Review on Ubiquiti Networks LBE-M5-23-US Litebeam M5 Wireless Bridge with 10Mb/100Mb LAN, AirMax 802.11 N by David Lambert

Atheros radio with Ubiquiti software and all for $50 is a real bargain. Anyone familiar with Ubiquiti devices will feel right at home with this device. Since this is done to save on the budget, there are a few things to consider before you buy and during setup. - The radio inside is 1x1 "SISO", or one input, one output. Even with airMAX, the speed is limited by the maximum value of MCS7 (72.2 Mbps) even with AirMax activated. For most people this is not a problem; If you need more bandwidth, Ubiquiti offers Litebeam AC with a 2x2 MIMO radio that enables higher speeds. To use this device as an AP "Access Point", you may need to update the firmware. Some devices, including mine, come with older firmware that doesn't include AP mode. In order to establish a point-to-point connection from one site to another, AP mode must be enabled on the device at the site "broadcast" the connection. the same firmware version. I was having trouble communicating with another device on an older firmware version that worked fine after the update. This device can communicate with other Ubiquiti devices via a 2x2 radio, albeit at a slower speed. When airMAX is enabled, when communicating with a 2x2 radio, the maximum airMAX throughput of 50% is never displayed. - I was unable to communicate with the NanoStation M5 until I disabled the AirSelect feature on the NanoStation. I don't think Litebeam can use this feature (it wasn't available as an option when Litebeam was configured in AP mode) and it's not needed unless you're in a congested RF environment. Overall, this unit is excellent value and should be considered if a reliable and economical option is desired. As with all other Ubiquiti devices, you will find it difficult to understand and configure unless you are already familiar with IT equipment and networks. There are plenty of guides online and on the forum to help with setup if needed.