Step-by-step adoption for UniFi gateways, switches, and access points — including Layer 3 adoption and common firewall requirements.
Adopting UniFi Devices
Adoption connects a factory-reset UniFi device to your controller so you can configure it remotely.
Before you start
- Factory-reset the device if it was used on another controller.
- Ensure the device can reach your controller on the network (or over routed/VPN paths).
- Confirm DNS resolves your controller hostname if you use a name instead of an IP.
Standard (Layer 2) adoption
- Connect the device to the same LAN as the controller (or downstream of the gateway).
- Power on and wait for the device to obtain DHCP.
- In UniFi OS, go to Devices — the device should appear as Pending Adoption.
- Click Adopt and wait for provisioning to finish (LED usually turns solid white/blue).
Layer 3 / remote adoption
When the device is on a different subnet:
- Set the inform URL on the device to point at your controller (via SSH or DHCP option 43 where supported).
- Allow required ports through firewalls between the device and controller.
- Adopt from the Devices page once the device appears.
Common issues
| Symptom | Things to check |
|---|---|
| Device never appears | VLAN isolation, wrong inform URL, blocked ports |
| Adoption stuck at "Adopting" | DNS, MTU, firewall, or insufficient PoE budget |
| Adopted then offline | Routing, gateway change, or duplicate IP |
Pro tip
Adopt one device at a time during initial rollout. Start with the gateway, then core switches, then access points.