Long-range wireless Ethernet bridge operates at up to 1.5 Mbits/s

The capabilities of high-speed Ethernet networks can be expanded using the MaxStream's latest long range wireless bridge. The XPress Ethernet bridge allows host and client Ethernet connections to communicate at a range of up to 15 miles (line-of-sight with high gain antennas) at speeds up to 1.5 Mbits/s. The bridge optimizes long-range, high-speed data transmission when the cost of laying CAT5 cable is impractical and 802.11 fails to meet range requirements or is over-saturated.

Operating in the 900-MHz ISM band, the XPress bridge is suited for applications where the RF environment contains interference from 2.4-GHz signals emanating from 802.11 networks, portable phones, and microwave ovens. The 900-MHz band also yields more than twice the range of the 2.4-GHz band. In indoor/urban applications, the units can communicate through 10 walls using the included 2.5 dBi omni-directional antennas.

The matched-pair, point-to-point radios require no configuration or software and effectively replace Ethernet cables. MaxStream offers the radios in either an indoor or outdoor configuration. The external bridge features a NEMA-4 rated enclosure and incorporates power-over-Ethernet injectors. Twelve non-overlapping user-selectable channels allow multiple radio pairs to operate in proximity of each other without creating interfering signals. Pricing for the indoor radios starts at $699 per pair, while the outdoor models start at $999 per pair. For more information go to www.maxstream.net/products/xpress/datasheet_XEB_Ethernet-Bridge.pdf .