The Ubiquiti G4 Dome is a simple, reliable camera that integrates cleanly with UniFi Protect—plug it in, adopt it, watch your footage. The image quality is good, the dome form factor is unobtrusive, and the Protect interface handles everything consistently across all your cameras. It also gets genuine credit for full Linux compatibility, something that set it apart from the proprietary-plugin nightmare I dealt with on a previous camera system. Of my eight units, seven continue working years later without issues. The eighth failed, likely from sustained direct exposure to the Texas afternoon sun—a reminder that camera placement matters, especially in hot climates.

The Simplicity

There’s not much to say about setup because there’s not much to do. Connect the camera to PoE, wait for it to appear in Protect, click adopt. The camera shows up in your dashboard alongside everything else. No separate apps, no additional accounts, no configuration odyssey.

The footage is good quality. The dome form factor is unobtrusive. The Protect interface handles playback, motion detection settings, and recording schedules consistently across all your cameras. It’s exactly what you’d expect from integrated ecosystem hardware.

Linux Compatibility

This deserves special mention: the cameras and Protect interface have worked perfectly with Linux browsers and clients from day one.

I previously ran a different camera system where Linux didn’t work at all. Proprietary plugins, browser incompatibilities, and “use IE on Windows” support responses. Ubiquiti gets genuine credit here—the web-based Protect interface works exactly as well on Firefox on Linux as it does anywhere else. For those of us who don’t run Windows or macOS as our primary systems, this matters.

The Failure Rate

Of the eight G4 Dome cameras I purchased, one failed.

The exact cause is unknown, but the likely culprit is heat exposure. The one that failed ended up pointed directly into the Texas setting sun during afternoon hours. Consumer electronics and sustained thermal abuse don’t mix well.

The surviving cameras, positioned in a shadier location, continue working years later without issues.

When I finally got around to trying a dedicated diagnostic effort, rewiring the plugs first and then replacing the entire cable with a fresh one, it was clear the camera itself was dead. Not completely; cycling the power would make it respond briefly, even go into an update attempt. But the update never worked, and I never got an image back from the camera after it finally failed.

This isn’t necessarily a condemnation of the hardware—pointing cameras into direct sunlight in Texas summers is asking a lot of any equipment. But it’s worth considering camera placement carefully. If your installation involves sustained direct sun exposure, especially in hot climates, factor potential thermal failures into your planning and budget.

Verdict

The G4 Dome is exactly what it claims to be: a simple, reliable camera that integrates seamlessly with Protect. The Linux compatibility alone sets it apart from many competitors. When positioned appropriately, these cameras just work.

But “positioned appropriately” is doing real work in that sentence. If you’re in a hot climate with cameras facing afternoon sun, be aware that thermal stress may shorten their lifespan significantly. My sample size of one suggests shaded installations fare much better than sun-baked ones.

For covered locations, shaded exteriors, or indoor use: recommended. For pointing directly at the Texas sunset: maybe budget for replacements.