# UniFi Network Monitoring Guide
Comprehensive monitoring workflows for network health checks, bandwidth analysis, and proactive issue detection.
## When to Use This Guide
- Performing routine network health checks
- Investigating bandwidth usage or performance issues
- Monitoring device status and alerts
- Analyzing traffic patterns with DPI
- Proactive network maintenance
## Prerequisites
- UniFi Power activated with valid API key
- Access to UniFi controller (Dream Machine or traditional)
- Appropriate permissions for monitoring endpoints
---
## Health Check Workflow
A complete network health assessment using system health, device status, and alerts.
### Step 1: Get System Health Overview
**Tool:** `unifi_get_system_health`
**What it provides:**
- Overall system status (healthy/degraded/critical)
- Subsystem health (network, storage, memory, CPU)
- Controller uptime and version
- Site-level health metrics
**Example prompt:** "Check my network system health"
**Interpreting Results:**
| Status | Meaning | Action |
|--------|---------|--------|
| `healthy` | All systems operating normally | No action needed |
| `degraded` | Some issues detected | Review specific subsystems |
| `critical` | Major issues present | Immediate investigation required |
### Step 2: Check Device Status
**Tool:** `unifi_list_devices`
**What it provides:**
- All network devices (switches, APs, gateways)
- Connection status (online/offline/pending)
- Firmware versions
- Uptime and load metrics
**Example prompt:** "List all my UniFi devices and their status"
### Step 3: Review Recent Alerts
**Tool:** `unifi_get_alerts(limit=50)`
**What it provides:**
- Recent system alerts and events
- Severity levels (info, warning, critical)
- Timestamps and affected devices
**Example prompt:** "Show me recent network alerts"
---
## Bandwidth Analysis Workflow
Identify bandwidth hogs, analyze traffic patterns, and optimize network performance.
### Step 1: Get Network Statistics Overview
**Tool:** `unifi_get_network_stats`
**What it provides:**
- Total bandwidth usage (upload/download)
- Active client count
- Traffic by network/VLAN
- Historical usage trends
**Example prompt:** "Show me network bandwidth statistics"
### Step 2: Identify Top Bandwidth Consumers
**Tool:** `unifi_get_top_clients(limit=10)`
**What it provides:**
- Clients ranked by bandwidth usage
- Upload and download totals per client
- Connection type (wired/wireless)
- Device names and MAC addresses
**Example prompt:** "Show me the top 10 bandwidth users"
### Step 3: Analyze Traffic by Application (DPI)
**Tool:** `unifi_get_dpi_stats`
**What it provides:**
- Traffic categorized by application type
- Bandwidth per application category
- Top applications by usage
**Example prompt:** "Show me deep packet inspection statistics"
---
## Common Issues and Solutions
### Issue: Device Shows Offline But Network Works
**Diagnostic tools:**
- `unifi_list_devices` - Check device state
- `unifi_get_device_details(device_id="...")` - Get detailed status
**Solutions:**
1. Verify device can ping controller IP
2. Check firewall rules allow inform traffic (port 8080)
3. Factory reset and re-adopt if needed
### Issue: High CPU/Memory on Gateway
**Diagnostic tools:**
- `unifi_get_system_health` - Check resource usage
- `unifi_get_device_stats(device_id="gateway_mac")` - Detailed metrics
**Common causes:**
- IPS/IDS enabled (reduce sensitivity or disable)
- DPI enabled (disable if not needed)
- Too many clients (segment with VLANs)
### Issue: Wireless Client Poor Performance
**Diagnostic tools:**
- `unifi_list_clients(connection_type="wireless")` - List WiFi clients
- `unifi_get_client_details(mac_address="...")` - Check signal strength
**Signal strength interpretation:**
| RSSI | Quality |
|------|---------|
| > -50 dBm | Excellent |
| -50 to -60 | Good |
| -60 to -70 | Fair |
| -70 to -80 | Poor |
| < -80 dBm | Unusable |
---
## Monitoring Best Practices
### Daily Checks
- Review critical alerts
- Check device online status
- Verify system health green
### Weekly Checks
- Review bandwidth trends
- Check top consumers
- Verify firmware is current
### Monthly Checks
- Full health report
- Capacity planning review
- Configuration backup
---
## Next Steps
- **Security concerns?** Load `security.md` for audit workflows
- **Connectivity issues?** Load `troubleshooting.md` for diagnostics
- **VLAN questions?** Load `vlan.md` for network design
