January 2024 - "U7 Swiss Ultra+"

The hosts Alex and Evan open the episode with a catch-up after the holiday break, discussing their personal holidays, time away, and the busy release schedule from Ubiquiti. They mention a recent crossover episode with James and Jay on the Crosswise podcast, where they discussed everything unified, providing a link and encouraging listeners to check it out. The episode kicks off with a thank you to listeners for support and a reminder to review and comment to help the show grow.

Major focus on new hardware, particularly the reintroduction of the UniFi Seller Point 2.0 in stock with redesigned hardware in the EU, though not yet in the UK. Discussions cover different models, including the legacy solar point device, which Monologue highlights as an interesting product due to its longevity and recent updates, including minor software bug fixes in beta. They also discuss upcoming devices from the FCC listings, such as the UDM Enterprise and UXG models, and speculate on their features, performance, and potential release timelines. Another focal point is the new Protect app updates allowing local IP address access, local recording, and reaction to outages, improving security and independence from cloud services.

Coverage of promotional initiatives like the free G4 Pro camera with the purchase of a UMVR Pro, including storage configurator features enabling tailored video retention plans. Mention of sales trends, stock management, and product overlap between G4 and G5 series. The hosts analyze the new Ultra device, which appears to be a Wi-Fi 5 access point with some flexible accessories like external antennas, despite being marketed under the Ultra line and priced unexpectedly high initially.

Discussion about the upcoming Wi-Fi 7 standard (802.11be) and the new TP-Link U7 Pro access point, which was released early in draft form and is now Wi-Fi Alliance certified. They delve into the features of Wi-Fi 7, such as multi-link operation, and compare client and access point capabilities across Wi-Fi generations. The conversation notes the slow adoption of Wi-Fi 7 in client devices but anticipates increased support in the coming year.

Review of upcoming hardware including the 'many rack' enclosures, the high-density power devices (PDU HD), and enterprise-grade switches and access points. They highlight the strategy behind product lines like Ultra and Ultra Switch, which aim to broaden options for power, mounting, and network configurations. Discussions include rumors and FCC leaks pointing to a variety of upcoming products, such as the UDM Pro Max, U7 Enterprise, and ultra switches, indicating that Ubiquiti remains committed to aggressive product growth.

Important updates related to security include the rollout of mandatory multi-factor authentication (MFA) for Ubiquiti accounts starting July 2024, with support for various MFA methods including passkeys. Software updates are also tracked, with new versions of UniFi OS, UISP Router, and U6 Enterprise firmware released with features like shadow mode for high availability, bug fixes, and new functionalities like DNS shield and IPv6 support. They also discuss the rollout of local access improvements in UniFi Protect for better resilience during outages.

Alex and Evan share their ongoing projects, challenges, and reviews, including Alex’s work on the UXG Lite and Express, and Evan’s summary of key product releases from the past year. They highlight the significance of the year in review effort and analyze a humorous product analogy based on a short story involving a cursed monkey’s paw, illustrating the balance of benefits and downsides in new hardware releases.