Is a 2km fixed wireless link practical?

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timmmay

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#183857 1-Nov-2015 18:19

Friend of mine in Australia has really poor internet, but a relative 2km away has great internet. Is it practical to set up a fixed link so they can use the good internet? Is it difficult - alignment of antenna, routing? Is the equipment expensive? Ubiquity is a brand that comes to mind but I have no experience in this area.

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#1418237 1-Nov-2015 18:21

If they have line of sight, yes. If they don't, no.

chevrolux

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#1418243 1-Nov-2015 18:29

2km is really not that far at all as long as good line of sight is available.

The little NanoBeam M5 would do that job. UBNT also have an AC version of that now too but have heard widely differing reports on their performance so have stuck to just the standard NBE M5. On a decent link 70-100Mbps is attainable (actually best real world numbers I have had is 96Mbps) assuming a 'clean' spectrum is available.

timmmay

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#1418269 1-Nov-2015 19:34

Great, thanks guys. I think he has line of sight, or very close. So around $130 per device like here? Any antenna required?

sbiddle

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#1418272 1-Nov-2015 19:42

You need to have line of sight for 5GHz to work. "Close" can mean any number of things which could affect the link in a minor way or make it totally unusable.

chevrolux

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#1418300 1-Nov-2015 20:11

timmmay: Great, thanks guys. I think he has line of sight, or very close. So around $130 per device like here? Any antenna required?

Yep that's all you need. Really nice little unit. As above though, line of sight is everything!

gregmcc

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#1418328 1-Nov-2015 20:27

I done a 9km link a couple of years backs for some relatives, we got a link speed of 57mb.

Can't remember the exact model, there were a few teething problems with other things interfering on the same band, but got it sorted eventually. It's been rock solid since.

timmmay

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#1418334 1-Nov-2015 20:42

By "line of sight" do you mean actually see it, completely unobstructed? That would be a bit tough in a standard suburb. Maybe if both houses had really tall poles or something, but otherwise it probably doesn't have direct line of sight.

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sbiddle

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#1418339 1-Nov-2015 20:49

Yes you need completely unobstructed line of sight. Wireless won't work if you don't have this.

gregmcc

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#1418386 1-Nov-2015 21:46

timmmay: By "line of sight" do you mean actually see it, completely unobstructed? That would be a bit tough in a standard suburb. Maybe if both houses had really tall poles or something, but otherwise it probably doesn't have direct line of sight.

It's not too hard to figure out natural elevation obstructions between 2 points, plenty of tools on the web, from there you can figure out how high up each end needs to be and at what angle.

grant_k

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#1418387 1-Nov-2015 21:48

gregmcc:
timmmay: By "line of sight" do you mean actually see it, completely unobstructed? That would be a bit tough in a standard suburb. Maybe if both houses had really tall poles or something, but otherwise it probably doesn't have direct line of sight.

It's not too hard to figure out natural elevation obstructions between 2 points, plenty of tools on the web, from there you can figure out how high up each end needs to be and at what angle.

For those using Ubiquiti gear, this is a really useful tool for checking signal paths, receive levels and expected speeds:

https://airlink.ubnt.com/#/

dwl

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#1418390 1-Nov-2015 22:01

With 5GHz at 2km I agree need line of sight and that includes not having any significant trees in the way. If in the suburbs, unless there are some hills to help lift each end, it is quite likely could be a problem and no go.

The free online link planners can give an adequate starting point depending on the quality of the terrain data for the locations. Try the airLink tool and put in the addresses. If it shows terrain obstruction you are probably out of luck. If it looks clear then if you can get on the roof of both places and maybe at night use a strobe (e.g. red flashing cycle light) you will need to be able to see other end. The radios are small and having a pole a few metres high may not be a problem.

Where there are some minor obstructions some installers claim success with 900 MHz radios which are available from several vendors. However, any significant obstruction (e.g. terrain) and I doubt worth trying. I also don't know the regulatory situation in Australia for 900 MHz and it may not be legal.

Edit: Slow posting and grant_k beat me to the link. Make sure you don't leave in the 40m default heights - around 5 metres is more realistic.

timmmay

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#1418463 2-Nov-2015 07:15

Thanks guys, that tool looks really handy, I'll send it on.

raytaylor

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#1422936 7-Nov-2015 19:41

I wouldnt advise using that little 16dbi model, its more designed for going across a carpark between buildings.
Go with the 400mm dish M5 model - its much much better, picks up less interference and causes less interference.

Just remember to turn the power down at both ends so your rx signal is between -60 and -65 dbm
Anything above -60 is overkill and will cause problems.

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timmmay

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#1422988 7-Nov-2015 22:15

Thanks Ray, I'll pass that on to the person who's considering doing it. What do those cost, roughly?

raytaylor

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#1422994 7-Nov-2015 22:26

Depends upon the supplier but I think they are only like $25 more than the basic model.

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