Advice/Recommendations on P2P bridge please

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chaoscreater

69 posts

Master Geek

#289234 21-Aug-2021 14:20

Hello,

I've recently bought a new house and there are 2 dwellings on the property. They are basicaly units that are about 40m apart, separated by concrete ground. The goal here is to set up one internet connection and share between both dwellings, with as little expense as possible.

The ONT and the primary router is located in the center of unit A, inside a cabinet. I'm currently running powerline adapters that bridge the primary router (unit A) to the secondary router (unit B). While it does work, it's not very stable and the speed is about 50% of what I get from the main router.

Running an ethernet cable from one unit to another isn't an option, unless I want it to be above concrete ground and exposed to weather, which I do not want.

I also tried setting up wireless bridging and I got worse results compared to using the powerline adapters.

I then came across these from PB Tech:

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETUBI0508/Ubiquiti-LiteBeam-LBE-5AC-Gen2-airMAX-ac-CPE-5GHz4

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETUBI1072/Ubiquiti-NanoStation-LocoM2-Outdoor-airMAX-CPE-24G

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETUBI1024/Ubiquiti-NanoStation-LocoM5-Outdoor-airMAX-CPE-5GH

Just wondering if anyone has any experience using them and are they any good? I also have a couple of questions:

- Does LocoM5 only do 5Ghz band, or does it support 2.4Ghz as well? I have some devices that only support 2.4Ghz band. I'm thinking that I should go with LocoM5 because of the higher throughput and the fact that 5Ghz will have less interference from nearby Wifi. I can then just hook up my secondary router to the LocoM5 and have the router broadcast in both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz band.

- Is it worth getting the LiteBeam or will I be OK with just either LocoM2 or LocoM5? Are there any other alternatives around the same price range? I don't want something that is too difficult to setup, like setting up via commands or whatever. I'm not a networking engineer...

- Are these suitable to be placed in-door, especially behind a cabinet or behind a wall, or do they have to be outdoor with a direct line of sight pointing to the other one? I don't want to have to drill holes into the exterior wall to mount this thing. More importantly, as my primary router and ONT are located in the center of unit A inside a cabinet, it'll take a lot of work to run an ethernet cable from the router to the LocoM5 mounted on the outside. Basically, the placement of the ONT is not in a good location and it'll be too much of a hassle to run an ethernet cable through the wall...

- Similar to the above question, are these suitable for consumer use? My understanding is that these are used for company buildings at a good distance apart, so I imagine that these are quite powerful at transmitting the signal. If I were to use this at such a short distance, would the signal output be too strong? Especially if I have pets or a baby inside the house? I mean, there are reasons why typical home routers are restricted in their signal output. I've read studies about electromagnetic radiation and it kinda makes sense to me. I mean, all these waves flowing through the air might give headaches to someone who is quite sensitive. Keeping your phone next to your head while you sleep with wifi, mobile data, bluetooth, NFC etc turned on might also be a bad thing. I imagine that I can dial down the power output of the LocoM5, but just wondering how suitable it is for use in a relatively smaller environment compared to using it in large buildings?

raytaylor

4014 posts

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#2764430 21-Aug-2021 16:50

They are not really ideal for consumer use.

Your better to use a "mikrotik Wireless Wire kit".
They come pre-programmed out of the box so you just plug them into the router at one end, and an access point (or router in access point mode) at the other end.

The flat panel units go up to 100 metres line of sight between each other.
The cubes will go 200 metres.

Ray Taylor

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chevrolux

4962 posts

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Inactive user

#2764434 21-Aug-2021 16:53

If it's only 40m, then yea, as above use the Mikrotik "wireless wire" 60GHz kit. Plug and play, very high speed bridge.

chaoscreater

69 posts

Master Geek

#2764453 21-Aug-2021 17:13

Thanks for the recommendation. I just did a quick check and looks like those are around $300~$500, quite pricey.......how are these any different to the LocoM2/M5 (apart from the throughput)? And would you mind elaborating on why the LocoM2/M5 are not suitable for consumer use? Is it because the signal they transmit is too strong? I presume we can dial the power/signal output down?

Spyware

3761 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#2764455 21-Aug-2021 17:15

Because they require manual configuration.

