A UniFi switch is chosen by number of ports, the PoE power that access points, cameras and readers need, port speed (1, 2.5 or 10 GbE) and whether Layer 3 routing is required. The Flex and Lite ranges cover desks and small networks; Standard and Pro, office cabinets; Pro Max and Enterprise, demanding networks.
UniFi switch ranges
| Range | Characteristics | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Flex and Flex Mini | Compact, several powered by PoE | Adding ports in an office or behind a television. |
| Ultra and Lite | Gigabit with PoE+ | Small networks with a few access points or cameras. |
| Standard | Layer 2, 16 to 48 ports, fanless | An office or shop cabinet. |
| Pro | Layer 3, PoE++ and 10G SFP+ uplinks | Businesses with several VLANs and heavy internal traffic. |
| Pro Max | Layer 3, 2.5 GbE ports, PoE++ and Etherlighting | Networks with WiFi 7 access points. |
| Pro XG and Pro HD | 10 GbE and 2.5 GbE ports | Servers, NAS and video editing workstations. |
| Aggregation | 10G SFP+ and 25G SFP28 ports | Joining several switches in the main cabinet. |
| Enterprise Campus | 100G links, stackable, dual power supply | Campuses and large buildings. |
PoE types and how to calculate power
Besides the type, each switch has a total power budget. Add up the maximum draw of everything to be connected and leave a margin of at least 20% for expansion.
| Type | Power per port | For what |
|---|---|---|
| PoE (802.3af) | Up to 15.4 W | IP phones, readers and simple cameras. |
| PoE+ (802.3at) | Up to 30 W | Most access points and cameras. |
| PoE++ (802.3bt) | Up to 60 W or 90 W | High-end access points, motorised cameras and other switches. |
Port speed
- 1 GbE is enough for workstations, printers, phones and cameras.
- 2.5 GbE is right for WiFi 7 access points.
- 10 GbE for servers, NAS and links between switches.
- Links between cabinets use fibre and SFP+ modules when the distance exceeds copper’s 90 metres.
Layer 2 or Layer 3
A Layer 2 switch separates networks by VLAN, but traffic between them passes through the gateway. A Layer 3 switch routes between VLANs itself, which relieves the gateway when there is heavy internal traffic, for example between workstations and servers.
In a small office Layer 2 is enough. Layer 3 makes sense in networks with servers, many cameras or several cabinets.
Functions worth knowing
- Etherlighting: ports light up in colours by network or speed, which helps locate a cable.
- Link aggregation and MC-LAG for redundant paths between switches.
- Redundant power on the professional ranges.
- A model with a built-in battery keeps PoE for critical devices during a power cut.
- Port isolation and per-port profiles applied from the console.
Common mistakes
- Counting exactly the ports needed and leaving none free to grow.
- Looking only at the number of PoE ports and not the total power.
- Putting a fan-cooled switch in a room where people work.
- Daisy-chaining small switches instead of running them all to the main cabinet.