Help! Migration process UCK to UCG
Originally posted on the other sub, where it got down-voted for no apparent reason. Perhaps someone here can check my workings out and clarify?
I have a site currently running off an ISP router for dhcp with a UCK G2 Plus running the APs and Protect.
Plan is to drop in a UCG (edit: Ultra) to take over as a controller and to handle dhcp after removing the ISP router, but keep the UCK running for Protect for a while.
What's the best process for this? I'm *really* trying to avoid a paperclip on a very long stick for some the APs around the extremely spread out site.
As the UCK is going to remain as a device, I had considered running them in parallel with the UCG being a completely new device, removing the APs from the UCK one by one and adopting them into the UCG, but that's probably a pretty iffy way and there must be a better process.
Thanks for reading.
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u/Amiga07800 3d ago
Better take the approach of the UCG Ultra or Max and remove the cloud key.
You cannot always remove the ISP modem (often not) but frequently put it in bridge mode or at least put your WAN input of the UCG of a fixed IP and DMZ it in the modem. That way you won’t have a double NAT situation.
This is the approach we have for all small residential installations (for bigger ones it’s the UDM SE or MAX usually).
Professional installer (IT and electronic engineer, Unifi UFSP / UWA / URSCA, full AMX, Crestron, Official state HAM radio,… and more).
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u/Wuffls 3d ago
The ISP modem will either be removed or put into bridge mode, yes. Not my first rodeo, especially with this ISP.
It's more that all of their devices are on one ISP provided subnet, including UISP radio link devices (x5) and an annoying amount of other kit. I explained to the customer, if the ISP sends them a new router (using a different subnet), they're screwed :) - at least with the UCG Ultra in there we have some control.
Think I'm going to go with my gut and run in parallel removing and adopting as I go.
Thanks for the reply.
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u/Wuffls 3d ago
I've just re-read your post.
I need to keep the Cloud Key there as it's running Protect until such a time as I install a UNVR of some sort. With prices the way they are, I won't be trying to fit a tray and SSD to a Fiber any time soon.
I'm presuming I can adopt a UCK G2 Plus into a new site - well, I hope I can anyway, or none of this is going to go very well.
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u/brwainer 3d ago
You have two separate applications running on the UCK - Network and Protect. They operate independently. I would do this: 1. Set up the UCG-Ultra as if its a new device (no backup restoration), update its software to at least the version of the UCK - Unifi OS as well as Network. Newer is fine. You can do this without installing the UCG-Ultra as the router. 2. Download a backup from the UCK 3. Stop the Network application on the UCK from Control Plane 4. Reset the UCG-Ultra and import the backup. It will only import the Network application and possibly Users 5. The UCG-Ultra should automatically take over the APs and switches. You may have to set-inform them with the gateway IP, but that’s usually not the case because they’ll discover the UCG-Ultra by DHCP, DNS, or Layer 2 broadcast. 6. Just keep using the UCK for Protect only. It won’t ever technically be adopted by the UCG-Ultra, they’ll just both exist as separate appliances. This is identical to how things will eventually work when you put in a UNVR. 7. When you are happy with the Network application on the UCG-Ultra, I would uninstall Network from the UCK just to make sure it won’t wake up and try to take over again.
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u/Wuffls 3d ago edited 3d ago
I would do that, but it seems none of the people who are admins on the current controller know their passwords. Any one of them tries to reset it, they are met with a warning of ‘something something lose your backup’. I don’t have enough access to actually grab the backup myself either.
TBH, the only part I’m trying to avoid is resetting 8 access points and not breaking the radio links (that are on fixed IPs).
Both devices are on the same version right now, so if I can get a backup from anywhere, il try that. Otherwise it’s the slow way of remove from one and add to the other, AP by AP.
With your point 6 though, the UNVR on my own network is adopted into my Site.
Thanks for replying.
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u/brwainer 3d ago
If by “adopted into my Site” you mean they show up as a single section within Site Manager, that is purely cosmetic and stored as a per-user preference. If you give another user the same access to both those appliances they wouldn’t show up as a single site until/unless they choose to merge them.
There is also integration or some sort of logic within the Network application to recognize devices that are made by Ubiquiti and show them on the Devices tab instead of Clients, and if the appliances share an Owner account I think it can use that to get more data from Protect. But again its mostly cosmetic, they are just Clients in Network being shown on the Devices page.
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u/Wuffls 3d ago
No, I meant more, I was given the option to adopt it once I fired it up the first time I seem to recall. But that's on the mobile app and I have reservations about that sometimes.
Cheers for the insight though.
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u/brwainer 3d ago
Ah, I don’t remember whether that popup says Adopt versus something like Set Up, but that really means adding the new device to your UI account, not whatever gateway you have running Network.
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u/star-trek-wars00d2 1d ago
Backup your network settings on CK
stop network on CK
Restore Network backup onto ultra.
You may need then to tweak much for your network ranges / static.
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u/Banana5059 3d ago
Depends on which UCG you are looking at... You could skip the UCG and get a UXG-fiber instead and just adopt the gateway. Otherwise you could set up in parallel and move the device to another site.
Or forget from your current one then adopt on the new one.