Unifi Switch Flex | USW-Flex

Product Information

Have a small touchscreen on the left side of the device, like the UDM-Pro. This screen shows stats and info about the device, and the network it is on. They also integrate with the UniFi AR feature, which lets you use a phone to virtually see what is connected to each port. The USW-Flex switch from Ubiquiti has the capacity to provide a total PoE power budget of 46W but this will vary depending on how you power the device. These total power output breakdowns are as follows: Also worth noting — if serial console out-of-band management port is something you need, the first generation switches have it, and the second generation models do not. XG UniFi Switches I’ll use the PoE, PoE+, PoE++ names as shorthand. It is important to consider the type of PoE you need for your devices, and to make sure that you have enough PoE budget on your switch to power all your devices. Otherwise, you will need to rely on separate power injectors. PoE Passthrough

The UniFi Switch Flex features a single PoE In port for power and four PoE ports that provide up to 15W PoE output to power a UniFi access point or other PoE devices. With 802.3bt rated PoE switches (USW-Pro-48-PoE, USW-Pro-24-PoE, US-XG-6POE, and USW-Industrial switches, sold separately) as power source, USW-Flex supports maximum 46W PoE output budget. It has weatherproof housing and offers versatile mounting options. The main point I’m trying to make here is that if you expect a UniFi switch to be your only layer 3 device, you’re going to be disappointed. Adding layer 3 at the switch level usually doesn’t make sense in small to medium sized networks, and I wouldn’t recommend relying on UniFi layer 3 switches in general. If you’re working on a large multi-building network with high requirements, UniFi may not be the best fit. I’ll cover this in more detail if I ever get around to finishing my USW-Enterprise-8-PoE review. The USW-Flex features five (5) Gigabit RJ45 ports to deliver robust performance and intelligent switching for your network. Port 1 provides PoE Input while ports 2-4 offer 802.3af PoE and provide up to 15W of power for your PoE devices. Products requiring 802.3af, such as G3 Flex cameras (see accessories tab), are also supported. Indoor/outdoor design Basic layer 3 features like static routing (supported as of firmware version 4.3.13.11253) and inter-VLAN routing. If you are planning on using PoE passthrough on switches like the USW-Flex, or access points like the In-Wall-HD, you should supply them with the higher-wattage PoE+ or PoE++. Devices with PoE passthrough will usually function when fed with standard 15W PoE, but will not reliably power downstream devices unless they receive their maximum rated power input. For example, the USW-Flex can provide 8W with PoE in, 20W with PoE+ in, and 46W with PoE++ in.

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex 5-Port Layer 2 Gigabit with PoE Support (USW-FLEX)

EdgeSwitches are more flexible and capable, and are a better fit for network operators, WISPs, managed service providers, and other more advanced networks. If you need features like link aggregation, TACACS+, RADIUS, 802.1X, MAC filtering, ACLs, or static routing, you’re better off with an EdgeSwitch than a UniFi switch. UniFi switches support many of these features, but are often less configurable, poorly documented, and less reliable.

If you want 10 Gbps ports for clients, or need a distribution switch to aggregate other switches, the XG series has a few options. Some are in the 1st generation, some are in the 2nd: Passive 24V and 48V PoE — Ubiquiti’s standard, mostly used on EdgeMAX, AirMAX, and older UniFi devices One limitation of the regular second generation switches is their limited PoE budget. PoE budget refers to the total amount of power available for all PoE devices. Since the non-pro 2nd generation models are fanless, they also have smaller power supplies, and a smaller PoE budget. You can access any managed UniFi Switch through the UniFi Controller to configure a variety of features: The USW-Flex can be installed horizontally or vertically and is designed for indoor and outdoor use, making it ideal for desktop, wall, and pole-mount installations. With its weatherproof housing and versatile mounting options, the USW-Flex provides flexibility and durability in environments with extreme temperature variations. Management capabilitiesThe USW-Flex can be installed horizontally or vertically making it ideal for desktop, magnetic wall-mount, and pole-mount installations. Please note: This product does not come with a PoE injector (sold separately, see accessories tab). Deciding between UniFi, EdgeMAX, UISP, or some other brand depends on your needs. The right solution varies with what kind of network you are trying to build, and what features you need to accomplish that. If you are comfortable with command line configuration and have complex needs, another vendor is probably a better option. This guide focuses on UniFi switches, but it’s worth noting some EdgeSwitch models are the same hardware as the first generation UniFi switches, with an EdgeOS CLI and UISP instead of the UniFi controller. The newer UISP switches are not as mature, but are worth considering if you want your switch to tie into the UISP NMS and UCRM software. Please Note: This product does not come with PoE injectors included, however, you can select our PoE injector kits from the accessories menu. Ubiquiti UniFi USW Flex Mini 5-Port Layer 2 Gigabit Switch - EU Power Supply (USW-Flex-Mini) Do not have a serial console port. All management has to be done over Ethernet in-band. (EdgeSwitches still have console ports!)

Putting the L2/L3 differences aside, the 2nd generation pro models also have some other advantages over the non-pro UniFi switches. 2nd Gen Pro models add NOTE: For outdoor installations, please install the Port Cover prior to connecting your Ethernet cables. See Outdoor Installation. USW-Flex — When using PoE passthrough ( Note: this was upgraded to 802.3at PoE+ in a firmware update) Ubiquiti calls them “Gen2” but I am going to call them 2nd generation. Whatever you call them, Ubiquiti’s newer UniFi switches split things into a few tiers. There are models which replace the 1st generation switches, and the higher pro and enterprise tiers. At the time of writing, the first thing you will need to do is to set the UniFi controller to display the old user interface as the option to enable this option is currently absent from the new interface and so cannot be selected. Please refer to our Swapping Between New & Old User Interface On UniFi Controller blog post for instructions on how to swap between old and new if you are unsure on how to do this.There’s a lot to cover when it comes to PoE, so I’ll try to keep it as simple as possible. There are 4 main types of PoE to know about: Managed and configured by the UniFi Controller or UniFi Mobile app, the UniFi Switch Flex offers basic Layer 2 switching protocols and features. The UniFi Controller and mobile app allow admins to configure and monitor virtually all of the switch features using a graphical user interface from anywhere.