New Router

lpaulriddle

As part of an ongoing project to get rid of our landline phone (which nobody calls any more except spammers), I am looking to replace our Verizon FiOS Quantum Gateway router with my own router. There’s nothing wrong with the FiOS router, but when I contact Verizon to switch our plan to internet-only, I want to get rid of the monthly router rental fee. All of our other networking equipment is Ubiquiti Unifi, so I’ve decided to stay in that ecosystem and go with a Unifi Cloud Gateway Ultra. The FiOS router is currently connected to the ONT via ethernet (we switched off coax a few years ago), so “in theory”, it should be a drop-in replacement. Our network is fairly simple, with a couple of switches and a couple of WiFi access points, and the Unifi controller software currently runs on a local LAN host in a Docker container. The main things that need to happen seem to be:

  • Replacing the FiOS router with the UCG-Ultra and verifying that internet works
  • Recreating DHCP and DNS server settings. This includes:
    • IPv4 DHCP address range
    • Static DHCP leases
    • Local DNS hostnames
  • Migrating all of the Unifi devices from the self-hosted controller to the UCG’s built-in controller

Based on my research, this is the tentative plan:

  1. Write down/have handy the following:
    • List of MAC and IP addresses for static leases in FiOS gateway
    • List of names and IP addresses for local DNS entries in FiOS gateway
    • SSH login credentials (username/password) for Unifi gear — stored in controller under Settings > System > Advanced > Device Authentication (or go into settings and search for “passwords”)
    • Laptop with ethernet adapter and cable
    • Unifi app on phone for initial setup (which apparently uses bluetooth)
  2. Create a full backup of self-hosted controller and download to laptop
  3. Remove FiOS gateway from device list in self-hosted controller (maybe not necessary, as it’s not a Unifi router)
  4. Create a settings-only backup of self-hosted controller and download to laptop
  5. Release WAN DHCP lease on FiOS router and immediately unplug it from the network
  6. Connect UCG-Ultra to ONT, leaving downstream equipment unplugged for now
  7. Power up UCG-Ultra, wait for display to indicate WAN connectivity(?)
  8. Adopt UCG-Ultra to UI account using app
  9. Update UCG firmware and network controller (self-hosted controller running 8.2.93 as of this writing)
  10. Plug laptop into a UCG LAN port and make sure it gets a connection
  11. Restore controller backup (TBD: use full backup or just settings backup?)
  12. Configure DHCP and DNS server settings, including IPv4 range, static leases, and local DNS names
    • To add clients: Click “Client Devices” (left sidebar), then on the next page, then click the Add icon at the top right of the page. Dialog has entries for MAC address and device alias/name, and checkboxes for “Fixed IP Address” and “Local DNS Entry”.
  13. Connect downstream network devices and make sure everything works
  14. Go to old self-hosted controller and override set-inform address for Unifi gear
    • System (left sidebar) > Advanced (tab) > “Inform Host” setting > check “override” > enter UCG-Ultra’s IP address
    • Can manually change inform address on APs and PoE switch by connecting in to each via SSH and using set-inform command. However, this is not possible on the Flex Mini switch. It needs the old controller online so it can contact it to pick up the new inform IP. If that’s not possible, it will need to be factory reset and re-adopted.
  15. Wait for all of the Unifi gear to hopefully connect to the new controller
  16. Shut down the old controller
  17. Factory reset the FiOS router before returning to VZ

If this all goes according to plan, it hopefully won’t take too long. I’ll find out soon enough!

References: