You should not worry about the "Brexit Rubbish" - I buy from there regularly and there are no problems.Just waiting to see which site has everything in stock beofre my next, camera, mount, doorbell order.

You can purchase the extra 3 years - a lot of customers will only want 2 as they change frequently so why waste money! Hence teh add-on that UI have - pay for what you need.

If you want to set up the BQM and have problems - let me know and I can copy the instructions across. Mine shows a nice 3mS consistently.


Plus download their UniFi app to your phone. I use UniFi, Protect, WiFiMan all the time, plus their UISP app as I have a managed RF link on my network. wh you finally get a U7 in te network - WiFiMan will let you run a speed test but it does it two ways. Either a basic phone to remote server OR Gateway to Remote server which tests the fibre connection, AND phone to Gateway which tests the WiFi which I feel it better as it show how teh two seperate parts work.


Voipify - I finally ditched the numbers we had with them - calls over 2 years almost none as everything is mobile. Never an issue with their service though.

The items arrived quickly so I set the UCG Fiber up yesterday, it has now been running for about 24 hours and seems very good.

It was mostly very easy to setup but at first I mistakenly created a Ubiquiti Account, (which I did not need since I plan to control the devices from the Home LAN), having a Ubiquiti Account was a pain and it seemed to prevent a local login and was a lot of faff. - So I removed the Ubiquiti Account and closed it, I did a factory reset and I set it up via the local management system which worked better for me and I even took up the option to keep the old Asus Lan IP Addresses which meant that everything on the LAN, including items with Static IP, linked up quickly.

Using the Ubiquiti UCG Fiber speed test, the results of the fibre connection are at least as good as the Asus reported with Ookla or better and it maybe more steady.

I am still finding my way around the internal menus and at present I prefer the Asus Menu, probably because I am used to them but it could be that the more indistinct, (wishy washy), colour scheme of the Ubiquiti makes it harder, (for an older person, like me), to see and to use the menu.

At present I only have one item that I am uncertain about in the present setup in that it responds to ICMP Echo requests/pings and I will probably turn that off. - Maybe it is for remote access from the Ubiquiti Servers that I do not plan to use. - (Does anyone know if/why this is needed)?

For now; I set the Asus RT-AX88U Pro Router up as a WIFI Access Point and that too is working well.

I have not yet set up the managed switches or any VLAN yet but I suspect that they will work out as planned.

Something that I did not like about the UCG Fiber when it first arrived is that there were small dirty marks on the white top of it out of the brand new sealed box and at first I thought that it could have been out and returned as although the box seal was intact I could easily have taken the UCG Fiber out of the manufacturers box and returned it without breaking the seals but upon googling this may be a common issue where dirty oil/soot marks are present upon the brand new case. (I mostly buffed them out with a clean cloth but it should be really be pristine upon arrival and I am hoping that the four managed switches do not have similar issues when I open them. - It creates uncertainty about quality control.

Are there benefits in using the Unifi App on the phone?

Does that give a better menu than just logging into the device?

I ask because it has a privacy policy and I have always been reluctant to allow information about my devices to be held elsewhere.

Regarding additional warrantee insurance: I have always adopted the policy of never taking insurance for something that you can bear there cost of; I have tended to change the Asus Routers every 3 years but they have a five year guarantee.

I have added redundancy to this Ubiquiti Equipment and I expect it to suit my needs for the next 10 years and I expect it to last as I expect all equipment of this type, (without fans or moving parts), to last 10 years at least and a two year manufacturers warrantee seems low.

Regards,
Fido

The bad news ... the 2.5G switches were back in stock in the UI UK store at the end of last week!

I've never had dirty units arriving or quality issues with anything from UI.

You will get used to te user interface and menus.


Where are you seeeing ICMP Echo requests being on? On mine I have specific rules that allow it for certaain sites including TBB.


