Zero to a working network

A new UniFi network comes together in five stages: set up the console, update it, adopt your switches and access points, create your first Wi-Fi network, then lock down a few day-one settings.

You'll need

  • A UniFi Cloud Gateway, such as a UCG Ultra, UCG Max, UCG Fiber, UDR7 or Express 7.
  • At least one UniFi access point if your gateway has no Wi-Fi; the UCG Ultra, Max and Fiber don't.
  • Your NBN connection box, or on FTTN/FTTB a VDSL2 modem in bridge mode (see Know your NBN connection, below). If your ISP needs a username and password (PPPoE) or a VLAN tag, have those details ready.
  • A phone with the UniFi app, or a laptop and an Ethernet cable.
  • A UI account (recommended). It enables remote access, cloud backups and notifications, but you can also set the console up local-only.

Know your NBN connection

Your NBN technology decides what plugs into the gateway's WAN port, and your ISP decides the WAN settings.

NBN type Plug the gateway's WAN port into Notes
FTTP The NBN connection box's active data port, usually UNI-D1 or Port 1 Your ISP says which port is active. UNI-V ports are for phones only. Newer boxes have 2.5 Gbps or 10 Gbps ports.
HFC The NBN connection box's Ethernet port (labelled "Port" on boxes from 2025, UNI-D1 on older ones)
FTTC Port C (yellow) on the NBN connection device The device needs mains power, and the phone cable from the wall goes into port B.
FTTN or FTTB A VDSL2 modem in bridge mode, plugged into the phone socket UniFi gateways have no DSL port. The modem must meet NBN's VDSL2 requirements, such as vectoring.
Fixed Wireless The NBN indoor box's active UNI-D port Your ISP says which port is active.
Sky Muster satellite The NBN satellite modem's Ethernet port Latency is high, because the signal travels about 72,000 km there and back.

Then go to Settings › Internet and edit your WAN. Choose DHCP or PPPoE (with your username and password), and set a VLAN ID only if your ISP needs one.

ISP WAN type VLAN tag Notes
Telstra DHCP None
Optus DHCP None Optus offers limited support for non-Optus modems.
Aussie Broadband DHCP None Don't clone your old router's MAC address.
Leaptel DHCP None Opticomm HFC connections use PPPoE.
Belong DHCP Not stated
Dodo DHCP for new connections None (VLAN 100 with PPPoE) Dodo's guide is inconsistent, so confirm with Dodo.
TPG PPPoE: username@tpg.com.au plus password None (VLAN 2 on TPG's own FTTB network)
iiNet PPPoE: username@iinet.net.au plus password None, or VLAN 2 if connected before March 2023 or on Fixed Wireless Some older plans use DHCP.
Internode PPPoE: username@internode.on.net plus password VLAN 2 for new customers and some existing ones
Vodafone PPPoE: your contact email plus a password you choose Not stated

Superloop and Exetel don't publish their BYO router settings on pages we could access, so ask them. Internode's guides disagree on when VLAN 2 applies, so check yours.

Keeping your ISP's phone service. With a BYO router, TPG and iiNet don't provide their NBN phone service, and Telstra's FTTP phone port only works through a Telstra Smart Modem. Aussie Broadband publishes its VoIP (SIP) details, so you can use your own phone adapter. Telstra's Smart Modem (Gen 2–4) has a bridge mode, but it switches off the modem's 4G backup, and Telstra doesn't say whether the phone keeps working.

Stage 1 — Set up the console

  1. Connect the gateway's WAN port as shown in Know your NBN connection, then plug in power.
  2. Connect to the console. In the UniFi app, it appears over Wi-Fi, or over Bluetooth within about 3 m. In a browser, plug a laptop into a LAN port, go to https://unifi/ (or 192.168.1.1) and accept the certificate warning.
  3. Name the console, then sign in with your UI account or choose the offline option for a local-only setup.
  4. Replacing another UniFi OS console? Restore its console backup when the wizard offers. Moving from a self-hosted controller? Skip this and restore its .unf file after Stage 2 (see our Network 11 upgrade guide).
  5. If the internet test fails, check your ISP's WAN type and VLAN tag in Know your NBN connection, then edit the WAN under Settings › Internet.

The default network is 192.168.1.0/24, with the gateway at 192.168.1.1.

Stage 2 — Update everything

Update UniFi OS first, then the Network app, then your devices.

