Surprised no one brought this up, you can easily enable RTSP via the camera settings which opens up a ton of more viewing options. My favorite is hooking Protect up with HomeAssistant. That allows you to setup lots of interesting automations such as custom notifications, focusing/full screening a camera when it notices movement possibly also turn on the lights in that room/outdoors, etc…
I love this comment. I am planning on implementing home assistant in my home and will be diving into all things Unifi/Home Asst when the time comes. I'm putting a pin in this one. Thanks for sharing!
What version / cameras are you running? Got a case of G5 Turrets and was disgusted to find RTSP optuons were AWOL. To the point that I was excited to find a half case of G3 Domes to use in their place.
@@benjibenning692 I've only tried the turrets but I'm betting it's the G5s in general. The option for RTSP thats just right there easy peasy with the the G4/G3s is just.... not there. Interface looks identical otherwise.
Congrats on reaching 10k subscribers! I’m very familiar with Protect but this video was still full of tidbits of new information. Thanks! Only complaint is that I would have loved not hearing about how bad older systems are.
Thanks.. And believe me, I don't like talking bad about other products... however, sometimes to see the benefits, the challenges they overcome need to be discussed. I don't think those systems are bad, but I think some of requirements for setup have stuff in the fine print that doesn't get discussed. Sorry if that part of the video was off putting for you.
You missed that UniFi Talk Touch and Touch Max phones will display the Protect cameras. If someone rings your UniFi G4 Doorbell, you can answer them on the Talk phone and carry on a two-way conversation with them. I have a Touch Max in my office and it is great to be able to pull up my cameras on the phone.
You said Unifi is expensive... but honestly, I work as a tech installing CCTV and door access systems for large industry and commercial environments. For the feature set, Unifi is the least expensive option out there. Their UDM-SE, being a router, POE switch, and NVR all in one for $500 is an absolute steal of a deal. Toss in an AI pro that does facial recognition and License plate detection for another $500 is astonishing: all without annual licensing. And even their less expensive cameras have object detection: human, vehicle, and animal. Most cameras that have that for commercial spaces cost in the realm of $400 each at the cheapest. Axis, for instance, starts at $400 for a 1080P camera. A comparable Axis, Pelco, or Hanwa camera that can do what the G4 bullet can do would cost $800-1k.
I appreciate this comment. I personally think that UniFi Protect is very affordable however I said that because a lot of the comments I get about UniFi is that it’s expensive. I’m glad it’s not just me. Thanks for sharing.
@@1stGruhn I'd agree, though the shift away from all metal housings on the cameras and the issues with HDD failures aren't encouraging trends now that they've gone more "mainstream" - and the disappearance of RTSP support for the G5 line doesnt bode well. But the interface is the first digital solution that your average mom and pop shop has half a chance of being able to run themselves once its installed and configured, without needing an onsite IT guy or someone on call. The ability to self host is fantastic. Where Unifi Protect falls short is usability for real time monitoring, and the big names have had that down pat for decades.
@@ethernetblueprint They've certainly gone up a lot in price with their rise in brand recognition, and they were on the shrink-flation bandwagon long before the pandemic... proportional price point for a three pack today is higher than a five pack was for the G3s.
@@Kamereone And that is where the true cost is: proprietary hardware. I do like Onvif as a concept, doesn't always get implemented well though. I've not heard of any HDD failures, not sure if you mean from the HDDs they sell or the devices themselves causing issues. But yes, the ease of configuration is a huge plus. Though, as someone who does this professionally, lol, I'm one of the few who think that is a good thing: most in my profession like complexity since it is job security. I've walked long enough to know that most who want a good product will also want someone else to install and maintain it. I've not used protect yet myself so am not very familiar with the real time monitoring. I am certified in Genetec, Avigilon, Turing, Openeye, Axis, and Hanwha vision. I am using Synology for my home setup and built myself a Sophos firewall and setup a VPN so I can use the CCTV system away from home. But Unifi does make that easier from what I can tell, and that would be handy.
I would definately use one of the NVR options for that many cameras, but I don't see that being an issue at all. Check out this channel as he does ALOT more with the Unifi cameras: www.youtube.com/@DPCTechnology
Once I hit about 11, I had to switch to the UniFi NVR Pro, and it can rock many many more cameras. We’re at about 15 now and still have tons of capacity left with its 7 hard drives.
