Good video! Thanks! I first used Unifi for WiFi almost ten years ago, and I thought it was a pain having to deal with a controller. I had it installed in a Mac and had problems with maintaining it (upgrading Java, controller upgrade bugs, etc.). So I decided to get away from Unifi. Anyway, ten years later, my network was getting out of hand with switches from 4 to 5 different manufacturers, each one having their own way to setup LAG, VLAN, RSTP, etc. Introducing a new VLAN ID was a bit of a pain with switches from many manufacturers. So now, I have a greater appreciation for Unifi and its controller ecosystem, and I'm getting back into Unifi. I have 3 ESXi servers, so I thought I'd put the Unifi controller software in a VM. However, I was uncomfortable with the Unifi software & VM being dependent on the ESXi servers, which are dependent on the LAN being setup properly, but the LAN is dependent on the Unifi controller. I wasn't comfortable with all these dependencies. Granted, my LAN was already configured with non-Unifi switches, so I could have easily put the Unifi controller on a VM. But, if I were to do any major changes, I just wasn't comfortable with all these dependencies. So, another option is to run docker in one of my Synology NASs, but same problem - too many dependencies. So, that's when I got the Unifi Cloud Key Gen 2+. So far, so good. It was worth getting. I hope I don't have the battery issues folks have mentioned (although someone said they don't come with batteries anymore? I haven't tried unplugging it and seeing if there's a battery or not). Anyway, I'm using a QuickCharge power adapter, and the unit runs cool. I wonder if using PoE will make it run hotter. Also, I only use the Network application. No plans on using Protect, etc. (I have Synology Surveillance Station for cameras).
I've just been in contact with Unifi - the new ones don't have batteries anymore. Seems they changed software to something more solid that'll survive a power outage (although they are still running MongoDB?). At least that was the claim from the support agent. I received this particular CK in early August, it was built in July.
@@guidon.5413 they have changed the software since the release time of the hardware and yeah I see no mention of the battery on the product page, guess it’s not needed anymore. How good
@@patto647 I'll do some digging at some point, I got onto this because I thought the battery in my unit wasn't working and filed a support ticket. They requested device/build identifiers and then came back with that the unit does not have a built in battery anymore due to changes in the system (they didn't specify hardware or software). My initial assumption was that they moved away from MongoDB to PostgreSQL but the process is definitely still running. Both databases (Mongo and PostgreSQL) are running on the device with the latest OS and Network. I hope they didn't just take it out and the "solution" is to reset and re-apply backup of the config.
It gets hot, I had mine on top of a metal case to help with the heat, btw it’s 5 degrees hotter when powered via PoE instead of USB, my battery died, my HDD died probably because of the heat.
I’ve only ever used the cloud keys, and mostly the Gen2+ mostly because I use other Firewalls that aren’t Unifi and it works great. Love how the Unifi line is really upping its game.
I hate the fact that they dont have a enterprise level firewall in their line, for now i think udm have the best one and thats just 3.5gb ips/ids and it doesn't have many feacures, yea its easy to install but pfsense is alot better
@@horia9044 Exactly, I use the business lines of Zyxel or the Netgate - PFSense firewalls and get many more tools e.g. IDS/AV/Content filtering and don’t need to worry about some updates messing with the config.
I have a client running a usg on the Gen2+ with talk (6 phones $79 model) it has been working great for them using the UniFi sip at $10 a month/line since January. The porting didn’t go smoothly as I got notified it would happen but it didn’t till 3pm the next day and I then had to go into talk and accept and assign the number. It’s basic but crystal clear calls, recording all calls with transcripts and voicemails. Cant wait to see more vids on Talk!
My CK G2+ lasted just over 2 years before it started to experience intermitent issues, and found out other users reporting battery issues, pulled mine apart to find that the battery was bulging. Tried running without battery but was still having reliability issues and ended up replacing unit with a UDM Pro.
Had a battery issue where POE loss would kill it immediately. Ended up buying another one since it was easier than repurposing a UDM when I moved to PFsense as my router.
Mine lasted quite a while, but I had issues with it killing HDD's. I think they run too hot. Finally the battery went dead inside it and I got rid of it. Replaced it with a Dream Machine SE. Great informative video though, thanks Willie.
I'm just looking to have up to 6 4k camera streams positioned around my house, no other use. This seems WAY more compact, and a great price. As a surveillance NVR system only, seems that this should totally be capable enough for that singular purpose?
Such a neat little device. I dislike that it runs so hot (I use POE) but this and the gen 1 never gave me issues. No desire for a UDM and hopefully gen 3 is in the pipeline
your battery is probably toast, there's no alerts for it and its super common. Mine is 2 years old and not only is the battery dead (and not replaceable) but the internal PoE PSU is dead so have to run on usb-c power which was a pain to get working because its pretty fussy about what it will accept.
