Ok some quick notes, if you have a Unifi network. If you have a network printer or an Apple TV, one big problem is that they have enabled an optimization called Multicast and Broadcast filtering' which basically disables the ability for a wifi client to broadcast things like Bonjour or mDNS messages. You want to disable it.
There is all kinds of wording about how it decreases performance which is true for public networks, but if you are using Unifi for a home network, you need to make sure if it is turned off because otherwise you won’t be able to see:
- Printers like the Brother 2380 that advertise themselves with Bonjour and AirPrint printers.
- Apple TV devices that are doing the same.
- This uses a protocol called Bonjour and technically knows and mDNS. This means that the devices broadcast their capabilities every so often
- However with the filtering turned off, this never leaves the network so you can’t see the devices.
The second problem with AirPrint devices is that capabilities are limited. So for a Brother devices, you need to down load their full features CUPS and Scanner driver software and select that when you see them.
This was a real puzzle until I just turned it off, the UI should really mention this in the Unifi Controller. It is buried inside each network in Advanced.
The other problem is if you are using a VLAN that hives off the wireless from the wired clients. Again, this is awesome for a big public network, but is horrible for a home network.
It’s kind of silly, but you can’t just download it, you need to go to the Brother site and click accept on their license agreement like the way Oracle makes you do it for their Java. ugh!
