No—not for its core local surveillance work. A Ubiquiti AI Key is adopted into UniFi Protect and performs supported smart detection on your local network. Cameras continue sending streams to the local UniFi OS Console, where recordings and AI events are stored locally by default. An internet connection is still useful or necessary for first-time setup, obtaining firmware, ordinary update workflows, optional remote access, and features that rely on Ubiquiti cloud services.
That distinction matters in an outage or an isolated facility: losing the WAN does not automatically stop local recording or supported detections, but it can remove remote viewing, cloud-linked notifications and other online services. The AI Key also is not a self-contained recorder; it needs a compatible UniFi Protect console and camera feeds that provide the required smart-detection data.
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What still works when the internet is down?
Local detection and recording
Ubiquiti describes Protect AI processing—including processing performed by the AI Key—as local rather than cloud-based. Once the AI Key, Protect console and cameras are operating on the same local network, supported detections can continue during a WAN outage. The console keeps recordings and AI events locally by default, so an interruption between your site and the internet does not by itself erase footage or disable every detection.
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What does not continue automatically
Internet loss separates local surveillance from services outside the site. Remote viewing through a cloud-mediated path, Remote Site Manager access, cloud notifications and other features that explicitly use Ubiquiti connectivity may be unavailable. A phone or browser outside the premises cannot reach the isolated console unless you provide another secure, locally controlled access path such as a site VPN.
When does the AI Key need internet access?
First installation and adoption
Ubiquiti’s setup sequence calls for PoE++ power, adoption of the AI Key in UniFi Protect and completion of its initial firmware update before you configure Intelligence features. Plan to perform those steps while the console and the device can obtain the required software. If you isolate the network before adoption or before that first update finishes, the device may not be ready for production use.
- Connect the AI Key to a switch or injector that supplies compatible PoE++ power.
- Open the local UniFi Protect interface on a supported UniFi OS Console and wait for the AI Key to appear as adoptable.
- Adopt the device and allow the initial firmware process to complete without removing power.
- Configure the Intelligence features and confirm that camera streams and detection events appear in Protect.
- Only after those checks should you move the installation behind an air gap or remove its WAN route.
Firmware and software updates
Normal device-update guidance assumes online devices. An isolated installation therefore needs a staging plan: download the required firmware while the system is connected, verify that the files match the device and Protect versions, and use Ubiquiti’s documented offline Update Cache method where applicable. Do not assume that every future AI feature can be added without an online update; offline operation is a deployment choice that requires maintaining your own update process.
Optional cloud functions
Internet access is also relevant when you choose services that leave the local control plane. Remote Site Manager is optional, not a prerequisite for local operation. Treat cloud access, off-site notifications and remote administration as separate design requirements from on-site AI detection.
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Can you run an AI Key on an air-gapped network?
What “air-gapped” means here
An air-gapped deployment has no route to the public internet. Ubiquiti documents local management for internet outages and fully isolated deployments, using the console or NVR address from a device connected to the same site network. You can therefore administer Protect, review recordings and monitor local events without signing in through a cloud service, provided you have completed the required setup and retained local credentials.
Air-gap preparation checklist
- Use a supported UniFi OS Console running UniFi Protect; the AI Key cannot replace that console.
- Connect every camera, the console and the AI Key to a correctly configured local network.
- Complete adoption and the first firmware update before disconnecting the WAN.
- Stage approved firmware and document the offline Update Cache procedure for later maintenance.
- Record the console’s local address, administrator credentials and a recovery path for the management workstation.
- Test live view, recording playback and each required detection while the WAN is intentionally disconnected.
- Decide how operators will receive alarms, since cloud notifications and remote access may not function without connectivity.
Local management during an outage
When the WAN fails, connect a laptop or workstation to the same local network and open the UniFi OS Console or NVR address. This local control plane is the appropriate place to check camera reachability, storage health, AI Key status and event queues. A cloud dashboard that reports the site as offline does not prove that local Protect processing has stopped.
What equipment and camera inputs are required?
The AI Key is an accelerator, not a recorder
The AI Key needs a supported UniFi Protect console, cameras and network switching. It receives camera smart-detection inputs and adds the supported Intelligence processing; it does not provide camera power, replace the Protect application or serve as an independent NVR. Storage and recording continuity therefore remain responsibilities of the Protect console and its installed storage.
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Camera compatibility is path-dependent
Ubiquiti’s FAQ notes that results depend on the quality of the smart-detection data supplied by each camera family. Built-in capabilities differ between AI/G6 and G4/G5 models. G3 or ONVIF cameras require an AI Port for the AI Key feature paths shown in Ubiquiti’s compatibility matrix.
| Camera path | What to plan for | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| AI and G6 cameras | Use their supported smart-detection capabilities with Protect and the AI Key. | Exact detections depend on the camera model and the data it supplies. |
| G4 and G5 cameras | Use the capabilities listed for the specific model in Protect. | Capabilities are not identical across generations. |
| G3 or ONVIF cameras | Add an AI Port for the AI Key feature paths identified by Ubiquiti. | An ONVIF connection alone does not imply full AI Key functionality. |
Face recognition and license-plate recognition can be asynchronous or delayed. Camera path, queue length and the quality of incoming metadata all affect when an event appears; a short delay is not necessarily evidence of an internet problem.