Spark Max Fibre using Mikrotik CCR1009-8G-1S-1S+, CRS125-24G-1S, Unifi UAP, U6-Pro, UAP-AC-M-Pro, Apple TV 4K (2022), Apple TV 4K (2017), iPad Air 1st gen, iPad Air 4th gen, iPhone 13, SkyNZ3151 (the white box). If it doesn't move then it's data cabled.

chaoscreater

69 posts

Master Geek

#2764464 21-Aug-2021 17:40

I don't mind spending a bit of time configuring these devices. I checked some Youtube videos for configuring LocoM5 and they seem pretty straightforward. The process is similar to how you'd configure a consumer router.

I'm considering the Mikrotik because of the higher throughput, but I'm having a hard time justifying spend an extra $200~$300 for it. My ISP plan is 100/20 and that is enough for me. While the Miktrotik might be future proof, I doubt I'll ever need to upgrade my broadband plan, so I won't really get to enjoy that 1Gbps throughput...

I don't see them selling the unit separately, like they do for the LocoM2/M5? If one of the unit dies and is out of warranty, I'd have to get a pair instead of just one (cheaper).

I'm not familiar with RouterOS or Mikrotik, but can you configure the RouterOS on these?

Do these create its own DHCP? If I were to put both properties on the same subnet, I imagine I'd still need to configure the Mikrotik?

raytaylor

4014 posts

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#2764471 21-Aug-2021 17:59

chaoscreater:

Thanks for the recommendation. I just did a quick check and looks like those are around $300~$500, quite pricey.......how are these any different to the LocoM2/M5 (apart from the throughput)? And would you mind elaborating on why the LocoM2/M5 are not suitable for consumer use? Is it because the signal they transmit is too strong? I presume we can dial the power/signal output down?

You cant easily dial the power down far enough on the ubiquiti equipment to go such a short distance. The receivers become desensitized over time.

Being trained is also part of the license agreement.

Ray Taylor

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cyril7

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#2764472 21-Aug-2021 18:00

You have rocks in your head to choose anything other than the Mikrotik 60Ghz solution.

Cyril

Equinox IT

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raytaylor

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#2764473 21-Aug-2021 18:01

They do run routeros, you can buy them individually.

Being 60ghz means they dont create / receive interference from other routers.

But because they are pre-configured out of the box it means you can just plug them in and go.

Ray Taylor

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raytaylor

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#2764474 21-Aug-2021 18:02

cyril7: You have rocks in your head to choose anything other than the Mikrotik 60Ghz solution.

Cyril

Agreed - there is no reason why anyone should be using 2ghz or 5ghz for bridging between buildings now that 60ghz equipment is cheap and available.

Ray Taylor

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chaoscreater

69 posts

Master Geek

#2764521 21-Aug-2021 20:02

OK, I'll take a look at the Mikrotik.

Does it need to have direct line of sight? Like, if I were to put one in the same cabinet as the ONT and point it facing the other one, will that work? The Mikrotiks will need to be going through some glass and wall to pair with each other.

Also, if there is heavy rain, does this affect the Mikrotiks?

nztim

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TEAMnetwork

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#2764526 21-Aug-2021 20:18

This: https://www.snappernet.co.nz/product/20985/mikrotik-rbwapg-60adkit-wireless-wire-gigabit-wireless-bridge-kit

Or This: https://www.snappernet.co.nz/product/14301/mikrotik-rblhgg-60adkitr2-wireless-wire-dish-preconfigured-60ghz-pair

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raytaylor

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#2764549 21-Aug-2021 21:01

chaoscreater:

OK, I'll take a look at the Mikrotik.

Does it need to have direct line of sight? Like, if I were to put one in the same cabinet as the ONT and point it facing the other one, will that work? The Mikrotiks will need to be going through some glass and wall to pair with each other.

Also, if there is heavy rain, does this affect the Mikrotiks?

100m in rain for the small one, 200m for the slightly larger
Thats in rain.

However like the older locos they do need line of sight.
The mikrotiks work nicely through standard glass.

Ray Taylor

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sud0

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#2765627 23-Aug-2021 18:37

If it's only 40m apart, can't you use a Cat6 Network cable? I think it's the best long term solution and it will save you a lot of headache specially during bad weather and so.

Lucas

lpossamai.me