Unifi Switch Flex | USW-Flex

Product Information

The UbiquitiUniFi Switch USW-FLEXis a configurable Layer 2 Gigabit switch with auto-sensing 802.3af PoE. It offers five RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet ports, providing 1 PoE input and 4 PoE output links to your devices. USW-Flex — When using PoE passthrough ( Note: this was upgraded to 802.3at PoE+ in a firmware update) The USW-FLEX will now allow for a 46W total power output rather than the 8W when using the default settings. EdgeSwitches are older, more traditional managed switches, with command line (CLI) and individual web interfaces for configuration. EdgeSwitches also have optional integration with the UISP software controller. The newer UISP-branded switches are tied closely to the UISP software, have no web interface, but still offer a CLI for manual configuration. I cover EdgeSwitch and UISP hardware briefly below, but I cover them in more detail in my UISP Switch review.

EdgeSwitches have an optional web interface overlay called UISP, which is similar to the UniFi controller. UISP is limited when it comes to EdgeSwitch configuration, and it doesn’t have every option that the device’s individual web GUI or CLI has. Think of UISP as an easy way to monitor all of your AirMAX, LTU and EdgeMAX devices, rather than a single interface for configuring everything like the UniFi controller. Also worth noting — if serial console out-of-band management port is something you need, the first generation switches have it, and the second generation models do not. XG UniFi Switches No LACP (This would be a niche use case for a 5-port switch, but one scenario that sometimes comes up is having an Ethernet repeater for >100m runs, and it would be nice to have link-level redundancy and 2Gbps throughput for that repeater.) No 802.1X (Not a huge deal because I can enable multi-host on the upstream switch, which limits the danger-zone to just the other client ports on the switch.) Build and expand your network with the UniFi® Switch, part of the UniFi Enterprise System. The UniFi Switch, model USW-Flex, is a configurable Layer 2 Gigabit switch with auto-sensing 802.3af PoE. It offers 5 RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet ports, providing 1 PoE input and 4 PoE output links to your devices.Higher PoE budgets. The 2nd generation non-pro models are fanless and have very limited PoE budgets Most UniFi switches operate at layer 2, meaning they can handle VLANs but cannot act as a router. The 2nd generation pro and enterprise UniFi switches have some layer 3 features such as static inter-VLAN routing and DHCP, but they require a separate router or firewall for everything else. UniFi L3 switches can’t compete with a true enterprise product from a vendor like Cisco or Juniper. UniFi switches are a fraction of the price and don’t require licensing, so they compete in different markets. As with all network design and purchasing decisions, what matters most is your budget and your use case. The UniFi Switch Flex features a single PoE In port for power and four PoE ports that provide up to 15W PoE output to power a UniFi access point or other PoE devices. With 802.3bt rated PoE switches (USW-Pro-48-PoE, USW-Pro-24-PoE, US-XG-6POE, and USW-Industrial switches, sold separately) as power source, USW-Flex supports maximum 46W PoE output budget. It has weatherproof housing and offers versatile mounting options. There’s a lot to cover when it comes to PoE, so I’ll try to keep it as simple as possible. There are 4 main types of PoE to know about:

Have a small touchscreen on the left side of the device, like the UDM-Pro. This screen shows stats and info about the device, and the network it is on. They also integrate with the UniFi AR feature, which lets you use a phone to virtually see what is connected to each port.It’s also worth pointing out that PoE devices don’t always consume their maximum rated power draw. The spec sheet will specify the maximum amount the device can use, but during normal operation they won’t use that much. For example, the U6-Pro requires 802.at PoE+ or 48V passive, and maxes out at 13W. During normal use it usually consumes around 5 to 7 watts of power. I just finished an evaluation of the UniFi Switch Flex (PoE in & out) and Flex Mini (PoE in only). They're both great little 5-port switches for what they are, but there are a few feature limitations to be aware of. The first 2 limitations are non-negotiables in my use cases: