How Reliable is a Point-to-Point Wifi Connection?

[Matt Berger]

How reliable is this type of connection when installed properly? Will it give me issues during a storm or fog? Can I expect years out of it before doing some type of maintenance?

Thanks Matt

 

[abailey]

If you setup your equipment properly and stay within recommendations for your equipment (as far as obstacles , distance, and interference) then your connection should be very stable, even in rain and fog or snow. Depending on how you mount your equipment and what type equipment, you should get years out of it before it needs replacement. If it is in a very harsh environment you may get only like 1.5 years where if it is in a more normal climate you may get 5 years (or more). Where P2P Wifi used to be sketchy unless you spent a lot of money, you can now get equipment for less than $100 per side that is very good and should last years. At my work we use a P2P wireless connection to another building that we put up in 2007. Since then I have not had to touch the antenna or reboot them.

 

[Matt Berger]

If you setup your equipment properly and stay within recommendations for your equipment (as far as obstacles , distance, and interference) then your connection should be very stable, even in rain and fog or snow. Depending on how you mount your equipment and what type equipment, you should get years out of it before it needs replacement. If it is in a very harsh environment you may get only like 1.5 years where if it is in a more normal climate you may get 5 years (or more). Where P2P Wifi used to be sketchy unless you spent a lot of money, you can now get equipment for less than $100 per side that is very good and should last years. At my work we use a P2P wireless connection to another building that we put up in 2007. Since then I have not had to touch the antenna or reboot them.

Nice. What products did you use to connect the two buildings? I've been looking at a few but just don't understand a lot of the terminology.

 

[abailey]

Ok what we used back in 2007 is not what I would recommend now except for in a very few cases. What we have is a Bridgewave AR80. We needed full duplex Gigabit speeds and there was not really much out there at the time. The problem is the radios cost about $12,000 each. So for anything outside a large company, university, or ISP, that is cost prohibitive. I have had great success helping others install P2P with Ubiquiti products. They have many in their Airmax suite. It can be confusing. I would only look at their Nanostation M, Nanostaion LocoM, Nanobeam, and their Airfiber solution. The first 3 I mentioned max out at 100Mbit. If you need more then the Airfiber can get up to 1.4Gbit/s (total throuput or 700Mbit full duplex). The first 3 options are less than $100 per side. I believe the Airfiber links are around $1,500 per side.

 

[Matt Berger]

Perfect thanks for the help.