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Late last year, Ubiquiti continued its product expansion with the release of the new Pro Max line of switchable products. With new 24-port PoE switches and 48-port PoE switches designed to meet the higher-end IT needs of enterprises, Ubiquiti continues to be one of the best networking options for businesses targeting Macs, iPads, and iPhones.
About Apple @ Work: Bradley Chambers managed the enterprise IT network from 2009 to 2021. With experience deploying and managing firewalls, switches, MDM, enterprise Wi-Fi, thousands of Macs, and thousands of iPads, Bradley will share how Apple IT managers deploy Apple devices, build networks to support them, and train users, stories from the IT management trenches, and ways Apple can improve its products for IT departments.
Ubiquiti and Apple have a strange history. Robert Pera, founder of Ubiquiti, Inc., worked for Apple in the early 2000s as a Wi-Fi engineer before founding the company. While at Apple, Robert tested Wi-Fi-based products to ensure they met FCC electromagnetic emissions standards. Pera discovered that the power supplies that Apple Wi-Fi devices used to send signals did not meet FCC restrictions. Robert thought that increasing their power would increase their range and help them reach areas that traditional ISPs don't cover. His managers at Apple ignored the idea. He decided to create his own product. After spending several years working nights and weekends, he took the plunge and founded Ubiquiti.
New switches Pro Max
Over the years, Ubiquiti has evolved from a portfolio of products aimed at the lower end of the market into a product that is becoming difficult to ignore even in large enterprises. This new line of Pro Max Switching could be a suitable option for many deployments. With switching capacity of up to 224 Gbps, up to 2.5 Gbps per port, and up to 720 W for PoE++, it is ideal for Ubiquiti Wi-Fi 6E access points.
However, the coolest aspect of this new line of switches is Etherlighting™. You'll want to watch this video to get the full effect, but it solves a problem that has plagued IT professionals for decades. With this feature, teams will see improved rack management to easily identify and control connected devices. You can even color ports based on profiles to quickly identify cameras, access points, device types, link states, VLANs, etc. It's a fantastic idea that seems to be well executed. This will be a much better option than manually labeling ports, etc.
Ubiquiti and Apple devices
Although Apple and Ubiquiti do not have an official relationship, I have deployed over a dozen UniFi networks supporting Apple-only deployments and it is flawless. In my opinion, for Apple-centric deployments, unless you have a reason not to deploy Ubiquiti, you should start there. HostiFi is the best management option if official UniFi hosting doesn't quite meet your needs. Over the years, much of the Wi-Fi and switching functionality implemented in software is now built directly into the hardware. When it comes to Wi-Fi, Broadcom chips have so many advanced features built into them that everyone benefits.
The new Pro Max Switching continues Ubiquiti's expansion into the higher-end segment. lines because they are much easier to expand than other suppliers offering cheaper options. You can buy Ubiquiti Pro Max switches directly from the UI Store.
