Posted: 9/25/2025 10:37:08 PM EDT
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Looking to do some filtering for kids at home. Previously I have used pfsense and untangle, but I am running a lot of Ubiquiti stuff and wouldn't mind staying in their ecosystem. Looking at something like the Dream Machine Pro to do content filtering, network access scheduled by MAC address/IP/SSID, IDS, VPN (both in and out), and a few other things. pfsense and opensense are magical but my network engineer hat came off 21 years ago and this stuff is way too complicated for me now. Wondering if the Unifi stuff will be "good enough" and provide enough granularity and ease-of-configuration. Comments welcome. |
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Single data point, but I love my Unifi gear. It's easy as shit to do simple-to-medium level operations, and their software value grows with each release. Unless they go totally off the rails and introduce some kind of fee/subscription structure like the big boys, I'll never use anyone else. |
God's children are not for sale.
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Originally Posted By MMcCall: Single data point, but I love my Unifi gear. It's easy as shit to do simple-to-medium level operations, and their software value grows with each release. Unless they go totally off the rails and introduce some kind of fee/subscription structure like the big boys, I'll never use anyone else. UDM Pro gateway Pro Max 24 POE Switch U6 Pro AP U6 Lite AP UNVR video recorder 4 exterior cameras (mix of G5 bullets, G6 bullet, and a G5 flex) G4 Doorbell pro A couple of the Flex Mini 2.5Gb switches I am a networking sub-amateur at best. Yet it was easy to set up after watching a few YT videos. I have a few VLANS and can VPN back into my home network when traveling so I can access local only devices like Home Assistant or use local websites like my local news stations if out of the country. The new zone based firewall is stupid simple to set up once you understand how it works. The non-SaaS is what sold me on UI. My next purchase will be one of the UNAS products since Synology recently went stupid on drive compatibility restrictions. |
Who, What, Where? Call Sign, Snowball
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I started on pfsense many years ago, upgrading from wrt routers running openwrt, and started off with a virtual machine on an esxi box in my homelab server rack since I was trying to learn vmware at the time. Graduated to surplus watchguard fireboxes that were x86. Then eventually moved on to those mini PCs. Couple years back I switched to opnsense, due to pfsense/netgate drama and it starting to feel like a money grab/"screw the free users" situation. Both are great solutions if you like tinkering and have a solid understanding of networks and firewall appliances. They are very powerful virtual appliances, sort of like having an enterprise device but free. Last year I realized that I was bringing my work home with me and had an overly complicated home network that was a pain in the ass to maintain. Bought a Unifi Cloud Gateway Ultra, two U7 Lite APs, a 24port poe core switch, and an 8port poe switch for my workbench/desk area. I already had experience on the Unifi network application, after pushing the MSP I work for to start selling their APs and building them a central controller in Azure some years back. Outside of the expected small learning curve involved in changing vendors, the biggest hurdle was turning on and using the UCG zone-based firewall but once I figured it out, it was quite easy. I have VLANs for my network devices/management, our computers/phones, guest wireless, IoT/smart devices, game servers/dmz, etc. |
LS swap the world.