Wireless ethernet bridge. What is a Wireless Wi-Fi Bridge?

It often happens that the signal Wi-Fi router not enough for the whole apartment, or, for example, you need to connect several devices, but so that they do not work on the same network. If you suddenly have another router lying around, then you can solve the problem by simply throwing a bridge between them. In fact, for example, the issue with the signal is solved by repeaters who catch the signal and, as it were, transmit it further, but why buy them if you already have everything you need. Now we will look at how to configure a Wi-Fi bridge, using the example of TPLink equipment.

First, let's try to answer the most common question on this topic: Wi-Fi bridge - what is it? In fact, after correct setting one router, which is connected to the Internet, transmits a signal to the second, which is simply turned on, and the latter distributes a separate network. It should be noted right away that devices from the same manufacturer will work more stable in pairs.

Setting up a bridge between two routers: Video

How to setup

The first thing we need to figure out in order to create a wireless Wi-Fi bridge is the address where you can enter the settings. Go to any browser and address bar type either 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 - as a result, a window with lines for login and password will be displayed.

Now, if nothing has changed, enter admin in both lines and get to home page installations.

Now let's dive into what needs to be done on the main device. On the left you will find the "Wirelles" or "Wireless Mode" tab if your firmware is Russified. For convenience, we immediately change the name of the network and the channel - put, for example, 7, and end with the main one.

We connect to the additional one and also get into the settings. Now we are interested in the "DHCP" tab: after entering here, we turn it off, as shown in the screenshot, so that there are no two devices distributing network settings.

Now we go to the local network or LAN section and change the IP, for example, to 192.168.1.2, so that there are no two identical addresses. After clicking on the "Save" or "Save" button, the router will reboot.

When the reboot is complete, there should be an automatic return to the settings. Now, just like on the first device, go to the wireless mode tab, change the name, channel, and check the WDS checkbox below.

As a result, additional lines should appear at the bottom and the "Search" or "Survey" button - click on it. You will be thrown into the list of available networks - we find the first router by name and click on the blue inscription "Connect" on the right.

There are often situations when you need to connect two different points, for example: (House-Dacha) into one single local network. There may be enough reasons for this: Organization of video surveillance of the dacha or home, organization of Internet access in the dacha from the home channel, communication between relatives who are on both sides.

It is quite difficult to do this using wired networks, so you have to organize a wireless network. And it's good if the distance from the house to the cottage does not exceed 2-5 km and there is a place for the installation of outdoor devices, with direct visibility to each other. And if the distance is 12-15 km and the line of sight is doubtful ...

Here, in both cases, the solution to the issue will be Wi Fi Bridge, it will connect both points at high speed and provide a shared local area network. In the first case (the link range is 2-5 km, there is a line of sight to the installation sites), less powerful transmitters will be required, such a wi-fi bridge will be provided by two devices of the type ( Ubiquiti NanoStation M2 or Ubiquiti NanoStation M5).

The first device (Ubiquiti NanoStation M2) operates at conventional Wi-Fi frequencies (2.4Ghz) and its maximum data transfer rate in greenhouse conditions reached 100+ Mbps. But 2.4Ghz is more clogged and has more interference, which reduces the quality of the link and maximum speed data transfer, as well as possible network failures.

The second device (Ubiquiti NanoStation M5) already operates at more free frequencies, which are located in the 5Ghz range, and devices operating in this range have a higher speed than those operating at 2.4Ghz frequencies. These devices almost need a line of sight to create a link. Devices that operate at 5Ghz frequencies are more sensitive to obstacles in the path of the laid communication line.

What is Wi-Fi Bridge?

These are two devices (preferably of the same type) installed at two different points and directed towards each other. Which are interconnected by a channel (link) from 128 kbps to 100 Mbps. The transmission speed will depend on the type of device used, range, line of sight, and other interference. In general, the Wi-Fi bridge is common wireless network, only used in outdoor conditions to connect points at a distance of 1,2,5,10,20 km.

Where is applied Wifi bridge ?

Wifi bridge is a multifunctional communication channel that can connect two points for any purpose. Someone organizes channels between the house and the dacha, to organize Internet access in the dacha, others install bridges for video surveillance of the dacha or the nanny at home. There can be many applications, one bridge can provide a good communication channel, 100 Mbps at a distance of 5-10 km. It can become good channel for access to the Internet or IPTV not for one person, but for a whole summer cottage partnership.

Some people build warehouses not very far away, but not too close to offices, and it is necessary to keep the connection between them, and not just a connection, but a protected high-speed channel directly (without virtual networks built on the regular Internet). Wi-FI bridge will provide an office or warehouse at a remote distance, with all and telecommunication means at once.

How much does a Wi-Fi bridge cost?

The price categories of the equipment used are different, there are equipment for low prices, but the quality also does not shine, there is more expensive but better equipment - which is able to create really good links at high speeds and without much dependence on weather conditions. Good choice will become Ubiquiti equipment.

Using the equipment of this company, you can build good links at distances of 10-15 km, while the price of equipment for such a link will be about 10-13 thousand rubles, taking into account all consumables, etc.

