Ubiquiti Help Please

[James_N]

Hi All

Trying to set up my first Ubuquiti wireless access point. Thought i would plug it all in and test it before it got installed in the roof properly, but can't for love nor money get the thing to work.

Its pretty self explanitory in its setup, or so i thought. Cable from router to Lan port on POE adapter. Then cable from POE port on adapter to LAN port on Ubiquiti access point, and job done, then set up from the mobile app.

Ive tried that, device can't be found.

So i tried installing the controller software on the PC upstairs, and same result, device not found.

Logged into Virgin router to see if access point is showing up there, no its not.

Tried different network cables, same result!

Tearing my hair out here over something that must be fairly simple?

Thank you

[HRL]

Not familiar with the kit but it’s possible that you need to reconfigure the Virgin router and put it into modem mode, then let your new kit manage the network instead.

[outnumbered]

When you say it’s not showing up on your Virgin hub, what do you mean? You won’t see it as a WiFi client, it should show up as having acquired an IP address via dhcp though. Until it’s done that, it won’t be reachable. Does the led colour/pattern on the unifi ap tell you anything ?

[James_N]

outnumbered said:

When you say it’s not showing up on your Virgin hub, what do you mean? You won’t see it as a WiFi client, it should show up as having acquired an IP address via dhcp though. Until it’s done that, it won’t be reachable. Does the led colour/pattern on the unifi ap tell you anything ?

When plugging it into the Virgin superhub with a cable, the light on the virgin hub that says a device is plugged into it, stays off. I have tested the cable and it works and i have plugged my other router into the virgin superhub and the light comes on to say its plugged in. Its like the POE adapter isn't working when plugged into the virgin router.

This stuff should be super easy to set up but its not! and you know what kids are like with WiFi!

[James_N]

HRL said:

Not familiar with the kit but it’s possible that you need to reconfigure the Virgin router and put it into modem mode, then let your new kit manage the network instead.

Thanks mate. It was already in modem mode. I tried in modem mode and then reset the virgin hub but still nothing.

[ten200]

Are there any lights on the Ubiquiti access point? They usually light up white when booting up, then change to blue.

Are you plugging the ethernet cable from the POE injector into the right port on the access point? Some of them have more than one port, and only the main port will use the power from the POE cable.

Did you get a UK mains lead for the POE injector, or did it come with a EU lead and an adaptor?

Edited by ten200 on Saturday 29th May 13:56

Edited by ten200 on Saturday 29th May 13:59

[troc]

Have you powered up the poe adapter?

[SpanishTony]

I'm interested in this as we want to install APs on our Virgin hub 4. But I'm a complete noob trying to understand all this.

From what I understand the virgin hub needs to go into Modem only mode, but you still need a Router that connects physically to the hub and from this, a Switch which connects to your Access Point.

https://community.ui.com/questions/Router-recommen...

However Stemll on this thread mentioned that you only need 2 AP-AC-Lite from Ubiquiti

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

I'm just left scratching my head as to what I need to buy.

[James_N]

ten200 said:

Are there any lights on the Ubiquiti access point? They usually light up white when booting up, then change to blue.

Are you plugging the ethernet cable from the POE injector into the right port on the access point? Some of them have more than one port, and only the main port will use the power from the POE cable.

Did you get a UK mains lead for the POE injector, or did it come with a EU lead and an adaptor?

Edited by ten200 on Saturday 29th May 13:56

Edited by ten200 on Saturday 29th May 13:59

Thanks

I got a solid white light on it and nothing else. No blue

There is only one port on the access point so that rules that problem out

And yes, UK plug. Light on POE adapter comes on when plugged into the mains but on plugging the access point into the POE, nothing happens

[James_N]

SpanishTony said:

I'm interested in this as we want to install APs on our Virgin hub 4. But I'm a complete noob trying to understand all this.

From what I understand the virgin hub needs to go into Modem only mode, but you still need a Router that connects physically to the hub and from this, a Switch which connects to your Access Point.

https://community.ui.com/questions/Router-recommen...

However Stemll on this thread mentioned that you only need 2 AP-AC-Lite from Ubiquiti

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

I'm just left scratching my head as to what I need to buy.

Hmmm. I took from this that maybe I need my Netgear router connected as well? Surely not.