Does the AI Key require a PoE++ switch?
It requires PoE++ power, but that power can come from either a compatible 802.3bt PoE++ switch or a suitable PoE++ injector. Check the injector or switch specification for the required standard and available wattage rather than relying on a port labeled only “PoE.” A lower-power PoE class can leave the device unpowered, repeatedly rebooting or missing from Protect.
Power the AI Key and cameras from infrastructure that remains available during a WAN outage. If your network uses separate VLANs, permit the local traffic required between cameras, the AI Key and the Protect console while still blocking unwanted internet routes.
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Where processing occurs
Ubiquiti states: “All detection, recognition, and AI-enhanced video processing happens on your local network, not in the cloud.” Recordings and AI events are stored locally by default. This architecture allows core detection to continue without a continuous internet connection.
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Transport and provider access
Ubiquiti describes encrypted video transport between supported cameras and the UniFi OS Console, plus end-to-end encryption between a client device and the console. It also states: “We cannot view, store, or access your video streams at any point.” Those statements describe the product’s stated security model; your own administrator accounts, remote-access configuration, firewall rules and endpoint security still determine who can reach the local system.
Reducing exposure in an isolated deployment
- Remove the default WAN route after updates and remote functions are no longer needed.
- Restrict management to a dedicated administrative VLAN or workstation.
- Use unique local administrator credentials and protect backup copies of them.
- Permit only the camera-to-console and AI-Key-to-console traffic required for operation.
- Reintroduce connectivity temporarily for a planned update, then verify that the intended routes are closed again.
Connected versus isolated deployment
The choice is operational rather than a choice between local and cloud AI: both modes use local processing for supported detections. The trade-offs are in maintenance and access.
| Area | Internet-connected site | Isolated or WAN-outage site |
|---|---|---|
| Local detection and recording | Available when console, cameras and AI Key are healthy. | Available under the same local-health conditions. |
| Initial adoption and firmware | Most straightforward; devices can obtain normal updates online. | Complete setup first and stage firmware or use the offline Update Cache workflow. |
| Remote access | Available if configured and permitted. | Remote Site Manager and other cloud-mediated access may be unavailable. |
| Notifications | Cloud-linked notifications can operate when their service dependencies are reachable. | Plan local alerting or accept that cloud notifications will not arrive. |
| Data exposure | Local processing remains the default, with any enabled cloud paths adding connectivity. | No routine WAN path, but local account and network controls become especially important. |
| Power and network | PoE++ and correct local routing are still required. | The same PoE++ and routing requirements apply; WAN removal does not relax them. |
How much detection capacity should you expect?
Two current Ubiquiti pages publish different throughput figures. The Ubiquiti Store listing says up to 1,800 smart detection events per hour, while the AI Key Setup and FAQs page says 1,000 detections per hour. These numbers should not be combined or treated as a guaranteed rate. Before sizing a deployment, verify which figure applies to your firmware, region and product revision, and allow headroom for the number of cameras, event types and queue behavior at your site.
Capacity is also distinct from internet bandwidth. A faster WAN connection does not make local inference faster, and an air gap does not reduce the AI Key’s published processing limit. Camera metadata quality and simultaneous event volume are more relevant to local queueing.
Troubleshooting common offline-use problems
The AI Key is missing during adoption
- Confirm that the unit is receiving 802.3bt PoE++ from the switch or injector.
- Verify that it and the Protect console are on reachable local network segments.
- Check the console’s device list and wait for startup to finish before retrying adoption.
- If the device has never completed its initial firmware update, reconnect the required online path and finish setup before isolating it.
Recording works but detections do not appear
- Confirm that the camera model and connection path support the desired detection.
- For G3 or ONVIF cameras, verify that the required AI Port is installed and adopted.
- Check that the AI Key remains connected to Protect and that camera smart-detection data is arriving.
- Review event queues and allow for asynchronous face-recognition or LPR processing.
Local viewing works but remote viewing fails
This is expected when the WAN or cloud path is unavailable. Use the local console address from inside the site, or provide a separately secured VPN if remote administration is a requirement. Do not interpret loss of Remote Site Manager access as proof that local AI processing has stopped.
An update is required after isolation
Reconnect only through a controlled maintenance window, or use the documented offline Update Cache process with firmware staged in advance. Confirm the file and version for the exact AI Key and Protect environment, back up configuration where supported, and keep PoE++ power stable until the update completes.
Planning decision: is offline operation right for your site?
- Choose an isolated design when local recording and detection must continue despite WAN loss, remote access is unnecessary, and you can maintain firmware through a controlled staging process.
- Keep a managed internet path when operators need remote viewing, cloud notifications, easier update logistics or centralized site administration.
- Use a hybrid policy when daily operation should be local but scheduled maintenance requires temporary connectivity. Document who enables the route, what is updated and when it is closed again.
In every design, validate the exact camera matrix, Protect console compatibility, PoE++ budget, local addressing and alerting method before installation. The internet question is only one part of the system boundary: local power, storage, camera metadata and administration determine whether the AI Key delivers the detections you expect.
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