If I understand the ecosystem, you need at least the cloud key max to use any of their cameras with third party system because the nvr software is what actually serves us the RSTP stream. So just to use their cameras I have to buy a $200 "gateway" to use the $379 poe doorbell cam because they don't tell it without the $79 chime, but the wifi one comes without the chime for $79. Literally forcing you to buy an undiscounted chime to use poe.
Literally after taxes $600 just to use their doorbell camera. And from what I have seen none of their other cameras are worth the money. No thanks.
I do currently used unifi AP's, had a usg3 and 8 port 150w poe switch a while ago. So I am not some ubiquiti hater. Eventually I just got fed up with their antics and decided a single pane of glass control panel wasn't work the price tag and went Pfsense (working to convert to opnsense) and used netgear etc switches.
If someone can afford their system, kewl. When I was pricing a few years back, I was able to buy my
TP-Link 24 port 384w POE Switch, plus 4 other switches, from 8 port to 16 and one 24 port, All Enterprise Switches for Half the price of Ubiquiti. Even my pfSense Router was cheaper and it is an i7 fanless box and does much more IMO. I have temporarily retired my 384watt switch at our new house. It is a great switch but has fans and I don't need all those POE ports...
Got it at a great price back then:
Switches have went up since I bought mine...
But TP-Link now has their
Omada series. Don't know much about them but even my switches can use Omada remote cloud service, which I don't use or never will. Hoping the new switches does not force you to use their cloud.
My best APs has been my TP-Links EAP660 & 620 I had/have the EAP245 & 225 I worked for an ISP that we installed hundreds of APs, use to hear the Techs complain about coverage. I use to use old Routers in AP mode too back in the day.
Will say these TP-Links rock. Only issue I have had is a few times, long ago, when I would update the firmware I would lose the config, could not even use my backup config, I complained to TP-Link back then, apparently they were major firmware upgrades which rendered backups useless, my complaint was they needed a warning notice/text before someone, like me, upgraded their firmware. Lucky I have a small network, about half a dozen VLANs, so resetting them up was too much of pain. They since fixed this...
I see they have their WiFi7's now:
Would love to go 2.5G or10G but too expensive for me to change out my switches...1G is still working for me in my small Enterprise network...
www.newegg.com
