Point-to-Point Wireless Bridge

A point-to-point (PtP) wireless bridge is a pair of directional radios, one mounted on each building, doing nothing except carrying ethernet between them over the air. It's the default answer for outbuilding internet when trenching isn't practical and there's a clear line of sight between the two mounting points. Typical home installs cover 50 ft to 1,500 ft and deliver 300–1,000 Mbps of usable throughput.

This guide covers how it works, the gear to buy (with options for every budget), and — below — a shopping-list checklist that adapts to what you already own.

Is point-to-point right for you?

Pick your radios (choose one tier)

The radios are the one thing you'll definitely buy. Everything else is situational. We default to Ubiquiti / UniFi — the best-supported ecosystem, huge install base, and the gear a professional WISP installer would put up.

Budget UniFi — LiteBeam 5AC Gen2 2-Pack

Cheapest legitimate UniFi option. 23 dBi dish antennas, bundled with two Ubiquiti surge protectors in this listing. Plenty for a home internet connection with clear line of sight up to ~5 km.

Standard — NanoStation 5AC Loco 2-Pack

The most-installed PtP radio in the world. If you asked ten WISP installers, nine would say NanoStation Loco. Runs airMAX, includes mounts and PoE injectors in the 2-pack. Ideal for most residential barn / shop / ADU installs under 1,500 ft.

Step-up — NanoBeam 5AC Gen2 2-Pack

Dish-style with 19 dBi gain and a dedicated management radio. Noticeably better throughput and stability at longer distances or in noisy RF environments (suburbia, competing 5 GHz links). Same configuration workflow as the NanoStation.

Plug-and-play — UBB-XG 10 Gbps Bridge

The premium option. Pre-paired out of the box — mount them, point them at each other, plug them in. 10 Gbps throughput over 60 GHz. No airOS, no channel hunting. Trade-off: shorter distance limit (~500 m) and more weather sensitivity than 5 GHz.

Non-UniFi alternative — TP-Link CPE510

Cheaper per radio, sold as single units. Pharos OS is simpler than airOS for first-timers. Buy two identical units.

Build your shopping list

Beyond the radios, you need a few more things — some only if you don't already have them. Check off what you own.

Install: step by step

1. Pick your mounting points

Stand at each potential mounting location and look toward the other building. If you can't see the other mounting point clearly with your eyes, the radios won't see it either. Tree branches that are bare in winter will be a solid obstruction with leaves on — plan for worst case.

For links over 500 ft, mount as high as practical. Height buys signal margin.

2. Plan the cable runs

• Ethernet has a hard limit of 328 ft (100 m) from radio to switch. Past that, add a switch or repeater.
• Use outdoor-rated, UV-resistant cable outdoors. Indoor cable cracks in a year of sun.
• Direct-burial / gel-filled cable for unprotected underground runs. Otherwise, use conduit.
• Drip-loop the cable where it enters the building so water runs off instead of tracking in.

3. Install surge protectors

Mount a surge protector where each cable enters each building. Ground it to the building's ground system — the surge protector does nothing ungrounded.

4. Mount and terminate the radios

Get the outdoor rubber boot on the cable before crimping. Seal every outdoor RJ45 with the boot that ships with the radio.

5. Configure the link

Skip this step on the UBB-XG (pre-paired out of the box). For NanoStation / NanoBeam / LiteBeam:

1. Plug each radio into your laptop, set an admin password, update firmware, assign a static IP on your home subnet.
2. Set the far-end radio (destination building) to Access Point mode with WDS enabled. Pick a quiet 5 GHz channel via Site Survey. Give it an SSID and WPA2 password — just for the bridge, nobody else sees it.
3. Set the near-end radio (house) to Station mode with WDS enabled. Point it at the far-end SSID, enter the password.
4. Verify link. RSSI of -65 dBm or better = solid. -75 or worse = aim or obstruction problem.

6. Aim

Loosen the mount, pan slowly while watching the signal meter, tighten when signal peaks. On the NanoStation Loco you can often eyeball it. On the NanoBeam / LiteBeam you need the alignment tool — the beam is narrower.

7. Plug it in

• House radio ethernet → LAN port on your router (not WAN — you're extending the LAN).
• Destination radio ethernet → switch uplink or straight to the AP.
• Destination AP SSID = same as your house Wi-Fi for seamless roaming.

What good looks like

• Throughput at the destination: within 10–20% of wired-at-the-house throughput.
• Ping from destination to house: single-digit milliseconds.
• RSSI: -65 dBm or better, stable over days.
• No drops from cars driving past, doors opening, or light rain.

Troubleshooting

Link up, speeds terrible. Channel interference — run Site Survey, move to a quieter channel.

Link unstable in bad weather. On the edge of your signal budget. Aim better, raise one end, or upgrade to a higher-gain radio.

One radio won't respond. PoE. Wrong voltage bricks airMAX radios (they want 24V passive — a random 48V PoE switch will kill them). Check the injector that came in the box and the pinout.

Works cool, drops when hot. Marginal cable crimp (thermal cycling) or radio in direct sun on a black wall.

Can't see the other building for trees. Raise above the tree line, prune, or use a no-line-of-sight solution (MoCA, buried fiber).