A UniFi device can only check in with the right controller if it knows the right inform URL. When the device and controller share a network, that happens on its own. But once your controller lives in another VLAN, at another site or in the cloud – or you are in the middle of moving it – you have to step in. There are two tools for this that sound alike but work from opposite ends: the set-inform command on the device itself, and the Override Inform Host toggle in the UniFi Network application. This guide explains what each one does, when to use which, and where things usually go wrong.
What is the inform URL?
UniFi devices such as access points and switches talk to the Network application over TCP port 8080. Ubiquiti’s official port reference lists it as the port for device and application communication. The address a device sends this traffic to is the inform URL, and it always follows the same pattern:
http://<ip-address-or-fqdn>:8080/inform
According to Ubiquiti, you can use a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) instead of an IP address. Watch the details: http:// at the start, port 8080, and the /inform path at the end.
An unadopted device can learn its inform address in several ways: a DNS record for the hostname unifi, DHCP option 43, a ZTP code, or manually via set-inform. Ubiquiti notes that a device cycles through all of these inform options and tries to be adopted by each one – whichever resolves and responds first gets the device. So keep your DNS records and DHCP options up to date whenever you change controllers. For a closer look at each adoption method, see our guide to Layer 3 adoption of access points.
set-inform: set the address on the device
With set-inform you tell a single device, from the command line, where its controller is running. Ubiquiti describes this route for new networks where no WiFi is available yet, and more generally as a last resort when adoption fails any other way.
Before you start
- The device is in a factory default state. Ubiquiti’s indicator for this is a solid white LED.
- You are connected to the same local network as the device, ideally with a wired laptop – SSH only works from there.
- You know the device’s IP address, for example from your router’s DHCP leases. With a UniFi Gateway you will find it under Settings > Networks via the IP Leases link.
- TCP port 8080 is reachable without restriction between the device and the controller.
Step by step
- Connect to the device over SSH:
ssh ui@<device-ip>. In a factory default state the default credentials areui/ui, orubnt/ubnton older devices. - Set the inform URL:
set-inform http://<ip-or-fqdn>:8080/inform - Open UniFi Site Manager or the UniFi Mobile App. The device appears as ready to adopt, and you adopt it as usual.
- If adoption does not complete straight away, run the command again with the same URL. Ubiquiti explicitly notes that you may need to repeat it after the device appears in UniFi.
Tip for hosted controllers: With Official UniFi Hosting, the Network application dashboard has a Copy Inform URL button – paste that address straight into the command. If you use a different hosted controller, your provider will give you the address.
SSH credentials after adoption
The default credentials only apply before setup or adoption. After that, the SSH credentials of UniFi network devices are a random string of characters. You can view and change them in UniFi Network under UniFi Devices > Device Updates and Settings (bottom-left corner), in the Device SSH Settings section under Device SSH Authentication. Ubiquiti recommends copying them before moving to a new controller, in case individual devices need help connecting later.
Worth knowing: for connecting directly to a device, Ubiquiti generally recommends the Debug Console in UniFi Network (select the device > Settings > Debug at the bottom) and reserves SSH for advanced users. The Debug Console does require a working UniFi OS, though.
Override Inform Host: point every device at a new controller
Where set-inform works on one device at a time, Override Inform Host works from the controller side. You enable the toggle in your existing Network application and enter the address of the new host. The old application then tells your devices where they should connect from now on – without you having to SSH into each one.
Ubiquiti intends this for devices previously adopted to a self-hosted UniFi Network Server or a CloudKey via DNS, DHCP option 43 or Layer 3 adoption commands.
The process according to Ubiquiti
- Make sure the new Network application is up to date.
- In the old application, download the Network backup file (
*.unf) under Settings > Control Plane > Backups. - Set up the new host and restore the backup there, also under Settings > Control Plane > Backups. Leave your UniFi devices connected as they were.
- Once the restore is complete, enable the Override Inform Host toggle in the old application and enter the address of the new host.
- Update any DNS records at your other sites that still point at the old controller.
- Wait until all devices show as online in the new application. If a device appears offline or as “Managed by Another Console”, factory reset it and adopt it again.
- Then forget the migrated devices in the old application and shut down the old instance.
