When I first got my Ubiquiti UXG-Lite gateway, I was excited to set it up and integrate it into my UniFi network. The device is powerful, minimalistic, and designed for professional-grade routing – but even the best hardware can run into trouble when firmware updates go wrong.

In this article, I’ll share my personal experience of how my brand-new UXG-Lite became completely unresponsive after a firmware update – and how I managed to bring it back to life using Recovery Mode. If you’ve accidentally “bricked” your UXG-Lite, this guide will help you recover it safely.

Introduction

I bought a new Ubiquiti UXG-Lite gateway and connected it for the first time. It successfully adopted on my self-hosted UniFi Network Application server running on a Raspberry Pi. I configured almost all of my network settings and was ready to finish the setup.

Then I saw a notification that a new firmware version was available. Great! I decided to upgrade immediately – a perfect way to wrap up my network day. However, after the router automatically rebooted, the nightmare began!!!

• The gateway refused to adopt. The UniFi interface kept showing messages like “Reset device to adopt”. After rebooting my switch, I completely lost network connectivity.
• Neither my UniFi switch nor my AP received IP addresses, and even my laptop couldn’t get an IP when directly connected to the LAN port of the UXG-Lite.
• To make things worse, the UniFi mobile app didn’t send any Bluetooth setup notifications, leaving me with no way to re-adopt the router.

I spent over two hours troubleshooting and chatting with Ubiquiti support – but without any working solution.

The reason of failure

The problem turned out to be related to the firmware update sequence. My device was updated directly from the factory firmware v3.1.15 to v4.3.2, skipping several intermediate versions. This large version jump caused the system to fail during initialization.

To resolve the issue, I had to downgrade the firmware from v4.3.2 to v4.1.13, which restored the gateway to working condition.

Prepare UXG-Lite and PC

There’s only one way to perform a firmware downgrade – by using Recovery Mode. The process is simple and takes just a few steps.

1. Download the firmware – Go to the official Ubiquiti website and download the firmware file you want to install. In my case, I downloaded version 4.1.13.
2. Configure your PC network settings – Set a static IP address in the 192.168.1.0/24 subnet. When I performed the recovery, I used 192.168.1.11.
3. Boot the UXG-Lite into Recovery Mode
   • Power off the UXG-Lite.
   • Using a toothpick or paperclip, press and hold the Reset button.
   • While holding the button, power on the router.
   • Keep holding for about 15 seconds, then release the button.
   • Connect your PC to the LAN port of the UXG-Lite.

Recovery process

In Recovery Mode, the gateway uses the reserved IP address 192.168.1.30. Open this address in a web browser – you should see the Recovery Mode interface.

This page displays system information and available recovery actions. In my case, it showed the current firmware version v4.3.2.33ac906. For safety, I checked the file system before proceeding.

Next, upload the firmware file you downloaded earlier.

The downgrade process will start automatically and usually takes about 2 minutes. Once it’s complete, you’ll see a confirmation message and the new firmware version displayed on the page.

Finally, click the Reboot button to restart your UXG-Lite.

Enjoy!

Conclussion

After the reboot, the gateway started working normally again – it was successfully adopted and became fully functional.

If your UXG-Lite becomes unresponsive after an update, don’t panic. Recovery Mode is your best friend. Just follow the steps above carefully, and you’ll bring your device back to life.

Firmware updates can occasionally fail, especially when jumping across major versions. To avoid this issue in the future, I recommend upgrading step-by-step through intermediate versions rather than directly to the newest release.

I recently had to go through the process of returning a router Ubiquiti UXG-Lite according to the program RMA due to hardware failure. This experience turned out to be interesting not only from a technical point of view, but also from the point of view of international logistics and warranty conditions. In this posts i detailed describe each stage.

What is an RMA?

RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) is an official procedure for returning equipment to the manufacturer for diagnosis, repair or replacement. In other words, this is a kind of “permission to return”, which confirms that the manufacturer has recognized the device as defective and is ready to accept it back.

For Ubiquiti RMA is a key element of after sales service. If the user has hardware problems that cannot be solved by updating the firmware or changing the settings, the support service after analyzing the logs and tests can issue an authorization for RMA. Next, the device is sent to the manufacturer’s service center, where it is checked and, depending on the terms of the warranty and the nature of the breakdown, provided repair or replacement with a new copy.

