Unifi Switch Flex - The outdoor Unifi switch
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ค. 2024
- I found another shed with no switch. Unacceptable. So I installed the Unifi Switch Flex for future connected projects 🙂
Unifi Switch Flex: store.ui.com/us/en/products/u...
Flex Utility: store.ui.com/us/en/pro/catego...
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @larsklinttech
Chapters:
0:00 A shed with no switch?
0:57 The Switch Flex
2:44 What is in the boxes?
6:59 Install Flex Utility in the shed
7:23 PoE adaptor and switch install
11:23 Switch Flex specs
14:37 Network controller adoption - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
I love the “take the bracket off” moment 🤣
There are _many_ of those in every project....
I have been using these for our outdoor work areas for the last several years. To use the power adapter, you have to switch the interface back to classic. Then select the flex and under options, it shows power source. You then select POE injector. Then the Flex will work correctly once you plug in devices.
Ah, is that how it worked! I was wondering why it wouldn't recognise it. I might ask UBNT why that feature is gone, cause that would be a nice visual.
ahh. This is interesting to find. I don't understand why ubiquiti doesn't port or translate their previous options from the old interface into the new so the options and such still work. At least until they get their new interface up to the same bar as the old
@@Deraco1Don't know why they decide to remove or keep certain features. It is pretty common in software to do that if features aren't used, as everything requires maintenance.
I did read once on the UI Community forum that the "warning" you get, is now design. UI-Glenn told that. My guess is that that is the way at the new GUI.
However, when you connect it to another UniFi switch (and they are adopted in the same controller of course) you will see the correct amount of PoE budget. This since the controller knows what PoE type is given on the port it is connected to.
I think the reason that your getting a unknown power source message is since its using the standard 48v passive PoE injector (assuming it's passive). There won't be any communication on to how much wattage can be used from the PoE circuitry. Its just as if you had your own PoE injector plugged into the switch. It is interesting to note that Ubiquiti didn't seem to put any communication smarts in the power supply for this error to go away. When you plug that switch into a PoE switch, the switches negotiate on how much power it can provide and receive thus knowing the power maximum
I see you found the answer in the other comment too 😊
Just the intro made me laugh 😂 ... Love your videos.
A recommendation for your setup is if you have the plugs nearby is to just get a 60W poe injector that they sell and that gives you the 4ports back total on the flex with the LAN on the injector. Working on a video currently to have this totally solar and independent from electrical power going to post on our farm page. Technically the POE injector that comes with the box is a DC to AC power injector meant for solar MPPT systems kinda like the UISP Wave stuff.
Good point. I do have the stand alone PoE adapter which I'll use if I ever need all 4 ports. Look forward to seeing your setup too, as I'm going to do a similar setup at the top of the hill 🙂
Just what I needed a review on!
Awesome! Thanks for watching Maurits 😊
Own two of these and did not realise the cable protection cover plastic thingy at the bottom came apart! That now makes a lot of sense and makes inserting the cables a lot easier. Always learning on this channel, thanks!
No worries mate. It does require a fair bit of force, so not super obvious. 😊
I will soon also install one, so the review comes just right! Thanks
Perfect! And you are most welcome mate. Thanks for watching 😊
Interesting, I have a couple of the Flex minis and never knew of this PoE+ switch. I will promptly buy one and redo parts of my network...
They are really good. I just got two more for places in the front garden and gate :)
Only thing (as mentioned by others in these comments too) is that if you get the utility case and use that PoE adaptor, you lose a port. I still use them for many things though.
I got the Flex roughly when it came out and its been a perfect match with my Protect and AP´s. Currently I have one of those outdoor boxes with a flex at the back of the house which powers 2x G4 Pro and a Floodlight. The second flex is just mounted in a covered overhang on my shed and on both I have plugged the unused ports with portcovers from my 8 port Industrial 450w. I really like the PoE++ idea because I can daisychain my gear (24p Pro or 8p Industrial w/PoE++) -> Flex -> Flex Mini or various Unifi gear. So I just need to draw some net cables to certain junctions and then power all my gear via those cables, no powerlines needed.
Cool setup! Yeah, I love the PoE feature as well. In Australia it makes it much simpler too as doing _anything_ with 240V is a legal minefield (basically you need an electrician for everything).
Greetings from Germany! Great review!