  1. Console and apps: go to Settings › Control Plane › Updates. Choose a release channel: Official is the safe choice, while Early Access gets features sooner but can be less stable.
  2. Auto-updates: turn on auto-update for UniFi OS and for each app. From UniFi OS 6.0.11, an app only updates after a firmware update if its own auto-update is on.
  3. Device firmware: click Update on each device in UniFi Devices, or update them all at once (bulk update arrived in Network 10.6). Look for the device auto-update toggle under the Device Updates and Settings option at the bottom left of UniFi Devices.

Stage 3 — Adopt switches and access points

  1. Plug your switches and APs into the gateway's network. Power APs from a PoE switch or injector.
  2. Open UniFi Devices. New devices appear as pending; click Adopt on each one.
  3. If a device doesn't appear:
    • Check the network. It must be on the console's untagged (default) network, with TCP 8080 and UDP 10001 not blocked between them.
    • Factory reset it. With power on, hold Reset for 5–10 seconds. Too short just reboots it; too long can put it into recovery mode.
    • "Managed by Other" means another console owns it. Reset it, or restore the backup from that console.
    • On a different subnet? Use Layer 3 adoption: SSH in with username and password ui / ui (older devices use ubnt / ubnt). Run set-inform http://<console-IP>:8080/inform, then click Adopt. DHCP Option 43, or a DNS record named unifi, makes this permanent.

Stage 4 — Create your first Wi-Fi network

  1. Go to Settings › WiFi › Create New.
  2. Enter a name and a password of at least 8 characters. Leave Network on Default and Broadcasting APs on All.
  3. Keep the defaults: all bands, WPA2/WPA3 Personal, Band Steering and BSS Transition on, and PMF Optional. Our Wi-Fi settings guide covers tuning.
  4. Click Add, then join from your phone.

A WPA2-only network needs Advanced set to Manual and drops 6 GHz. MLO forces WPA3.

Stage 5 — Day-one settings

Setting Where What to do
Backups Settings › Control Plane › Backups Turn on cloud backups, which run weekly and before major updates (manage them at account.ui.com/backups). Also download an offline copy.
MFA account.ui.com › Security Add at least two methods, such as UI Verify and an authenticator app. Ubiquiti can't reset MFA for you.
Country WiFi channel settings (Channel Plan) Choose Australia so APs use only legal channels and power (see our Wi-Fi settings guide).
Time zone Site Manager header, or the console's local portal Set it so logs and schedules line up.
Remote management Settings › Control Plane › Console Keep it on if you manage from unifi.ui.com; it uses outbound TCP 443 and 8883, so no port forwarding is needed. Leave Direct Remote Connection off.
Console SSH Settings › Control Plane › Console Leave it off, which is the default.
UPnP Settings › Internet Turn it off unless a game console needs it.

Check it worked

  • Every device shows Online with current firmware.
  • Your devices get addresses in 192.168.1.x.
  • If you used a UI account, the console appears at unifi.ui.com and a backup is listed at account.ui.com/backups.
  • The WiFiman app's Discovery tab finds the console.

Watch out for

  • Blocked outbound ports. The console needs TCP/UDP 443, TCP 8883, TCP/UDP 53, UDP 123 and UDP 3478 out to the internet. If UDP 123 (time) is blocked, the clock drifts and remote access breaks.
  • Make Layer 3 adoption stick. DHCP Option 43, or a DNS record named unifi, points devices at the console without SSH.
  • Don't skip updates. A March 2026 Canadian Cyber Centre advisory (AV26-258) flagged a critical flaw in Network 10.1.85, 10.2.93, 9.0.114 and earlier versions.

Sources: How to set up UniFi · Device adoption · Layer 3 adoption · Factory reset · Creating Wi-Fi networks · UniFi updates · Backups and migration · MFA · Remote management · SSH and debug tools · Network release notes · UniFi OS for Cloud Keys releases · Cyber Centre AV26-258 · NBN FTTP connection box · NBN HFC connection box · NBN FTTC · NBN VDSL2 modems · NBN Fixed Wireless · NBN Sky Muster · Telstra NBN settings · Optus BYO modem · Aussie Broadband BYO router · Leaptel BYO router · Belong BYO modem · Dodo BYO modems · TPG BYO modem · TPG BYO modem and phone · iiNet settings · iiNet BYO on FTTP · Internode general settings · Vodafone BYO modem · Telstra home phone on NBN · Telstra Smart Modem settings · Aussie Broadband BYO VoIP

Back to the series

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.