In my house we use Google os tvs. Unifi protect also works on these tvs. It acts like any other tv app. Here are the devices we use that I know will work: TCL google tvs, Nvidia shields and probably but not confirmed any android tv box that has the full play store.
I think you have to run it in browser mode for it to work, so i'd say yes. Here is a good thread if you didn't see it where others are talking about this same thing. community.ui.com/questions/Home-Assistant-on-Unifi-Connect-Display/82ba8237-50a2-4097-9e6b-ae459cc12348
you forgot about the cheapest most convenient way to watch your cameras everyone streams tv these days there a protect app for android and ios for tvs its literally a click away and u dont have to change the tv input like u do with the view port if the tv is stand alone specific for viewing cameras then the view port makes more sense thats how i set it up in customers houses
Carefull with that suggestion, there is way too many flavours of Android and many TV have very different variants and in many cases, the TV simply is a gutless PoS hardware wise and struggle with the load on processing IF you can even find or load the app.
Hi Tim, can you do a video on wireless printing on unifi, I have set up my network following your videos but I can only print if Im on the same VLAN. Many thanks
Sometimes that is driven by the printer itself. There are devices out there that don't handle VLANs very well. When I put mine on a different vlan and have my FW rules set just like my Newbie Video, it just worked... Make sure you have the mDNS (IOT discovery) box set with the VLAN the printer is on and the defauilt...
@@ethernetblueprint Thanks for your reply. I set my unifi system exactly like your newbie videos (brilliant videos!), my HP printer is on the IOT VLAN (with mDNS discovery) but I can only print if Im also on that VLAN. My main computer, pone and iPad are on my 'main, access to everything' network and I can't print. As I am a newbie to both Unifi and networking, some of the info I have found online to rectify the issue goes over my head. Im sure I'll get there eventually, your videos have really helped me get the most from the system, very clear and informative! thank you
I have found that some devices like printers don't play well with VLANs... Maybe do some seaching to see if anyone else has had similar issues with your model and VLANs... Another things you could try is this (As a test): Create an IP group and put your printer IP in that group. Then create a LAN IN FW rule that allows your printer to communicate to you default network. Make sure you drag that rule so it is in front of the Block all Private IP rule (#4)... And see if that helps...
I like Ubiquiti camera system too, but we should be aware that remote viewing our cameras through a cloud server could be a potential risk; here’s is the 2023 incident: “users of Ubiquiti networking devices, ranging from routers to security cameras, have reported seeing other people’s devices and notifications through the company's UniFi cloud services.”
All Smart TVs also have an in built browser so you could use that, I was actually hoping for a more detailed video on the functionality of Protect and how the user would use it.
Only thing I dislike about Viewport vs Dahua or Hikvision NVR is the grid layout options. My current Dahua has. 7 and 1 option. 1 large picture and 7 small video squares. Closes view that Viewport has 5 and 1.
I really like the Connect Display, but i dont have poe++ , just poe+ switch... So i'd need a poe++ injector? Kinda looking at it as a Hone Assistant Dashboard. Yeah youre not totally wrong about how the unify stuff just works. Thats why despite that price kinda still want it. I went down the road of Reolink and i managed to get things to work. Even displaying remotely to my phone. I tried the onvif rstp to unfiy protect, its not smooth... Its interesting that it works, but soemtimes the stream is choppy. I think unify can improve on it, id use Protect. I just couldnt justify the cost of unify cameras for the features you get vs. another solid brand for camera+extra effort. The Unify Doorbell alone~= reolink garage camera+video doorbell+ptz camera I plan to tie eveything into Home Assistant and Reolink has good rep for integration to HA. Winter has hit here, so moment of truth if these cameras can handle snow and freezing temperatures.... Great content, you've been a tremendous help in setting up my home.
