Set up your Square Ubiquiti UniFi network
Before you begin
This setup guide is intended for Square merchants who have purchased recommended Ubiquiti Networking equipment from Square (or elsewhere) and want to set up a store network that meets the needs of their business, and ensure that Square hardware and services will run smoothly on that network.
Depending on what hardware you purchased, you will likely have a combination of the following equipment that will need to be installed, connected together, and configured with the correct settings.
| Type | Description | Base option | High-end option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Router | Routers disperse the signal to devices on the network. In a typical network setup, the modem is connected to the router. |
 UCG Cloud Gateway Ultra
|
 Dream Machine SE
|
| Switch | Used to connect devices together on a network. The network switch acts as a wired extension point, and connects to the router, or other switches. |
 USW Lite 16 PoE
|
 USW Pro 24 PoE
|
| Access point | Transmits and receives data over a wireless local area network (WLAN), Simply put: they allow your devices (POS, laptops, tablets, etc) to connect to Wi-Fi. |
 UniFi U6+ for indoor use and UniFi U6 Mesh for outdoor use |
|
| Other |
 Ethernet RJ45 Cable (6ft) and Ethernet RJ45 Cable (10ft)
|
Step 1: Store Setup
Before you begin configuring your Ubiquiti equipment, you’ll need to ensure you’ve taken the following steps.
You’ll want to work with your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to ensure you have a reliable connection and the right modem equipment for your needs.
Having persistent and reliable connection(s) to the internet is key to a stable network. Before you set up your network and hardware, please ensure that the quality and speed of your internet connection is sufficient. For Square to work well, a minimum internet speed of 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up is required. Broadband speeds (100Mbps down and 20Mbps up) are preferred, as higher speeds may be required depending on the number of connected devices, building size and complexity of your network.
Network equipment is best set up when in a dedicated space, away from high traffic areas of your store. More advanced or larger stores will have a dedicated networking closet or office. Smaller stores should still try to identify a discrete area where these devices can be placed together. Regardless of where you place this equipment, it is important that it is in an easily accessible area which is climate controlled or well ventilated. Furthermore, if you have a number of Ethernet cables connecting various parts of the system, we recommend clean cable routing with well marked tagging.
Ubiquiti access points generally require a dedicated Ethernet connection between your router or switch, and a position in your store where they can provide the best Wi-Fi coverage. Use the information below to help determine where you will place your Access Points. Square recommends working with a certified electrician or IT provider to help you install Ethernet runs once your final layout has been determined.
The required number of wireless access points needed for your business will depend on your square footage, layout and building materials. The advertised coverage area for Square’s recommended access point UniFi U6+ is 1,000 sq. ft., assuming a square or rectangular single-floor area with drywall. If your area has a more complex shape (L or H shape) or features a brick/concrete wall, you will need to increase the number of access points accordingly to improve coverage and signal strength.
- Wireless access points require an Ethernet cable (Cat5e or better) connected to the main network router, but may be connected via a network switch if the main network router ports are all in use.
- Recommended UniFi Access Points can be connected directly to the network switch with PoE (Power over Ethernet) ports like the Switch Lite 16 PoE or Switch Pro 24 PoE. Depending on your setup, you may require a PoE injector (included with our recommended outdoor access points U6 Mesh, or can be purchased separately here).
- Install indoor wireless access points to maximize coverage. For open layouts, this means on the ceiling and in the center of the room, but wall-mounted access points can be appropriate when mounted against an outside wall facing inward. The antenna is located on the top of the wireless area and should always remain both unobstructed and away from other sources of radio frequency such as TVs, microwave ovens, espresso grinders, speakers, cameras, lights and more.
- If you are unsure on the exact number or location of access points you need, you can roughly plan for:
- One access point for each large room in your store, up to 1,000 sq. ft. coverage.
- At least 35 feet in between each access point, to avoid over saturating your network.
- More, rather than less, access points if you have a very busy environment with many POS devices, store devices, and guest devices.
Step 2: Set Up Your Ubiquiti Gateway (Router)
Setting up your Ubiquiti hardware is best accomplished through the UniFi mobile app. This can be downloaded on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
In addition to the UniFi app, Square also recommends downloading the Ubiquiti WiFiman app as an excellent testing tool. The tool is available on iOS and Android platforms. This testing will be covered at the end of this guide.
This guide assumes that you are setting up a brand new UniFi network at one location (site). If you already have an existing UniFi network or are deploying a new network to a new location, ensure that you properly set up the correct site in the UniFi app before beginning the following steps.
Start setting up your Gateway by plugging it into power, and plugging an Ethernet cable from your ISP modem into the WAN port on the gateway.
Download the Unifi app from Apple app store or Google play store. Create an account and log After creating an account and logging into the UniFi app.