Yes, the extra warranty is effectively isurance. But if you buy a device with 5 years warranty, that cost has just been included in the price up front. Large users that update every 2-3 years only want 2 years and can save a lot the way UI do it and my guess its that UI do it their way to satisfy the marge users and are open in telling smaller users what te cost is. With your current router - if it cost £150, there was probably £30 of that to cover years 3-5 warranty.

Advantage of te App on your phoine/tablet is that you do have an easy way to control when you are not ot home. I use it in conjuction with Protect for my cameras and teh other UI apps.

I'm just waitingh for a new 24 port PoE switch (base model) with 10Gbps SFP+. The curren Gen2 version is fine with plenty of PoE ports but is stuck with a 1Gbps uplink - and mine is 6 years old and still going faault free.

The manufacturers retail price for my Asus Router and Asus Routers with a similar spec was about £300, (with a 5 year warrantee), so the UCG Fiber, (albeit without any WIFI), is a similar price;

https://amzn.eu/d/0eL1fa19

My Asus RT AX88U Pro, (now operating as a WIFI Acces Point), has excellent WIFI Performance and Range and I suspect that I will need two U7 Pro XG at a cost of about £191 each, (£382 for two), to match the WIFI Range and since we only use about 5 or maybe 6 WIFI devices it may not be worth it. (Maybe with with a huge sales discount as the Ubiquiti WIFI Access Points seem to be significantly overpriced).

As you pointed out your Ubiquiti devices have already lasted over 6 years so that's good to know as with a modular setup I plan to keep the devices longer.

It is a white case and there were quite small black oil/soot marks on the top which, (from googling), seems to be a common issue. (The fact that the device can be removed from the box and returned to it without breaking the box seals creates uncertainty as to its provenance/newness but a lot of people have complained about small black marks on the new items so I concluded that it must be a quality control issue and not a refurbished or returned issue. (The marks were mitigated by rubbing with a clean cloth).

With a new router/gateway and an unfamiliar menu I usually visit Gibson Research Shield Up and that reports the ICMP Echo Fail, (which could be nothing and it could be there to enable remote access) ;

https://www.grc.com/default.htm

If we get cameras then maybe we we will use the app.

On the whole I am quite pleased and as you say we can get used to changes in menu but grey symbols and numbers on a white background are unclear for those of us who need stronger reading glasses. - (I have just reset the screen display to Dark and that may be a little better).

Regards,
Fido

Edited by Fido (Mon 27-Apr-26 14:32:21)

An update with my findings so far.

Regarding Ubiquiti WIFI: I wanted to use mostly Ubiquiti devices so I bought a U7 Pro XG and I installed that.

It was set the same way as the WIFI in my Asus RT AX88u Pro, previously being used as a WIFI Access Point, but the WIFI performance of the U7 Pro XG was vastly inferior as it was erratic in its operation and the WIFI range was also vastly inferior.

So the U7 Pro XG was obviously a mistake and it was soon sent back and I will stick with my Asus for WIFI.

Regarding the control over the network:

The UCG Fiber Gateway/Router for the most part has been OK but there are a few things that I do not like, one of which could be because I am not yet as familiar with the operating system or it could a glitch or even a feature that I do not like.

ie. I factory reset and removed the U7 Pro XG but it still remembers sone features about the WIFI that is not longer managed by the Unif OS. (Maybe it is some type of a ghost memory).

Also, Port 5 on one of the Flex Mini 2.5g managed switched reported an error, (ie. Anomaly 70), so I changed that managed switch with one of the other Flex Mini 2.5g managed switches keeping exactly the same ethernet cables/connections and the same USB wire/plug and since the Port 5 on the replacement managed switch did not report an error to me that clearly indicated a defective Managed Switch.

So I carried out a factory reset on the "defective switch", (defective ?), and I partly reinstalled it elsewhere without Port 5 being in use but Port 5 still reported Anomaly 70 but also the Unifi OS had still retained memory of the previous issue which was a concern so I carried out a factory reset and remove to the managed switch via the Unifi OS and the same error occured.