I hope you continue to share your story on here... I have had a lot of people ask me about the protect and ONVIF and I have heard what you stated... its buggy at the moment. I plan on trying it out down the road when its a bit more stable. I hear the price concern on the Unifi cameras all the time. Personally, I don't think they priced too bad, but I used to do installs in conjunction with a security company and the cheapest Axis system they put in was $8500-$10K. And I think protect is 100 times better when it comes to the interface. Yes the cameras were nice, but not $400-$800/camera nice. (I have no idea what his markup was). But when you compare to some of the systems you get at Costco or similar places, I absolutely see your point. The interface is what makes it great and you pay for that! Thanks for watching and commenting! I will look for more of your story after you get through the winter ;)
For business , I'd for sure go unify cameras and go with the "it just works". No hassle, less reliant on IT troubleshooting. As a prosumer with a reasonable budget in mind, don't regret going unify for networking, really impressed and like the whole network topology UI. I had neighbor go with unify cameras and yeah it's sweet setup in Protect but then he went just single wireless AP LR6 , I went with two AP wifi 7 for really good coverage and future proof. And he couldn't get PTZ camera + floodlight camera + doorbell. He went with more basic cameras in the unify lineup. So there's a trade-off. If I had to do again... I think I'd still go reolink but it's a really close call, the "it just works" of unify really appealing after all the resetting and power cycling to get things to show up. I wouldn't go Costco, ours in Canada just has blink or whatever Google offers and some brand I never heard of. Reolink I think is a good compromise for what im looking for and Amazon Prime days was the way to go. Yeah I'll keep sharing the story , you gotta keep posting more videos lol.
Highly reccomend NOT plugging anything ioT (tv/smartboxes etc) related into that viewport 2nd lan as it would pass that device directly to your security or internal lan. no VLans can be assigned on that 2nd lan. USW-Flex Would Work well, then you can vlan appropriately. add AP, another, another camera, and finally your smart tv/set top box.
Not sure if people are Tesla haters or just Musk haters. I like the idea of a Tesla and the tech they have, but I have very little trust and liking toward Elon.... It creates a conflict. I do like the Ubiquiti make remote access so easy and secure. They give plenty of options that others just don't have. Synology Surveillance Station is probably the next closest thing for ease of use and not needing to use Port Forwarding, but I actually retired synology and went to Protect becasue Ubiquiti have just done it a little better in my personal opinion. I kind of wish Ubiquiti had not destroyed their earlier Unfi Video system, as that actually had a few better features and could run on your own hardware, but I guess they wanted to pull everything in house and make it proprietary. I think Protect is getting close to feature parity with the older system now though. I had similar issues with a few name brand chineseum camera systems where they need Internet Explorer or outdated plugins that are not overly secure and often don't work properly on newer computers.
Good points on Elon and Tesla... You could be right. Thank you for taking the time to comment and share you experience with older camera system... You described the exact issue I had seen many times... and these systems were installed by professional security system companies... I always thought they were crappy.
You are right... this isn't something I prefer. In my case, I have a verizon 5G home internet and it didn't play well with my UDM Pro. So, I had to put a USG Pro inbetween them which fixed the issues... I even have a video on my channel that asked my viewers for their thoughts on things... but nothing I tried fixed the issue. There is a new Fiber ISP company coming into my neighborhood and I plan to switch to that which will fix my triple nat issue. I will use the Verizon box as my backup internet.
@@ethernetblueprint, no need to do double or triple Nat with Verizon 5G Home Internet, Access the router admin page Click Advanced Click Network Settings Click Network Connections Click Network (Home/Office) Click Settings Click the IP Passthrough checkbox in the Bridge section Click Save Changes Wait for the router to reboot
Thanks for the suggestion... Unfortunately, my use case is a little different. In my case, I have 2 Unifi routers connected to my Verizon 5G home internet so I am unable to utilize the passthrough mode. I need the 5G box to hand out IPs for both routers...
Feedback: Tripple-NAT, yeah, nah, considering the name of your channel, time to cleanup your network. Notifications, OMG, latest versions with ONVIF support just screwed notifications massively, what a mess... Oh, you went there with the CODEC support, watchout, UBNT are playing with "Enhanced" mode, we call it x265 as most Protect still stuck on 264. If you have enhanced turned on with G4 cameras, issues everywhere likely. G5 on enhanced works better on the NVR but remote app is still likely to have issues. Crikey, thats was the longest intro into the VP adapter. The drawback witht he VP on a network, smart people will have their cameras and NVR sitting on a different VLAN. When you want the VP to work on this but then have the TV or the pass-through network device on another VLAN, nope. Can't assign VLAN's on back or them. They do work fine on PoE+ and I even have them on older Gen1 PoE switches just fine.