@@oxfordsparky Interesting, this might be my problem; my gen 2 (non plus) recently carked it, tried USB-c but still non responsive, what USB-c config did you use to get your gen2+ working?
I’ve had 4 separate units (edit1: I’ve only purchased 4 units total) have their batteries die. 3 of the 4 units were powered using the rack mount adapter and all were powered via PoE and not USB-C. So that may have something to do with it. But the only way to know the battery is dead is to pull power and watch it not gracefully shut down…
@@peerluk sure you could, but it would be better to attempt a warranty service replacement. Ubiquiti has consistently replaced my units no questions asked. Even 1 being out of warranty.
Just ordered one to increase my camera capacity. I got the UDR (the new one with screen) and it works great for the most part. But it has problems running just 2 G4 instant cameras. But I’ve got a total of 3 G4 cameras and 2 G3 cameras I’d like to make use of. Eventually I’ll upgrade the entire system to UDM and NVR but not until I can have a more permanent setup.
I had 2 power failures one day that corrupted/damaged the drive beyond repair. had to put a new drive in at my own cost. Do not trust the built in UPS. also make sure to install an sd card for backups and restore. Restore is a pita. Battery seems to shutdown most times, so not sure if there was some other failure in shutdown etc..
According to Unifi Support, the latest ones don't have a battery anymore. I received mine in August and I reached out to Unifi support and they claim, the latest ones don't have batteries.
I have known several where the battery has failed, including my own one. Quite a few reports of swollen batteries which, is a safety risk. With how warm these run, it is not unreasonable to expect a reasonably high battery failure rate. Lithium Ion batteries do not like being at 100% charge constantly an they really dislike the high temperatures the CKG2+ runs at. A perfect storm so to speak. Unfortunately most people would not realise they have the battery problem until either the database is corrupted or something nasty happens as these things are on 24/7 and the hardware itself is rarely accessed. Ubiquiti do not include any kind of battery health monitor. It's such a shame as in every other way the device is really well built and very capable. It has plenty of RAM and Processor capacity for small installations, even using a small Protect and Access or Talk installation at the same time. I hope UBNT do a revamp to make it easier to replace the battery and to include a battery health monitor in software so we at least know when the battery becomes a risk.
Thanks for the video Willie. I’ve had this for a few years at home to run my protect and I have an even older Amplifi system that runs my families wired and wireless internet. Just this week I got my first hard drive warning on my CK Gen 2 so I’m considering what to do about that.
On my CK gen 2+, the battery died after about 2 years. I didn't notice it at first because the rest still seemed to work. At the moment I´ve replaced it with a new dream router (without ups-support). Currently I'm looking for a slightly more potent solution that can really replace the old combination ER4 with CK gen 2+.
🔥After over a year with UDM Pro I'm getting back to pfSense with my Unifi CloudKey Gen2+ which I bought in July 2019. Turning the CloudKey on I realized it got really hot. Some research - and the reason is: the Li-Ion battery is defective, swollen and can cause serious problems. Disassembled the CloudKey (search for video "Cloud Key Gen2+ Teardown and Battery Removal") and took the battery out. Everybody should be warned to use CloudKeys that are getting hotter than lukewarm (significantly more than 38,5°C/101.3°F which is the surface temperature at the warmest spot without the battery now)! 🔥
Hey, Thanks for your Video, I just installed my personal HDD by mistake, but unfortunately I lost some of the DATA, could you please let me know where that DATA gone? Since I just connect it with the Power and PC , not with Ethernet. Could you please help me,
I have a 2018 cloud key plus the battery FAILED otherwise it still works. Is the battery replaceable? I even hired you to help set it up our system, which has grown quite a bit.
so basically there is no need for Dream Machine for tiny "4 computers companies" who need lets say 2 APs and 4 surveillance cameras? This completely replaces it.. i can even connect cameras directly to the existing wifi and it's a cheap and reliable, subscription-free soluton
I need to expand a client's 4K cameras on their UDM pro, it will only let me do 4 or 5 4k cameras with a couple 1080 G3's, AND using network on the UDM pro (we have 7 4K cams and 2-3 1080 cams.) If I get a Cloud Key Gen 2+ for protect only (to expand the cameras), will it integrate all the cameras for viewing and hard drive recording? -could I point all of the Cloud Key cameras to record on the 6TB hard drive I put in the UDM pro? -Will I be able to put all the cameras (from both UDMpro and cloud key) together on the same live viewing or playback page? separately (I'm dealing with this because of supply issues with those NVRs 😛 )
Cloudkey gen 2 and plus relevant for today. Irrelevant tomorrow if ubiquiti forces you to buy their udm series. Cloud key models are always last to get the new features.
I have a UCKG2+ that shows "BOOT FAILED" in the display. Is the boot sequence on the HDD is it on a RAM kind of unit in the UCKG2+? UPDATE: Had a chat with Ubiquiti UniFi Support and they said the UCKG2+ is not possible to save. Bought a new UCKG2+ and just want to check if you have experience @williehowe from doing a UCKG2+ restore from the "UniFi Cloud" works well? I have never experienced any problems with the UCKG2 or UCKG2+ units before and have never had to perform a restore. And since this is for a client of mine, it just has to work. Thus I am curious if you have tested this and seen that it all works well?