The reason I'm trying this ubiquiti stuff is the kids are constantly moaning that the WiFi upstairs is st! So I purchased a Netgear router, but the virgin hub in modem mode, and used the Netgear router. They still complained it was st, so I thought I'll sell the Netgear router and just use the ubiquiti access point for my WiFi, with the virgin hub still in modem mode but I'm clearly going wrong somewhere but surely I don't need a superhub, router and access point.

It all seems a bit overkill for my modest 3 bed semi but I just can't get a decent signal round the place!

[ten200]

I think you only need to switch your hub into modem mode if you want to install a separate device that acts as a router. Your modem is usually (not sure about Virgin kit) a combined router and modem, so you'd have to disable the router function and just use the modem part. I don't think you need to do that if you only have a new access point. The access point isn't a router, so you still need the modem to provide the routing function.

If you were installing a Ubiquiti router as well, then you'd need to put your existing router into modem mode.

Edited by ten200 on Saturday 29th May 14:17

[troc]

The unifi AP is just that. An access point. You still need a router between your virgin modem and the access points.

[ten200]

I don't use a Ubiquiti controller on a PC, I run it on a virtual server on the Amazon cloud, so the setup process was different. However, when running the setup program on my PC I had issues detecting the access point due to not running the program with Windows admin rights, or having to disable the firewall to let it scan the network.

Can you try doing the setup with the Ubiquiti mobile app?

[James_N]

ten200 said:

I don't use a Ubiquiti controller on a PC, I run it on a virtual server on the Amazon cloud, so the setup process was different. However, when running the setup program on my PC I had issues detecting the access point due to not running the program with Windows admin rights, or having to disable the firewall to let it scan the network.

Can you try doing the setup with the Ubiquiti mobile app?

I get exactly the same. Device can't be found. Having been doing some research, ubiquiti forums say to leave the hub in router mode but disable WiFi so I've just tried that with exactly the same result. No lights on the lan port on the superhub showing anything is connected and the access point just blinking white. I'm at a loss short of sending everything back but I'd rather try to get it working before the kids kill me!!

[dxg]

I have a virgin media hub in modem mode (red light) feeding a ubiquiti UDM as the router and then a couple of Ubiquiti access points hanging off that (with POE injectors) It all works fantastically.

I think your missing ingredient is the router element.

[James_N]

dxg said:

I

I think your missing ingredient is the router element.

So if i put the superhub in modem mode, reconnect my Netgear router and THEN connect the access point, this should work do you think?

[Murph7355]

I would put the Virgin hub back into both router and wifi mode for now.

Then connect the AP to your Virgin hub. You may want to check that the LAN ports on your Virgin hub are open for use and that you're definitely plugging it in to a LAN port (and not a WAN one, for example).

Make sure your phone is connected to your Virgin hub's wifi network.

Then follow the standard instructions (a solid white LED should mean the AP is up and running and ready to be configured).

https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/360047417733...

Note the steps about scanning the QR code/entering the APs MAC address.

Once you have it up and running you can then choose whether to leave the Virgin hub's wifi network turned on or not. But you WILL need a router on the network (no mileage in using the Netgear IMO. The Virgin hub should be more than capable of doing this).

[James_N]

Tried everything now and keep getting the same result. Connected the Netgear router back up and tried connecting the access point via that and still got the same result.

I then reset everything and tried to connect it to a freshly reset virgin hub, still nothing. Access point just sits here flashing white.

Think the lot might have to be returned. Simply cant get it set up at all

Been at it two hours now and same results no matter what I try

[Murph7355]

James_N said:

Tried everything now and keep getting the same result. Connected the Netgear router back up and tried connecting the access point via that and still got the same result.

I then reset everything and tried to connect it to a freshly reset virgin hub, still nothing. Access point just sits here flashing white.

Think the lot might have to be returned. Simply cant get it set up at all

Been at it two hours now and same results no matter what I try

Flashing white or steady white?

Have you tried a hard reset on the AP?

[troc]

Have you made sure the netgear router is getting an IP off the modem (by connecting a laptop via Ethernet etc) always best to connect each piece one by once and verify its working before adding the next in a chain.

Basically make sure the Ethernet port you connect your AP to is know to be working before you try the AP.