Ubiquiti Hardware: What's New, What's Old?

UbiquitiGuideBuyers Guide
Written By Evan McCann

Originally Posted: June 25th, 2021
Last Edited: October 13th, 2023

Ubiquiti Hardware: What's New, What's Old?

Table of Contents

  • UniFi OS Consoles, Security Gateways, and Routers ↩︎
  • Note on Hardware Offloading ↩︎
  • UniFi Switches ↩︎
  • UniFi Access Points ↩︎
  • EdgeMAX and UISP ↩︎
  • UISP Wireless: PtP and PtMP ↩︎
  • UniFi Protect ↩︎
  • UniFi Talk, Access, Connect, Cloud Keys, and Miscellaneous ↩︎
UniFi Dream Machine, Switch Lite 8 PoE, U6-Lite, and U6-LR.

UniFi Dream Machine, Switch Lite 8 PoE, U6-Lite, and U6-LR.

UniFi OS Consoles/Cloud Gateways: New

All of the Dream Machines and UniFi OS Consoles are based on modern ARM processors and Ubiquiti's new UniFi OS software platform. You can’t create custom JSON config files for them, but a limited set of manual configuration changes and Linux commands can be run via SSH, if you know what you’re doing. None of these can be adopted to an external UniFi Network controller besides the UXG-Pro.

UDM — UniFi Dream Machine (2019)

  • 1 Gbps gateway router/firewall
  • ~900 Mbps IPS/IDS, line-rate routing
  • 4-port gigabit switch with no PoE out
  • nanoHD-equivalent AC Wave 2 Wi-Fi access point built-in
  • UniFi OS Console - UniFi Network application built-in, can also run UID.
  • Does not run UniFi Protect, Talk, Connect, or Access
  • $299 US MSRP
  • Can't be adopted to external UniFi controller or Cloud Key

UDM-Pro — UniFi Dream Machine Pro (2019)

  • 10 Gbps gateway router/firewall
  • ~3.5 Gbps IPS/IDS, line-rate routing
  • 8-port gigabit switch with no PoE out
  • UniFi OS Console - Can run all UniFi applications (Network, Protect, Talk, Connect, Access, and UID)
  • No Wi-Fi built-in
  • 3.5” hard drive bay for UniFi Protect
  • Rack-mountable
  • $379 US MSRP
  • Can't be adopted to external UniFi controller or Cloud Key

UDM-SE — UniFi Dream Machine SE (2021)

  • Basically a UDM-Pro, plus PoE out on the 8-port switch, 128 GB of internal storage, and an upgraded 2.5 Gbps RJ45 WAN port.
  • UniFi OS Console - runs all UniFi applications
  • More expensive than the UDM-Pro, but may be worth it if you can use the extra features.
  • Rack-mountable
  • $499 US MSRP
  • Can't be adopted to external UniFi controller or Cloud Key

UDR — UniFi Dream Router (2022)

  • Basically a UDM with an upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 on 5 GHz, two PoE ports, an SD card slot, UniFi Protect support, and 128 GB of internal storage
  • Downgrades to dual-core ARM CPU, vs the quad-core on the UDM. Lower IDS/IPS throughput as a result.
  • 1 Gbps router with ~600-700 Mbps IPS/IDS
  • 4-port switch, 2 ports support 802.3af PoE out
  • UniFi OS Console - runs UniFi Network and one other (Protect, Talk, Connect, and Access)
  • Wi-F 6 (on 5 GHz only) access point built-in, similar to U6-Lite/LR
  • $199 US MSRP
  • Can't be adopted to external UniFi controller or Cloud Key

  • UDW — UniFi Dream Wall (2023)

  • Wall-mountable UniFi OS Console, NVR, switch, and gateway router/firewall

  • Dual-WAN, built-in Wi-Fi, 12 PoE LAN ports, built-in 128 GB SSD
  • Runs all UniFi OS applications (Network, Protect, Talk, Connect, Access, UID)
  • Pro version adds 2nd unit with bigger screen, hard drive bays, battery backup.
  • $799/$1499 US MSRP (Early Access)
  • Can't be adopted to external UniFi controller or Cloud Key

UniFi Cloud Console (2022)

  • Ubiquiti's official cloud-hosted Network controller option
  • $29/month for up to 500 managed devices (Switches, APs, etc)
  • $299/month tier for up to 2000 devices "coming soon"
  • Only UniFi Network

UniFi Security Gateways/Routers: New

UXG-Pro — Next-Gen Gateway Pro (2022)

  • Basically a UDM-Pro without the built-in UniFi OS Console, 8-port Ethernet switch, or 3.5” HD bay for UniFi Protect.
  • The UXG-Pro doesn’t run any UniFi software, it is only a gateway router
  • More direct replacement for the USG-Pro
  • $499 US MSRP
  • Adoptable to external UniFi controller or Cloud Key

UniFi Security Gateways/Routers: Old

Both of these products have MIPS processors, with the Vyatta-based EdgeOS underneath. You can create custom json config files for them, which give them some flexibility that the UDM and UXG lines don't have. These can be adopted to an external UniFi Network controller, but offer limited performance and old hardware.

