Overview
Readers will learn how to log into the UniFi Dream Machine (UDM or UDM-Pro) using Secure Shell (SSH).
- Applicable to the UniFi Dream Machine models (UDM/UDM-Pro).
- Only follow these steps if there is a good reason to do so and you are unable to manage the Dream Machine using the Web UI.
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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What is SSH and what kind of program do I need to log in to the UDM/UDM-Pro?
SSH stands for Secure Shell and is a way to access the Command Line Interface (CLI) on the UDM/UDM-Pro. From the command line shell you can run specific commands to display log messages that contain information on the device. It is also possible to restart the device, reset it to factory defaults, or upgrade the firmware via SSH. This is mainly useful for troubleshooting purposes. ssh <username>@<ip-address>
ssh root@192.168.1.1
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What are the SSH login credentials (username + password) for the UDM/UDM-Pro?
The username used to log into the UDM/UDM-Pro is root, but the password will differ depending on the firmware version. Refer to the table below:
On the newer UniFiOS firmware releases (v1.7.0+ for UDM and v1.6.4 for UDM-Pro), the SSH service is disabled by default and needs to be manually enabled from the Settings > Advanced section. After enabling the service, you can specify the password for the SSH (root) user account. See the section below. On older firmware releases (pre v1.7.0 for UDM and v1.6.4 for UDM-Pro), the password is automatically set to the password of your Ubiquiti (UI) account and the username is root. For example, if you log into the UDM/UDM-Pro Web UI using the account@ui.com email address and password mysecretpassword, then the SSH login credentials are: Username: root |
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Can I log in using any of the LAN ports or via the Wireless (Wi-Fi) network?
Yes, on the UDM-Pro you can connect to any of the RJ45 LAN ports (port 1-8) or the LAN SFP port (port 11). On the UDM, you can connect to any of the RJ45 LAN ports (port 1-4) or the Wireless network. |
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How can I verify if the SSH service is enabled on the UDM/UDM-Pro?
The SSH service is enabled by default on older firmware releases (pre v1.7.0 for UDM and pre v1.6.4 for UDM-Pro) after completing the setup.
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My workstation cannot connect with SSH to the UDM/UDM-Pro, what should I do?
Verify if you can ping the IP address of the UDM/UDM-Pro from your workstation, which is set to 192.168.1.1 by default. You can run the ping command from the macOS/Linux Terminal or from a Windows Command Shell (CMD) or PowerShell window. For example: :~ root$ ping 192.168.1.1 -c 4 PING 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.10) 56 data bytes 64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.680 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.535 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.501 ms 64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=0.560 ms --- 192.168.1.1 ping statistics --- 4 packets transmitted, 4 packets received, 0.0% packet loss round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.501/0.569/0.680/0.067 ms C:\WINDOWS\system32> ping 192.168.1.1
Pinging 192.168.1.1 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Ping statistics for 192.168.1.1:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms
NOTE: You can also ping the unifi hostname instead of the IP address.
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Logging in using SSH
The diagram below shows an example setup where the wired and wireless clients are directly connected to the UDM/UDM-Pro and are using an IP address in the 192.168.1.0/24 range.
Example setup where the SSH server is running on the UDM/UDM-Pro and a SSH client program is being used on a workstation.
Follow the steps below to connect to the UDM/UDM-Pro using SSH:
Follow these steps if your UDM/UDM-Pro is using a newer UniFiOS firmware release:
v1.7.0+ for UDMv1.6.4+ for UDM-Pro
On the UniFiOS firmware, the SSH service is disabled by default and needs to be manually enabled from the Settings > Advanced section.
1. Connect your workstation directly to one of the LAN ports on the UDM/UDM-Pro or to the Wi-Fi network on the UDM.
2. If the UDM/UDM-Pro is using the default LAN network settings, your workstation will receive an IP address in the 192.168.1.0/24 range.
3. Open a compatible web browser such as Google Chrome and navigate to the Admin Web UI at https://unifi or https://192.168.1.1.
4. Log in using your UI.com credentials.
5. Navigate to the 
Settings menu.
6. Select the Advanced tab and enable the SSH service.
7. A new window will open, asking you to provide the password of the SSH user account. This password does not have to match your UI.com login credentials.
8. Enter and confirm the SSH password and select Confirm. The SSH server is now enabled.
9. After enabling the service, you can connect to the SSH server (UDM/UDM-Pro) from your workstation.
10. Open a SSH session using your favorite SSH/Telnet client program (for example PuTTY or the macOS/Linux Terminal).
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1. Download PuTTY and open the putty.exe executable file. Host Name (or IP address): 192.168.1.1
NOTE: You can also connect to the unifi hostname instead of the IP address.
Username: root |
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1. Open the macOS Terminal by searching for Terminal in the Launcher or by navigating to the Finder > Applications > Utilities section. ssh <username>@<ip-address>
ssh root@192.168.1.1 NOTE: You can also connect to the unifi hostname instead of the IP address.
Username: root |
Windows Client
macOS clientThe image below shows an example of the process:
If you are unable to connect to the device, then verify if your workstation has obtained an IP address from the UDM/UDM-Pro. You can optionally restart your workstation or renew the DHCP lease manually to obtain a new IP address:
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Open a Command Shell (CMD) or PowerShell window and run the following command: ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /all
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Navigate to the advanced network settings for the Ethernet adapter: |
Follow these steps if your UDM/UDM-Pro is using a older firmware release:
Pre v1.7.0 for UDMPre v1.6.4 for UDM-Pro
On the older firmware, the SSH service is enabled by default and requires you log in using the root username and the password associated with your Ubiquiti (UI) account. For example, if you log into the UDM/UDM-Pro Web UI using the account@ui.com email address and password mysecretpassword, then the SSH login credentials are:
Username: root
Password: mysecretpassword
Open a SSH session using your favorite SSH/Telnet client program (for example PuTTY or the macOS/Linux Terminal).
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1. Download PuTTY and open the putty.exe executable file. Host Name (or IP address): 192.168.1.1
NOTE: You can also connect to the unifi hostname instead of the IP address.
Username: root |
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1. Open the macOS Terminal by searching for Terminal in the Launcher or by navigating to the Finder > Applications > Utilities section. ssh <username>@<ip-address>
ssh root@192.168.1.1 NOTE: You can also connect to the unifi hostname instead of the IP address.
Username: root |
The image below shows an example of the process:
If you are unable to connect to the device, then verify if your workstation has obtained an IP address from the UDM/UDM-Pro. You can optionally restart your workstation or renew the DHCP lease manually to obtain a new IP address:
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Open a Command Shell (CMD) or PowerShell window and run the following command: ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /all
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Navigate to the advanced network settings for the Ethernet adapter: |
Related Articles
Intro to Networking - How to Establish a Connection Using SSH
UniFi - Dream Machine Getting Started
UniFi - Accounts and Passwords for Controller, Cloud Key, and Other Devices