Found this last night, might be helpful or not.

I wish someone could explain why again I need a cloud key. I installed a couple of their access points in a home recently without a cloud key or computer acting as a controller and it works. What am I missing without it??

One advantage is that the CloudKey keeps a history of each unit and the clients. With the controller running on a computer, history is mostly limited to the time when the controller is connected to the network, and the computer is awake.

As I type on my iPad, I have the CloudKey accessible in Safari. (There is a  complaint, however, about “unsupported browser”, but I have not yet stumbled across any significant issues.)

Of course, if you are running the controller in the Cloud or on your own server, you could remotely manage any of your sites.

I know some installers always include a CloudKey. I have a few out there and I’m playing with one, as I type at home.

It has been interesting looking at the “Insights” section. This is a history of SSID’s that all of the access points have seen. I live near a road and there are a surprising number of unsecured devices driving by, and a neighbor’s unsecured printer. I’ve always been using a computer based controller and never kept it online long enough to accumulate any significant history. CloudKey is always online, logging clients. In addition to the SSID, CloudKey logs a “last seen” time stamp, signal strength, channel, bandwidth Mac Address, and key type. These “Insights” could be very handy troubleshooting a rogue client intermittently cluttering the band.

There was a recent update to deal with KRACK vulnerability.
Try updating your APs and report back how it went.

I install them so that I can have a global overview (sort of like OVRC) and manage, update clients without dealing with VPN, remote access and PC-JAVA based app.

Do you have some screenshots you could share on what this cloud key enables you to see from afar? How it can really help us?

Have your tried the iOS app instead?

A Cloud Key or constant running controller is not required but if you are maintaining a network it is very helpful to have.
It allows you to remotely connect to a UniFi site and change configurations.

For example a customer adds a device that requires a port forwarded. You can go online and forward the port without going out there to do so.

If a customer needs to change their wifi password or has an issue you can usually login and diagnose it remotely.

Before cloud keys came out a lot of people set up AWS or on site servers to achieve this functionality.

Cloud key also allows any installer on site to log into system and make changes.

Without a cloud key, making changes can be a pain in the ass if you don’t have the original computer used to setup the network.