I want one for UniFi Protect but I can't find any information about what I connect the Cloud Key to. Do I connect it to a PC, to my internet router or just to a power source?!?
I had mine for about 3 years and noticed when I pulled the poe connection out that it did not gracefully shut down because the internal battery was dead, without a user replaceable battery on afraid this unit is not ready for Enterprise production or even home use for its price.
@@WillieHowe it was just on the rack accessory in my rack in my basement which stays pretty cool year-round as I'm in Canada I have to keep it because I manage the access point in my mom's home and the access point in my dad's home about 700 km away from me and my udm Pro only supports one site which I did not know before I bought it but I wanted IPS enabled and I didn't want to lose any bandwidth in my 1 gig fiber connection
As functionally neat as the device is, the battery issue is real, widespread, and, frankly, unacceptable regardless warranty period. The battery can be changed, but disassembly is not for amateurs (glue involved, and requires some tools and steady hands). But has anyone found a viable source for the replacement battery? Original company is APack and model is APP00197, but it seems impossible so far to find anything with same specs and form factor. Anyone with ideas?
Proper cooling will be the issue with the CKG2+ It runs pretty warm, has no ventilation slots and no fan. It will easy handle 4 - 8 Protect cameras. If you want to use cheaper, more functional third party cameras, you may be better looking for another solution and run your controller on a local VM, Raspberry Pi or even on a cloud hosted server
I do have a question that has been in the back of my head for a while. Can I use this for just protect if I do have network equipment present? Or will it interfere? I run a controller on Digital Ocean for multiple sites, but when I go away on vacation I want to throw up a bunch of G3 mini's for some piece of mind. I have also been thinking about getting their doorbell because of how nice the upcoming pro looks, but am currently undecided because I like the deadbolt I have.
I just bought this as a standalone for Network and Protect. Is there a strong realistic risk of not having a gateway? I've never knowingly used a firewall or gateway before so hope the CKG2+ will suffice. I'm doing a small network on a rectangle Starlink for 3 sites on my property, all on POE from the one power source. Going with Switch Flex at the ends of two 300' runs from Starlink at center, they will distribute to each site's 2 APs and 2 G3 instants. Does this sound like a reasonable plan?
@@WillieHowe Do I need a gateway or is that optional? I’m a novice, sorry if that’s a silly question. I’m leaving the Starlink router on if that makes a difference. Thank you for the fast reply! I’ve been digging through your videos and learning a lot, or at least learning how much more I didn’t even realize I don’t know 😆.
@@WillieHowe Yes, a lot were RMA'd. Some died years after warranty expired so they were either replaced with a Synology, or have installed a few UNVR4's which do work pretty well overall. I left that company last year but I have a CKG2+ with a failed battery myself. Plan to upgrade to a UNVR4 as well so I might try to replace the battery DIY at some point. It is a 3 wire battery though, and I think the 3rd wire must be for a temperature sensor. Will need to test and see if it cares as long as I match the voltage and battery chemistry. If that does work I might make myself a 1u shelf with a SATA extension cable, and run a 16tb Seagate Exos in an eSATA external enclosure and just repurpose it. I will also add that the heatsink on the CKG2 is laughably small. I havent torn one down myself, but it is literally just a thin aluminum sheet on top of some thermal pads. Bad thermal design
@@reddyuda It's very scary that this small box causes so many problems and the only solution people locked into the system have is to buy their more expensive products like the UDM-Pro and UNVR. What if those have the same issues? Why isn't Ubiquiti recalling a flawed product or offering discounts to users who had their products fail? This doesn't really seem like a normal warranty situation.
@@shadow.banned I agree totally with this. I found this after my CKG2 just died after power cycling POE for a firmware upgrade. Realized no graceful shutdown. 3 years old so well out of warranty. It will power up via USB C but not POE. Crappy thinking my option is to replace with another CKG2 that will likely face the same end in a couple of years or upgrade to a UDM for controller and UNVR for cameras. That’s a lotta cash. Home user here so I use the Unifi Network app mainly, or I’d just offload the controller to my Synology.
I wonder if it is possible to use the CK2+ with protect, etc but not the Network (Controller) . If that is possible it makes indeed the CK2+ a nice little appliance for sites that are managed on a hosted Network Controller. And still able to use Protect, Talk, etc. We using Linux based UniFi Network controller for multiple sites but have some people who want Protect and Access (small scale). Guess it isn't possible to disable Network on the CK2+
The CKG2+ is a piece of junk. I've had multiple overheating and HDD dying within 1 year. Some weren't even running protect. That's just a plain design flaw. It's been out for years and Unifi still hasn't fixed this.
