otherwise.They made some great looking hardware but the software for this device is terrible. So far there was one update back in March, which the device helpfully installed in the middle of the night, which was great because it has a super loud boot chime when it reboots so it can wake you up after it is done installing the update. Of course you can go in to the settings, and buried somewhere in there is a check box to disable the boot chime. Except it has no effect. You can also turn off automatic updates, though I have no idea if that works since ... MoreThe software for this device is not ready. There are a bunch of missing features, and super basic things like disabling the pointless boot 'chime' don't even work. Which is a shame because the HW seems pretty good otherwise.They made some great looking hardware but the software for this device is terrible. So far there was one update back in March, which the device helpfully installed in the middle of the night, which was great because it has a super loud boot chime when it reboots so it can wake you up after it is done installing the update. Of course you can go in to the settings, and buried somewhere in there is a check box to disable the boot chime. Except it has no effect. You can also turn off automatic updates, though I have no idea if that works since there haven't been any more updates since then.That one update has been super flaky, randomly hanging the device and constantly dropping the connection. Of course every time it hangs I have to power cycle it, which again is great because it has a super loud boot chime. Which you can't disable...There has now finally been a Release Candidate for a new release which does seem to have fixed the stability issues, as well as the boot chime disable, but until that RC actually makes it into a release I wouldn't recommend buying this.
If you just want to connect to the internet, the UDM is serious overkill. And it's locked down enough that it's painful to use the extra power it has.The UI on this is beautiful. Setting locations are inconsistent and don't always make sense, but it is pretty. Usage metrics are excellent. I have a nanoHD as an downstairs AP (metal lath in the ceiling blocks wifi between floor) and the UDM adopts it and does seamless hand-offs between the two.On the downside, internal DNS doesn't work. You can set aliases for all of your machines, but cannot use the name for connections - IP address only. There used to be a work-around, but it was disabled in an update. Kernel-based wireguard is not supported. User-land wireguard should work, but doesn't. It runs. But doesn't ... MoreIf you just want to connect to the internet, the UDM is serious overkill. And it's locked down enough that it's painful to use the extra power it has.The UI on this is beautiful. Setting locations are inconsistent and don't always make sense, but it is pretty. Usage metrics are excellent. I have a nanoHD as an downstairs AP (metal lath in the ceiling blocks wifi between floor) and the UDM adopts it and does seamless hand-offs between the two.On the downside, internal DNS doesn't work. You can set aliases for all of your machines, but cannot use the name for connections - IP address only. There used to be a work-around, but it was disabled in an update. Kernel-based wireguard is not supported. User-land wireguard should work, but doesn't. It runs. But doesn't allow any other devices to connect. I have no idea what the easy to find "enable SSH" setting does. It doesn't let you SSH into the device. That setting is well hidden somewhere completely different. The very bright blue LED can be turned white or disabled - no dimming. At least that's what I hear on the internet - I haven't found the setting. You won't be putting this in any room where somebody wants to sleep.Ubiquiti doesn't seem to much care about user requests. They seem to funnel requests into single voting issues so that they can be more easily ignored. And back to harping on settings - settings are being updated fast enough that the instructions you find on the forums are most likely out-of-date and not helpful.I like it, but it's tough to recommend. If you're looking for a basic router, this is too expensive. For a prosumer device, the price is fine, but it's missing obvious features you'll find in cheaper devices. Plus, if the features I need ever do get added, I'll most likely never find them.
I have several UniFi products they have been very dependable. It seems many people love the Dream Machine but for myself I would say it's overhyped. There are other routers (Linksys & Netgear) that are easier to configure and have better Wi-Fi range. I am not an network specialist but have a decent amount of experience configuring my network. The menus are unnecessarily complicated. Some settings are in the device menu and some are in the settings menu and below each of these are many submenus. The app for your phone does seem to be a bit easier to navigate though.Right after changing a few basic settings I was getting a speed test reading less than half of what I was paying for. After narrowing it down to the router I tried a number of settings, got frustrated, ... MoreI have several UniFi products they have been very dependable. It seems many people love the Dream Machine but for myself I would say it's overhyped. There are other routers (Linksys & Netgear) that are easier to configure and have better Wi-Fi range. I am not an network specialist but have a decent amount of experience configuring my network. The menus are unnecessarily complicated. Some settings are in the device menu and some are in the settings menu and below each of these are many submenus. The app for your phone does seem to be a bit easier to navigate though.Right after changing a few basic settings I was getting a speed test reading less than half of what I was paying for. After narrowing it down to the router I tried a number of settings, got frustrated, and contacted Ubiquiti through their chat. They were able to pinpoint the issue, Smart Queues was enabled.It's working now and working well. For the geeks out there this may be the best choice but for everyone else maybe buy something cheaper that is easier to configure.
I bought the UDM believing the hype that it's the ultimately configurable "prosumer" router. I really wanted the ability to segment my IoT devices on a separate VLAN.Unfortunately I never got that far. It turns out it's impossible to hook it up directly to a Swisscom fibre connection (via a media converter), because it won't let you configure the necessary VCI (vendor-class-identifier aka DHCP option 60) on the DHCP request sent across during WAN connectivity negotiation [1] [2].Alas, it seems this is only tip of the iceberg. A lengthy list of missing features/regressions compared to past Unifi gear is here [3]: caveat emptor! Although I didn't get a chance to test this, I'm not even sure this would work flawlessy with Swisscom TV as it relies on IGMP proxy ... MoreI bought the UDM believing the hype that it's the ultimately configurable "prosumer" router. I really wanted the ability to segment my IoT devices on a separate VLAN.Unfortunately I never got that far. It turns out it's impossible to hook it up directly to a Swisscom fibre connection (via a media converter), because it won't let you configure the necessary VCI (vendor-class-identifier aka DHCP option 60) on the DHCP request sent across during WAN connectivity negotiation [1] [2].Alas, it seems this is only tip of the iceberg. A lengthy list of missing features/regressions compared to past Unifi gear is here [3]: caveat emptor! Although I didn't get a chance to test this, I'm not even sure this would work flawlessy with Swisscom TV as it relies on IGMP proxy support, which is also on the above list of shortcomings.Other concerns:- built-in fan that can get pretty loud- Ubiquiti's privacy policy allows them to collect _a lot_ of data and share it with third parties. Recently this caused alarm with the community as UI decided to implement some "telemetry" without so much as a mention in the release notes or an opt-out switch [4]!Had to go back to my "consumer grade" Fritz!Box that does all the above without breaking a sweat (although alas, no VLAN segregation).[1] https://www.swisscom.ch/en/residential/help/device/internet-router/external-router.html[2] https://community.ui.com/questions/UDM-UDM-PRO-Feature-Request-Custom-DHCP-options/46cdaa1f-6f5c-4f7e-9301-be8bb9756ad5[3] https://community.ui.com/questions/UDM-Features-missing-from-UDM-and-or-controller/faa5646e-476b-41ae-8c3b-4ef418e88028[4] https://community.ui.com/questions/UI-official-urgent-please-answer/14259289-e4c3-4c5e-aaa0-02a5baa6cbbe