All good callouts... especially the VLAN part. I will just recomment people pull an extra cable when using it so they don't have to worry about that. Appreciate the insight. With ONVIF being so new in Unifi, I assume there are bugs with it. I have just been holding out for a bit before messing with that new feature. And as far as triple nat, it is unfortunately necessary with my specific use case. Verizon 5G Home internet did not play well when connected to my UDM Pro so I can put my USG Pro inbetween...its not my favorite either... However, we have a new fiber provider moving in to the neighborhood so I plan on moving to that and using Verizon as my backup so that will alleviate my triple nat sitch... Thanks for watching.
@@ethernetblueprint Not the first WAN connection that has had issues with the UDM's. Starlink is known for loosing speeds big-time and UBNT have not addressed it.
Now, I will be the first to admit that I don't know everything in the security world, but this is a little out of context... I have seen many professional installations (ADT, SEI, Atronic) that were exactly like the Costco Reolink system I spoke briefly about, and far more expensive. I even partnered with a security company that did full home automation ($100k and up systems) for a previous business I owned and they professionally installed Axis everything... Big dollar security systems and still had a poor interface (IMO) and a mouse and monitor stuck in a back room to monitor the system. I, of course, respect your opinion and appreciate the critisim. I like my viewers to keep me honest, but in my area, what I described, is the norm.
Hmm that’s interesting. I have 10 cameras and 8 of them are 4k and never had an issue. Actually not a big fan of the viewport just because of its limitations or should I say no options. Basically it’s a live view with no sound
@ethernetblueprint I have 16 all 4k, second issue is it doesn't keep the cameras aspect ratio, it changes it to I believe 4:3. When trying to display a public view camera, it ends up being unusable.
@@fix-it-alljohn9837 Did you connect it to a 4k monitor? I wonder, if connected to a 1080p monitor if it will display the 4k cams properly at the lower resolution.
@fix-it-alljohn9837 Hey, just out of curiosity. Are you using your viewport on a 4k monitor? I think that is my issue, that I'm trying to display 4k cameras on a 4k monitor. I'm wondering if I connect it to a 1080p or 2k monitor if it would work.
Surprised no one brought this up, you can easily enable RTSP via the camera settings which opens up a ton of more viewing options. My favorite is hooking Protect up with HomeAssistant. That allows you to setup lots of interesting automations such as custom notifications, focusing/full screening a camera when it notices movement possibly also turn on the lights in that room/outdoors, etc…
I love this comment. I am planning on implementing home assistant in my home and will be diving into all things Unifi/Home Asst when the time comes. I'm putting a pin in this one. Thanks for sharing!
@@ethernetblueprint what home assistant are you going to use ?
What version / cameras are you running? Got a case of G5 Turrets and was disgusted to find RTSP optuons were AWOL. To the point that I was excited to find a half case of G3 Domes to use in their place.
@ Didn’t try G5 Turrets, but I’m using a bunch of G3/G4 Instants, G4 Bullets, and Flex’s. Is the RTSP option just not available on the G5 Turrets?
@@benjibenning692 I've only tried the turrets but I'm betting it's the G5s in general. The option for RTSP thats just right there easy peasy with the the G4/G3s is just.... not there. Interface looks identical otherwise.
If you are an apple tv owner the protect app is available and you can watch the cameras that way.
This is GREAT info.. Thanks for sharing.
Just wish they would put the cameras together in the app rather than them being spread out and needing remote to vavigate them.
I may have to fire up my Apple TV and see how that works!
@@staticfade08 thank you.
@@ethernetblueprint Apple TV is defintetly the way to go, and you can pick up an old one used cheap.
Thanks!
Thanks so much for your generosity. I greatly appreciate your kindness
I’m obsessed with Unifi
It is fun to mess with.
Congrats on reaching 10k subscribers!
I’m very familiar with Protect but this video was still full of tidbits of new information. Thanks! Only complaint is that I would have loved not hearing about how bad older systems are.
