How to Reset UniFi AP to Factory Defaults

When your UniFi AP doesn’t respond anymore, or if you are unable to adopt it in the controller, then it’s a good idea to reset the UniFi AP back to factory defaults. This way all the existing configuration of the access point is removed, allowing you to adopt the AP to your controller.

Now there are a couple of ways to reset the UniFi Access Point. We can use the physical reset button, reset the access point from the controller or use SSH to connect to the device directly.

In this article, I will explain the different methods to reset your UniFi AP.

Using the Reset Button

If you can access the reset button of the UniFi AP, then this is the best way to factory reset the access point. The button has two functions on the UniFi access point:

• If you press and release the button quickly, then the access point will only restart.
• To reset the access point to factory settings you will need to hold the button for at least 5 seconds.

Note

There is also an option to reset the Unifi Access Point remotely if you are using the Unifi Gigabit PoE adapter. Some of the PoE Adapters have a reset button to remotely reset your Unifi Access Point. You can check this datasheet to see if your adapter has a remote reset button.

Sometimes an UniFi Access Point won’t come back online after a factory reset. It will not show up in your controller as an adaptable device. This problem can be caused by two potential issues:

• Wrong inform address – This will prevent the access point from finding the controller
• Outdated firmware – If the firmware on the access point is too old, it won’t connect to the controller.

We can solve both problems easily with the help of SSH, which I will explain later in the article.

Reset UniFi AP using the Controller

If the access point is still connected and online in the UniFi Network controller, then we can also reset the AP from within the controller. The advantage of this method is that it also removes the access point from the UniFi Controller.

1. Open the UniFi Network Controller
2. Click on Devices
3. Select the access point that you want to reset
4. Click on Settings
5. Scroll all the way down and click Forget
6. Confirm that you want to factory reset the UniFi AP

After the device is rebooted it will be available for adoption again in the controller.

Resetting UniFi AP with SSH

If you can’t access the UniFi access point from the controller and can’t easily access it physically, then SSH is the last option that you have to reset the AP. First, we need to connect to the device.

Connecting with SSH

To connect to the access point with SSH we first need to know its IP Address. You can take a look in your router if it’s listed there, or use a free network scanner. I use Advanced Ip Scanner for that. The tool is free and really easy to use.

Now we know the IP Address, we can use Putty to connect to it with SSH. Download Putty and enter the IP address and click on open. You will get a security alert which you can ignore. Just press Yes.

The default username and password for an Unifi Access Point is ubnt and ubnt. If the access point is managed before, then it’s possible that the SSH password is changed. You can then find the SSH password in the UniFi Network controller under Network Device SSH Authentication:

1. Open the network controller
2. Select Settings
3. Choose System en scroll down to Network Device SSH Authentication
4. Note the Password

Resetting the AP

When you are connected to the AP you get a welcome screen. If we enter help and press enter we get a list of the possible commands. Now, this isn’t a lot, but enough to reset the access point.

  ___ ___      .__________.__
 |   |   |____ |__\_  ____/__|
 |   |   /    \|  ||  __) |  |   (c) 2010-2020
 |   |  |   |  \  ||  \   |  |   Ubiquiti Networks, Inc.
 |______|___|  /__||__/   |__|
            |_/                  https://www.ui.com/

      Welcome to UniFi UAP-AC-LR!

LA-WAP-Living-BZ.v4.3.24# help
UniFi Command Line Interface - Ubiquiti Networks

   info                      display device information
   set-default               restore to factory default
   set-inform <inform_url>   attempt inform URL (e.g. set-inform http://192.168.0.8:8080/inform)
   upgrade <firmware_url>    upgrade firmware (e.g. upgrade http://192.168.0.8/unifi_fw.bin)
   fwupdate --url <firmware_url|firmware_name> [--dl-only] [--md5sum <sum_of_fw>]
            [--keep-firmware] [--keep-running] [--reboot-sys]
                                   new firmware update command
   reboot                    reboot the device

So first let’s check why it’s not connecting. Get the device information with the info command.

UBNT-BZ.v3.9.27# info

Model:       UAP-Pro
Version:     3.9.27.8537
MAC Address: 04:18:d1:12:ef:e9
IP Address:  192.168.68.11
Hostname:    UBNT
Uptime:      80 seconds

Status:      Unable to resolve (http://unifi:8080/inform)

In this case, the device is unable to resolve the controller. The controller should be available on https://unifi:8443. If that is working then there is a reason why the Unifi AP can’t connect to it. It might be in the wrong IP range (that was the problem in this case), or it can be a DNS issue.

If you are sure that the Unifi Controller is available at https://unifi then we need to look further. A possible issue can be that the Access Point was connected to another controller or that the device was removed from this controller.

Now the best thing to do is to reset the device to factory defaults and set the inform URL to the correct address:

1. First, reset the Unifi AP with:

   set-default

   The Unifi Access point will reset and reboot. It might get another IP address, so if you can connect to it again, scan your network for it. (or use the mobile app to find the device)

2. Set the inform address:
   
   If your Unifi Controller is available on a different address than http://unifi, then you can set the inform address with the following command to the correct IP address of your controller:

   set-inform http://10.0.0.1:8080/inform

   You should now see the Unifi Access Point in the controller ready to be adopted.

You can read more about setting the correct inform address and adoption issues in this article.

Wrapping Up

I hope this post helped you to reset Unifi AP to its factory defaults and then you can adapt it again in your controller.

If you have any questions, just drop a comment below. Check out this post if you want to know more about how to set up an Unifi Access point and some tips for the best performance.