Navigate to the Devices tab, where you will see a “New Device Found” pop up. Press the “Setup” button to begin the setup process. The app will then connect to the gateway, which may take a few minutes.
Once connected, you will be prompted to name your gateway. In the example below, we are using the Cloud Gateway Ultra router.
Once the gateway is connected, you will be asked to verify your email. You will also have the option to restore from a backup. For new installations, you can skip this step and click “Next” The app will then confirm internet connectivity and perform a speed test. After this, it will proceed to install and update the UniFi OS until the “Setup Complete!” page is loaded.
Step 3: Connect And Adopt Other Ubiquiti Equipment (Switches, Access Points, etc.)
You’ll need to hardwire your UniFi Gateway directly to your switch and access points using Ethernet cables. Ubiquiti switches will need to be plugged into wall power and ideally placed nearby your gateway. If you are using a gateway which supports Power over Ethernet (PoE), like the Dream Machine Special Edition, you should plug the APs directly into the gateway, if you are using the Cloud Gateway Ultra you will need to plug the APs into your PoE-enabled switch or use optional PoE Injectors.
Note: Ubiquiti access points are powered using ‘Power over Ethernet’ (PoE). If you purchased a networking kit directly from Square, you should have either a gateway and/or a switch which has specific ports which support PoE. You’ll need to ensure your APs are plugged into these special ports.
More advanced setups may use PoE injectors, which is an extra device which can allow you to plug the AP directly into wall power, as well as an ethernet cable which is connected to your other Ubiquiti equipment. The U6 Mesh AP includes a PoE injector in the box, the U6+ AP does not but one can be purchased separately. If you are using PoE injectors in your setup, we still recommend hardwiring ethernet cables into the network, Square does not recommend setting up ‘mesh’ networks.
Once all your equipment is connected and powered on, reopen the UniFi app. Adoption is how the Unifi app adds switches and access points into your network. In the UniFi devices section, adopt any access points or resolve issues with switches. The menu options may vary depending on the type of device. To adopt a device, simply click on the device with the “Pending Adoption” orange box. This will start the adoption process automatically.
Once the adoption process is complete, you will see the devices listed in the devices section. Please note that the adoption process can take a few minutes and may require the devices to reboot automatically.
Step 4: Advanced Setup (Optional) Set Up Your Networks
IMPORTANT NOTE: The instructions in this step will guide you through creating isolated networks (VLANs) that will ensure that your Square POS devices and accessories are on a dedicated network without conflicts from other devices that may be connected to your network. While this is recommended for the best Square experience, managing VLANs is relatively complicated to set up and maintain over time. We heavily recommend that restaurants that rely on network printing for operations follow the steps in this section. If you do not feel comfortable completing the steps in this section you can skip ahead to Step 5: Set Up Your Wi-Fi.
Square advises creating up to three distinct networks. Square and other POS devices should be on a private network that is protected and separated from other devices.
To modify and create networks, navigate to the “settings” tab at the bottom left of the app, and select Networks.
The following Networks can be used as a template. The rest of this section will walk through how to build these networks for your store. For reference, “store” is a placeholder for the actual store name.
| Network Name | Description | Wi-Fi Name (SSID) | VLAN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Employee devices, security cameras, and other devices that are not Square/POS related. | Store Operations | Default (VLAN ID 1) |
| Store-Square | Square devices, and peripherals like printers used with your point of sale. | Store Square | VLAN ID 2 |
| Store-Guest (optional) | Guest users, customers devices | Store Guest | VLAN ID 3 |
Modify the default network, select the “Default” network and scroll down and select the “IPv4’’ (you can ignore IPv6 and keep it disabled) option to “Manual” Change the following parameters and then “save” settings.
If settings are not specified, they should be left at their default values.
| Parameter | Required Value |
|---|---|
| Network Name | Default |
| Isolate Network | Toggle to “On” |
| IGMP Snooping | Toggle to “On” |
| Multicast DNS | Toggle to ”On” |
Select “Add New” when on the Networks tab, scroll down and select the “IPv4” (you can ignore IPv6 and keep it disabled) option to “Manual” Change the following parameters and then “save” settings.
If settings are not specified, they should be left at their default values.
| Parameter | Required Value |
|---|---|
| Network Name | Store-Square |
| VLAN ID | 2 |
| Isolate Network | Toggle to “On” |
| IGMP Snooping | Toggle to “On” |
| Multicast DNS | Toggle to ”On” |
Select “Add New” when on the Networks tab, scroll down and select the “IPv4” (you can ignore IPv6 and keep it disabled) option to “Manual” Change the following parameters and then “save” settings.
