UniFi site management

If you need to manage multiple sites, then you should check out the UniFi Site Manager. It's a great tool that is ideal for businesses with multiple locations, MSPs, or complex organizations. UniFi Site Manager simplifies managing various networks from a single interface.

This guide will walk you through the features of the UniFi Site Manager and how to optimize your network management tasks with it.

Lets get to it!

Table of Contents

• UniFi Site Manager
  • Step 1: Accessing the UniFi Site manager
  • Step 2: Creating and configuring sites
  • Step 3: Managing Devices across sites
  • Step 4: Monitoring and Reporting
  • Step 5: Advanced site management features
  • Step 6: Backup and recovery
• Final Thoughts

UniFi Site Manager

The UniFi Site Manager is a part of the UniFi Controller software. It allows you to manage multiple sites (with different network devices, configurations etc.) under a single UniFi Controller. This centralizes network management and makes it 10x easier to manage networks across different locations.

Step 1: Accessing the UniFi Site manager

• Log into the UniFi Controller: Open your web browser and navigate to the IP address or domain of your UniFi Controller. If your controller is hosted through UniHosted, you can access it remotely via our cloud service.
• Navigate to the Site Manager: Once logged in, find the Site Manager tool in the dashboard or menu. This section is normally marked with an icon resembling a globe or map.

Step 2: Creating and configuring sites

• Add a new site: In the Site Manager dashboard, click on "Create New Site". Enter the site name, description, and other relevant details to help identify and manage the site effectively.
• Configure network settings: Each site can have its own network configurations, including wireless networks (SSIDs), guest controls, VLANs, and security settings. Configure these settings based on your needs.

Step 3: Managing Devices across sites

• Assign devices to sites: When you add new UniFi devices to your network, they appear in the devices list. You can assign each device to a specific site.
• Adopt devices: For each new device, go through the adoption process to integrate it into the site. If needed, this involves updating firmware and setting up network configurations.

Step 4: Monitoring and Reporting

• Use the dashboard: Each site's dashboard provides a view of the network's performance, including up/down status, traffic statistics, and user activity. This information is obviously important to understand how the network is doing.
• Set up alerts and notifications: Configure alerts for events like device disconnections, high usage, or security incidents. These notifications will help you respond to issues fast.

Step 5: Advanced site management features

• Multi-site VPN setup: If your sites need to be interconnected, use the UniFi Site Manager to set up VPNs between sites. This setup is important for secure, direct communication between different network locations.
• Role-based access control: Assign user roles and permissions within the Site Manager to make sure everyone has access to manage or monitor different sites. You will especially need this in larger organizations where different teams handle different aspects of the network.

Step 6: Backup and recovery

• Schedule regular backups: Use the UniFi Controller’s settings to schedule regular backups for each site. These backups ensure you can quickly restore your network configurations in case issues.
• Manage backups centrally: Store backups in a centralized location that is easily accessible for recovery. For example with UniHosted, we create backups everyday and store them in the cloud for extra security and accessibility.

Final Thoughts

You can use the UniFi Site Manager to oversee multiple network sites. It helps to streamline your network management tasks and improve security. By centralizing your management you maintain optimal control over you network performance (Especially if you have multiple locations).

If you are working with complex setups (on multiple locations), consider a managed-hosting solution like UniHosted. You gain the added benefits of cloud-based management, making sure that your UniFi deployments are always accessible, secure, and up-to-date, regardless of where your sites are located. Especially, if you are an MSP or IT-service business looking for reliable, secure and scalable UniFi network deployments, this is something for you.

Feel free to give us a spin! Additionally, I'm happy to walk you through personally. You can schedule a call with me (Founder of UniHosted) here.