USG — UniFi Security Gateway (2014)

  • Gigabit gateway, small, and fan-less
  • Three gigabit RJ45 Ethernet ports, can be reassigned to LAN/WAN
  • Good for lower-speed networks, or for gigabit routing without IPS/IDS
  • With DPI on, gigabit performance is possible. With IPS/IDS, throughput drops to 85 Mbps. When being used as a VPN endpoint, throughput is limited to 40 Mbps. See note on hardware offloading below.
  • Adoptable to external UniFi controller or CloudKey
  • $139 US MSRP

USG-Pro — UniFi Security Gateway Pro (2016)

  • Gigabit UniFi gateway, rack-mount
  • Two gigabit RJ45 ports, two combination gigabit RJ45/SFP
  • A step-up in performance from the USG. ~250 Mbps IDS/IPS and ~150 Mbps IPsec VPN throughput.
  • Gigabit routing is no issue, but firewall and encryption speeds are limited, with slightly higher limits than the USG.
  • Adoptable to external UniFi controller or CloudKey
  • $344 US MSRP

USG-XG-8 (2017, Discontinued)

  • 10 Gbps Gateway, rack-mount
  • (8) 10 Gbps SFP+ ports, (1) gigabit RJ45 Ethernet
  • 4.7” touchscreen and hot-swappable power supplies
  • Production stopped in 2019, no longer sold or supported
Return to Table of Contents

Note on Hardware Offloading

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.

A USG or USG-Pro with Hardware Offload On:

  • Able to perform basic routing functions at gigabit line rate
  • Can not use IDS/IPS
  • Can not use QoS/Smart Queues
  • Can use DPI
  • Can use GeoIP filtering

A USG or USG-Pro with Hardware Offload Off:

  • Basic routing, including inter-VLAN, may perform below gigabit line rate
  • Can use IDS/IPS
  • Can use QoS/smart queues
  • Can use DPI (Starting in USG firmware version 4.4.18)
  • Can not use GeoIP filtering
Return to Table of Contents

UniFi Switches: New

The main way to differentiate UniFi switches is that the 1st generation model names begin with "US-" and the 2nd generation model names begin with "USW-". See UniFi Switches Comparison and Buyers Guide to compare all available models.

New Desktop/Small Switches

  • USW-Flex-Mini (2020)
    • 5 ports, no PoE out, indoor only. Can also operate as a flat, unmanaged switch
  • USW-Flex (2019)
    • Good for outdoor deployments and PoE passthrough
  • USW-Lite-8-PoE and USW-Lite-16 PoE (2020)
    • Good for small networks with minimal PoE needs
  • USW-Industrial (2020)
    • Good for harsh environments and 60W PoE++
  • USW-Flex-XG (2021)
    • Desktop size, features four 10 Gbps RJ45 ports, can be powered by PoE+ in
  • USW-Enterprise-8-PoE (2021)
    • 2.5 Gbps RJ45 Ethernet ports with PoE, pairs well with the U6-Enterprise AP
  • USW-Pro-8-PoE (2023)
    • 1 Gbps RJ45 Ethernet ports with PoE+ and PoE++, similar to Enterprise 8 PoE

New Standard and Rack Switches

2nd Generation Standard Switches (2019-2020)

  • All 2nd generation switch models begin with USW
  • These 2nd generation models have quieter cooling fans, a small touchscreen on the left side, and support for UniFi AR, which lets you see virtually see what devices are connected
  • The smallest rack-mount Gen 2 PoE models (USW-16-PoE and USW-24-PoE) are fan-less, but offer less PoE ports and lower PoE budget than their 1st generation equivalents

2nd Generation Pro and Enterprise Rack Switches (2020-2023)

UniFi Switches: Old

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

  • US-8 (2017)
  • US-8-60W (2017)
  • US-8-150W (2015)
    • These 8-port models are the smallest switches in the 1st generation line
    • Flex Mini, Flex, Lite 8/16 and Pro or Enterprise 8 PoE are the newer options
  • US-XG-6-PoE (2017)
    • Features four 10 Gbps RJ45 Ethernet with PoE++ out. The Enterprise 8 PoE or Flex XG may be better options.

Rack-mount Switches

1st Generation Rack-mount Switches

  • All 1st generations models begin with US
  • Most 1st generation PoE switches have more PoE budget than the equivalent 2nd generation model. They are still a good buy if you need a lot of PoE. Their fans can get loud though.
    • US-16-150W (2014)
    • US-24 (2015) - No longer sold
    • US-24-250W (2015)
    • US-24-500W (2014) - No longer sold
    • US-48 (2014) - No longer sold
    • US-48-500W (2014)
    • US-48-750W (2014) - No longer sold
    • US-XG-16 (2017)
      • The XG 16 has twelve 10 Gbps SFP+ slots and four 10 Gbps RJ45 Ethernet. The 2nd generation Aggregation, XG, or Enterprise models may be better options.
Return to Table of Contents

UniFi Access Points: New

Wi-Fi 6/6E (2020 and newer)