At this time, local providers will offer low-quality wireless connections, with high tariffs and low-speed connections, at higher prices - you can see the prices for radio access on the Internet ...

Maximum distances

The maximum distance that can be pushed will depend on the equipment used. Some manufacturers offer equipment on the market that can establish connections at a distance of 50-60 km, and have observed cases of connections at a distance of 90 km. Prices for such equipment are, of course, several times higher, but often such amounts are still cheaper than the amounts that other providers will ask for in the right place for connection.

Is it possible to connect 2 different houses in one village?

Of course by installing two simplified versions Nanostation M2(Loco) on the roofs of buildings and pointing them at each other, after fine tuning there will be a stable and high-speed link that will connect both houses to each other and connect their subscribers.

Is it possible then to distribute such an Internet via Wi-Fi

Yes, you can, you will get a regular cable connection - which will transmit the same as the cable on the other side, and this digital signal you can distribute to internal devices by creating another internal wifi network and connect it to the bridge.

Conclusion

it Wi-Fi devices which allow you to connect (create a link) between two points, with a high data transfer rate and high line parameters (in the form of ping and losses). This connection can provide a stable video and audio connection, while also having Internet access and remaining bandwidth for IPTV.

The cost of such a connection is not very high and if it is necessary to connect two houses at a distance of 2-5 km, then this is perhaps the only wealthy way out. The connection of two houses at a distance of 5 km can cost both 6-7 thousand rubles and 12-13 thousand rubles. Depending on your knowledge and skills.

Most often, a local network is organized using wires, but this is not always available, sometimes too expensive. Thanks to the development of technologies, today it is possible to connect objects that are at a sufficiently large distance from each other into one network using wireless communication channels. For example, you can link a house and a summer cottage, an office, dedicated departments and a warehouse located in different parts of the city. For this, equipment is used, which is called nothing more than a Wifi bridge. This equipment organizes wireless between two points located at some distance from each other.

The range of Wi-Fi can be measured in meters or tens of kilometers. There are known cases of organizing wireless communication between objects located at a distance of 50-60, even 90 kilometers. It all depends on the type and capacity of the equipment used. Naturally, more powerful devices are much more expensive, but often they are still cheaper than the offered wireless access from providers.

Wifi bridge is actual solution to create This technology allows you to link two commercial objects and provide information exchange bypassing the global network, which is sometimes of great importance.

The transmission speed that a Wifi bridge can provide depends on the type and power of the devices used, the distance between access points, the presence and intensity of interference, and other factors. For example, forest, metal structures, and weather conditions between objects can greatly reduce the signal level. In humid conditions (during rain or fog), the speed of the Wi-Fi connection becomes much slower, up to network failures.

The range and reliability of the connection largely depend on the antenna, the right choice its location and settings. It should be placed at the highest available height, pointing towards the second object of the wireless network. Also, the signal power (and hence the speed) depends on the parameters of the cable, which is located between the antenna and the receiving-transmitting device. Ensure the minimum possible attenuation, therefore, carefully consider the choice and connection of the cable.

Both a company and a company can use the Wifi bridge. This equipment makes it much easier to organize and develop local networks of various sizes. Moreover, even the use of rather expensive, powerful and high-quality equipment is much cheaper than leasing dedicated channels from providers. The equipment has a fairly large selection of settings and functions that allow you to achieve good results and have a high transmission rate, a stable communication channel with minimal dependence on weather conditions.

Wifi bridge makes it possible to organize a stable wireless digital channel with stable audio and video communication. For protection transmitted information, various encoding methods and protocols are used, additional protection methods that are able to prevent attacks on the network or interception of information.

What is a wifi bridge?

It is a way to connect the Internet or just a local area network between computers at short and long distances. Usually, the Internet or a local network is connected using wires, but there are situations when it is impossible to connect a computer to another computer or the port of an Internet provider to your computer using wires. For example, you live in a village 5 kilometers away from the city, where your friend or relative has a high-speed Internet connection, but no one will lead a fiber-optic cable to your village just for your sake. This is where it comes to the rescue wifi bridge... By installing wi-fi equipment on your house in the village and on the house (balcony, window, roof) of your friend or relative with directional antennas that will look at each other, a wireless network is created that is not inferior in terms of the parameters of a wired network. And now you can connect high-speed Internet from your friend or ask your Internet provider to provide you with one more, separate port to connect you, this solution is popularly called the organization of the last mile.

WiFi bridges are also used in a number of other solutions. For example, to connect a remote object (office, store, warehouse), with the main office or data center. In this case, you do not need to conduct expensive lines to each object and organize a corporate VPN network. This decision more secure, more high-speed and, most importantly, it does not require payment for the Internet at each point and payment for organizing a VPN.