Thanks.. And believe me, I don't like talking bad about other products... however, sometimes to see the benefits, the challenges they overcome need to be discussed. I don't think those systems are bad, but I think some of requirements for setup have stuff in the fine print that doesn't get discussed. Sorry if that part of the video was off putting for you.
@@ethernetblueprint not too offputting. Just trying to give you feedback. Love your videos and the knowledge you bring!
You missed that UniFi Talk Touch and Touch Max phones will display the Protect cameras. If someone rings your UniFi G4 Doorbell, you can answer them on the Talk phone and carry on a two-way conversation with them. I have a Touch Max in my office and it is great to be able to pull up my cameras on the phone.
I have never setup the talk devices so I didn't know that... Thanks for sharing!
You said Unifi is expensive... but honestly, I work as a tech installing CCTV and door access systems for large industry and commercial environments. For the feature set, Unifi is the least expensive option out there. Their UDM-SE, being a router, POE switch, and NVR all in one for $500 is an absolute steal of a deal. Toss in an AI pro that does facial recognition and License plate detection for another $500 is astonishing: all without annual licensing. And even their less expensive cameras have object detection: human, vehicle, and animal. Most cameras that have that for commercial spaces cost in the realm of $400 each at the cheapest. Axis, for instance, starts at $400 for a 1080P camera. A comparable Axis, Pelco, or Hanwa camera that can do what the G4 bullet can do would cost $800-1k.
I appreciate this comment. I personally think that UniFi Protect is very affordable however I said that because a lot of the comments I get about UniFi is that it’s expensive. I’m glad it’s not just me. Thanks for sharing.
@@1stGruhn I'd agree, though the shift away from all metal housings on the cameras and the issues with HDD failures aren't encouraging trends now that they've gone more "mainstream" - and the disappearance of RTSP support for the G5 line doesnt bode well. But the interface is the first digital solution that your average mom and pop shop has half a chance of being able to run themselves once its installed and configured, without needing an onsite IT guy or someone on call. The ability to self host is fantastic. Where Unifi Protect falls short is usability for real time monitoring, and the big names have had that down pat for decades.
@@ethernetblueprint They've certainly gone up a lot in price with their rise in brand recognition, and they were on the shrink-flation bandwagon long before the pandemic... proportional price point for a three pack today is higher than a five
pack was for the G3s.
@@Kamereone And that is where the true cost is: proprietary hardware. I do like Onvif as a concept, doesn't always get implemented well though. I've not heard of any HDD failures, not sure if you mean from the HDDs they sell or the devices themselves causing issues.
But yes, the ease of configuration is a huge plus. Though, as someone who does this professionally, lol, I'm one of the few who think that is a good thing: most in my profession like complexity since it is job security. I've walked long enough to know that most who want a good product will also want someone else to install and maintain it.
I've not used protect yet myself so am not very familiar with the real time monitoring. I am certified in Genetec, Avigilon, Turing, Openeye, Axis, and Hanwha vision.
I am using Synology for my home setup and built myself a Sophos firewall and setup a VPN so I can use the CCTV system away from home. But Unifi does make that easier from what I can tell, and that would be handy.
And a 4k reolink costs $100
So, I’m curious - what has been your experience with Unifi Protect when scaling to 15-30 cameras?
depends on if they r 4k or not
I would definately use one of the NVR options for that many cameras, but I don't see that being an issue at all. Check out this channel as he does ALOT more with the Unifi cameras: www.youtube.com/@DPCTechnology
Once I hit about 11, I had to switch to the UniFi NVR Pro, and it can rock many many more cameras. We’re at about 15 now and still have tons of capacity left with its 7 hard drives.
In my house we use Google os tvs. Unifi protect also works on these tvs. It acts like any other tv app. Here are the devices we use that I know will work: TCL google tvs, Nvidia shields and probably but not confirmed any android tv box that has the full play store.
That is super good to know. Thanks for sharing...Does it work well?
@@ethernetblueprint it works almost as good as if it was on a phone or tablet.
Great feedback! Thanks!
@ethernetblueprint it does work very well. Not as well as the units from unifi direct but as good as an android phone app.
