Ubiquiti Router UniFi Next-generation Gateway Pro - UXG-Pro

Product Information

This article will guide you through the process of adopting your UniFi UXG-Pro to a UniFi Network Controller While the USG and USG-Pro are older, they have some features which have not shown up in the newer products. Namely, any feature which requires manually editing the JSON config file on the USG is not possible with the UXGs or Dream Machines. The newer hardware doesn’t have the same underlying architecture, and does not have the same JSON config file workaround. You are limited to what features are exposed in the web interface. Here’s a good example of how to configure an USG to route traffic over an OpenVPN tunnel. If this type of configuration is intimidating to you, take a hard look at what is officially supported. You will be limited to the settings in the web interface unless you are willing to create custom, breakable configurations on old hardware. The same goes for Teleport and UniFi Identity VPNs. Teleport is an easy-to-setup Wireguard VPN, and UniFi Identity is an optional identity management subscription. Those won’t be available on a UXG-Lite or UXG-Pro unless you use a Cloud Key. Self-hosted networks won’t support those, but they still have Wireguard, OpenVPN, IPsec, and L2TP.

Enterprise models have higher PoE budgets, faster interfaces such as 2.5 Gbps RJ45 Ethernet, and the features available in the Pro models Judging by Ubiquiti’s actions and the hardware and software they’ve released, creating a new standalone gateway for USG customers wasn’t a priority. code, if you have your admin user connected to your UI.com account and have enabled 2FA authentication One of the most interesting aspects of the spec list are the asterisks. Those are worth examining a bit closer. Standalone is my term, but these gateways require the UniFi Network application to be run on another piece of hardware such as a Cloud Key, local PC/server, or cloud service. The USG models are nearing the end of their useful life, while the UXG models are current. Cloud Gateways — Dream MAchinesAlso, USB-C power input is a welcome upgrade from a DC barrel plug in my opinion. It would have been nice to see a PoE input option for power though. Asterisks Hardware offloading lets you use dedicated hardware to accelerate some tasks. You can turn it on or off depending on what you are trying to do. This applies to the USG/USG-Pro, and also EdgeRouters. Ubiquiti still sells almost all of the 1st generation models of UniFi switches. They are older, but they can be better options for some networks. Unlike with the USG/USG-Pro, the 1st generation switches come without major performance limitations. Older Desktop/Small Switches

Built-in switch, with 1 SFP+ slot and 17 gigabit RJ45 LAN ports, 4 with PoE, 4 with PoE+, and 4 with PoE++ ports Features four 10 Gbps RJ45 Ethernet with PoE++ out. The Enterprise 8 PoE or Flex XG may be better options. Like the USG, the USG-Pro is old, and most of the limitations apply. The USG-Pro has slightly more powerful hardware than the USG, but not by much. If you’re comparing to the EdgeRouter line, the EdgeRouter Pro (discontinued) and the USG-Pro share a CPU, and have similar performance. Power method US(1) Universal AC input, 125VAC, 2.7A max., 60 Hz(1) RPS DC input, 11.5VDC, 2.87AWorldwide(1) Universal AC input, 200-240VAC, 1.7A max., 50/60 Hz(1) RPS DC input, 11.5VDC, 2.87A Networking interface LAN:(1) 1 GbE RJ45 port(1) 10G SFP+ portWAN:(1) 1 GbE RJ45 port(1) 10G SFP+ portThe Cloud Keys are different. They are not gateways or routers, they only run UniFi OS applications. I’m including them to make comparing which models run which UniFi OS applications easier. Cloud Keys require the use of the USG, USG-Pro, UXG-Lite, UXG-Pro, or some 3rd party router or firewall. This underlying OS difference causes some other differences. The UDM and UXG lines do not support editing the config.gateway.json file. By editing the configuration file manually, you were able to access features that Ubiquiti doesn’t put in the controller GUI. It also let you access hidden settings, and tweak features to work how you want. Normally, behind the scenes, the UniFi controller edits your configuration files for you. That only works with the features that Ubiquiti officially supports. If you’ve ever had to deploy a UniFi network, you know there are a many features not in the GUI. Unfortunately there is nothing like this going forward, and you are limited to what Ubiquiti shows in the controller. The slower CPU makes it a bit of a step down in raw computational power, but the addition of PoE out, storage, and support for one other UniFi application makes it a bit more powerful than the UDM. The UDR will work well for a small network with a few switches, APs, or cameras. It would not be a good solution for a large network with a lot of clients. For most, the slower CPU will just lead to slower performance loading videos from Protect, or loading the UniFi Network application interface. For others, it makes the UDR not able to handle their needs. UniFi gateway routers, like the Dream Machine or next-gen Gateway Lite, appear simple until you dig below the surface. There are two categories and a few models in each. Ubiquiti also have UISP Routers and EdgeRouters, which may be a better option for more advanced networks. UniFi is separate from UISP, and this guide focuses on UniFi.

The UDM and UXG run a different underlying operating system than the USG. The CPU is an easy way to tell. Older MIPS-based devices EdgeRouters and the USG run EdgeOS. ARM based devices like the UDM and UXG run UniFi OS. An ARM port of EdgeOS is unlikely. UniFi OS is a custom Linux distribution made with Buildroot Linux that mostly follows Debian standards. In their announcement, Ubiquiti said this about UniFi OS:

The UDM and UniFi OS Consoles in general were a big change in the UniFi line. Before, it was easy to run the UniFi Network application anywhere, and add any devices you wanted. With the UDM, you’re forced to use the built-in Network application, meaning you can’t add a UDM to a Cloud Key or self-hosted UniFi Network controller. Essentially, for a few of the newest and fanciest features, self-hosted controllers aren’t included. These limitations make some sense, but calling it out on the spec sheet makes it feel like a purposeful design choice and business decision. Maybe there is a technical challenge I’m not seeing, but it feels like a subtle way to encourage hardware sales. At best, it is disappointing. At worst, it’s a sign that self-hosted controllers are becoming second class citizens. A Question of Priorities The UDM-Pro and UDM-SE are full UniFi Cloud Gateways, and they can run all of the UniFi applications: