Ubiquiti Air Max Lite Beam Gen 2 5AC RF Link - Channel Width Question

[Alaska Country]

Just setup two of the Lite Beam 5 GHz radios. Most impressed.

What is the suggested "Wireless" setting field for "Channel Width". Choices range from 10 to 80 MHz.



As a test, used a 20 MHz "Channel Width" with a 24 port POE switch and 9 Dahua cameras on one end of the RF link. The other RF link is connected to a Blue Iris computer. Camera bandwidth at 84 Megs with available bandwidth at 126 Megs. Perfect images.

The link was tested in the office without the reflectors (dish) attached. Only the feed horns on both.

As a side note, looked at a dozen You Tube videos on setup. Most were not worth watching. However, the below, even without audio was right on. Short and to the point with the correct settings. There may be others out there, but did not find them.


Please suggest any additional settings, for use with Dahua cameras, that will improve the system.

 

[looney2ns]

https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/articles/205223430-airMAX-Selecting-the-Best-Channel-Width

 

[TonyR]

Good info Looney.
If it were me, I'd shoot "down the middle" with 40 MHz.

 

[Alaska Country]

Great link!

The units came without instructions or links for website instructions on setup. No issue with useing web based data, but it would have been nice to include a card with a suggested source.

Good information and thanks for the 40 MHz suggestion on your link setup. Can see the advantages and trade offs with the number of choices. The link will most likely be setup with four Dahua cameras and will not require maximum bandwidth.

 

[DLONG2]

Would be interested to see a basic hardware diagram for your camera and radio system.

 

[looney2ns]

Great link!

The units came without instructions or links for website instructions on setup. No issue with useing web based data, but it would have been nice to include a card with a suggested source.

Good information and thanks for the 40 MHz suggestion on your link setup. Can see the advantages and trade offs with the number of choices. The link will most likely be setup with four Dahua cameras and will not require maximum bandwidth.

In most all case's, no matter the product, the suggested source would be the manufactures web site.
Like it or not, most everything is web based.
Took me 10-15 seconds to find that link via a google search.

 

[TonyR]

Would be interested to see a basic hardware diagram for your camera and radio system.

Which reminds me...
@Alaska Country , the below JPG is generated by OpenOffice Draw, a module of the free, open sourced OpenOffice. If you want, I can post the file for the drawing below and you can modify. No problem if you don't want it or don't care...just offering.

NOTE: the Nanostation Loco M5 (LocoM5-US) as applied below featured a version of airOS5 embedded software, so functional terms for setup are a bit different in the newer airOS8 as used, for example in the later Nanostation 5AC Loco (Loco5AC-US) but the operation is pretty much the same.

 

[Alaska Country]

Would be interested to see a basic hardware diagram for your camera and radio system.

Here is a quick diagram of the system. Not as nice as a computer generated one, but it will do for the moment.



The BI computer is a dual NIC Windows 10 setup. One for the internet and one for the cameras, switch, etc. NIC 1 (cameras) is setup to accommodate 192.168.55.12 which is the first camera. The next camera at 192.168.55.14, etc. This is setup by using the guide for Dual Blue Iris NIC on this website. NIC 2 is for internet use and is set for automatic IP addresses and DNS server. While NIC 1 (cameras) is set for manual.

A new Dahua camera comes with an IP of 192.169.1.108 and all cameras must be changed or there will be an IP conflict. If using a Dahua NVR that device takes care of the issue by reassigning camera IPs in the range of 10.1.1.65, etc. However, when using BI it is necessary to manually change each camera's IP address to your IP range of choice.

The RF system can be thought of just another Ethernet cable that is connected to the 24 port POE switch. See the diagram from Tony R as an excellent example of those connections. That camera, on the RF link, will be like all the rest and in the 192.168.55.xx IP address range setup on NIC 1.

RF links are nice, but have their own set of standards. Would have rather used Ethernet cable for the 200 foot connection, but city streets and utilities make the RF choice, in this case, the best one.

 

[Alaska Country]

@Alaska Country , the below JPG is generated by OpenOffice Draw, a module of the free, open sourced OpenOffice. If you want, I can post the file for the drawing below and you can modify. No problem if you don't want it or don't care...just offering.

Appreciate the offer, but too many irons in the fire right now to work with another program. Thanks for your kind offer.

 

[Old Timer]

Short answer, same as the rest have said, 20mhz should do, but a 40mhz would give you plenty of room to grow.

I always use the narrowest bandwidth that passes the traffic load with about a 20% buffer.
This gives you the best signal to noise ratio and most range for the path you have. More useful in long paths (like miles)
I have one short hop 1.2miles at 80mhz (lot of data to pass) and a 12 mile at 20mhz.

 

[Alaska Country]

Short answer, same as the rest have said, 20mhz should do, but a 40mhz would give you plenty of room to grow.

Appreciate the first hand experience answer. Will stay at 20 MHz for this very short link unless more bandwidth is needed. However, that would seem unlikely as the need for more than four cameras is not under consideration at this time.

Those are some nice link lengths. Here too many trees unless one has a tower at both ends. Then there is the issue of the HOA in regard to any type of tower! Trying to keep the dish below the top of the roof line. Which is entirely possible at this short distance.

 

[Old Timer]

Appreciate the first hand experience answer. Will stay at 20 MHz for this very short link unless more bandwidth is needed. However, that would seem unlikely as the need for more than four cameras is not under consideration at this time.

Those are some nice link lengths. Here too many trees unless one has a tower at both ends. Then there is the issue of the HOA in regard to any type of tower! Trying to keep the dish below the top of the roof line. Which is entirely possible at this short distance.

As a side note, can these be painted to match the house color, would assume latex, without any decrease in overall performance? i.e. signal degradation or change in antenna pattern. Maybe only the dish and not the plastic RF feed?

FYI,
4 cameras should run on 10 Mhz. At 20 you will be fine.

 

[Alaska Country]

Installed the Air Max Lite Beam 5AC system and tested. Works well for my short distance. Perhaps too well!!

Reduced the output power on both the main and remote to -4 dBm the lowest it would go. The received signal level was at -45 dBm for one end with the other at -47 dBm. One could remove the dish (reflector) from one end, but would rather have more head room with the present setup.

Tested the link using 'speed test' and a laptop on the internet. The rate is at 97 Mbps down with upload at 10 Mbps. The ISP provides down at 200 Mbps and up at 10 Mbps.

Adjusted the main end using the UISP app on a tablet. Worked well for adjusting the one dish near the wireless router. But would not work for the far end. i.e. out of wifi range. Suggestions on how to adjust the far end with the app would be appreciated.

Dish mounting after testing with cable removed. Hardware repurposed from a Dish TV installation.