Unifi Switch vs EdgeSwitch

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Paul1977

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#272603 4-Jul-2020 22:08

I currently have an EdgeRouter Lite and a few UniFi APs. The APs are currently powered by PoE injectors.

I’ll be shifting into a new house soon and will be installing several PoE cameras as well, so probably time to get a PoE switch.

I will want to set up tagged VLANs as well.

Should I be going for an EdgeSwitch or an UniFi Switch?

billgates

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#2517425 4-Jul-2020 22:27

If you want to stay in Ubiquiti world then Edgeswitch is my recommendation as it does not requires a controller software to be managed unlike the Unifi switch.

Personally I just ordered the below Mikrotik PoE switch couple of days ago for our build. 24 ports PoE and it does both active & passive PoE power automatically depending on what’s plugged into the port along with 4 SFP+ ports for 10gbe network and it’s backed by a 500W PSU with 450W of it guaranteed always available for PoE.

https://www.eurodk.com/en/products/crs/cloud-router-switch-328-24p-4s-rm

Do whatever you want to do man.

Paul1977

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#2517426 4-Jul-2020 22:42

billgates:
If you want to stay in Ubiquiti world then Edgeswitch is my recommendation as it does not requires a controller software to be managed unlike the Unifi switch.

Personally I just ordered the below Mikrotik PoE switch couple of days ago for our build. 24 ports PoE and it does not active and passive PoE power automatically depending on what’s plugged into the port along with 4 SFP+ ports for 10gbe network and it’s backed by a 500W PSU it’s 450W guaranteed available for PoE.

https://www.eurodk.com/en/products/crs/cloud-router-switch-328-24p-4s-rm

Mikrotik good value for money, but I just couldn’t be bothered learning a new device!

I’m already running a controller for the APs, so that’s not an issue on it’s own. But I’m also familiar with EdgeMax since I have the EdfeRouter. It’s more a question of which will give me the most configuration options and control.

I’ve got 3 APs, 4 cameras, and a video doorbell - so not huge PoE power requirements. On top of that I have 25 additional network ports through the house. So also need to decide how many of those I’m likely to use. I’m probably safe with a 24 port switch, but wonder if I should go 48.

michaelmurfy

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#2517439 4-Jul-2020 23:45

Going off the back of your PM, I'd recommend swapping your Edgerouter out for a USG, or Dream Machine (which has an integrated controller) along with UniFi Switches. It makes network management blatantly simple and gives you around the same level of features of the Edgerouter.

Personally, I am looking at doing the same with my network just to make things easier to manage.

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Paul1977

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#2517464 5-Jul-2020 09:01

michaelmurfy:
Going off the back of your PM, I'd recommend swapping your Edgerouter out for a USG, or Dream Machine (which has an integrated controller) along with UniFi Switches. It makes network management blatantly simple and gives you around the same level of features of the Edgerouter.

Personally, I am looking at doing the same with my network just to make things easier to manage.

@michaelmurfy since my router issue was just the power supply, I’m in no rush to replace it now, so the router will likely remain an EdgeRouter for the foreseeable future unless there is a very compelling reason to change. That means whatever switch I go for I’ll still have a mix if EdgeMax and UniFi.

I thought the UniFi kit had less configuration options in the GUI Compared to EdgeMax and that CLI changes required workarounds for them to survive a reboot? Is that no longer the case?

I have a bunch of DNSMASQ and IP redirection rules going on as well. Is that all as easily achievable with a USG?

My understanding was that the UniFi stuff was the same hardware, but “dumbed down” compared to EdgeMax?

cyril7

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#2517476 5-Jul-2020 09:59

Hi, yes Edgerouter and EdgeSwitch have a much greater feature set comared to UniFi, to the extent that a recent network I rolled out which has over 40 UniFi Waps I decided to flag the single pane of glass concept and ran with Cisco SG350X series switches and Mikrotik router up front, all switches have single or dual 10G up links between. Reason for going down that path, is I was sick and tired of having to work inside the limits of UniFi switching.

The UniFi wireless is great, well priced, works well and so far of recent times does not get broken by firwmare updates (as opposed to a few short years back).

For what you want to achieve, ie vlans, UniFi switching should be fine, but you might be better staying with with the Edgerouter up front.

Cyril

Paul1977

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#2518804 7-Jul-2020 23:02

cyril7:

Hi, yes Edgerouter and EdgeSwitch have a much greater feature set comared to UniFi, to the extent that a recent network I rolled out which has over 40 UniFi Waps I decided to flag the single pane of glass concept and ran with Cisco SG350X series switches and Mikrotik router up front, all switches have single or dual 10G up links between. Reason for going down that path, is I was sick and tired of having to work inside the limits of UniFi switching.

The UniFi wireless is great, well priced, works well and so far of recent times does not get broken by firwmare updates (as opposed to a few short years back).

For what you want to achieve, ie vlans, UniFi switching should be fine, but you might be better staying with with the Edgerouter up front.

Cyril

Thanks @cyril7 I'm thinking that by keeping the EdgeRouter I may as well go for the EdgeSwitch. I don't see a huge benefit in having the switches managed by the controller when the router isn't. And even though I probably won't use most of the extra functionality Edgemax will give me in the switches, I like the idea that it's there if I need it.