Stick to that order: according to Ubiquiti, Forget does not just remove a device from management, it also restores it to factory defaults. For creating a clean backup, see our guide to UniFi controller backup and restore; the full migration is covered in How to move your UniFi controller to the cloud.
What goes into the field? Only the address of the new host, not a full inform URL. Ubiquiti refers to the IP address of the new host. If you are migrating to Official UniFi Hosting, take the inform URL from the dashboard and remove the leading http:// and the trailing :8080/inform.
The limit of the toggle: it lives in the old application. If your old controller is already gone – after a hardware failure, for instance – you cannot use it any more. That leaves DNS, DHCP option 43 or set-inform; our guide on UniFi Cloud Key failure covers that scenario.
set-inform or Override Inform Host – which do you need?
| set-inform | Override Inform Host | DNS “unifi” / DHCP option 43 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where is it set? | On the device via SSH | In the existing Network application | In your local DNS or DHCP server |
| Typical use | Single devices, new networks without WiFi, last resort | Moving the devices of a running controller to a new host | Several new or factory-reset devices |
| Prerequisite | Local network access, SSH credentials | Old application still running | Control over DNS or DHCP |
| Common to all | TCP port 8080 must be reachable without restriction between device and controller | ||
When devices don’t show up: troubleshooting
If you run into trouble, Ubiquiti says your device and the Network application most likely cannot communicate over TCP port 8080. How you fix that depends on where the controller runs:
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Controller and device on separate VLANs behind the same gateway | Enable inter-VLAN routing and make sure TCP 8080 is not blocked on the firewall |
| Official UniFi Hosting, or a controller with its own public IP | Your local firewall or gateway must allow the device to connect over TCP 8080 |
| Controller behind a remote gateway that has a public IP | Port forward TCP 8080 to the controller’s internal IP address |
| Remote gateway only has a private IP (double NAT) | According to Ubiquiti this will not work – contact your ISP |
| Connection via VPN | The device is already on the same logical network; make sure no internal firewall blocks TCP 8080 |
Other common pitfalls
- “Managed by Other”: The device still considers itself managed by another UniFi instance – for example because the previous console was factory reset. Ubiquiti lists three ways out: restore the console from a backup in which the device was already managed; factory reset the device and adopt it again; or reassign it using the UniFi Network mobile app. The last option is only available to the account owner, who must have signed into the app while the device was managed.
- No usable IP address: If the device has no address at all, or the fallback IP
192.168.1.20, the problem sits before the inform step. Check switch port tagging, network override settings and possible network loops. An unexpected IP points to a rogue DHCP server on your network. - The reset button is not enough: Holding the button resets the device (5 to 10 seconds depending on the model, with the device kept powered). It does not, however, remove the device from the application it was adopted to – you do that there with Forget.
Conclusion
set-inform and Override Inform Host solve the same problem from two sides: set-inform sets the inform URL on a single device, while Override Inform Host redirects the devices of a still-running controller to a new host. Both only work if TCP port 8080 is open between device and controller – which is always the first place to look when something fails. And remember the format: set-inform takes the full URL, the override field only the host. If you are stuck adopting devices or moving your controller and would like a hand, get in touch with the clevendo team.
Frequently asked questions
What does the set-inform command do?
It tells a UniFi device, via SSH, the address at which the Network application can be reached. The format is set-inform http://<ip-or-fqdn>:8080/inform. The device then appears as ready to adopt in Site Manager or the UniFi Mobile App.
Do I need to run set-inform twice?
Sometimes, yes. Ubiquiti notes that you may need to repeat the command after the device appears in UniFi. If adoption does not complete on the first attempt, run it again with the same URL.
What do I enter in Override Inform Host?
Only the address of the new host, not a full inform URL. Ubiquiti refers to the IP address of the new host; when migrating to Official UniFi Hosting, take the inform URL from the dashboard and remove http:// and :8080/inform. The toggle is enabled in the old Network application, not the new one.
Which port has to be open for inform traffic?
TCP port 8080. The device and the Network application must be able to communicate over it without restriction – through every gateway, firewall and antivirus program in between. For device discovery during adoption, Ubiquiti also lists UDP port 10001.
