For 20 bucks more, is a no brainer, even if you don't take full advantage now is only a matter of time you will, all major NAS are now 2.5 ( except the obsolete machines from sinology ), all new motherboards and mini pcs are almost all 2.5, yeah is time we leave the 30 years old 1GB technology behind.
If you don’t need 2.5 in the connected devices it is better to go for 1 gbe. Power consumption is more than double. Although it doesn’t sound like much 3 watts all year long is like 20kwh.
$20 extra basically doubles the prices if you think about it. A lot of devices you'd connect to the Mini, like gaming consoles and the like in a home situation, are likely 1GB. It's not really a no brainer. It is still a use case situation
@@pbrigham Again, as I said, it comes to use case. Paying double the price for a 2.5gbps switch is not a "no brainer", that was my point. If 100mbps switches at half the price of a gbps switch were available, I am sure there would be a market for them also.
@@EsotericArctosI could imagine there is still a benefit when you have 1Gbe devices connected to it that in total generate more than gbe traffic in the house. Eg one gaming with PS portal, Netflix and having downloads ongoing from Synology downloads.
I loved Unifi when I first setup my home network. A nice option for the prosumer market. But frankly, their switch lineup needs a conplete overhaul. The pricing and features just haven't keot up and the offerings are a bit eclectic given the dearth of higher speed ports. Fancy lights on a 1G switch while the market is moving towards 2.5/5/10G is a little late. And the gateway lineup is similarly stunted by mixxingimited 2.5G ports and 1G ports.
I like the flexibility of their line up right now and it just works for me. But I understand if the pricing is not right for some. They do have your typical enterprise 10G. I barely go there though. I started with home users and now my use case now is small business. Some more 2.5G PoE switches would be cool, but they do have them available already just larger than needed in some cases.
The 2.5GB Switch does have a couple of extra features over the original Flex Mini. If you want 2.5GB, then the Mini 2.5G is a good option and at a good price. It depends on what your use case is. It's the incremental progression of the original Flex Mini.
Great video.I love your diagrams, what's the tool you're using? Regarding connecting gateways and switches and how that affects speeds. Let's say I get UCG Max and connect 4 2.5g devices to it, device 1 and 2 can talk to each other at 2.5g and device 3 and 4 at the same speed at the same time, right? That's a total of 5gbps. Let's now move devices 2 and 4 to a Flex Mini 2.5G that's connected to the UCG Max via a single port. Now 1 and 2, and 3 and 4 can talk to each other at a total 2.5gbps, right? What happens if we move all 4 devices to the Flex Mini 2.5G? Does the total go back up to 5Gbps or does it stay at 2.5Gbps, because everything needs to go through a router?
Thanks! I’m using Apple’s Freeform app. Superior to anything else I tried. Hopefully they release a Windows or web app. Regarding switch throughput, that’s not quite right. Typically, a 1g or 1.5gbe, etc. port means the maximum speed on that port but not simultaneously on all ports at the same time. Unless for some reason the internals is spec’d higher. Where is it adds up is like a SFP+ port. This gives you a 10G connection. Likes say you have two switches connected via SFP+ (10G), the first switch has a NAS on another 10G port, the second switch has several desktops at 1G. The benefit here is that multiple users can hit the NAS a max 1G. So in any case, for your example, think of a single port as 2.5G max theoretically at one time. In your third question about all devices on the 2.5G Flex Mini, if they are in the same subnet, then they don’t need to route all the way back to a layer 3 switch for communication (which would be the UCG Max in your example). The devices will just communicate within the nearest switch, the Flex Mini 2.5. And again, maximum throughput of 2.5G between two devices on that switch.
Another point you didn't cover is that if you have the cloud gateway max, you could put a 2.5g server and pc directly on that and your other devices like AP's on a regular flex mini eliminating the need for the 2.5g. The only reason I plan to get it is for future proofing as I plan to add more devices to my network that can capitalize on it and the max doesn't have enough ports
Great video. I have tplink omada setup but like the flex mini for it's POE in so I can power field devices from main POE switch in comms cupboard. Problem is tplink don't have any 4port POE IN switch 😮 they only have a 5port POE out, with DC power in. Really unusual. Would like to switch all unifi but total hardware cost is about 20% more than tplink. Might endup with just a unifi flex mini switch and rest stay omada lol
Thank you for all your examples. I wonder why didn’t you recommend to skip the switch at all and connect all devices directly into the gateway? Especially when it is the Gateway Max. There are enough free Ethernet ports in all your examples in the gateway.
You're right. I just assumed you're using up those ports and getting a flex switch because you need more ports or you need ports further away from the gateway.
Any word or rumours floating around on when? I could really use a Flex in my home network expansion I'm working on but trying to hold off as I figured it would be one of the next to be refreshed.
Mate, you need to dial down quite a bit on that heavy American accent. It mixes up with your Russian (?) accent making it really hard to understand what you are saying at times.
If going with 2.5G networking, first watch the 2.5G cloud gateway max review: ua-cam.com/video/e7VWdddMamw/v-deo.html
Cloud Gateway Max is out of stock 😢
@@hssn2020 yeah it's tough. Sign up with Crosstalk's UINotify.net
For 20 bucks more, is a no brainer, even if you don't take full advantage now is only a matter of time you will, all major NAS are now 2.5 ( except the obsolete machines from sinology ), all new motherboards and mini pcs are almost all 2.5, yeah is time we leave the 30 years old 1GB technology behind.
If you don’t need 2.5 in the connected devices it is better to go for 1 gbe. Power consumption is more than double. Although it doesn’t sound like much 3 watts all year long is like 20kwh.