Background and problem with the router

July 14, 2025 year I first encountered a problem – the internet is gone, while the indicators on the equipment lit up as usual. The ISP confirmed that the problem was not on their end, but within my network. After restarting the gateway, the situation is not improved. Only restarting the switch briefly restored communication, but then the problem recurred. I checked the cable connected between the gateway and the switch – it was good, which I confirmed with the RJ45 tester. I collected diagnostic support files from the equipment and handed them over to technical support Ubiquiti.

A few days later, another, more serious problem appeared: the UXG-Lite gateway began to overload periodically, while the use of processor resources reached 100%. IN logs errors appeared WHO- packages and notice of HLOS Panic [0x47]. I suspected it might be related to a known vulnerability CVE-2023-33063 in chipsets Qualcomm IPQ5018 (on which it is based UXG-Lite). This error causes memory corruption and system crash. I even asked support if there was a patch – they replied that the information was passed on to the developers for future updates.

July 27-29, 2025 year, the situation was repeated every day:

• The network worked for 12–24 hours
• Then the gateway suddenly lost the interface br0 (core bridge VLAN)
• Recovery was possible only after hard reboot

Based on the following symptoms, I received a final conclusion of support:

“Loss of interface br0 indicates an internal failure. This is a hardware issue that is unrelated to the software part and cannot be fixed by firmware.”

2025-07-26T12:23:26+03:00 UXGLite systemd-networkd[1279]: br0: Link DOWN
2025-07-26T12:23:26+03:00 UXGLite systemd-networkd[1279]: br0: Lost carrier

This means that the device’s primary network bridge occasionally just “fell off”what led to before disconnection. It’s official to me recommended to issue an RMA to replace the device.

Stages of the RMA process

Ubiquiti’s official RMA system shows six statuses through which the request goes. Of course, there are intermediate stages, such as sending the router and receiving it. Upon completion process I took a final screenshot and that’s it posts I will describe each stage in detail.

Sending a request

This is the first stage when I act as the initiator of the application. Of course, in order to submit a claim, there must be some proof that the device is faulty, such as a photo of the damage or a report from the support service with evidence in the form of logs. So I submitted an application with the following text:

Application approval

The next day, the application was approved without any comments. From the day the application is approved, the user has 30 days to send the device. I understood that my router was unstable, but I decided to continue analyzing the problem for another 10 days, working closely with support.

Sending the router to the Netherlands

After the application was approved, I was given the following recommendations for shipping and packing the router:

• Need to print packing slip and put it inside the box.
• Provide readability of the sticker with the MAC address on the device.
• No need to send original packaging or accessories.
• If it is part of a kit, it must be returned in its entirety (this is the rule for the AmpliFi Kit, but the UXG-Lite is a separate device).

I packed the router as recommended and sent it to of the Netherlands. I paid for international shipping 544 hryvnias, which is equivalent to $13. In the window Awaiting RMA Item I confirmed the shipment by clicking on the link “Mark as Sent“. After that, the status was updated to “Product Sent“.

Now it remains to wait for the device to be accepted, checked and will send I have a replacement.

Receipt of the router by the RMA

National Post of Ukraine – Ukrposhta delivered the package to the Netherlands quite quickly – in a week, but it was delayed at customs in the Netherlands. I decided to notify the RMA manager about this so that the company can resolve the customs issues and speed up the process of receiving the router. The router was still at customs for more than two weeks until it was cleared. It turned out that in the Netherlands, duty is charged on any product, so Ubiquiti paid an additional €33.63, which caused a delay in logistics.

• August 15 – Request for payment of shipment costs sent
• August 27 – Payment for shipment costs received

The total delivery time was 3 weeks.

Testing UXG-Lite

On the day of receipt of the router, RMA specialists tested it, which I received a message by mail. This message is usually sent with the receipt message.

Fulfillment

Literally in half an hour I received another message about changing the status to “Fulfillment”. Such a quick reaction is most likely due to the fact that the shipment is created electronically through the postal service.

Sending the router to me

When I already physically sent the router by mail to the Netherlands, I was told in support that RMA does not send devices to Ukraine on the way back, so they expect me to eat i hope another receiving address in the EU.

It’s good that I have the possibility to use the services of a remote warehouse in Poland, so I sent a new address that was transferred to the RMA service. According to this address, a shipment was created on the same day. Of course, this is the way Netherlands -> Poland -> Ukraine and longer in terms of time and more expensive in terms of finances, because the shipment will be at my expense.