If settings are not specified, they should be left at their default values.
| Parameter | Required Value |
|---|---|
| Network Name | Store-Guest |
| VLAN ID | 3 |
| Guest Network | Toggle to “On” |
| IGMP Snooping | Toggle to “Off” |
| Multicast DNS | Toggle to ”Off” |
The creation of different networks/VLANs means that local network traffic will only be able to communicate with other devices on the same VLAN. It also means that each individual port on your gateway and/or switch(es) will need to be configured properly when adding any new device that is not meant to be used on the Default network. In this scenario, when you plug in any Square POS equipment, or hardwired accessories (like printers) in a switch, you will need to map that port to the correct Square VLAN.
The “Default” network, corresponding to VLAN 1, will be used to automatically assign security cameras, access points, networking equipment, and other devices to VLAN 1. No user intervention is required for this process. If users want to add an access point or an additional security camera, they simply need to plug it into any port not designated for Square devices.
As this is the “Default” network, it will automatically be configured on all switch ports. The out of the box settings have switch ports that are set to the “default” network and also allow tagged traffic. Any untagged traffic will be assigned to VLAN 1, the native VLAN.
The “Store-Square” network corresponding to VLAN 2 will facilitate Square and other POS equipment. To place the devices into the correct network, the settings for each switch port require changes to the correct network. This will be covered at the end of the section.
The “Store-Guest “ Network corresponding to VLAN 3 will be used for Guest Wi-Fi, there should be no requirement for physical switch ports.
This setup shown in the table and diagram below:
SSID / VLAN / Network Mapping Table
| SSID | Devices Types: | **VLAN ID ** | Network Name | Port Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Store Employees | Store cameras, laptops and any non square devices. | VLAN 1 | Default | Access |
| Store Square | Square equipment and devices. | VLAN 2 | Store-Square | Access |
| Store Guest | Guest Devices | VLAN 3 | Store-Guest | Access |
When adding Square or other POS devices, the relevant switch port needs to be configured with the Store-Square Network. Below has an example on how this can be done.
Go to the “Devices’ menu, and select the USW Switch, then select port where you plan to plug in your Square or other POS device. Adjust the parameters as specified below and click “Save” to apply the settings. If a parameter is not listed, keep its default setting.
| Parameter | Required Value |
|---|---|
| Network | Store-Square |
| Tagged VLAN Management | Block All |
If you have configured an isolated Network/VLAN for your POS devices, you will need to follow the above steps again to correctly configure the port for new hardwired POS devices added to your network.
Step 5: Set Up Your Wi-Fi
To set up Wi-Fi Networks, navigate to the “Settings -> “Wi-Fi” -> “Add New”. Ensure to apply the below parameters for each SSID.
Scroll down and choose the “Advanced” option, then set it to “Manual.” Adjust the parameters as specified below and click “Save” to apply the settings. If a parameter is not listed, keep its default setting.
| Parameter | Required Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Store Operations |
| Network | Default |
| Band Steering | Toggle to “On” |
| BBS Transition | Toggle to “On” |
| UAPSD | Toggle to “On” |
| Multicast Enhancement | Toggle to “On” |
Scroll down and choose the “Advanced” option, then set it to “Manual.” Adjust the parameters as specified below and click “Save” to apply the settings. If a parameter is not listed, keep its default setting.
| Parameter | Required Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Store Square |
| Network | Store-Network (if you configured this in the previous step) |
| Band Steering | Toggle to “On” |
| BBS Transition | Toggle to “On” |
| UAPSD | Toggle to “On” |
| Multicast Enhancement | Toggle to “On” |
Scroll down and choose the “Advanced” option, then set it to “Manual.” Adjust the parameters as specified below and click “Save” to apply the settings. If a parameter is not listed, keep its default setting.
| Parameter | Required Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Store Guest |
| Network | Store-Guest (if you configured this in the previous step) |
| Hotspot Portal | Toggle to “On” (if you want your guests to login through a portal, see the next section for more details) |
| Band Steering | Toggle to “On” |
| UAPSD | Toggle to “On” |
Step 6: Optional Settings
To enable the automatic speed test, navigate to the Settings at the bottom right of the app screen and select the “Internet” option. Enable the “Automatic Speed Test” option. You can set the schedule to run “daily” and specify the time, it is recommended to be outside of business hours. Tap Save.
UniFi access points allow for branded customization when guests connect to a hotspot, along with support for requiring authentication, such as through Facebook or by entering a password that is handed out to guests on site. Access via the app is limited at this time, you can configure settings via https://unifi.ui.com/ using the following guide.
To manage UniFi hotspots:
- Navigate to https://unifi.ui.com/ and login with your credentials.
- Open the ‘Site’ for the store you just set up.
- Navigate to the Insights tab, on the top of the page click ‘Hotspot’.
- Select “Landing Page” from the segmented control.
Branding
From UniFi’s Hotspot Portal’s Branding tab, you can customize the experience and ensure access follows branding for your business, including:
- A hotspot login page title, such as “Store Guest Wi-Fi”
- Adding a welcome message such as “Welcome to Store!”
- Requiring guests to accept terms of service you define, by checking the box next to “Terms of Service”
- Customizing the logo; background color or image; and text and button colors people will see
- Defining a Landing Page for guests after they connect to your network, such as by directing them to an online menu.
Authentication
From UniFi’s Hotspot Portal’s Authentication tab, you can customize the experience and ensure guest access is only available to people who should have access. Access limits can include having a shared password that is handed out to guests, and requiring authentication with Facebook.
Follow Facebook’s steps to create an App ID and enter it in UniFi’s portal if you would like guests to authenticate with Facebook, and optionally collect guest emails.
Access Settings
From UniFi’s Hotspot Portal’s Settings tab, you can control how often guest access is allowed for, along with any websites that guests are allowed to access without authentication.
By default, a guest session lasts for 8 hours, and guests will have to re-authenticate afterwards.
It is recommended to check “Secure Portal” under “Landing Page Settings”, and to add your business website under Authorization Access > “Add Hostname, IP or Subnet”.
Step 7: Advanced Setup (Optional) - Configure Your Access Point Settings
UniFi access points (APs) offer numerous settings and control options to optimize performance for various environments. Configurations can be shared among devices of the same model. For instance, a single configuration can be created and applied to all Ubiquiti UniFi U6+ APs, while a different configuration can be created for Ubiquiti UniFi U6 Mesh APs.
By default, access points (APs) should automatically adjust channels and other settings as needed. If you are not comfortable manually configuring these settings, it is acceptable to use the default settings and to skip this step entirely. The following instructions will guide you on optimizing settings that can sometimes improve performance in more complicated network environments.
To modify the settings, go to the UniFi devices section (the second icon from the bottom left). Select your U6+ AP, go to the insights tab, and select RF Environment, scan, a warning message will appear, select scan again, wait for the process, this can take 5 minutes.
Once the scan completes, for each of the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz if available frequencies, find the channel with the lowest utilization rate, tracking what MHz frequency the channel is located in.
Within 2.4GHz, channels 1, 6, and 11 are preferred because they do not overlap with each other.
Within 5GHz, Digital Frequency Scanning channels - channels between 52 and 144— should be avoided.
To modify the settings, return to the Devices tab and select the U6+ AP again. Navigate to the Settings tab at the top right of the screen. In the Settings tab, find and select the “Radios” section. For each of the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz (if available) frequencies, select the Channel Width and Channel discovered in the RF Environment scan. This is only required if the Radio Scan varies substantially with the current selected channels.
Set the Transmit Power to Auto or ‘Medium’ for each frequency (see below). If 6GHz frequencies are available, ensure ‘Meshing’ is selected. Under ‘Location,’ enter the room name of the access point, such as Kitchen or Office. Finally, select “save” at the top right corner.
If settings are not specified, they should be left at their default value.
| Parameter | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Channel Width | Discovered from the Radio Scan 2.4GHz: HT20 is recommended 5GHz: HT40 is recommended unless your scan uncovers significant conflicting traffic |
| Channel | Auto |
| Transmit power | Auto In deployments with many APs: Medium |
| Band Steering | On - Prefer 5 GHz |
To avoid repeating these steps for each AP, you can use the “Copy Configuration” feature for other APs. Note that you will still need to update the “Location” parameter for each AP individually.
To copy AP configuration:
- From the Devices tab, select the U6+ AP.
- Navigate to the Settings tab and scroll down to Copy Configurations.
- Copy and paste the AP configuration to another AP device.
Step 8: Test Your Setup
The WiFiman app offers comprehensive insights into network latency, signal strength, and channel congestion, along with optimization recommendations. It is highly recommended to use this app for testing after the network setup is complete.
The app can be downloaded for free on Apple iOS and Android.
When you open the app, it provides a comprehensive overview of your Wi-Fi connection along with tailored feedback. The main screen shows several key items:
- Connection Overview: Displays the connection status with your ISP (Telstra Internet in my case) and the devices connected to the network.
- Wi-Fi Signal: Indicates the current signal strength, showing a strong signal at -50 dBm, which is optimal for most environments.
- Channel Information: Displays the current channel (Channel 44) and Wi-Fi standard (Wi-Fi 6).
- Speed Test Results: Shows the results of the most recent speed test, including download and upload speeds with a latency. It also provides a graph of the speed test performance over time.
- Wi-Fi Speed Factors: Highlights important factors affecting your Wi-Fi speed. In this case, it shows the signal strength and the channel width (40 MHz). The app suggests increasing the channel width for better performance, which is particularly useful in environments with minimal congestion.
- Additional Features: The bottom menu provides access to various tools such as signal analysis, network scanning, device discovery, and teleport (remote access or management).
