In an age where digital connectivity is paramount, the choice of your home router can significantly impact your online experience. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer routers as part of their service packages, but relying solely on these provided devices is rarely the best decision for your home network. Setting up your router comes with many benefits, particularly when it comes to enhancing security, customisation, and control over your DNS settings.

In this post, we will walk you through setting up the Unifi Express Hub. This entry-level device will manage your home network, provide the much-needed basic level of protection for your family, and allow you to elevate your security and protection to a higher level.

Step one is to create a Ubiquiti account. This is done from their website: https://account.ui.com/register. Fill in the simple form, validate your account, and you are good to go. Follow along on the videos at the bottom of the page.

Enhanced Family Safety

The Ubiquity Unifi ecosystem has a long pedigree of networking excellence. It provides enterprise-level tools in a simple package. This includes not just the basics of managing your network DNS but also some advanced security features. In this post, we will talk about Country Filtering and Content Filtering, both of which do significantly more than an ISP traditionally will.

Blocking adverts, adult content, and other services you would not like your child to access is incredibly useful, and Ubiquiti’s Unifi platform delivers that in a readily understood interface. Do not worry if you are struggling to understand any of this, though. We will include links to videos that walk through the whole process.

Customisation and Flexibility

ISP routers are typically designed to cater to the general needs of all users, which means they lack the flexibility and customisation options that more advanced users might require. Setting up your router allows you to tailor your network to fit your specific needs. This includes configuring Quality of Service (QoS) settings to prioritize bandwidth for activities like gaming or streaming, setting up guest networks to isolate visitor traffic from your main network. More importantly, if in the future you decide to change ISP, all your network settings can remain the same.

Optimised DNS Settings

DNS (Domain Name System) settings are a critical aspect of your internet connection, affecting how quickly and reliably you can access websites. ISP-provided routers typically use the default DNS servers of the ISP, which may not always be the fastest or most reliable. By setting up your own router, you have the freedom to choose DNS servers that offer better performance, security, and privacy. It is unfortunate that governments do not consider setting up their own DNS servers that echo government policy are worthwhile. In the UK it would be more effective to offer a DNS service to parents that blocked inappropriate content rather than waste column inches complaining such a service is in place.

In our video we use the Quad9 DNS solution, this is a Swiss based company that includes malware blocking.

Future-Proofing Your Network

Technology is constantly evolving, and staying up-to-date with the latest advancements can ensure your network remains robust and efficient. ISP-provided routers may not always support the latest standards and technologies, limiting your ability to take advantage of new features. By choosing your own router, you can select a device that is compatible with the latest Wi-Fi standards, such as Wi-Fi 7, which offers faster speeds, increased capacity, and improved efficiency – not the device used in this video. While there are benefits of planning to do this, you will find that it significantly increases the initial setup cost although with the Unifi platform you can upgrade components as you go (with planning).

Investing in a higher quality gateway makes future plans simpler, as these devices are built to last and support future advancements Ubiquiti has released multiple updates to their platform that have added multiple features. This not only saves you money in the long run but also ensures that your network is ready to handle the increasing demands of modern internet usage.

Conclusion

In conclusion, setting up your gateway rather than relying on the one provided by your ISP offers numerous benefits, including enhanced security, customisation, optimised DNS settings, improved performance, and greater control over your network. While an initial investment may be involved, the long-term advantages far outweigh the costs. Taking control of your home network can ensure a faster, more reliable, and secure internet experience for you and your family.

The importance of a robust and efficient home network cannot be overstated as we continue to rely more heavily on digital connectivity for work, entertainment, and communication. Take the time to research and invest in a router that meets your needs and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have the best possible setup for your internet connection.

Set up Ubiquiti Unifi Express Device

Initial Configuration using the web portal