By Googling I have read that I may need to wait up 48 hours for the memory to clear the system. - I really do not like the uncertainty and these potential ghost memories but this theory sounds likes it's junk.

Personally, I do not like this uncertainty with the OS.

I am fairly sure that the managed switch that reports an error on Port 5 is defective but because of the reported potential ghost memory issues before I send it back I need to be sure, therefore, I plan to factory reset everything tomorrow, (including the UCG Fiber), which should prove that there is a defect on Port 5 of one of the Managed Switches.

I really do not like this potential ghost memory issue with the UCG Fiber. - Is this possible ?

In reply to a post by Fido:

the WIFI performance of the U7 Pro XG was vastly inferior as it was erratic in its operation and the WIFI range was also vastly inferior.

Thats surprised me as there is nothing super special about the Wifi of the Asus RT AX88u Pro, I would be questioning if the installer knows what they are doing as there are various things to consider that may not have been.

Edited by PCJM40 (Sun 03-May-26 11:03:40)

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

In reply to a post by Fido:

the WIFI performance of the U7 Pro XG was vastly inferior as it was erratic in its operation and the WIFI range was also vastly inferior.

Thats surprised me as there is nothing super special about the Wifi of the Asus RT AX88u Pro, I would be questioning if the installer knows what they are doing as there are various things to consider that may not have been.

the 88u is 4x4 MU-MIMO where the u7pro xg is only 2x2 ........ that would make some difference along with external vs internal aerials.. Not having BE perormance or 6ghz is not the issue here. its all about the aerials .........

Also celling mounted units are tyically not meant to be great wifi performers accross rooms,

In reply to a post by Taras:

the 88u is 4x4 MU-MIMO where the u7pro xg is only 2x2 ........ that would make some difference along with external vs internal aerials.. Not having BE perormance or 6ghz is not the issue here. its all about the aerials .........

Also celling mounted units are tyically not meant to be great wifi performers accross rooms,

Do you believe this would account for the claim about it being erratic?

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

Do you believe this would account for the claim about it being erratic?

Yes but other issues may be at play too

- firmware issues
- unit issues.
- location issues.

(note that this can apply to any wifi device)

Those have to be considered too. We all know that even with two of the same device can work perform differently (even though they shouldn't). The design of the aerials can also play a big part.

In reply to a post by PCJM40:

In reply to a post by Fido:

the WIFI performance of the U7 Pro XG was vastly inferior as it was erratic in its operation and the WIFI range was also vastly inferior.

Thats surprised me as there is nothing super special about the Wifi of the Asus RT AX88u Pro, I would be questioning if the installer knows what they are doing as there are various things to consider that may not have been.

Here is what the installer did:

(1). Unplugged the Asus RT AX88U Pro was that was setup as a WIFI Access Point.

(2). Rested the U7 Pro XG, (upside down with the heat sync on top), in exactly the same place that the Asus had sat and using the same ethernet cable to connect the U7 Pro XG to a POE Ethernet port on the USG Fiber and set the WIFI, (via the USG Fiber), To use the same WIFI IDs etc as the Asus used.

(3). Let it settle. - Results = [censored] performance when compared to the WIFI from the Asus RT AX88U Pro

(4). We do not have any WIFI devices so we tried it with the WIFI band disabled . - No difference.

(5). After half a day and of trying it and faffing about. - Unplugged the U7 Pro XG and plugged in the Asus RT AX88u Pro, (set up as a WIFI Access Point), in the same position using the came connections. Result = Excellent WIFI speed and coverage throughout the whole house. (900 mbps in the same room and around 500 mbps in rooms further away). - All tests are subjective but I would say that was a fair and objective test.

The specs for the U7 Pro XG had indicated that the performance would be closer, (perhaps, it was a duff unit, as it did run hot with the heat sync on top), or perhaps, that is the reality.

The high end Asus Routers do tend to have exceptional performance and WIFI.

Perhaps the the questioner does not understand what good WIFI Performance is in the real world and he does not know as much about WIFI as he believes that he does.