In this post, I will try to provide a table comparing two modern security gateways Gateway Lite and Cloud Gateway Ultra. I’ll start with the image and graphics specs, UXG Lite on the left and UCG-Ultra on the right
Each device has both its advantages and disadvantages.
If you have one ISP and there is limited space to install the gateway, and this gateway will always be behind a closed door of the distribution box, then Gateway Lite is the choice.
If you need uninterrupted Internet, namely the ability to control two WAN ports, the device will be in an open place, then Cloud Gateway can be the choice.
Let’s now look at the basic comparison table of the main characteristics of these two Unifi security gateways
| Features | UXG Lite | UCG-Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Dual-core ARM® Cortex®-A53 at 1 GHz | Quad-core ARM® Cortex®-A53 at 1.5 GHz |
| Memory | 1 GB DDR3L | 3 GB DDR4 |
| On-board storage | – | 16 GB eMMC |
| Management | Ethernet Bluetooth 5.1 | Ethernet Bluetooth |
| Networking | LAN: (1) GbE RJ45 port WAN: (1) GbE RJ45 port | LAN: (4) GbE RJ45 ports WAN: (1) 1/2.5 GbE RJ45 port |
| IDS/IPS throughput | – | 1 Gbps |
| Power consumption | 3.83W | 6.2W |
| Display | LED | LCM 0.96″ status display |
| Dimensions | 98 x 98 x 30 mm (3.9 x 3.9 x 1.2″) | 141.8 x 127.6 x 30 mm (5.6 x 5 x 1.2″) |
| Weight | 320 g (11.3 oz) | 520 g (1.1 lb) |
| Enclosure material | Polycarbonate | Polycarbonate |
| Power | USB type C (5V/3A) | USB type C (5V DC/3A) |
| Performance | WiFi QoS with UniFi APs Application, domain, and country-based QoS Application and device type identification Additional internet failover with LTE Backup Internet quality and outage reporting | WiFi QoS with UniFi APs Application, domain, and country-based QoS Application and device type identification Additional internet failover with LTE Backup Internet quality and outage reporting Redundant WAN with failover and load balancing |
| Next-generation security | Application-aware firewall rules Signature-based IPS/IDS threat detection Content, country, domain, and ad filtering VLAN/subnet-based traffic segmentation Full stateful firewall | Application-aware firewall rules Signature-based IPS/IDS threat detection Content, country, domain, and ad filtering VLAN/subnet-based traffic segmentation Full stateful firewall |
| Advanced networking | License-free SD-WAN* WireGuard, L2TP and OpenVPN server OpenVPN client OpenVPN and IPsec site-to-site VPN One-click Teleport* and Identity Enterprise VPN** Policy-based WAN and VPN routing DHCP relay Customizable DHCP server IPv6 ISP support | License-free SD-WAN WireGuard, L2TP and OpenVPN server OpenVPN client OpenVPN and IPsec site-to-site VPN One-click Teleport and Identity VPN Policy-based WAN and VPN routing DHCP relay Customizable DHCP server IGMP proxy IPv6 ISP support |
| Application Requirements | UniFi Network Version 8.0.7 and later | Mobile app UniFi iOS™: Version 10.12.0 and later UniFi Android™: Version 10.11.2 and later |
In this case, the main advantage of UCG-Ultra over UXG Lite is the presence of a large number of ports, namely the possibility of configuring one LAN port in the WAN, which allows you to connect a second provider. This is very useful when used in a small office. The second advantage is the built-in management controller, which makes it possible to forget about an external server or CloudKey.
If you find additional differences, then join the discussion in the comments.