Buiding Bridges (60 GHz point-to-point)

  • UniFi Building Bridge (UBB)
  • UniFi Building Bridge XG (UBB-XG)

AC Wave 2 (2017 to 2019)

UniFi Access Points: Old

AC Wave 1 (2016) — Older, still sold and supported

End of Life

  • UAP-AC-EDU (EoL since March 2021)
  • UAP-AC-IW-Pro (March 2021)
  • UAP-LR (March 2021)
  • UAP-Pro (March 2021)
  • UAP-In-Wall (March 2021)
  • UAP-Outdoor, Outdoor5, Outdoor+ (March 2021)
  • UAP
  • UAP-v2
  • UAP-LRv2
  • UAP-AC
  • UAP-AC-v2
  • UAP-AC-Outdoor
Return to Table of Contents

EdgeMAX and UISP

See my UISP Switch Review for more details on UISP versus the older EdgeMAX hardware line.

UISP

New:

EdgeRouters

EdgeRouters have been around a long time, and are still technically supported with hotfixes and occasional software updates. The newer UISP hardware line is the safer bet for long term support, although EdgeRouters still have a lot of feature advantages.

Latest:

Older, Still Sold and Supported:

EdgeSwitches

Latest:

Older, Still Sold and Supported:

Return to Table of Contents

Fixed Wireless: Wave, GigaBeam, AirMAX, and AirFiber

60 GHz Wave

New:

  • Wave AP (2021)
  • Wave AP Micro (2023)
  • Wave Nano (2022)
  • Wave Long-Range (2022)
  • Wave Professional (2023)

GigaBeam and AirMAX

New:

  • AirMAX GigaBeam (2020)
  • AirMAX GigaBeam Plus (2020)
  • AirMAX GigaBeam Long-Range (2020)
  • LiteBeam 5AC XR (2021)

Older:

  • AirMAX AC models (2015-2017)

    • IsoStation AC
    • PrismStation AC
    • LiteBeam AC
    • Rocket AC Lite
    • Rocket Prism AC
    • NanoStation 5AC Loco
    • NanoBeam 5AC
    • etc.

  • All the “M” models (2013-2015)

    • Rocket M
    • NanoBeam M5
    • NanoStation M2 and M5
    • LiteBeam M5
    • etc.

AirFiber

New:

  • AirFiber 60 (2020)
  • AirFiber 60 LR (2020)
  • AirFiber 60 HD (2020)
  • AirFiber 60 XR (2021)
  • AirFiber 60 XG (2021)
  • AirFiber 5XHD (2018)
  • AirFiber 11/11FX (2017)

Old, Still Sold and Supported:

  • AirFiber 24 (2014)
  • AirFiber 24HD (2015)
  • AirFiber 2X/3X/4X/5X (2015)
  • AirFiber 5/5U (2014)

LTU

  • LTU Instant (2021)
  • LTU XR (2021)
  • LTU Rocket (2018)
  • LTU Lite (2018)
  • LTU Pro (2018)
  • LTU Long Range (2018)
Return to Table of Contents

UniFi Protect

NVRs and Accessories

  • UniFi NVR (2020)
  • UniFi NVR-Pro (2021)
  • UniFi Protect Viewport (2020)
  • Smart Sensor (2021)
  • Smart Chime (2022)
  • Protect Door Lock (2022)

New: G5 and AI Cameras

G4 Cameras

G3 Cameras

Return to Table of Contents

UniFi Talk

New:

  • UniFi Talk Phone Flex (2020)
  • UniFi Talk Phone Touch (2020)
  • UniFi Talk Phone Touch Max (2020)
  • UniFi Conference Speaker (2021)
  • UniFi Analog Phone Adapter (2021)

Old:

  • UniFi VoIP Phone (2014)
  • UniFi VoIP Phone Executive (2014)

UniFi Access and Connect

2nd Generation

  • Access Reader G2 (2022)
  • Access Reader G2 Pro (2022)
  • G2 Starter Kit (2022)
  • G2 Starter Kit Professional (2022)

1st Generation

  • Access Hub (2020)
  • Access Starter Key (2020)
  • Access Reader Lite (2020)
  • Access Reader Pro (2020)
  • Access Card (2020)
  • Access Rescue Keyswitch (2020)
  • Pocket Keyfob (2022)
  • Access Lock Magnetic (2022)
  • Access Lock Electric (2022)

Connect

  • Connect Display 21" (2021)
  • Display Cast (2021)

Cloud Keys and Miscellaneous

Latest:

  • UniFi Cloud Key Enterprise (2022)
  • UniFi Cloud Key Gen 2+ (UCK-G2-Plus) (2018)
  • UniFi Cloud Key Gen 2 (UCK-G2) (2018)
  • UniFi LTE (2019)
  • UniFi LTE Pro (2021) — not available in US
  • UniFi Smart Plug (2020)
  • WiFiMan Wizard (2022)

Old:

  • 1st Generation Cloud Key. The white one. (2015)
Return to Table of Contents
Evan McCann

Nerd writing about Wi-Fi, Networking, Ubiquiti, and Apple.

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