• Dispatch Netherlands -> Poland was held by a logistics company FedEx by Ubiquiti and the deadline was only 2 days
• Dispatch Poland -> Ukraine was held by a Ukrainian logistics company Meest at my expense, I paid €7.5 and lasted 7 days

Receiving the device

I received a notification from the postal company Most that the package is already in the branch and can be picked up. I was surprised by the size of the box, which was twice the size of the original packaging. After opening the shipping box, I saw a new UXG-Lite router, but with a European revision.

An amazing moment with a guarantee

Official warranty for the UXG-Lite router – 1 year. At the time of my appeal the warranty period has long passed. However, after diagnosis, technical support is still available approved by RMA – obviously, given the nature of the malfunction and the confirmation that it is a non-standard operation of the device. After sending the router, I was not charged additional money, so I consider it free.

Another nuance – although the purchase was made through a website in the USA, I had to send the device not to America, but to the Netherlands. This is due to the fact that Ubiquiti has a European service center that serves customers from this region.

Conclusions

Even after the warranty expires Ubiquiti can approve an RMA if there is proof of a manufacturing defect and the device was purchased directly from the ubiquiti website. The process is clearly structured: from submitting an application to receiving a new device. Logistics can be international, even if the purchase is made in another country. The main thing is to save all evidence of the malfunction (logs, screenshots, description).

After analyzing my Postfix server’s activity graph using Zabbix, I discovered that every 5 minutes, an attacker attempts brute-force login attempts. To prevent this, I decided to manually configure firewall rules and demonstrate how to create an IP blacklist rule.

On my Ubiquiti UniFi UXG-Lite router, it is possible to block specific IP addresses or subnets by creating Network Objects and using Firewall Policy.

Creating a Blacklist Group

A blacklist is a list of IP addresses and/or subnets, organized as a network object group. To create such a group, follow these steps:

1. Click the Settings (gear icon) menu.
2. Select Profiles.
3. Navigate to Network Objects.
4. Click Create New.

In the Network Objects screen, fill in the following fields:

• Object Name – e.g., Postfix Black List.
• Type – Select “IPv4 Address/Subnet” from the dropdown list.
• Address – Enter the first IP address or subnet.

Click Add to create the list and apply the changes.

Creating a Blocking Rule for Ubiquiti UniFi Zone-Based Firewall

Given that my router has been updated, a new feature has been activated – Zone-Based Firewall. It visually divides rules into groups according to their type. Therefore, I will make settings in the new interface, where rules are already called policies.

According to the zone table, the policy must be added to the cell at the intersection of Source External and Destination Internal. To do this, click on the cell and at the very bottom of the policy list, click on the Create Policy button.

The principle of the policy is simple:

• Detect external traffic for the presence of IP addresses and/or subnets that are blacklisted
• Block traffic from the corresponding IP addresses and/or subnets, provided that the traffic is directed to the local network.

This setting appeared only in Zone-Based Firewall, because before this innovation it was possible to block all traffic. Now the settings are more flexible, so such a policy can be created for each zone separately.

A sidebar will open on the right, where you need to fill in the appropriate fields. The fields are grouped by blocks to make it easier to navigate the settings:

Name: Postfix Black List.

Source Zone block

• The External value will be the default if the required cell in the Zone-Based Firewall table was previously specified, otherwise you must select the External value
• Select the IP value
• Select the Object value
• From the drop-down list, select the previously created Postfix Black List group
• Select the value Port: Any

Action block

• Select the Block value

Destination Zone block

• The Internal value will be the default if the required cell in the Zone-Based Firewall table was previously specified, otherwise you must select the Internal value
• Select the Any value
• Select the value Port: Any

Additional settings block

• IP Version: IPv4
• Protocol: All
• Connection State: All
• Syslog Logging: checkbox enabled
• Schedule: Always
• Description: Block all IP’s from the Postfix blacklist

Click Add Policy. The new rule will appear in the list and be applied immediately.

Verifying Policy Functionality

Blocked traffic logs can be found in the System Log under the Triggers tab. You can review individual entries to confirm that the policy is working as expected.

Conclusion

The Zone-Based Firewall feature in Ubiquiti UniFi allows effective blocking of unwanted traffic using IP blacklists. Utilizing Network Objects and flexible policies in the new interface simplifies network security management.

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.