I have read a few other similar posts but I figured that I had enough unique requirements that it made sense to make a new post.
I work for an IT department for an organization where we have a few locations that are not on our fiber network. These are mostly locations with a few cameras and such. We have an existing wireless network that is aging out and needs replacement. My biggest issue is that most of these devices are installed on a 100' aerial at their origin. This makes maintenance and replacement an issue as this requires we hire a professional to climb the tower to get to the hardware. There is a mix of makes and models that span years.
I have worked with and we have a mix of Ubiquity, Mimosa, Ruckus, and Mikrotik. I prefer an easy to use UI but in the end its all the same.
- I would like to replace this aging hardware with a single manufacturer and model if at all possible.
- I do not have a preference with manufacturer but I lean towards enterprise grade.
- budgets are flexible but I would like to stay below ~$500 per location and the lower the better.
- I was thinking that it would benefit me to have a model that allows me to place the radios in our shed and the antenna on the aerial. This will allow me to readily replace the hardware in the case of a failure. Really expensive to hire a pro to climb the tower and replace equipment.
- Some locations are located in harsh environments/ocean exposure.
- I don't have a minimum bandwidth requirement. 1Gbps would be nice for future proofing but I can get away with a solid 250Mbps.
- Most are 1-1 but there is the need for 1-many in a couple spots.
- Most locations are under ~2 km with the possibility of ~7 km in a couple spots.
- I have some locations where there are trees in the way.
- we are in a busy WiFi area so I am not sure if 5Ghz is what I need. I might be able to get access to a licensed frequency but the permit process can take a while so I need to move forward before that.
All in all; I want to unify our wireless bridge network with easily accessible, reliable, and robust equipment.
Thanks for taking the time. I am far from a wireless expert and am relying on the community to help out a fellow sysadmin.
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