UniFi – network, cameras and access control in one solution
Illustration: Ubiquiti
In short: UniFi from Ubiquiti brings network, wifi, video surveillance and access control together in one platform with one app. Recordings are stored locally in the building, and there is no ongoing licence per camera or door. We use it in offices, warehouses and production halls – and with the industrial range all the way into the automation cabinet, with the OT network kept separate.
Many companies have their network from one supplier, cameras from another and access control from a third. That means three systems, three logins and three contracts – and nobody with an overview of the whole. UniFi solves much of this by bringing everything onto the same platform.
What is UniFi?
UniFi is a product range from Ubiquiti that covers most of what a building needs in networking and security:
- UniFi Network – firewall, switches and wireless access points
- UniFi Protect – cameras and recording
- UniFi Access – card readers, door control and access control
Everything is managed from one console in the building, and can be followed in the same app on mobile and PC – also when you are not on site.
Network and wifi
The foundation is a stable network with firewall, switches and wifi covering offices, warehouses, production halls and outdoor areas. With segmentation (VLAN), office, guests, cameras and access control are separated into their own zones, so a problem in one place does not spread. You see which devices are connected and how much traffic is flowing, and you are alerted when something drops out.
Cameras with local storage
With UniFi Protect, recordings are stored on a recorder in the building – not in a cloud service with a monthly fee. You keep full control of your own data, and there is no licence per camera. You can watch live and scrub through recordings in the app, and get alerts on motion in the areas you choose.
Access control
UniFi Access controls doors and gates with card readers, access cards and mobile keys. Doors can be locked and unlocked on a schedule, access is granted and revoked in seconds, and the log shows who has been where. Because cameras and access are on the same platform, it is easy to pull up the footage from a door when something happens.
Why we often recommend UniFi
- One platform and one app for network, cameras and access
- Low running costs – no licence per camera or door
- Your own data – recordings and logs stay in the building
- Easy to expand – new access points, cameras and doors are added to the same system
For the OT network too
UniFi fits the corporate network well: offices, warehouses, workshops, production halls and outdoor areas. The OT network – where PLCs, operator panels and SCADA talk to each other – has stricter requirements. Ubiquiti now has its own industrial range, UniFi Industrial, with DIN-rail switches that mount directly in the automation cabinet. This means the same platform can be used all the way out into the plant.
We still choose equipment based on the requirements of each plant – environment, redundancy, service life and what the control system needs. Whatever equipment is used, we keep the OT network separated from the corporate network with a firewall. Read more about why in the article on separating OT and IT networks.
Example: ReWaste
For ReWaste's new building, Elio has delivered network, wifi, video surveillance and access control in UniFi – together with servers, an SQL database and Ignition SCADA, plus electrical and automation for the plant. Everything from one supplier, set up so that it works together.
How we work
- Survey – what needs to be covered, who needs access where, and what is already in place?
- Design – wifi coverage, camera placement, doors and network zones.
- Installation and setup – mounting, segmentation, users and permissions.
- Documentation – so the solution is easy to run and expand.
- Follow-up – updates, monitoring and help when you need it.
Want to bring network, cameras and access control together in one solution? Read more about IT and networks or get in touch.