Can u use homeassistant on the display with kiosk mode ?
I think you have to run it in browser mode for it to work, so i'd say yes. Here is a good thread if you didn't see it where others are talking about this same thing. community.ui.com/questions/Home-Assistant-on-Unifi-Connect-Display/82ba8237-50a2-4097-9e6b-ae459cc12348
There is also the option of using the Unify Protect App on Apple TV (probably on other systems too)
Yes.. Thanks for sharing... I should have mentioned the apps for TVs and Apple TVs. Thanks for helping the viewers
you forgot about the cheapest most convenient way to watch your cameras
everyone streams tv these days there a protect app for android and ios for tvs its literally a click away and u dont have to change the tv input like u do with the view port if the tv is stand alone specific for viewing cameras then the view port makes more sense thats how i set it up in customers houses
I actually didn't know that. I'm so glad you shared. Thanks!
Carefull with that suggestion, there is way too many flavours of Android and many TV have very different variants and in many cases, the TV simply is a gutless PoS hardware wise and struggle with the load on processing IF you can even find or load the app.
Hi Tim, can you do a video on wireless printing on unifi, I have set up my network following your videos but I can only print if Im on the same VLAN. Many thanks
Sometimes that is driven by the printer itself. There are devices out there that don't handle VLANs very well. When I put mine on a different vlan and have my FW rules set just like my Newbie Video, it just worked... Make sure you have the mDNS (IOT discovery) box set with the VLAN the printer is on and the defauilt...
@@ethernetblueprint Thanks for your reply. I set my unifi system exactly like your newbie videos (brilliant videos!), my HP printer is on the IOT VLAN (with mDNS discovery) but I can only print if Im also on that VLAN. My main computer, pone and iPad are on my 'main, access to everything' network and I can't print. As I am a newbie to both Unifi and networking, some of the info I have found online to rectify the issue goes over my head. Im sure I'll get there eventually, your videos have really helped me get the most from the system, very clear and informative! thank you
I have found that some devices like printers don't play well with VLANs... Maybe do some seaching to see if anyone else has had similar issues with your model and VLANs...
Another things you could try is this (As a test): Create an IP group and put your printer IP in that group. Then create a LAN IN FW rule that allows your printer to communicate to you default network. Make sure you drag that rule so it is in front of the Block all Private IP rule (#4)... And see if that helps...
I like Ubiquiti camera system too, but we should be aware that remote viewing our cameras through a cloud server could be a potential risk; here’s is the 2023 incident: “users of Ubiquiti networking devices, ranging from routers to security cameras, have reported seeing other people’s devices and notifications through the company's UniFi cloud services.”
Good Callout. The company does have the responsibility to "protect" us from data leaks like that. Something they haven't always done a perfect job at.
Better to disable remote access and use tailscale
All Smart TVs also have an in built browser so you could use that, I was actually hoping for a more detailed video on the functionality of Protect and how the user would use it.
I have gotten quite a few comments about the smart TV apps. I kinda missed the boat there. Thanks for sharing.
They’ll need a browser that can play h265 if they use enhanced encoding btw!
Thanks for sharing this. I wasn't aware of this. It just seems to work on any browser I tried.
Only thing I dislike about Viewport vs Dahua or Hikvision NVR is the grid layout options. My current Dahua has. 7 and 1 option. 1 large picture and 7 small video squares. Closes view that Viewport has 5 and 1.
I agree... there are some limitations.
I really like the Connect Display, but i dont have poe++ , just poe+ switch... So i'd need a poe++ injector?
Kinda looking at it as a Hone Assistant Dashboard.
Yeah youre not totally wrong about how the unify stuff just works. Thats why despite that price kinda still want it.
I went down the road of Reolink and i managed to get things to work. Even displaying remotely to my phone.
I tried the onvif rstp to unfiy protect, its not smooth... Its interesting that it works, but soemtimes the stream is choppy. I think unify can improve on it, id use Protect.
I just couldnt justify the cost of unify cameras for the features you get vs. another solid brand for camera+extra effort. The Unify Doorbell alone~= reolink garage camera+video doorbell+ptz camera
I plan to tie eveything into Home Assistant and Reolink has good rep for integration to HA.
