Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 5-Port PoE Switch

Product Information

A common complaint with the first generation models are their loud fans. It is possible to replace them with quieter Noctua fans, or you can throw it in a network closet and forget about it. If you just need basic L2 switching and PoE, the first generation models are still worth considering, especially if budget and availability are more important than future software support. Have lower fan noise — the non-pro models are fanless. The pros have fans, but are quieter than the 1st generation models.

Generally, for home use, it’s best to treat the Enterprise 8 PoE as a standalone unmanaged Multi-Gig PoE+ switch. There’s no point in complicating things unnecessarily. Ubiquiti Switch Enterprise 8 PoE: Reliable with excellent Multi-Gig performanceThe US-XG-6-PoE has four 1/2.5/5/10 Gbps RJ45 Ethernet ports with PoE++. It also has two 10 Gbps SFP+ interfaces. BASE-T Multi-Gig vs SFP+: The two are generally available as separate ports, such as in the Asus RT-AX89X‘s case (left) but can also be part of a combo port in some hardware, such as the TP-Link Archer AXE300. Generally, you can get an adapter to connect a BASE-T device to an SFP or SFP+ port. Still, in this case, compatibility can be an issue — a particular adapter might only work (well) with the SFP/+ port of certain hardware vendors. Active PoE The voltage that the Powered Device (PD) needs is negotiated. Example output modes are IEEE 802.3af, 802.3at and 802.3bt.

Note: Please refer to model-specific datasheets found on the UI Store for more detailed information. PoE Adapters PoE+ devices like the U6-Pro will usually operate with 802.3af input, but they will be unreliable. It’s never a good idea to push past your budget, feed a PoE+ or PoE++ device with a lower tier of PoE, or supply the wrong voltage. Always follow the recommended input power, and never provide less the required power or a different voltage. If you are planning on using PoE passthrough on switches like the USW-Flex, or access points like the In-Wall-HD, you should supply them with the higher-wattage PoE+ or PoE++. Devices with PoE passthrough will usually function when fed with standard 15W PoE, but will not reliably power downstream devices unless they receive their maximum rated power input. For example, the USW-Flex can provide 8W with PoE in, 20W with PoE+ in, and 46W with PoE++ in. And there’s no point in installing the UNA software just to use the switch. That only makes sense when you have multiple Ubiquiti UniFi or Enterprise hardware units. But in that case, it’s best also to use a real hardware controller, like the UDR or a higher-end UniFi router.

The Enterprise 8 PoE doesn’t have a built-in web user interface, nor does it work with Ubquiti’s UniFi mobile app. However, like any Ubiquiti’s business hardware — similar to those in the UniFi family — it is designed to be managed via an UniFi-OS hardware controller. PoE passthrough is when a PoE device can receive power and also pass PoE to another downstream device. A common example would be a 24 port PoE switch, feeding an In-Wall-HD access point, with a video camera connected to the In-Wall-HD. The key part is that all three devices are drawing their power from the 24-port PoE switch. In situations like that, you need to be especially careful about what PoE support your switch or voltage and amperage of your PoE injector. Higher PoE budgets. The 2nd generation non-pro models are fanless and have very limited PoE budgets The USW-Flex-XG is a 2nd gen model, with one 1 Gbps and four 1/2.5/5/10 Gbps RJ45 Ethernet ports. No PoE.

Overall, the Enterprise 8 PoE proved to be a fast 2.5Gbps Mulit-Gig switch. Its performance was on par, if not better, than others of similar specs I’ve tried. Runs hot and requires long boot times One limitation of the regular second generation switches is their limited PoE budget. PoE budget refers to the total amount of power available for all PoE devices. Since the non-pro 2nd generation models are fanless, they also have smaller power supplies, and a smaller PoE budget. While physically different, BASE-T and SFP/+ are parts of the Ethernet family, sharing the same networking principles and Ethernetnaming convention — Gigabit Ethernet (1Gbps) or 10 Gigabit Ethernet (a.k.a 10GE,10GbE, or10 GigE). Passive 24V and 48V PoE — Ubiquiti’s standard, mostly used on EdgeMAX, AirMAX, and older UniFi devices One thing to note: for the best and most reliable performance, you should use one of the SFP+ ports for the uplink connection. An SFP+ to RJ45 converter is necessary if your existing network doesn’t have an available SFP+ port.If you want 10 Gbps ports for clients, or need a distribution switch to aggregate other switches, the XG series has a few options. Some are in the 1st generation, some are in the 2nd: The 10/100 and gigabit Ethernet cables have four pairs of twisted cables that correspond to 8 pins. The 802.3af standard established that for 10/100 Ethernet cables, only two of the four pairs of wires are permitted to transmit data, while the other two could be used for power. Of these pairs, 10/100 Ethernet only allows for the transmission of data over two wire pairs (four wires). Two methods of doing this were preferred based on the power source, Mode A and Mode B. Our marquee UniFi Switch models bring more uplink and power versatility to high-speed, device-dense networks. The UniFi Switch Pro line is even more powerful with enhanced fiber connectivity, routing, and PoE options. 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.

EdgeSwitches are more flexible and capable, and are a better fit for network operators, WISPs, managed service providers, and other more advanced networks. If you need features like link aggregation, TACACS+, RADIUS, 802.1X, MAC filtering, ACLs, or static routing, you’re better off with an EdgeSwitch than a UniFi switch. UniFi switches support many of these features, but are often less configurable, poorly documented, and less reliable. The Ubiquiti Switch Enterprise 8 PoE’s two SFP+ ports can be turned into Multi-Gig ports via adapters — necessary when your existing network doesn’t have an SFP+ port. Shown in the pic are two TP-Link TL-SM5310-T (not included) used for the testing.I used the Ubiquiti Switch Enterprise 8 PoE for over a week and was generally happy with the experience.