Ubiquiti’s discovery tool is one part of their network, which helps you find the best location for your wireless mesh. It scans a large range of parameters that are important to get the most out of this type of networking and ensure it delivers reliable connectivity without any interference from other devices on the same frequency spectrum.
Ubiquiti’s device discovery tool is a command-line tool that allows users to scan for devices and create networks. This can be useful if you have multiple devices or if you are setting up a new network.
Do you have a new Ubiquiti switch, router, or access point that you’d want to configure? If that’s the case, you’re in luck. In this post, you’ll learn how to set up a Ubiquiti Unifi controller and how to utilize the Ubiquiti discovery tool to quickly install your Ubiquiti networking equipment.
Let’s get this UniFi controller installed and configured. You’ll also learn how to update a controller while we’re at it!
Putting the Ubiquiti Controller in Place
You must first set up the Ubiquiti discovery tool and controller in order to handle Ubiquiti networking devices. This controller connects to and handles all of your network’s devices. Let’s get started.
Because the controller works with Windows, Mac OS X, and certain Linux distributions, we’ll go through both Windows and Linux installation choices.
Unifi Controller Installation on Windows Server
A frequent host for a Unifi Controller is Windows Server or even a Windows desktop. It’s as simple as installing the program and activating it to get the controller set up. The installer will set up a rudimentary web server to which you may log in and manage your devices.
The webserver that the controller software installs is configured to operate as an application by default. To launch the controller, a user must be logged in by default. To remedy this, you’ll learn how to make it operate as a service, which eliminates the need to log in.
Prerequisites
Make sure you have the following criteria before you begin:
Putting the Controller in Place
To use the Ubiquiti discovery tool, you must first install the controller software. If you don’t already have Java, you will need to download it. Java is required for the controller program. Instead of the standard Java download from Oracle, you’ll install Amazon Corretto in this post. Check out this post if you need to uninstall Java for whatever reason.
Amazon Corretto is an OpenJDK installation that comes pre-configured. Many enterprises will choose OpenJDK over Oracle’s Java SE since Oracle revised their license restrictions for Java in non-home usage.
Assuming you’ve previously downloaded Corretto, execute the MSI to install OpenJDK and follow the instructions, leaving everything as default to complete the OpenJDK installation.
After you’ve installed Coretto, you’ll need to run the Unifi Controller program, which you should already have. Accept the settings and complete the installation. The Unifi Controller software will start and display that it is running after a minute or two.
The software for the Ubiquiti Unifi Controller is currently in use.
Shut the window and click Yes on the confirmation to close the controller once it displays as begun (as seen above). This will bring the controller to a halt, allowing you to deploy the service.
Developing a Windows Service
The controller software will only operate if someone is logged in when it is installed. Set it up to operate as a Windows service if you want it to run all of the time. But first, make sure the Unifi shortcut on your desktop is gone.
If you use the default shortcut on your desktop to open an application, you may unintentionally end the service by quitting the program.
The Windows shortcut for Unifi
Open an administrator command prompt and perform the instructions below to create the service. The notes explain what each command performs.
cd ” percent UserProfile percent Ubiquiti UniFi” modifies the default Unifi Controller directory java -jar libace.jar installsvc configures Java to run the controller as a service and start on boot Starts the Unifi service using the command net start unifi.
After you’ve setup the service, execute the command sc query unifi to see whether it’s up and running. You should not get an error and the service should be up and running.
How to Install on Linux
While the Unifi controller may be operated on a Windows Server, Ubiquiti also provides a Linux alternative. Let’s look into that and see how we can achieve it.
Prerequisites
If you’re How to Install on Linux, be sure you have the following ahead of time:
- A modern Debian or Ubuntu operating system with root privileges — Debian 10 will be used in the stages.
- Unifi.ui.com user account
That’s all there is to it. The rest will be taken care of during the installation.
The Ubiquiti Discovery Tool and Controller are installed.
There are many ways to install the controller on Linux. On Ubiquiti’s website, there are some instructions for installing the controller, however they only support a few particular Linux versions. Use the script supplied on the Unifi forums by user AmazedMender16 to install Debian.
To begin the installation, ssh into the Debian server or use the console to connect to the server. Su is a command that can be run as root or as another user with root access.
The apt repositories should be updated.
After that, you’ll need to install the ca-certificates and wget packages.
> apt-get update && apt-get install ca-certificates wget -y
Download and execute the installation script for the Unifi Controller. This script will install the required dependencies and controller software for a variety of Linux distributions, including the Debian 10 server that we are using.
## Downloads the Shell script > wget https://get.glennr.nl/unifi/install/install_latest/unifi-latest.sh ## Executes the script > bash unifi-latest.sh
During the script’s execution, you’ll be asked a few questions. It will first ask whether you want to retain the script downloaded once the installation is completed. Most of the time, this isn’t necessary, so type n and then click enter.
Keeping the software on the Unifi controller up to date
During the installation, you may be prompted to update packages. Press enter after typing y.
Getting confirmation that it’s okay to update packages
Finally, you’ll be asked to add the Unifi apt repo so that you may update the controller using apt. Enter y and press enter to enable upgrades to be performed through apt.
apt-get install Unifi Network Controller
When the installation is complete, the script will display the controller version installed as well as the URL to use to begin customizing the controller.
The settings will be the same after you have the controller software loaded on any server you are using.
Go to the website https://<ServerIP>:8443/ and you will be presented with a window like below.
Home page of the Unifi controller
Accept the EULA and license, then click the Next button after entering the controller’s name or leaving it as the default Unifi Network.
After that, you’ll be given with a login screen, where you’ll input your unifi.ui.com username and password. The default authentication method is to use a Ubiquiti account.
Switch to Advanced Setup and deselect the option for Use your Ubiquiti account for local access if you want to use a local account. You’ll still need a Ubiquiti account; you’ll simply be logging in with a separate account locally.
After that, you’ll be given two choices. By default, if you’re configuring a Wifi access point, the Unifi Controller will try to improve wifi performance in a severely loaded network using your Unifi devices. When the access point(s) are overloaded, this includes turning down broadcast and multicast. Toggle the Automatically optimize my network option to modify this setting.
You may also opt to back up your controller automatically from this page. If you choose this option, you may set up a backup and restore server from the controller’s settings menu. You may uncheck any of these if you want to deactivate them.
Setup a Wi-Fi Network
After you’ve established the following parameters, you’ll be requested to adopt any pending Unifi devices on your network. They should show in the list if you’re configuring the controller with a new Unifi device.
They must be forgotten if they have previously been adopted by another controller or the Unifi mobile app before you may adopt them with this new Unifi Controller. Ubiquiti’s documentation on adoption troubleshooting can be found here.
Set up your Wifi network by supplying the SSID and password once you’ve adopted your device. You may also click the Skip option to skip this set and finish it later. You may also use the same SSID and password for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wifi networks if you like. After the setup, all of these parameters may be adjusted inside the controller.
Wifi setup on the Unifi Controller
After that, double-check the configuration options and click Finish. This will log you into the controller and prompt you to furnish Ubiquiti with use statistics. Select Send to Ubiquiti if you don’t mind sharing anonymised data, or Don’t Send if you don’t want to share data. This may be adjusted later in the settings pages.
Diagnostics and use data are sent to Ubiquiti.
Once you’ve signed into the Unifi Controller, go to the Unifi Cloud Site to use your Unifi account to access your controller from the internet. Even if you’re on the same network, you can utilize the Unifi Cloud site to access your controller. You can use the Ubiquiti discovery tool to find devices and control all elements of your Ubiquiti devices from here!
Your own personal Wi-Fi network
That concludes our discussion. You’ve just set up a fresh new Unifi Controller and are ready to go!
Improvements to the Controller
Assume you have a controller already installed. It’s been a while since you installed it, and there have been some updates since then. You must understand how to improve it.
The process of updating a controller varies somewhat depending on the operating system. Regardless, upgrades must be scheduled for in order to remain on the most recent and supported versions of the controller.
Unifi Controller Update on Windows Server
To upgrade the Unifi Controller on Windows, first download the Unifi Network Controller for Windows from Unifi’s website. This will update the controller software to the most recent version. You may also pick See Past Software to download an earlier version of the controller if you need to go back in time.
After you’ve downloaded the installer, open an administrator command prompt and perform the following commands to remove the service that was installed during the setup.
## Changes to the default directory of the controller > cd “%UserProfile%Ubiquiti UniFi” ## Removes the Windows service > java -jar libace.jar uninstallsvc
This will guarantee that all operations are running smoothly and that all files are up to date.
Run the installer you downloaded in the previous step after the uninstall is complete. After it’s finished, open and shut the controller using the desktop shortcut that was generated automatically during the update.
Now, navigate to your command prompt and type the instructions shown below.
## Runs the new version of the controller as a service > java -jar libace.jar installsvc ## Starts the service > net start unifi
After the service is installed again, log back into the controller through the web page at https://<ServerIP>:8443/.
On Linux, updating the Unifi Controller
It’s considerably easier to upgrade the Unifi Controller in Linux than it is in Windows.
Log in as root or as a user with root access to the server that is executing the controller.
Wait for sudo apt upgrade unifi -y to finish before continuing. This command will update the Unifi package to the most recent version via apt. You may log back into the controller using the web page when it outputs that the upgrade has been finished.
Unifi Controller Upgrade on Linux
Conclusion
While there are several variations between Windows and Linux Unifi Controllers throughout the installation and upgrading procedure, the end result is indistinguishable. Personal taste and the operating system’s licensing model play a role in deciding whether to utilize a Windows Server or a Linux Server.
Linux has a minimal footprint and is free to use at home or in the lab. Windows Server may be the preferable choice for a company that wants OS level support and already has a Microsoft service contract.
The “ubiquiti discovery tool not working” is a problem that many people are facing when trying to use the Ubiquiti Discovery Tool. The issue can be fixed by following these steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use the Ubiquiti discovery tool in Chrome?
A: To access the Ubiquiti discovery tool in Chrome, simply go to chrome://extensions/ and find Ubiquiti Discovery Tool on your browser. Then click on it and you will be taken to a new tab where you can input your ip address or hostname into their lookup box.
How do you adopt a UniFi AP using Discovery Tool?
A: In order to use the UniFi discovery tool you need an account with a username and password. If you dont have one, create it at https://www.ubnt.com/login/. Then follow these steps:
What is Ubiquiti discovery tool?
A: Ubiquiti discovery tool is a device that allows users to monitor the network traffic and use it for security purposes.
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