$20 extra basically doubles the prices if you think about it. A lot of devices you'd connect to the Mini, like gaming consoles and the like in a home situation, are likely 1GB. It's not really a no brainer. It is still a use case situation
@@EsotericArctosa lot of devices like cameras for example is still 100mb and we still connect 1GB switches to them, the principal is the same.
@@pbrigham Again, as I said, it comes to use case. Paying double the price for a 2.5gbps switch is not a "no brainer", that was my point. If 100mbps switches at half the price of a gbps switch were available, I am sure there would be a market for them also.
@@EsotericArctosI could imagine there is still a benefit when you have 1Gbe devices connected to it that in total generate more than gbe traffic in the house. Eg one gaming with PS portal, Netflix and having downloads ongoing from Synology downloads.
I loved Unifi when I first setup my home network. A nice option for the prosumer market. But frankly, their switch lineup needs a conplete overhaul. The pricing and features just haven't keot up and the offerings are a bit eclectic given the dearth of higher speed ports. Fancy lights on a 1G switch while the market is moving towards 2.5/5/10G is a little late. And the gateway lineup is similarly stunted by mixxingimited 2.5G ports and 1G ports.
I like the flexibility of their line up right now and it just works for me. But I understand if the pricing is not right for some. They do have your typical enterprise 10G. I barely go there though. I started with home users and now my use case now is small business. Some more 2.5G PoE switches would be cool, but they do have them available already just larger than needed in some cases.
The 2.5GB Switch does have a couple of extra features over the original Flex Mini. If you want 2.5GB, then the Mini 2.5G is a good option and at a good price. It depends on what your use case is. It's the incremental progression of the original Flex Mini.
Great video.I love your diagrams, what's the tool you're using? Regarding connecting gateways and switches and how that affects speeds. Let's say I get UCG Max and connect 4 2.5g devices to it, device 1 and 2 can talk to each other at 2.5g and device 3 and 4 at the same speed at the same time, right? That's a total of 5gbps. Let's now move devices 2 and 4 to a Flex Mini 2.5G that's connected to the UCG Max via a single port. Now 1 and 2, and 3 and 4 can talk to each other at a total 2.5gbps, right? What happens if we move all 4 devices to the Flex Mini 2.5G? Does the total go back up to 5Gbps or does it stay at 2.5Gbps, because everything needs to go through a router?
Thanks! I’m using Apple’s Freeform app. Superior to anything else I tried. Hopefully they release a Windows or web app.
Regarding switch throughput, that’s not quite right. Typically, a 1g or 1.5gbe, etc. port means the maximum speed on that port but not simultaneously on all ports at the same time. Unless for some reason the internals is spec’d higher. Where is it adds up is like a SFP+ port. This gives you a 10G connection. Likes say you have two switches connected via SFP+ (10G), the first switch has a NAS on another 10G port, the second switch has several desktops at 1G. The benefit here is that multiple users can hit the NAS a max 1G. So in any case, for your example, think of a single port as 2.5G max theoretically at one time. In your third question about all devices on the 2.5G Flex Mini, if they are in the same subnet, then they don’t need to route all the way back to a layer 3 switch for communication (which would be the UCG Max in your example). The devices will just communicate within the nearest switch, the Flex Mini 2.5. And again, maximum throughput of 2.5G between two devices on that switch.
If you need VLAN tagging (as I do), then the $29 flex mini won't cut it. But the $49 one does
Correct. You can still set native VLAN on the 1G flex mini.
Another point you didn't cover is that if you have the cloud gateway max, you could put a 2.5g server and pc directly on that and your other devices like AP's on a regular flex mini eliminating the need for the 2.5g. The only reason I plan to get it is for future proofing as I plan to add more devices to my network that can capitalize on it and the max doesn't have enough ports
Correct! I assumed you're using up those ports and getting a flex switch because you need more ports or you need ports further away from the gateway.
Great video. I have tplink omada setup but like the flex mini for it's POE in so I can power field devices from main POE switch in comms cupboard. Problem is tplink don't have any 4port POE IN switch 😮 they only have a 5port POE out, with DC power in. Really unusual. Would like to switch all unifi but total hardware cost is about 20% more than tplink. Might endup with just a unifi flex mini switch and rest stay omada lol
Just be careful. The UniFi force is strong. You'll be down the rabbit hole in no time ;)
Great breakdown man, keep up the awesome work 👍
Thanks for the feedback! Appreciate it.
Thank you for all your examples. I wonder why didn’t you recommend to skip the switch at all and connect all devices directly into the gateway? Especially when it is the Gateway Max. There are enough free Ethernet ports in all your examples in the gateway.
You're right. I just assumed you're using up those ports and getting a flex switch because you need more ports or you need ports further away from the gateway.
@@ApexOneTech This is an Advanced Option. Many Home users only use 1-2 Access points and all your examples are for simple setups.
@@r.d.6856 Varies a lot. A home office can use this and even a small business so you can have several wired devices easy.
Nice review differant angle from other reviewers
Thanks! 👍
The upgrade for USW-Flex (46W) but with 2.5G ports is coming soon
That would be great!
Any word or rumours floating around on when? I could really use a Flex in my home network expansion I'm working on but trying to hold off as I figured it would be one of the next to be refreshed.
One update: I’ve read that the Ultra switch has just been updated with STP.
Hmm I don't see that in my own switch ultra nor the tech specs yet. Maybe I just didn't get the update yet. If I see it, I'll you know.
👌
Mate, you need to dial down quite a bit on that heavy American accent. It mixes up with your Russian (?) accent making it really hard to understand what you are saying at times.
що ти сказав?
You have no idea what you are talking about.