What a Wireless Bridge Actually Does  

A bridge turns copper packets into tightly-focused radio beams, shoots them through the air, and converts them back to Ethernet on the far side—no trenching, no conduit, no permit headaches.

Where You’ll Use One  

• IP cameras on a farm, mine, or construction site  
• Elevator cabs where coax can’t survive the constant flex  
• Two offices separated by a street, river, or mountain  
• Temporary pop-up warehouses, festivals, or disaster-relief nets  
• Last-mile ISP drops when fiber quotes make you cry

5 Specs That Matter

1. Distance  

Buy 30 % more range than Google Maps says you need. A 5 km-rated bridge will give clean throughput at 3 km once rain, foliage, and interference join the party.

2. Frequency  

• 2.4 GHz: goes through trees and walls, crowded in cities  
• 5 GHz / 5.8 GHz: almost interference-free, narrower beam, best for 1–15 km line-of-sight  
• Dual-band models let you swap on site

3. Throughput  

• 150–300 Mb/s: fine for 4 MP cameras or small office traffic  
• 600–900 Mb/s: 4 K video, PLC data, and guest Wi-Fi on the same link  

Remember: divide by two for full-duplex overhead

4. Power & Survivability  

PoE (802.3af/at) means one cable does everything. Look for IP67 or IP68 housings, -40 °C to +70 °C operating range, and 6 kV surge protection if you mount on a steel tower.

5. Pairing Method  

• Button: hold 3 s, done—great for 1–2 units  
• DIP switch: visual, no login—perfect for weekend installers  
• Auto-sync: power them up in the same box, they find each other—deploy 100 bridges in a day

Pro Shopping Cheat-Sheet  

≤ 1 km, light foliage → 2.4 GHz, 300 Mb, 14 dBi antenna  

1–5 km, clear LoS → 5.8 GHz, 600 Mb, 23 dBi panel  

5–20 km, backhaul → 5 GHz, 900 Mb, 30 dBi dish, dual polar, GPS sync

Pick the rung that matches your shot, add 30 % head-room, and your link will stay solid long after the first thunderstorm.