In my experience in configuring of wireless access point on my
network. D-link, TP-link have been very easy to setup, configure and manage. Ubiquiti networks have a range of Unifi products which look complicated to configure but simple and interesting to work with.
Through my conversation with many vendors and colleague network
administrators, they have always asked me to explain how I was able to setup the
Unifi access point. This is because even if you go to the Unifi access point
site as well as their installation guide there is no much explanation given on
how to setup, install and manage Unifi AP. Hence, on this article, I’m going to
explain step by step on how to setup and manage your Unifi access point be it
outdoor or indoor with a lot of ease to assist anybody out there who might be
experiencing the same challenges.
Step 1
Every Unifi AP comes with an installation CD with the software and
documentation guide. This software is the key to every setup of all your Unifi
AP in your network. Choose one PC on your network that will act as the
controller of your AP(s). Install the accompanying software on that PC. After
its installation, launch and run the application.
It will open up on a browser, create your username profile and
password.
When you login the controller will scan your network and display
all Unifi AP (s) on your network as shown below.
NB: Use the red arrow as to guide you.
Step 2
Configure the SSIDs that your network will be broadcasting at any
given time. By default Unifi AP(s) broadcast utmost for SSIDS.
a) Go to
settings button at the bottom of your window.
b) Then
click on wireless networks
c) From the
below interface you can configure your SSIDS
The new version of Unifi firmware allows the possibility of
creating more than one WLAN group on your network. Whereby each can broadcast
utmost for SSIDs.
After setting up all the SSIDs, the edit button on your right
beside the SSID gives you the opportunity to configure all security parameters
that you will associate will all you AP(s) as shown below
d) Setting
up security parameters
Step 3
After setting up the security parameters, now we shall go back to
configure the AP(s) settings.
From the scanned AP(s) on the Access
Points button at the menu at the top of your browser
It will open an interface like the one shown below.
Click on one of the Access Points MAC Addresses listed on the left
hand side of your window.
It will open a window to configure your AP settings.
Click on configuration the configuration button
The window gives you the platform to add more configurations
to your access point.
The most important part is on the WLANs button
Here you will find the list of all the SSIDs that you had created
on the wireless networks settings. You can choose to allow all the SSIDs to be
broadcasted on this selected AP or you can disable all and have one to be
broadcasted.
Alternatively if you have more than 4 Access Points on your
networks and the controller only allows FOUR SSIDs to be broadcasted. You can
choose to override one and select an SSID of your choosing.
This feature allows you to be able to broadcast above the FOUR
preconfigured SSIDs. At the same time when you override one SSID, the new SSID
automatically picks the settings of the overridden SSID.
Step 4
The last configuration allows you to configure a static IP or allow
the AP to have a dynamically assigned IP from the DHCP. Then you can as well
configure the DNS server as well as the default gateway of your network.
Unifi Access point have some other management features like knowing
who is connected to your network, the amount of bandwidth consumed by each AP
user on which LAN and many more.
You as network or systems admin can exploit many more features of
this exciting AP product to learn more.
