Introduction

We just purchased the Ubiquiti Unifi Cloud Key Gen2 Plus to replace our original Unifi Cloud Key appliance. The Cloud Key Gen2 Plus currently serves as:

• a UniFi SDN  controller, and
• as both a controller and storage device (a/k/a network video recorder (“NVR”)) for UniFi Protect.

Unlike the 10x pricer Unifi XG Server, the Unifi Cloud Key Gen2 appears to be positioned as a low-cost and lower-power application server for SOHO’s.

I initially considered purchasing the Unifi Cloud Key Gen2, rather than the Unifi Cloud Key Gen2 Plus. I prefer a solid state device for longevity reasons (i.e. all hard disk drives ultimately break down). However, the price difference between the Unifi Cloud Key Gen2 ($179) and the Unifi Cloud Key Gen2 Plus ($199) is so small that I spent the extra $20.

There are four reasons why you should upgrade from the original Unifi Cloud Key:

1. a faster CPU,
2. for Gen2 Plus owners, significantly more local storage (and the ability to run the Unifi Protect controller),
3. an LCD front display for at-a-glance system details, and
4. battery backup to facilitate a safe shutdown of the Cloud Key.

Configuring Your Unifi SDN

I previously covered my best practices for configuring your Unifi network here and here.

Upgraded Hardware

As soon as I unboxed the Cloud Key Gen2, I was struck with its premium finish. In terms of industrial design, It is a significant step up from the original Cloud Key, which is white plastic. The new case is primarily brushed metal. Most notably, the Cloud Key Gen2, now has a front panel display for at-a-glance system details. It automatically rotates between status screens for the SDN and Protect controllers.

Faster: both the Cloud Key Gen2 models have an 8-core, 2.0GHz ARM CPU. Ubiquiti claims that the Cloud Key Gen2 has 4x faster performance than the original Cloud Key. Speed was never an issue for me on the original Cloud Key running only the Unifi SDN controller. But, I could see how it could be valuable for Unifi SDN plus Unifi Protect.

Storage: both models have 32 GB eMMC memory. The Cloud Key Plus also has a 1 TB 2.5″ hard drive. You can swap the internal drive for up to a 5 TB drive. So, if you needed extra storage, you can add a Seagate BarraCuda 4TB Hard Drive for about $110 extra or a Seagate BarraCuda 5TB Hard Drive for about $150 extra.

Power: like the previous Unifi Cloud Key, the Cloud Key Gen2 is primarily intended to be powered by an 802.3af-compliant PoE switch. However, if you don’t have an available PoE port, then you can use a USB Type C power cable provided it is either Quick Charge 2.0 or Quick Charge 3.0 compatible. Additionally, if you are using the optional rackmount accessory, you can connect the Cloud Key Gen2 via the 13-Pin Connector. The rackmount accessory then provides power by connecting Cloud Key via Ethernet to an available PoE port on your aggregator switch.

Battery backup: although I connect of our networking gear to a UPS, there is a built-in battery for automatic safe shutdown of the Cloud Key Gen2 when power is disconnected. This is especially helpful if you are using PoE and disconnect the Cloud Key’s Ethernet cable.

Connectivity: the Cloud Key Gen2 now has a Gigabit Ethernet port.

Rack-mount Accessory

Optionally, you can rack-mount your Cloud Key Gen2. This permits you to lock your Cloud Key in your rack. And, it provides a clean aesthetic for your data closet. To do this, you need to purchase the optional Rackmount Accessory. You then insert the Cloud Key Gen2 into the accessory, which delivers power and data via the 13-Pin connector to the Cloud Key.

Unifi SDN

The Cloud Key serves the UniFi SDN network management (“controller”) software. The Cloud Key Gen 2 hardware now supports up to 50 UniFi devices (e.g. security gateway, switches, and WiFi access points). I cover the controller in greater detail, here.

The LCD display on the front of the Cloud Key Gen2 will inform you about:

• your current WAN bandwidth usage,
• the status of SDN Cloud Access,
• the number of managed UniFi Access Points, and
• the number of client devices on the network.

Unifi Protect

Additionally, the Cloud Key Gen2 Plus hosts Ubiquiti’s new video surveillance software, UniFi Protect.  Thus, you no longer need to purchase a separate network video recorder (NVR) appliance (which costs 2x as much as the Cloud Key Gen2 Plus!). Protect will eventually succeed Ubiquiti’s legacy Unifi Video product line. For now, UniFi Protect’s features have not reached parity with Unifi Video’s.

The Cloud Key Gen2 Plus supports 20 Ubiquiti video cameras if you disable the Unifi SDN controller or 15 video cameras if you enable the Unifi SDN controller.

The LCD display on the Gen2 Plus will inform you about:

• the total number of cameras,
• the recording bitrate,
• the number of active cameras, and
• the time of last detected motion.

Other Controllers?

Depending on how many cameras you are controlling via Unifi Protect, the UniFi Cloud Key Gen2 Plus has the power to run other Ubiquiti controllers. For example–and I haven’t tested this–it was possible to run Unifi VoIP on the original Cloud Key, so it should be possible to do that with the Cloud Key Gen2.

Additionally, I am interested in (but have no inside information about) whether Ubiquiti creates a home automation controller based on the open-source platform, Home Assistant. Earlier in 2018, Ubiquiti hired the founder of the Home Assistant project. With Cloud Key Gen2, now Ubiquiti has a low cost, appliance that could serve Home Assistant in addition to Ubiquiti SDN and Ubiquiti Protect.

Finally, it would be great if Pi-Hole were fully integrated into the SDN controller in the same way that Suricata is.

Configuration

Updated on February 2nd, 2020