Rustunifimcp

What rustunifimcp does

rustunifimcp is a Rust-based MCP server for interacting with UniFi Network controllers. It presents a selected tool surface instead of exposing every function in the underlying API client. The documented read surface covers stations, devices, networks, WLANs, port profiles, DHCP reservations, firewall objects, routes, RADIUS profiles, sites, events, flows, and related statistics.

The rustunifimcp MCP server is intended for scoped network inspection through an MCP client. It can search across stations, devices, and sites, retrieve a specific resource by kind and identifier, list resources of an allowed kind, query statistics, and enumerate sites. The repository describes the broader project as supporting operational actions and change control, but the provided tool list specifically confirms the read and discovery tools above.

How it works

The server connects to a UniFi Network controller and exposes MCP tools over either standard input/output or streamable HTTP. Resource kinds are selected through typed parameters, and the implementation applies an allowlist or scan before data reaches the model. Statistics queries accept subjects such as sites, devices, stations, WLANs, flows, and events, along with a time window.

Authentication, transport handling, audit records, policy, inventory, and change-control behavior come from the shared mecmcp Rust foundation rather than being implemented as separate UniFi-specific code. Private UniFi API routes can be enabled per controller through configuration; the README states that each endpoint is labelled and that private routes require an explicit controller setting.

Setup and configuration

A Docker stdio deployment requires a controllers.json file, a UniFi controller API key file, and a writable state directory. The controller configuration references the key file. The example deployment mounts configuration read-only at /etc/unifimcp and state at /var/lib/unifimcp, then starts the image with --transport stdio.

The container expects the mounted files and directories to be owned by UID and GID 65532:65532. The documented file permissions are 0600 for the configuration and API key, with restricted permissions on the directories. The repository also documents LXC and streamable-HTTP deployment paths.

Tools and capabilities

Confirmed MCP tools include:

• unifi_list_resources for listing an allowed resource kind.
• unifi_get_resource for retrieving a resource by kind and ID.
• unifi_query_stats for time-bounded statistics queries.
• unifi_search for free-text searches across stations, devices, and sites.
• unifi_list_sites for enumerating UniFi sites.

The documented resource model includes read-only firewall rules, port forwards, and static routes. Backup listing and triggering are also described in the repository, although they are separate from the five tools listed in the supplied tool summary.

Limitations and notes

The rustunifimcp MCP server requires UniFi Network Application 10.5.67 or later, or UniFi OS Server 5.1.37 or later. Older controllers may have missing endpoints or API differences. The project is marked alpha and is described as a community project unaffiliated with Ubiquiti.

UniFi has no candidate configuration, staging area, commit operation, or on-controller validation in this design. Writes therefore affect live configuration immediately, while the project uses its broader change-control mechanisms to manage applicable operations. In stdio mode, caller identity is unavailable, so change-set approval and direct-commit tools are refused; two-person control requires the streamable-HTTP setup.

The server does not offer backup download or validation because those operations would require moving a raw .unf file. Backup restore is refused because it replaces the entire configuration. The README also records one unverified operational action and one accepted gap in legacy-tool parity, so deployments should validate the exact workflows they need.