Since version 5.0, UniFi Protect can officially adopt third-party ONVIF cameras – but with clear limitations. If you already own a Reolink camera and want to see it next to your UniFi cameras in the same Protect dashboard, you can set it up through the ONVIF standard. This guide walks you step by step through preparing the camera, adding it to Protect, and what you can realistically expect.
What ONVIF does in UniFi Protect – and what it does not
Ubiquiti introduced ONVIF support at the controller level with UniFi Protect 5.0. Since then, cameras from many manufacturers – including Reolink, Hikvision, Dahua, Amcrest and Axis – can be adopted without a separate camera license. The video stream itself works reliably: you get a live image and the camera is included in continuous recording.
An honest set of expectations matters here. Third-party cameras run in Protect as “limited” devices. Features that Ubiquiti itself marks as optional or not guaranteed are, depending on the camera model, unavailable or only partly available: Smart Detections (AI recognition of people, vehicles, packages), PTZ control (pan/tilt/zoom) and two-way audio often do not work at all with third-party cameras. Motion detection and the fine-grained event timeline are also reduced compared with genuine UniFi cameras. If you need these convenience features, a native UniFi camera is the better choice. For pure recording inside your familiar dashboard, however, ONVIF is a practical solution.
The main appeal is consolidation: instead of two separate systems – the Reolink app for one camera, UniFi Protect for the others – you keep all channels in one interface and a single recording. That makes daily monitoring easier and avoids a separate cloud tie-in. Realistically, this is a sensible way to keep using existing Reolink hardware without immediately upgrading to expensive native UniFi models. Do plan, however, to briefly re-check after every firmware or Protect update whether the stream is still stable – ONVIF integrations are more sensitive to updates than in-house devices.
Requirements
- A Protect-capable gateway or a UNVR/UNVR Pro that supports ONVIF.
- A current UniFi Protect version (ONVIF arrived with 5.0; use as recent a 5.x release as possible).
- Camera and Protect console on the same network or VLAN so device discovery works.
- Enough storage for the additional continuous recording.
Step 1: Prepare the Reolink camera
On Reolink cameras, RTSP and ONVIF are often disabled out of the box. Menu paths differ by app version and model – follow the sequence, not the exact labels.
- Open the Reolink app or Reolink Client and go to the camera’s device settings (gear icon).
- Go to the network section, usually under “Network” → “Advanced” → “Port Settings”. Enable the RTSP port (default 554) and the ONVIF port (default 8000).
- Create a dedicated user just for the integration and set a strong password. This ONVIF login can and should be separate from the admin account.
- Set the camera’s date, time and time zone correctly – mismatched timestamps are a common cause of adoption failures.
- Give the camera a fixed IP address, either in the camera menu or as a DHCP reservation in the router. That keeps the stream reachable after a reboot.
Step 2: Adopt the camera in UniFi Protect
- Open UniFi Protect and go to the device or camera management.
- Enable third-party camera discovery (depending on the version, “Discover Third-Party Cameras” in the settings). Shortly after, the Reolink on the same network should appear.
- Select the discovered camera and start adoption as an ONVIF/third-party device.
- Enter the ONVIF credentials you created earlier. Some models additionally require the RTSP stream URL in the format
rtsp://user:password@IP/Preview_01_main. - Confirm the adoption and check in the dashboard that live view and recording are running.
Pitfalls
Camera is not found
Check that ONVIF is really enabled and that the camera and console are on the same VLAN. Firewall rules between networks often block discovery. Rebooting the camera after enabling the ports also helps.
Login fails
Use the ONVIF credentials, not necessarily the admin account. Special characters in the password can cause issues in the RTSP URL – when in doubt, test an alphanumeric password.
No image or stuttering
Is the stream path correct? Reolink uses separate main and sub streams. Choose a codec and resolution Protect can handle (H.264 is more compatible than H.265). Wrong time settings also cause gaps in the timeline.
If you want to learn more about third-party camera RTSP streams in general, we have a separate, more general guide on that. This article deliberately focuses on the ONVIF route with Reolink.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a camera license for third-party cameras? No. Ubiquiti removed the former license requirement for third-party ONVIF cameras.
Do Smart Detections and PTZ work with the Reolink? Usually not. AI detection, PTZ control and two-way audio are often unavailable or limited on third-party cameras. Live view and recording are reliable.
Which Protect version do I need? ONVIF support arrived with UniFi Protect 5.0. Use a current 5.x version on an ONVIF-capable gateway or UNVR.
Can the camera stay in the Reolink app at the same time? Yes, usually. Because ONVIF/RTSP uses its own streams, you can normally keep using the camera in the Reolink app – depending on the model and the number of simultaneous connections.
Sources:
Ubiquiti Help Center – Third-Party Cameras in UniFi Protect
Reolink Support – How to Add Reolink Cameras to ONVIF Device Manager