Winter has hit here, so moment of truth if these cameras can handle snow and freezing temperatures....
Great content, you've been a tremendous help in setting up my home.
I hope you continue to share your story on here... I have had a lot of people ask me about the protect and ONVIF and I have heard what you stated... its buggy at the moment. I plan on trying it out down the road when its a bit more stable. I hear the price concern on the Unifi cameras all the time. Personally, I don't think they priced too bad, but I used to do installs in conjunction with a security company and the cheapest Axis system they put in was $8500-$10K. And I think protect is 100 times better when it comes to the interface. Yes the cameras were nice, but not $400-$800/camera nice. (I have no idea what his markup was).
But when you compare to some of the systems you get at Costco or similar places, I absolutely see your point. The interface is what makes it great and you pay for that!
Thanks for watching and commenting! I will look for more of your story after you get through the winter ;)
For business , I'd for sure go unify cameras and go with the "it just works". No hassle, less reliant on IT troubleshooting.
As a prosumer with a reasonable budget in mind, don't regret going unify for networking, really impressed and like the whole network topology UI.
I had neighbor go with unify cameras and yeah it's sweet setup in Protect but then he went just single wireless AP LR6 , I went with two AP wifi 7 for really good coverage and future proof. And he couldn't get PTZ camera + floodlight camera + doorbell.
He went with more basic cameras in the unify lineup. So there's a trade-off.
If I had to do again... I think I'd still go reolink but it's a really close call, the "it just works" of unify really appealing after all the resetting and power cycling to get things to show up.
I wouldn't go Costco, ours in Canada just has blink or whatever Google offers and some brand I never heard of.
Reolink I think is a good compromise for what im looking for and Amazon Prime days was the way to go.
Yeah I'll keep sharing the story , you gotta keep posting more videos lol.
Wish viewport had more options. There’s no sound, you can’t rewind or fast forward. Basically all you can do is live view.
I don't know that I would do that from my TV anyways, but I can see that being something that is missing....
Highly reccomend NOT plugging anything ioT (tv/smartboxes etc) related into that viewport 2nd lan as it would pass that device directly to your security or internal lan. no VLans can be assigned on that 2nd lan.
USW-Flex Would Work well, then you can vlan appropriately. add AP, another, another camera, and finally your smart tv/set top box.
Oooo, that is a super good callout. Thank you for sharing that!
I have 2 displays and you have to reboot it once a day because it gets stuck
I have experienced that. Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to look at mine more.
Not sure if people are Tesla haters or just Musk haters. I like the idea of a Tesla and the tech they have, but I have very little trust and liking toward Elon.... It creates a conflict.
I do like the Ubiquiti make remote access so easy and secure. They give plenty of options that others just don't have. Synology Surveillance Station is probably the next closest thing for ease of use and not needing to use Port Forwarding, but I actually retired synology and went to Protect becasue Ubiquiti have just done it a little better in my personal opinion.
I kind of wish Ubiquiti had not destroyed their earlier Unfi Video system, as that actually had a few better features and could run on your own hardware, but I guess they wanted to pull everything in house and make it proprietary. I think Protect is getting close to feature parity with the older system now though.
I had similar issues with a few name brand chineseum camera systems where they need Internet Explorer or outdated plugins that are not overly secure and often don't work properly on newer computers.
Good points on Elon and Tesla... You could be right. Thank you for taking the time to comment and share you experience with older camera system... You described the exact issue I had seen many times... and these systems were installed by professional security system companies... I always thought they were crappy.
I didnt think you would want a double nat or triple nat as you described. Why would you do that?
You are right... this isn't something I prefer. In my case, I have a verizon 5G home internet and it didn't play well with my UDM Pro. So, I had to put a USG Pro inbetween them which fixed the issues... I even have a video on my channel that asked my viewers for their thoughts on things... but nothing I tried fixed the issue. There is a new Fiber ISP company coming into my neighborhood and I plan to switch to that which will fix my triple nat issue. I will use the Verizon box as my backup internet.
