The vaping problem has always had a surveillance problem: the places it happens are the places cameras can't go. Ubiquiti's answer is the UP-AirQuality — a palm-sized PoE sensor that detects vape aerosol in real time, tracks eight air-quality metrics, and sends instant alerts through UniFi Protect, with no camera and no microphone. Available in Australia from ARC IP Networks, an authorised Ubiquiti reseller — see the product page for stock.
What is the UP-AirQuality?
A discreet white puck — 93 mm across, 190 grams — that mounts to a ceiling, wall or desk and plugs into any PoE port on a UniFi switch, drawing just 2.2 watts. Inside, it continuously samples the air for the particulate and chemical signature of vaping alongside CO2, PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, VOC and an overall AQI, plus temperature and humidity. Detections and history live in UniFi Protect next to your cameras, and alerts land on staff phones the moment something is detected. A colour LED on the unit doubles as an at-a-glance air-quality indicator.
Who it's for
Bathrooms and change rooms — the exact places vaping happens and cameras can't go.
Hotel rooms, clubs and function spaces with smoke-free policies to enforce.
Air-quality visibility for offices, warehouses and plant rooms — CO2 and particulates, logged.
Sensitive environments where air quality is a duty of care, not a nice-to-have.
The privacy point that matters
What makes a vape sensor deployable where it's actually needed is what it doesn't have. The UP-AirQuality carries no camera and no microphone — it measures air, not people. That's why sensors of this type are commonly installed in school bathrooms and change rooms, hotel rooms and staff areas where video surveillance isn't appropriate. It's also tamper-resistant, because the first response to any bathroom sensor is a student with a roll of tape. As always, deployment in sensitive areas should follow your organisation's own policies.
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Full specifications
| Detections | Vape · CO2 · PM1 / PM2.5 / PM4 / PM10 · VOC · AQI |
| Environmental | Temperature and humidity sensors |
| Privacy | No camera · no microphone · tamper-resistant design |
| Alerts | Instant notifications via UniFi Protect · colour air-quality LED on device |
| Power | PoE, just 2.2W · 10/100 RJ45 |
| Mounting | Ceiling, wall or table · indoor use |
| Size / weight | ⌀93 × 40.5 mm · 190 g · polycarbonate |
| Environment | 10–35°C recommended · 10–90% humidity · CE, FCC, IC |
What you need to run it
Two things: a PoE port — any UniFi PoE switch will do, it draws less than a phone charger — and a UniFi Protect console such as a UNVR or Dream Machine; our Protect console comparison covers the options. If you're pairing sensors with cameras in corridors and entries (the classic school deployment: sensors inside, cameras outside the door), the whole system runs from the one console.
Availability in Australia
ARC IP Networks — an authorised Ubiquiti reseller in Australia — supplies the UP-AirQuality as genuine Australian stock with the full manufacturer warranty, claimable locally. Schools and integrators can open a trade account for trade pricing, larger rollouts qualify for project pricing, and our price match policy applies as always.
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Frequently asked questions
The UP-AirQuality is a PoE-powered ceiling or wall sensor from Ubiquiti that detects vaping in real time and continuously monitors air quality — CO2, PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, VOC and AQI — plus temperature and humidity, sending instant alerts through UniFi Protect. It has no camera and no microphone.
It senses the airborne particles and chemical signature of vape aerosol rather than recording anyone. Because the UP-AirQuality is camera-free and microphone-free, it can operate in privacy-sensitive areas like bathrooms and change rooms where cameras are not appropriate — staff simply receive an alert the moment vaping is detected. Always check your school's or organisation's own policies before deploying.
No — it contains no camera and no microphone. It measures air, not people: vape aerosol, CO2, particulate matter, VOCs, temperature and humidity, with a colour LED showing air-quality status on the device.
A single PoE cable from a switch (it draws just 2.2W) and a UniFi Protect console — such as a UNVR or a Dream Machine — where alerts and air-quality history live alongside your cameras.
From ARC IP Networks (arcip.com.au), an authorised Ubiquiti reseller in Australia — genuine Australian stock with the full manufacturer warranty, claimable locally. Schools, integrators and facility managers can also access trade and project pricing.
Who we are
About ARC IP Networks
ARC IP Networks is an Australian supplier of networking, Wi-Fi and gateway equipment, based in Blackburn, Melbourne, Victoria. We work with homeowners, installers, integrators and businesses across Australia, supplying Ubiquiti UniFi, MikroTik, TP-Link, Ruijie, Teltonika and D-Link.
We are an authorised Ubiquiti, MikroTik, TP-Link, Ruijie, Teltonika and D-Link reseller, so you get genuine Australian stock with the full manufacturer's warranty, never grey imports, at competitive prices. Our team can help you choose the right equipment, and trade customers get trade accounts and project pricing on larger jobs.
- Genuine Australian stock with the full manufacturer's warranty
- Competitive prices, price match available
- Trade accounts for installers, integrators and MSPs
- Australia-wide delivery; showroom in Blackburn, Mon–Fri 9–5 (demos by appointment)
Need help choosing?
Tell the ARC IP Networks team what you are trying to achieve and we will recommend the right equipment and quote it as one order.