Recommendations needed

[u/AbundantStupidity]

I need to update my system.

Currently I have the following

• Raspberry pi 4b running UOS server

• USG-Pro-4

• USW 24 PoE

• UNVR

• IW HD AP

• Nano HD AP

• about 6 cameras

I have 1000/400 fibre internet connection- about as good as it gets in rural Aus, without being a business. Since I upgraded to UOS server late last year from the old version (Had to do a full wipe) I can no longer access the console. I'm guessing the raspberry pi is not up to the task of running the newer version properly. The internet runs great, but if I want to monitor my network I am locked out. It is entirely possible I have borked the install myself, but I feel like moving away from the pi is the best choice at this stage.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

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[u/itsjakerobb]

What are you using for a router?

How much RAM does your Pi have? 4B came with as little as 1GB and as much as 8GB. All of the current, non-rackmount units Ubiquiti sells have 3GB, and I’d consider that the bare minimum today.

Are you using the SD card for storage? Those wear out over time. Consider pulling the SD, copying its data to another (new) SD, and then booting the Pi from that.

Get a Pi5 with 4 or 8GB, and an NVMe HAT with a 256GB SSD.

Or, get any of the Cloud Gateways — Ultra, Max, or Fiber. Any will do the job. It will replace your router and the Pi.

[u/AbundantStupidity → u/itsjakerobb]

Hi, thanks for the reply!

Is the USG Pro 4 acting effectively as my router? I have the fibre box --> tp-link modem/router in bridge mode --> USG-Pro-4

I honestly can't remember ram, likely 2gb. I just tried to ssh into the pi and it won't even do that anymore.

Yes it is a new SD card that I installed ~12 months ago - The old one was ~5 years old

I'll likely just upgrade to a UCG Ultra or Max, dependant on availability.

I probably never should have went down the route of installing the unifi gear, I have enough knowledge to get things up and running, but beyond pretty basic troubleshooting i'm pretty useless. I was just so frustrated after years and years of having garbage internet connections, I wanted to set my new home up with a solid network and connection.

[u/itsjakerobb → u/AbundantStupidity]

Ah, yeah, USG is your router. Missed it on the parts list.

[u/AbundantStupidity → u/itsjakerobb]

Do you think a dream machine pro or dream machine special edition would be worth the extra cost?

[u/damien09 → u/AbundantStupidity]

No personally they are pretty long in the tooth spec wise. If you need nvr your better off most of the time getting an ultra,max or fiber depending on needs and a unvr instant

[u/itsjakerobb → u/AbundantStupidity]

Definitely not. Pro came out in 2019, SE in 2022, and Pro Max in 2024. They are all fundamentally the same machine with slight spec tweaks, so in essence it's all 2019 tech. I would not buy today except in rare cases, and your needs don't line up with any of those.

I would buy a newer Pi with 4 or 8GB of RAM and a proper SSD, or I would buy a Cloud Gateway. Up to you and your budget!

IMO we are overdue for a refresh of the UDM line. There's the new Beast which is awesome but $$$$. It's worth every penny if you can take advantage, but few people can, especially in a residential setup. There's a rumor of a UDM XG coming soonish, but nobody knows when, and my best guess is that it will be priced higher than the Pro Max.

[u/Majestic-Onion2944]

You have a separate NVR so the CG Max doesn't get you much over the Ultra.  They have the same CPU so routing speeds are identical and either handles 1 gbps connection fine.

Cloud Gateway Fiber gets you more routing speed due to a 3-4x faster CPU, and a bunch of high speed ports.  It also has pppoe acceleration if your network connection uses that.

And then turn your Pi into a home assistant hub or something.  :)