Sometimes UniFi devices fail to appear in the controller’s interface or cannot be adopted using the standard discovery methods. In those cases, manually adopting a UniFi AP via SSH is often the fastest and most reliable solution.

This guide walks you through the full process.

When to Use SSH for UniFi Adoption

SSH-based adoption is helpful when:

• The UniFi AP is not appearing in the controller interface
• Layer 2 discovery is blocked by network segmentation
• You’re adopting a device from another site or controller
• You’re migrating from one UniFi controller to another
• You need to bulk adopt devices in remote locations

Step 1: Factory Reset the AP

Before you begin, ensure the device is in its factory default state. If it’s already adopted or configured, it will not accept a new inform URL.

To reset a UniFi AP:

• Press and hold the reset button for 10 seconds (or until the LED flashes).
• Wait for the AP to reboot completely before proceeding.

Step 2: SSH Into the UniFi Device

To access the AP via SSH:

1. Find the device’s IP address from your DHCP server or router.
2. Open a terminal (macOS/Linux) or use PuTTY (Windows).
3. Run:

ssh [email protected]

• The default username is ubnt.
• The default password is also ubnt (unless already changed).
• If that fails, try root as the username.

📌 If login fails, reset the device again and try a different IP address if using DHCP.

Step 3: Run the set-inform Command

Once logged in, run:

set-inform http://your.controller.address:8080/inform

Replace your.controller.address with the IP address or hostname of your UniFi controller.

✅ Example:

set-inform http://192.168.1.10:8080/inform

After running the command:

• The AP will contact the controller.
• The controller will display the AP under “Pending Devices” or “Adoptable.”

If you see a message like Adoption request sent to https://..., proceed to adopt the device from the UniFi dashboard.

You may need to run the set-inform command twice to finalize the handshake.

Step 4: Adopt and Wait for Provisioning

In the UniFi Controller:

• Click on the AP under Devices.
• Click Adopt.
• Wait for provisioning and potential firmware upgrade to complete.
• Do not power off or reboot the AP during this process.

Troubleshooting

If the AP does not show up after set-inform:

• ✅ Use http:// not https://
• ✅ Use port 8080, not 8443
• ✅ Ensure your controller is accessible from the AP’s subnet
• ✅ Verify DNS or use a raw IP address
• ✅ Confirm the controller firewall allows incoming traffic on port 8080
• ✅ Check if the AP requires a firmware upgrade before adoption

You can also try the following:

info

This will print current inform status and adoption logs.

Or reset again and run:

syswrapper.sh restore-default


or

restore-default

Summary