Ubiquiti Networks, not sure which product to get (building -> building connection)

I want to use one of these to essentially do the same thing as a single cat6 cable at ~300 ft (under 100 meters) sadly using a actual cable is not a option

the 3ed link i know would do what i want, but if i can do the same thing for under 1/2 the price using the other two i do not see why i should spend double or more

The performance should be the same between the 3 of them, especially at such a short distance. The main differences will be how the APs are managed and power requirements. The UniFi Building Bridge (UBB) model is part of the UniFi ecosystem and requires a UniFi Controller to configure and manage. If you already have a UnFi deployment this might make sense from a monitoring and firmware management perspective. Additionally, the pair of UBB’s come per-configured and are ready to use immediately after adoption. The added cost really comes down to convenience.

The airMAX models are geared more toward the enterprise and ISP markets. They are not compatible with UniFi software and require configuration from the airOS web UI. You’ll need to manually configure their operating mode, IPs, and WPA2 PSKs before deployment. Additionally you’ll be stuck using either the included 24V PoE injector or a UniFi Switch as they do not support 802.3af. But once deployed, there is very little maintenance required aside from firmware updates or an occasional reboot.

So I think it really comes down to your existing network. If you don’t already have an UniFi Controller on your network, go with the airMAX. Or if all your switches and APs are UniFi then go with the UBB for the pretty dashboard stats.

Thanks, I currently have no UBB hardware, infant it has been so long since i updated my wifi wireless N300 was the best you could get in consumer products (i had to upgrade my laptop from N 150 to N300) and i have not payed attention to wireless hardware since, the only thing i have that support anything newer than wireless in in a ITX motherboard that does not even have the antennas installed to it

Though what does the airMAX do that the gigabeam does not

Using a web browser to config it (via the wired connection) is the preferred method for me (I hate messing with cell phones and there apps)

The Gigabeam (GBE) and Gigabeam Plus (GBE-PLUS) models are actually both part of the airMAX product line. The main differences between the two models is their operating frequencies, max distance, wind load rating, and mounting.

Both models operate at 60GHz to achieve their near Gbit throughput, but the GBE model also includes a 5GHz backup radio which could be the difference between slow connectivity and no connectivity in a heavy rainstorm or whiteout conditions. The GBE-PLUS model operates at 60ghz only (even though it’s more expensive).

Aside from the missing 5GHz, the GBE-PLUS model does have a better antenna, a higher transmit power, a declared wind rating, and an overall beefier mount. But personally I wouldn’t use this model for anything other than as a backup link. 60GHz is very susceptible to interference from weather (although it may actually be bulletproof at 100m…idk).

There is an even more expensive Long-Range model (GBE-LR) that includes a 5GHz backup radio, but it’s really overkill for such a short distance. I think the GBE model is your best choice.

Awesome, thanks, since this uses a non-standard POE spec am i able to use any outdoor cat6 cable that is not fake?

Yes, any outdoor rated CAT5e or CAT6 will work. If you’re in an area prone to lightning consider upgrading to a shielded cable and surge protection. I’ve had good luck with these over the years. Blown two of them from lightning but both times the switch port survived (sadly APs did not).

is just putting the POE adapter on a UPS not enough?

i keep every wired device on my network on a UPS or at least surge protector

i have heard that ethernet surge protectors are a gimmic that just hurt performance and pout noise in the line

or is this supposed to help protect stuff the outdoor hardware takes a hit (i would not expect anything to be able to stop something like that though)

anyway not a high lighting issue here and plenty of other stuff around to take hits (near by trees, etc)

i think the only issue i have ever had with lightening was after a storm i had a raspberry pi 0 loose a couple GPIO pins, a DS18B20, and a LED die, due to the low profile-ness of this there is no surge protector (i do not think the power went out)

If you’re using a PoE injector the electrical ground to the outlet will certainly provide better protection than an AP directly connected to a PoE switchport.

Yup. Heard both sides of that argument as well. Gas discharge tubes (GDT) seem to have a good balance between protection and performance though. I’m running 8 outdoor APs with inline protectors and haven’t had any line errors or link speed issues yet.

No, not meant to protect the outdoor equipment. In my use case, all my APs are powered by PoE switches, so I use them to protect my switch ports from taking the hit.

:+1:

Any issues/limitations with cable length from the POE injector to the bridge AP? i think i need at least a 25 ft (~7.5m) cable

Aside from monoprice what brands are reputable as not being counterfeit garbo? i can’t find any that are both shielded and outdoor

You should be fine under 50 meters @ 24V

My go-to brands are Monoprice, Belkin, CablesToGo, and Cable Matters but I couldn’t find any patch cables that were both shielded and outdoor rated either. I’ve only used bulk cable and terminated the ends myself. Ubiquiti actually makes some really good quality cable but it only comes in 1000ft bulk. Sorry, I know that’s not much help.

Awesome, i did manage to find patch cables on Ubiquiti’s site after i asked as was reading there documentation/ install guide where it mentioned there 1st part cable that i expected to be overpriced, but seemed very competitively priced

sadly they max out at a mere 8 meters but, that is long enough for me; I really did not want to deal with making my own outdoor grade cables, making indoor cat5e i am fine with

on a side note of belkin i am pretty sure i have a “cat5e” belkin cable that is not made with twisted pairs