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Review on Ubiquiti NanoBeam ac Gen2: πŸ”§ Unleashing High-Performance airMAX ac Bridge (NBE-5AC-Gen2-US) by Bryan Gallardo

Revainrating 5 out of 5

The first wireless bridge I really *like*!

I've been using wireless bridges for almost as long as 802.11b has existed. But typically these were access points with bridge functionality added a little late - often not very reliable, always tedious to set up (with terrible documentation on how to do it). Over the years I have tried 3 different models. Then comes Ubiqity with NanoBeam. Very easy to set up, with a *nice* graphical user interface that can be accessed via a web browser as well as an iPad app. Separate management IP so the IP you configured it under doesn't have to be on the same network as the one you connect to (great if you need to reset and reconfigure the device for some reason). It actually loops through the MAC addresses of the devices on the other side of the bridge, rather than matching them all to the MAC address of the bridge's "slave" device. Passes through VLAN tags. Supplied with fastening material and power supply. There's an app to help you set up a directional antenna for the best signal strength, but instead of just showing signal strength on your computer, it has a "beep" mode where the pitch indicates signal strength: great if you have to adjust this thing by sticking your head where you can't look at your computer. It's almost like someone has actually *used* their software and is proud of it. Performance wise I get a solid 400MB/s at a distance of 50 meters - devices are mounted indoors so have to go through glass and plastic (dome light ) and there will be a medium-sized tree in the middle of the line of sight. It periodically pings the IP address and resets itself if there's no response after a while - I haven't turned it on yet, but it seems like another useful defense against problems. Overall, this is the first wireless bridge that I'm completely satisfied with. It just works, works well, and the company seems proud of their products. Almost unheard of!

Pros
  • New to my collection
Cons
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