Before signing a UniFi Certified Partner for a yacht network refit, an owner's rep should confirm three things: which UniFi hardware the proposal actually specifies and whether it carries outdoor-rated weatherproofing, how the onboard network is designed to hand off to Starlink Maritime and Peplink failover, and what documentation package — topology diagrams, VLAN maps, and admin credentials — the contract requires at acceptance. A UniFi badge alone does not answer any of those three questions. The vetting has to happen before the yard period starts, not after the cabling is closed in.
What should the proposal specify for marine-exposed hardware?
Not every UniFi access point is built for salt air and open-deck exposure, so the first thing to check in a refit proposal is which specific model is going where. Ubiquiti's outdoor-rated line includes the U7 Outdoor and U7 Pro Outdoor, both built with IP67-rated enclosures, PoE or PoE+ power, and mounting designed for wall or pole installation, which is the baseline for anything mounted on deck, at the helm station exterior, or in a tender bay UniFi Outdoor WiFi Access Points - Ubiquiti. Indoor-grade access points from the Flagship, Wall, or Enterprise lines are not built to that exposure standard and should stay inside enclosed, climate-controlled spaces — staterooms, the main saloon, and equipment rooms. A proposal that places a residential-grade indoor AP on an open flybridge or aft deck is worth questioning before contracts are signed.
Beyond weatherproofing, ask how the partner plans VLAN segmentation across the vessel's access points. UniFi's platform supports centralized VLAN assignment across large AP deployments and ships Cloud Gateways with a Guest Firewall Zone that isolates untrusted traffic by default UniFi WiFi - Ubiquiti. On a yacht that segmentation should separate crew, guest, bridge/navigation, and AV/control traffic — ask the partner to walk through how each zone is bounded and where the vessel's control-system traffic sits relative to guest Wi-Fi.
How does the network integrate with Starlink Maritime and Peplink failover?
A yacht's onboard UniFi network only performs as well as the WAN feeding it, so ask the partner to describe exactly how the local network hands off to the satellite and cellular layer. Peplink's SpeedFusion technology bonds multiple Starlink connections at the packet level and includes a Hot Failover feature that redistributes traffic to remaining links in under one second if an individual connection drops, so active sessions continue without a visible disconnect Multi-Starlink Bonding with Peplink SpeedFusion | Peplink. Ask which Peplink router model the partner is proposing and whether its SpeedFusion throughput and WAN port count match the vessel's Starlink and cellular link count — Peplink's own sizing guidance scales router selection to the number of Starlink connections being bonded, so a mismatch between hardware tier and link count is a legitimate question to put to a bidder.
Also confirm how cellular failover is triggered and whether coastal 5G/LTE is treated as a backup link or a bonded one, since the two behave differently when Starlink drops during a handover or obstruction. A partner who cannot explain this distinction clearly during the bid process is unlikely to document it clearly during commissioning either. It is also worth asking whether the proposed Starlink service plan matters for this setup — Peplink's SpeedFusion is designed to work across Starlink Residential, Business, and Priority plans by initiating an outbound tunnel from the router rather than requiring a static IP, so a bidder who insists on a specific plan tier for that reason alone should explain why.
What documentation should be required at acceptance?
Require a written documentation package before final sign-off, not a verbal walkthrough. At minimum that should include a network topology diagram showing every switch, access point, and gateway; a VLAN map naming each segment and its purpose; current firmware versions; and full administrative credentials for the UniFi console and Peplink InControl account, transferred to the owner or the owner's rep rather than retained solely by the installer. Ask specifically who holds cloud console ownership after the refit closes — a network that can only be managed through the original installer's login is not a handover, it is a dependency.
It is also worth asking whether the partner's standard scope includes a tender-mounted router and whether that unit is segmented from the main vessel network, since tenders typically operate on their own WAN and should not have open access to bridge or guest VLANs by default.
Where this fits for a refit owner
Cave Group designs marine technology for superyachts and custom vessels, including Crestron control and lighting, Starlink Maritime connectivity, and marine audio, with refits planned into yard periods. Owners evaluating a refit bid can see how that technology package is scoped on the marine page, and a broader walkthrough of what to rip out and stage during a yard period is covered in the Yacht Refit Technology Playbook.
Frequently asked questions
Is every UniFi access point suitable for exterior deck mounting on a yacht?
No. Only Ubiquiti's outdoor-rated models, such as the U7 Outdoor and U7 Pro Outdoor, carry the IP67 weatherproofing needed for open-deck exposure; indoor-grade APs belong inside enclosed, climate-controlled spaces.
Does Starlink Maritime need a special plan to work with Peplink bonding?
No. Peplink's SpeedFusion technology works with Starlink Residential, Business, and Priority plans, since it initiates an outbound tunnel from the router rather than requiring a static IP.
What should be in a UniFi handover package for a yacht refit?
A topology diagram, a VLAN map naming each network segment, current firmware records, and full administrative credentials for the UniFi console and any Peplink InControl account, transferred to the owner or owner's rep rather than held only by the installer.
How fast does Peplink failover between Starlink and a backup link?
Peplink's Hot Failover feature is designed to redistribute traffic to remaining links in under one second when an individual connection drops, so active sessions should continue without a full disconnect.
Should crew, guest, and bridge traffic share one VLAN on a yacht?
No. These segments should be kept on separate VLANs; ask any bidding partner to describe how each zone is bounded and how AV/control traffic is isolated from guest Wi-Fi before signing.