Adopting a UniFi Device to the Free Tier Controller

TL;DR

1. Factory reset your UniFi device.

2. SSH into the device.

3. Run:

   set-inform http://try-02.unifi.unihosted.com:8080/inform
   

4. Log into your UniHosted Free Tier controller.

5. Click Adopt when the device appears.

Steps to Adopt a UniFi Device to the Free Tier

1. Ensure Factory Default State

Check the UniFi device LED status to confirm the device is in a factory-default state.

If needed, press and hold the reset button for 5–10 seconds until the LED indicates a reset.

2. Access the Device via SSH

First, SSH into your UniFi access point.

If it's a new device, you can use the default credentials.

3. Set the Inform URL

By default, the device attempts to connect to a local UniFi controller on port 8080. You must point it to our free tier controller instead.

Run:

set-inform http://try-02.unifi.unihosted.com:8080/inform

⚠️ Important: Use HTTP, not HTTPS. HTTPS will not work for the inform URL.

After running the command, you should see a confirmation message that the inform URL was accepted.

4. Adopt the Device from Your UniHosted Controller

Once the inform URL is set:

1. Log in to your UniHosted dashboard.
2. Open your Free Tier controller.
3. Navigate to the Devices section.
4. You should see the access point appear as Pending Adoption.
5. Click Adopt.

Your created UniHosted account automatically has permission to adopt devices directly from the controller interface — no MAC address registration is required.

5. Confirm Adoption

After clicking Adopt, the device status will change to:

• Adopting
• Provisioning
• Connected

Once connected, your device is fully managed by the UniHosted controller.

Conclusion

The adoption process usually completes within a few minutes. Once connected, you can configure your device just like any other UniFi controller.

Enjoy your newly adopted device 🚀