UniFi questions, answered properly.

Yes — it is our favourite platform and the backbone of most systems we install. Wi-Fi, cameras, intercom, door access and switching, across homes, offices and warehouses in Melbourne. We design UniFi systems from the floor plan, wire everything on Cat6, and hand over a documented, working system.

Three reasons. One platform: network, cameras, intercom and access all managed in one interface instead of four apps. No subscriptions: you own the hardware, footage records to your own equipment, and there are no monthly fees on any of it. And it scales: the same platform that runs a four-bedroom home runs a warehouse with hundreds of devices.

It is what we install in normal family homes. The days of one router in the hallway covering a house full of phones, TVs, laptops, cameras and smart devices are over. UniFi sized for a home is not the enterprise kit — a Cloud Gateway, a PoE switch and a few access points — but it is built on the same architecture, which is why it just keeps working.

No. No camera storage subscriptions, no licensing, no cloud fees. This is one of the main reasons we recommend UniFi over Ring, Nest and alarm-company CCTV, which typically charge monthly forever.

More than you think, and the number keeps rising. Each Wi-Fi generation is faster, but the higher speeds travel a shorter distance and survive fewer walls. A home that got by with two access points a decade ago typically needs four today, and a larger home may genuinely need eight to deliver full speed in every room. We design the count from your floor plan — walls, materials, and where you actually use the internet — not from a marketing box that says "covers 300 square metres."

For most Melbourne homes we install the U7 series — Wi-Fi 7, ceiling mounted, powered over the same cable that carries data. The U7 Lite covers most rooms; higher-capacity U7 models earn their keep in dense areas like living zones and home offices. The honest answer is that placement and count matter more than the model — four well-placed U7 Lites beat two of anything.

Physics. A single point of transmission cannot push high-speed Wi-Fi through multiple walls, no matter what the antenna count is. Modern Wi-Fi is designed around multiple, wired access points close to the devices they serve. One strong router is the old model; several quiet access points is the current one.

For most families, what matters is not the peak number — it is that every room gets consistent, low-latency coverage. Wi-Fi 7 hardware is worth installing today because the price difference is small and it is what your devices will be for the next decade. But we would rather give you enough Wi-Fi 6/7 access points than fewer, fancier ones.

The G6 is the newer generation: 4K resolution, stronger low-light performance, and the latest AI detection hardware. The G5 remains an excellent 2K camera at a lower price. Our standard design mixes them: G6 at the positions that matter most — entries, driveways, anywhere you would want to read a face or a plate — and G5 for general coverage. That keeps the budget honest without compromising the shots you will actually need.

Genuinely good — this is not marketing. UniFi Protect distinguishes people, vehicles and packages, so your phone stays quiet when a tree moves and lights up when a person walks up the driveway at 2am. Detections run on your own hardware, not in the cloud.

Onto your own equipment — typically the Dream Machine or Cloud Gateway in your rack, with storage sized to give weeks of recording. Nothing leaves your home unless you choose to view it remotely, and there is no monthly storage fee. For insurance and peace of mind, that is a very different proposition from cloud-only doorbell cameras.

Most Melbourne homes land between six and eight: front entry, driveway, each side access, rear yard, and any specific concern like a pool gate or shed. Beyond count, height and angle decide whether footage is useful — which is why we position cameras from the plan, not from wherever the ladder happens to reach.

The Dream Machine (and the smaller Cloud Gateway range) is the brain of a UniFi system: router, firewall, network controller and camera recorder in one box. Every UniFi system needs a gateway; the question is sizing. Most homes are perfectly served by a Cloud Gateway; larger homes and camera-heavy properties step up to the Dream Machine Pro with 10G networking and more recording storage.

Yes — they are the reason the platform works so well. One device replaces the ISP router, a separate NVR, and a network controller, and everything is managed in one interface. We install them in a proper rack with a UPS so the whole system rides through power flickers and keeps recording.

They do — and this is a category where most products disappoint. A visitor presses the intercom, and the call rings through to your phone wherever you are, with two-way audio and a clear camera image. You can see, speak, and unlock the door from the couch or from another country.

The UniFi Intercom Viewer — a wall-mounted touchscreen inside the home that shows who is at the door and unlocks it without reaching for a phone. Households tend to split: adults answer on their phones, the viewer near the kitchen is for everyone. We typically install both.

Our pick for most homes is the G3 Reader Pro-class entry unit paired with a Door Hub and the Intercom Viewer inside — a clean, reliable package covering video intercom, door release and access control in one platform. For gated entries and multi-entrance properties, the larger Entry units with directory support come into play. We spec the exact model to the entrance, not the other way around.

Yes. Door strikes and electric locks integrate with the intercom, so you can release the door remotely from the app, issue PINs, or use reader-based access for family and staff. Every unlock is logged.

Network backbone with whole-home Wi-Fi: $4,000–$10,000. Six to eight cameras: $4,000–$8,500. Video intercom with internal viewer: $1,500–$2,500. A complete UniFi home most commonly lands between $14,000 and $20,000. Full breakdowns, including a real four-bedroom example at $16,300, are in our cost guide.

Yes, and we do it often. UniFi attracts capable DIYers, and there is no shame in getting the network 80% there and wanting the last 20% — the VLANs, the camera positions, the rack tidy-up — done professionally. We audit what exists, keep what is good, and finish it properly.

Yes — offices, warehouses and venues. The same platform scales up: more switches, more access points, more cameras, and proper separation between staff, guest and operational networks. One system, one interface, documented handover. We also act as the installation arm for IT providers who spec UniFi but need licensed electricians for the physical work. See our UniFi for business page.