Danke mein Freund und vielen Dank fürs Zuschauen 😊
Not sure why you wouldn't want to power this from POE switch itself? This gives the flexibility to have the switch backed up if your main switches are backed up, as well as a 5th port/uplink. I run multiple pro switches with BT already in them and have a number of the Flex switches. So far I haven't needed BT based power levels on them, as most items plugged into them are pretty low wattage. You can always use a BT based injector if you need that much power, and that could be powered by the main switches again to use existing UPS power. Also helps if you get lightning and you can help eliminate EMP/ESD during nearby lightning strikes by having common single point grounding. Keep up the good work sir! 🤠👍
All very valid points Chris. I could use the incoming CAT6 cable to power it I suppose, but I wanted to show the full setup in the video, as it comes out of the box. I am also considering using the stand alone PoE adaptor that Unifi sells, which I used initially on my first Switch Flex. In this case so far I agree, I don't need PoE++/BT power.
Thanks for the super useful comment 😊
Make sure any underground cabling is surge protected
Totally. I use surge protectors too on especially outdoor connections and devices. In fact, I did a video on that too 😂 th-cam.com/video/MhaUbDSHRYY/w-d-xo.html
The flat mount is actually magnetic, discovered that when i was setting on up near my rack and it just stuck to the side of the rack.
Oh cool!! I didn't know that 😊
Great video, Lars! Quick question, what power cable did you add to the adapter from the utility case? I’ve bought some, but the individual cables are too small and slip out. I’ve been to a couple of Bunnings stores, but no one seems to be able to help me with that.
Thanks mate. It was just an old power cable, that we cut off from some other appliance. I have a pile of those in the shed from over the years.
So @statto80 astutely pointed out what is the major flaw of this unit. The power unit should be a 2 port design so that only port 1 is used and there are then 4 ports available. That’s why I never use that flex enclosure but purchase the poe++ adapter separately.
I don't think it is a major flaw, but it would be a nice addition. The other Switch Flex I have is also powered by the PoE adaptor in the utility case, but I am uplinking via NanoStation which needs PoE power anyway, so in that scenario it makes no difference. And I do need the enclosure as it is completely weather proof.
Good review. Got one of the switches, but not the box. Didn't really need it, but had to buy a poe++ separately.
Works great, but gets hot in summer (in Australia). I'm wondering how it will go in that box. Please check it in summer & let us all know.
Thank John 😊The first Switch flex and utility case I put up has been through two summers in a small pump shed that also has an open front. I have never had any issues with that. I will perhaps do a "status video" in January on them both though? 🤔
lars interms of the POE power adaptor did it come with a wall socket plug on one end or something else as i just ordered one i am seeing mixed plug ends etc as i am in australia thanks kim
Good question Kim. You have to supply your own power connection, which then plugs into the quick connector on the PoE adaptor.
@@LarsKlintTech thanks lars I’ll be sourcing a power source cable next week I appreciate that info
@@annoyedlemon Any time Kim. Thanks for watching 😊
I had trouble running a G4 Pro and a U6 AP with this, I had to upgrade to POE++ to get it to work correctly.
What were you powering the switch with? The power budget goes down quite a bit, if you don't power it with PoE++ or equivalent PoE adaptor.
@@LarsKlintTech US8-150W
@@davidv7403 Ah yes, that provides PoE+ at 34W per port max.
@@LarsKlintTech Yes. I had to use a POE++ injector, like you did. Keep up the great content! Thanks!
Does the Poe adapter allow you to connect the uplink to that rather than port 2 and use port 1 for both uplink and Poe?
No, you need to power the switch on Port 1, so it is effectively a 4-port switch.
Port 1 can be used as an uplink and POE input. You can have POE af, at, or bt to power it. It just depends on what you are powering on ports 2 - 5.
@@brandonmatlock96 you are100% right Brandon! I was referring to the PoE adaptor specifically, but if you power the switch from another switch, you can absolutely also uplink on port 1.
agreed, in my case the 8-150 + 60w injector powering the flex in port 1 and uplink in the same time for the other 2 ap connected to the 8-150,
ports 2-4 in the flex powering 3 u6, port 5 is the down link from the router.
My Flex switch is powered by 48 port v2 switch from a poe++ port so it is reporting 5.8/46W just fyi. That is a bummer the poe injector can't be understood by the switch.
According to another comment you used to be able to select it as input. Not sure why it got removed 🤔
100%, in the legacy interface (settings--> system--> advanced--> interface)/ you can choose the "power source" (802.3af or poe injector)
Why didn't you use a lunchbox for the enclosure? 😃
Hahahaha, I see what you did there 🤣
If You use poe adapters they are simply a power suplay for poe device - thy are no't have any comunication with the controler or powered device - I at first time powered that my U6 LR and on network I dont see power info from U6 LR befor I replace poe adapter and old TP Link swich to my SW 24 POE
There used to be a setting in the network controller where you could manually set the power input to the PoE adaptor, but has been removed 😔
@@LarsKlintTech I was don't know that For me buing my first Unifi APs poe was new for me and I
i was convinced that no poe info in network is normal using poe adapter
@@tomaszmilos All good mate. Yeah, normally it doesn't matter, except when a single PoE adaptor is powering multiple things 😊
You only get 3 ports available if you're using this?
