Labthrift Labthrift What to buy. What to skip. Why.

Written 23 Aug 2026. Specs from maker pages and named street snaps. I haven't used this.

New USB-C UniFi gateway, not a used USG plus Cloud Key: Cloud Gateway Ultra

New USB-C UniFi gateway with a built-in controller, not a used USG glued to a Cloud Key. Buy UCG-Ultra new if the house is already UniFi. This is not Protect, and it is not a switch. See USW-Ultra for the PoE box.

UCG-Ultra: compact Cloud Gateway, 30+ UniFi devices / 300+ clients, 1 Gbps routing with IDS/IPS, multi-WAN load balance. Port layout is one 2.5GbE WAN and four 1GbE LAN. USB-C powered, adapter in the box. Maker max 6.2 W. Quad Cortex-A53 1.5 GHz, 3 GB DDR4, 16 GB eMMC, 0.96" status LCD. UI store 23 Aug 2026: $129 / $139 surcharge-incl. B&H printed $136. Newegg printed $132. Print the live tag. The Amazon card we fetched was a Generic listing at $189.99. Skip it.

What to buy

BoxWhat it isStreet, 23 Aug 2026Buy if
UCG-UltraBuilt-in UniFi Network. 2.5G WAN + 4× 1G LAN. USB-C. 1 Gbps IDS/IPS. No Protect, no NVMe. Maker max 6.2 W.UI store $129 / $139 surcharge-incl. B&H $136. Newegg $132. Print the tag.Already UniFi. Gigabit WAN. You want the controller in the gateway, not a used USG plus a Key.
Cloud Gateway MaxThe step-up with 2.5G throughout and optional NVMe for Protect. Different SKU, different bill.UI starts the Max around $199. Confirm the live card.You need Protect on this box, or the WAN is already faster than 1 Gbps IDS/IPS.
Used USG-3P + Cloud KeyTwo boxes. 1G WAN. No built-in controller. EOL hardware people keep listing as a “deal.”No used-lot price here. The stack it replaces is $328+ new if you still could.You like projects. Not the closet default. See used vs new.

Skip

Skip used USG-3P and USG-Pro-4 lots. Skip Amazon Generic cards that don't say Ubiquiti. Skip Cloud Gateway Max until you need Protect or more than 1 Gbps IDS/IPS. Skip this whole page if you are not already UniFi. Flint 2 in AP mode or cheap PoE is the other door. This is a gateway, not the fanless PoE switch.

Sources

UI store UCG-Ultra ($129 / $139 surcharge-incl., fetched 23 Aug 2026). B&H 1815010-REG ($136). Newegg 0E6-003V-005T2 ($132; 2.5G WAN, 4× 1G LAN, USB-C, max 6.2 W). Street moves.

Also on this topic

New fanless PoE for a UniFi house, not a used 48-port Catalyst: Switch UltraIf the house is already UniFi, buy the Ultra 60W new. Not a used Catalyst PoE. A $339 Beelink N150 vs the yearly cost of a used 1UA small new mini PC often costs less over a year of power than a loud used server. Skip the used 1U if heat and noise matter. This note is only about the power bill, not which chip wins. Used enterprise vs buying newUsed is a gift when the wattage is low and the ports match the job.