Equipment

5.8 GHz Bridge Reaches Eight Miles

RadioLAN's Campus BridgeLINK-II is designed to offer a fast, reliable, and cost-effective way of connecting computer networks in different buildings, without wires, at distances up to eight miles away.

by Wayne Kawamoto [October 22, 2001]

RadioLAN Marketing Group (RMG) recently introduced its Campus BridgeLINK-II, the newest system in the company's wireless Ethernet Bridging line. Designed for Fixed Wireless applications such as ISP backhaul and LAN interconnect, the Campus BridgeLINK-II promises a fast, reliable, and cost-effective method of connecting computer networks in different buildings without wires.

The Campus BridgeLINK-II uses the license-free 5.8 GHz U-NII band, which, according to RMG, makes it ideal for ISP backhaul applications where channel interference in the crowded 2.4 GHz band is an issue.

While RMG's Campus BridgeLINK outdoor Wirelesss Ethernet Bridging products are designed to provide connectivity between two LANs at a distance up to one mile (1600 meters), the Campus BridgeLINK-II may be configured to operate at ranges of up to 8 miles.

According to the company, the Campus BridgeLINK-II can link local area networks regardless of whether they are across the street from each other, across a campus, or across a small town. It may also provide a good solution for schools, universities, municipal offices, and small businesses that need a high-speed data bridge between facilities.

Used in place of dial-up modems, ISDN, Frame Relay, or T1 lines, the Campus BridgeLINK-II may offer a fast wireless connection that is secure, easy to maintain, and eliminates the recurring cost of leasing lines from a local phone company, or the expense of running fiber underground, especially where no right-of-way exists (i.e. across an interstate).

According to RadioLAN, the unit's 10BaseRadio technology is fully compatible with the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standards and are plug and play compatible with standard 10BaseT wired networks, as well as scalable, which allows networks to expand to new locations with no drop in performance. There is also an optional RSA encryption package for use on secure networks.

The Campus BridgeLINK-II unit consists of an 8-inch square antenna, 15-foot coaxial RF cable, radio module, and bridge processor. One unit is installed on each side of the link and connected to any available port on the Ethernet network. Configuration and management are done through either a serial console port or the built-in Web server. Once installed, the Campus BridgeLINK-II is designed to provide a secure, always-on connection with the remote location.

"What makes this product such a good value," said Tom Mitchell, General Manager of RadioLAN Marketing Group, "is that it delivers true 10BaseT performance. That's Ethernet speed and it's the best value on the market. We think there are literally tens of thousands of locations in the US alone that can cut costs and become more productive with a wireless bridge."

At the Kraft Foods manufacturing complex in Springfield, Missouri, Campus BridgeLINK-II connects a branch office back to the main network. "It's a very reliable system," said Ray Smith, who manages the Springfield network for Kraft. "We can move data across the bridge just as fast as anywhere else on the network. Actually, we now have three CampusLINK systems connecting our networks. One is here at the main building, one is in the branch office about a quarter mile away, and a third is in a smaller facility nearby. They never go down, so we're always connected."

Availability and pricing
RadioLAN products are sold and installed by authorized resellers. The list price is $2,499 per unit (at least two units are required to make one link).

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