If you use the supplied PoE adaptor, yes unfortunately. You can get a different adaptor or power directly via PoE too, which would give you 4 ports.
@@LarsKlintTech I wonder why doesn't the poe adapter come with data port
@@athomft22Your guess is as good as mine mate. Someone else mentioned in a comment it might have to do with being more designed for a solar DC input.
Happy now? 80% :)
This product confuses me so much. I want to love it and use it in the same manner, but giving up 2 ethernet ports to get a return line, when using the Flex/Utility Box's included POE injector feels just wrong. For a midspan with AC power this can be fine. But it would have been incredibly nice to have a traditional POE injector with LAN output to use the first port as a LAN option for local devices not mounted at the same location as the pole.
Using another BT injector is fine but then you just have extra parts laying around that can not be used with anything but 60w BT devices... that do not need lan access.
At the very least you can use the deadspace in the top of the utility area that holds the AC POE injector for a Arduino or pi/etc running off of the switch/poe, when using an remote injector.
@@SeijinSA It is definitely not a perfect device, but it works so well in so many scenarios as well. I agree, having the extra port when using the utility case would be ideal though. However, lots of installations don't need the case either and just power the switch directly from another switch, which means you do get the 4 ports for use.
I never thought of putting a micro controller or board in the case though....🤔
@@LarsKlintTech Agreed, without debate. But in some cases when you need a return line, it just hurts to turn a 5 port switch into 3 usable ports after the return line.
@@SeijinSAAbsolutely. In that case it is time to break out the stand alone 60W PoE adaptor Unifi sell too.
Love the t-shirt. What’s a Dane living so far away. Must be a female involved ?
Thanks mate, it is one of my favourite hoodies currently 😊
Its kind of odd to me that the POE injector does not have a data input... since this is designed to be placed by power anyways I don't see why ubiquiti didn't just design the switch to have an external power brick as an alternative and trash the pointless injector that exists solely to take up 20% of the switch.
The whole idea of the switch is that it can be powered by PoE from another switch. You can buy a separate PoE adaptor which does have a data input, but if you want to use the utility case, the adaptor doesn't 🤷♂️ It _may_ have something to do with using it with solar setups apparently.
@@LarsKlintTech the switch makes sense, but unifi clearly intended this switch with this injector as a setup which just seems pointless. There is no benefit to a Poe injector with no data connection. And even if there was one, an injector with an available data port will still work without data actually connected.
@@Col_Crunch Totally. When I need that 4th port in my case, I might use the standalone PoE adaptor too.
sorry to say the config as it comes from unifi is lacking as you lose one port
using one for power and one for data in
i had a switch flex on my moms house for years until she sold it with out the case and its water resistant but that being said you should power it via
this adapter that sends power + DATA on one port
You are not the first to say that mate. If I do need the fourth port for something I will use the stand-alone PoE adaptor from Unifi.
I can't use it outside without the utility case as we get wasps building nests in the ports and protective cover.
Jubilee clip
running fiber to an opnsense box would be a better solution - faster, more expandable, more upgradeable, less latency, more throughput, better security, not that much more expensive, open source and non proprietary
I am not following. The video is specifically about the Switch Flex, but you are saying build a completely different infrastructure? I fail to see how that isn't much more expensive, and takes a ton more time both in implementation and learning 🤔
@@LarsKlintTech it is the same thing but open source and fiber is better in many ways - opnsense is the way to go - avoid closed source proprietary garbage and enjoy a huge supportive user base with great licensing - you can resell, open source tech is very popular in scandinavia for a reason - it is better. you don't have to submit yourself to huge learning curve try it on a old pc first and see what you think - you have more options and choices is the real message - also wifi7 is going to be vastly superior and out soon hopefully you will do content on that - you will have to upgrade anyways #self improvement #infrastructure #enterprise grade #carrier grade
@@shephusted2714 I will check it out at some point. There are pros and cons in both a proprietary ecosystem and open source systems. Nothing is perfect, but depends on your scenario and requirements. Thanks for replying 👍
@@LarsKlintTech you have nothing to lose and everything to gain - opnsense is enterprise grade, tried and tested, you may be pleasantly surprised and you will probably have to upgrade anyways so...shop around and get the info you need and reach out if you have issues or questions - people are happy to help and the userbase is big #the whole world is a savior #licensing