Wifi bridge can be organized at distances from one to tens of kilometers and support connection speeds of up to 150 megabits in the forward and backward channels. That will allow you to transfer large amounts of data in a minimum of time. The price of wi-fi bridges is not high and sometimes several times cheaper than leading a wire line to the object, and in some cases it is the only option communication with the outside world. Now the organization of wi-fi bridges is a reality, not a fairy tale like a few years ago. Over the past couple of years, wireless data technology has leaped forward. What made it possible to use a wireless connection over long distances not only to large companies and large communication providers who wrung out huge sums for connecting an object at a distance of only one or two kilometers from the transmitter. Now for the price satellite internet it is possible to connect a non-truncated version of high-speed Internet with many restrictions, but a full-fledged broadband Internet access.

Many people in our time can no longer imagine life without the Internet or other services of IP technology, such as IPTV. Wi-fi bridge will allow you not only to connect the Internet over long distances, but also allow you to use other services of IP networks. Such as IPTV ( Digital television), VoIP (Telephony). Thus, by creating a wi-fi bridge, you can connect all telecommunications at once in your house or at another facility. The Internet, telephone and television in a remote village from a big city are already a reality and accessible to everyone.

There are situations in which it is necessary to connect 2 sufficiently remote points to each other in a local network. This is required for video surveillance of what is happening on the site, or for accessing the Internet in the country from a home channel. The easiest way to conduct video surveillance is through wireless wifi bridge.

Wireless wi-fi bridge- these are two devices installed at remote points, connected to each other by a channel. If the distance between the points is small 3-5 km, and the visibility between them is good, small transmitters will be enough, for long distances more powerful devices... The maximum range is 50-55 km. The most popular manufacturer of this kind of equipment is Ubiquiti. There are a lot of models, they differ in price and technical characteristics.

To organize a TP link wireless wi-fi bridge, if the distance between access points is less than 5 km, you can use the UbiquitiNanoStationLocoM2, NanoStationM2, NanoStationLocoM5 models, according to their range.

More powerful - 10 km - NanoStationM5, NanoBridgeM5 25dBi, NanoBridgeM522dBi, the latter two have amplified antennas. PowerBridge M3 and M5 will cover about 25 km, thanks to their highly directional antennas. The longest distance is 45-50 km for RocketM2, RocketM5 GPS models. In order to stabilize reception, it is recommended to install additional antennas.

In the event that the points are located at a distance of 3-5 km, but not in the line of sight, use the NanoStationLocoM900, thanks to the 9000 MHz range, radio waves calmly overcome all obstacles. Outdoor installations require lightning protection to protect the unit from lightning strikes.

Thus, to configure one wi-fi bridge, you need two local area networks, two access points with antennas and two lightning protectors.

Customization

How to set up a wi-fi bridge for video surveillance? After purchasing the equipment, the most interesting thing comes - setting. Take, for example, the Ubiquiti hardware model - NanoStationM5. The device works for 3-5 km and can support about 40 stations.

How to connect Ubiquiti NanoStationM5:

after connecting the point to the lightning protection, we find the ip address http://192.168.1.20 on the case, enter it in the browser line and go to Personal Area(login and password - "ubnt").
in the "WireLess" tab we set up all the data.
then we configure the second access point, its ip should be changed, since it is the same as the first one, we change it to 192.168.1.21.
save the settings and re-enter, this time with a new address, on the "WireLess" tab, change the mode to Station.
in the item "SSID" you need to press Select, and then Scan to find the first configured point. Copy its MAC address and paste it into the LocktoAPMAC line, save the changes.
it is also necessary to indicate the distance between points in the line "Distanсe".

This completes the setup.

Algorithm for connecting a router and repeater:

connect the repeater to an existing router;
connect to the router from your PC. In the settings, manually assign a new IP address, keeping the address range;
go to the repeater's personal account (credentials are indicated on the bottom of the device);
click "Exit" to close the settings;
go to the "Network" tab, if the ip has changed, click "Save" and reboot the device;
the repeater is now in the working range of the network, so on the computer it is necessary to re-establish receiving ip automatically;
go to the repeater's personal account now with the new address (or with the old one, if it has not changed);
on the "OperationMode" tab, select "Repeater", save the changes and reboot the device;
on the "WireLess" tab, select the repeater operation mode and enter the data of the router, whose signal will be relayed by the repeater, save the settings;
on the "WireLessSecurity" tab, select the optimal security mode, enter the code and save;
on the "DHCP" tab set "Disabled" and save;
on the "SystemTools" tab, the "Reboot" section, click "Reboot" and reboot;
disconnect the cable from the device, after a few minutes the repeater should connect to the main router and start relaying the signal.

Price range. The cost of the equipment allowing to implement a wireless wi-fi bridge varies quite widely. When choosing, do not try to save money, cheaper equipment is different worst quality transmission. Expensive models will provide stable communication channels, with high speed and no interference.

To ensure the operation of a wi-fi bridge with a distance of 13-15 km, you will have to spend 12-18 thousand rubles, taking into account all the materials. In comparison, the wireless connection offered by local providers is much more expensive and inferior in quality. You will definitely not be able to save money.

A wireless Wi-Fi bridge allows you to connect two points with a fairly high transmission speed. It is used for various purposes - monitoring the summer cottage, over the elderly relatives, children and housekeepers, while the owner is at work, providing Internet access to a whole SNT.