UniFi Access: Hubs, Readers and How the System Connects

What UniFi Access is and which products this page covers

This page covers six hubs: the Door Hub, Door Hub Mini, Access Ultra, Enterprise Access Hub, Gate Hub and Retrofit Hub. It also covers eight readers and intercoms, listed in the readers table.

Ubiquiti's Door Access tech specs page shows 61 products; the G6 Entry and G6 Pro Entry, Reader Lite, Retrofit Readers, Intercom Viewer, kits, locks and mounting accessories are not covered here. For how the parts work together on any brand, see the general guide to how commercial access control works.

Source Ubiquiti's help center articles on choosing an Access Control Hub and choosing a reader, and its Door Access tech specs listing.

Connections

How the console, hub, reader and lock connect

Access Readers talk directly to their hub over Layer 2 Ethernet, so they must be on the same Layer 2 network (the same local network segment) as the hub and cannot communicate across VLANs. Hubs talk to the Access application over IP (Layer 3).

UniFi Access Readers connect to the hub using PoE, and the maximum cable length from the hub to the reader is 100 meters. If a switch powers the hub via PoE+ or PoE++, the total cable length from the switch to the hub and from the hub to the reader must not exceed 100 meters.

Source Ubiquiti's Getting Started with UniFi Access article and its help center articles on choosing a reader and choosing an Access Control Hub.

Lookup

Which hub is which: doors, inputs, power and mounting

The doors, inputs and PoE columns come from each hub's tech specs page. The Access Ultra page lists none of the three, so its row gives the help center's figures where it has them.

Using the Door Hub as its example, the terminals article describes a MOTION input for a motion sensor, a BUTTON input for a push-to-exit button, a DOOR POSITION input for a door position sensor (DPS) that monitors whether the door is open or closed, and an EMERGENCY input for emergency equipment like fire panels.

Each of the six hub tech specs pages has a UL 294 Level row that reads "Destructive attack: Level I", "Line security: Level I", "Endurance: Level I" and "Standby power: Level I".

Source Ubiquiti's tech specs page for each hub, its Getting Started with UniFi Access article, and its help center articles on choosing an Access Control Hub and on hub input and output terminals.

Lock outputs

Lock relay outputs, lock types and emergency modes

There are two kinds of LOCK relay terminal. POWERED connects to a lock operating at 12V up to 1 Amp. NO POWER (DRY) connects to an electric lock that does not operate at a 12V rating, such as a 24V electric strike, and requires an external transformer.

Ubiquiti's lock article defines the two lock types in its own words. "Fail-Safe Lock: Automatically unlocks during a power loss, ensuring safe egress." "Fail-Secure Lock: Remain locked during a power loss, maintaining security for restricted areas such as data storage rooms."

On the Door Hub, the DOOR OPERATOR terminal is dry and must be powered by an external power supply, as is the AUX terminal on the Enterprise Access Hub and Gate Hub. The Door Hub's SIREN/CHIME terminal already provides 12V power, with a maximum rating of 0.33A (4 watts) for a 2-wire siren or chime.

Emergency mode has two modes, and access credentials are overridden in both. "Emergency Evacuation: Unlocks doors to ensure safe exit during emergencies like fires." "Emergency Lockdown: Locks doors to protect people inside during threats like external attacks."

This page does not reproduce wiring or setup steps.

Source Ubiquiti's tech specs page for each hub, and its help center articles on hub input and output terminals, choosing a UniFi Access lock and activating emergency mode.

Capacity

Maximum user counts: two sets of figures

Each hub's tech specs page and the help center's hub comparison give different maximum user figures. Only the Retrofit Hub's tech specs count matches its one-card figure.

Neither the tech specs pages nor the hub comparison explains the difference. Ubiquiti's console article says the maximum user count per hub is based on the assigned access credentials.

Source Ubiquiti's tech specs page for each hub, and its help center articles on choosing an Access Control Hub and on UniFi Consoles with UniFi Access support.