@@ethernetblueprint, no need to do double or triple Nat with Verizon 5G Home Internet,
Access the router admin page
Click Advanced
Click Network Settings
Click Network Connections
Click Network (Home/Office)
Click Settings
Click the IP Passthrough checkbox in the Bridge section
Click Save Changes
Wait for the router to reboot
Thanks for the suggestion... Unfortunately, my use case is a little different. In my case, I have 2 Unifi routers connected to my Verizon 5G home internet so I am unable to utilize the passthrough mode. I need the 5G box to hand out IPs for both routers...
The way that they make the new notification manager is super duper confusing
There is a learning curve, but once you learn the lay of the land, it will be easier.
Love UniFi but wow, yes I have issues with notifications
That will be my next video actually.
You don't need 1 viewport for each TV if you have a TV splitter
Thanks for sharing for the viewers.
you got to get around some profesoinals.
Sorry if this video offended whatever systems you are familiar with...
Feedback: Tripple-NAT, yeah, nah, considering the name of your channel, time to cleanup your network. Notifications, OMG, latest versions with ONVIF support just screwed notifications massively, what a mess... Oh, you went there with the CODEC support, watchout, UBNT are playing with "Enhanced" mode, we call it x265 as most Protect still stuck on 264. If you have enhanced turned on with G4 cameras, issues everywhere likely. G5 on enhanced works better on the NVR but remote app is still likely to have issues. Crikey, thats was the longest intro into the VP adapter. The drawback witht he VP on a network, smart people will have their cameras and NVR sitting on a different VLAN. When you want the VP to work on this but then have the TV or the pass-through network device on another VLAN, nope. Can't assign VLAN's on back or them. They do work fine on PoE+ and I even have them on older Gen1 PoE switches just fine.
All good callouts... especially the VLAN part. I will just recomment people pull an extra cable when using it so they don't have to worry about that. Appreciate the insight. With ONVIF being so new in Unifi, I assume there are bugs with it. I have just been holding out for a bit before messing with that new feature. And as far as triple nat, it is unfortunately necessary with my specific use case. Verizon 5G Home internet did not play well when connected to my UDM Pro so I can put my USG Pro inbetween...its not my favorite either... However, we have a new fiber provider moving in to the neighborhood so I plan on moving to that and using Verizon as my backup so that will alleviate my triple nat sitch... Thanks for watching.
@@ethernetblueprint Not the first WAN connection that has had issues with the UDM's. Starlink is known for loosing speeds big-time and UBNT have not addressed it.
Yikes, $200 for a wall mount and $700 for the display?
STOP right there! :) Why on earth you want cascading 3 routers unless you have public IP on all of them WAN ports and you are a weird person?
You must have never met a professional or a system. The systems your talking about is crap from costco
Now, I will be the first to admit that I don't know everything in the security world, but this is a little out of context... I have seen many professional installations (ADT, SEI, Atronic) that were exactly like the Costco Reolink system I spoke briefly about, and far more expensive. I even partnered with a security company that did full home automation ($100k and up systems) for a previous business I owned and they professionally installed Axis everything... Big dollar security systems and still had a poor interface (IMO) and a mouse and monitor stuck in a back room to monitor the system.
I, of course, respect your opinion and appreciate the critisim. I like my viewers to keep me honest, but in my area, what I described, is the norm.
The viewport is an outdated joke. I bought one to display cameras onto a 65" monitor. It ran out of resources after just one 4k camera.
I'm sorry to hear that. I will have to leave mine in place to see if I have issues like that... I have 5 cameras and one is a 4K.
Hmm that’s interesting. I have 10 cameras and 8 of them are 4k and never had an issue. Actually not a big fan of the viewport just because of its limitations or should I say no options. Basically it’s a live view with no sound
@ethernetblueprint I have 16 all 4k, second issue is it doesn't keep the cameras aspect ratio, it changes it to I believe 4:3.
When trying to display a public view camera, it ends up being unusable.
@@fix-it-alljohn9837 Did you connect it to a 4k monitor? I wonder, if connected to a 1080p monitor if it will display the 4k cams properly at the lower resolution.
@fix-it-alljohn9837 Hey, just out of curiosity. Are you using your viewport on a 4k monitor? I think that is my issue, that I'm trying to display 4k cameras on a 4k monitor. I'm wondering if I connect it to a 1080p or 2k monitor if it would work.