Hub by hub

What is particular to the Enterprise Access Hub, Gate Hub, Access Ultra and Retrofit Hub

The Enterprise Access Hub supports up to 8 doors, or 4 if using readers for both entry and exit. It supports up to 8 readers. Ports 9 and 10 are uplink ports without PoE output; only one can be used for uplink at a time while the other serves as a backup.

The Enterprise Access Hub does not include a charging circuit and cannot charge a backup battery; charging must be handled externally.

The Gate Hub works with sliding gates, swinging gates (single and double leaf), barrier gates and roll-up garage doors, and provides access control for a pedestrian side door. On gate safety Ubiquiti says: "To comply with UL 325 safety standards and ensure proper License Plate Unlock functionality, the UL 325 terminals on the third-party gate operator control board must be connected to entrapment protection devices."

Ubiquiti's store page describes the Access Ultra as an access reader with a built-in hub for complete, single-door entry control from one device. It cannot be connected to another Access Control Hub or used solely as a reader, and its tech specs give a maximum power consumption of 18W.

The Retrofit Hub is a DC-powered two-door solution, compatible with both third-party Wiegand readers (other makers' card readers that use the Wiegand interface) and the UniFi Retrofit Reader. Its tech specs list two 10/100 MbE RJ45 ports and a reader power output of 12V DC, up to 0.5A.

Ubiquiti also lists an Elevator Hub, part of the Elevator Starter Kit, which supports up to 18 floors and is powered by PoE++. For how the work is divided between the installer and the elevator company, see the guide to elevator access control cost.

Source Ubiquiti's help center articles on choosing an Access Control Hub, introducing the Gate Hub and getting started with UniFi Access; the Enterprise Access Hub, Access Ultra and Retrofit Hub tech specs; and the Access Ultra store page.

Readers

What each reader and intercom reads

Ubiquiti's two documents differ on two cells. The help center's reader comparison ticks Facial Recognition for its Reader Pro column (the G3 Reader Pro and G2 Reader Pro), but the G2 Reader Pro tech specs page has no Face Unlock row. It also ticks QR Code for its Intercom column (the G3 Intercom and Intercom), but the Intercom tech specs page has no QR Code Unlock row.

The G3 Intercom and Intercom are for multi-tenant residential and commercial entry points, such as gates or main entrances, and provide directory services to call specific users or contacts. A newly purchased G3 Intercom, Intercom, G3 Reader Pro or G2 Reader Pro requires a direct connection to an Access Control Hub's PoE port for initial adoption (adding it to the system) and to perform the latest firmware update.

All eight reader tech specs pages give an NFC frequency of 13.56 MHz (NFC is the short-range radio that cards, fobs and phones use) and a PoE power method.

Ubiquiti's Door Access overview says UniFi Access readers support cards and fobs with all 13.56Mhz NFC protocols including ISO 14443A, ISO 14443 B, and ISO 15693.

Source Ubiquiti's tech specs page for each reader, its help center article on choosing a UniFi Access reader, and its Door Access overview.

Console and apps

The UniFi Console and the apps the system needs

Ubiquiti lists these consoles as compatible with UniFi Access. If a UniFi Cloud Gateway doesn't run UniFi Access, a Network Video Recorder (NVR) or CloudKey+ can be added to manage the UniFi Access equipment.

Readers are added to the Access application through the UniFi Access mobile app, for iOS and Android, or through Site Manager at unifi.ui.com.

For people opening doors, the Mobile Unlock article lists the UniFi Endpoint mobile app as the requirement, on iOS 17.0 or later, Android 7.0 or later, or watchOS 9.0 or later (Mobile Button only).

Source Ubiquiti's help center articles UniFi Consoles with UniFi Access Support, Getting Started with UniFi Access and Unlocking Doors with Mobile Unlock, and its Door Access overview.

Help with a UniFi Access system

Elwin Security installs, configures, repairs and supports UniFi Access hubs and readers through its access control installation service for commercial and multifamily properties in the San Francisco Bay Area. Calls are answered 8:00 AM-8:00 PM daily at (408) 539-0535.

FAQ

UniFi Access questions

Source Ubiquiti's hub tech specs pages, and its help center articles on choosing an Access Control Hub, choosing a reader and UL 294-compliant door access control.