In short, a wireless ethernet bridge is a device that connects two wired networks together using wireless technology. By doing so, it allows devices on those networks to communicate with each other as if they were on the same network. This can be extremely useful for situations where it’s not possible or practical to run wired cabling between two networks.
For example, let’s say you have a LAN in your home that you use to connect your personal computers, gaming consoles, and other devices to the internet. But there’s also a guest house with it’s own LAN that you use to give visitors wireless internet access. If you want devices on both of those networks to be able to communicate with each other—for example, if you want guests to be able to access files on your personal computer, or use your internet connection—you would need to run a long ethernet cable or use a wireless ethernet bridge.
How Does a Wireless Ethernet Bridge Work?
A wireless ethernet bridge typically consists of two parts: a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is connected to one of the wired networks, while the receiver is connected to the other wired network. Any traffic that needs to be passed between the two networks is then transmitted wirelessly by the bridge. Though both units transmit and receive, transceivers as it were.
Wireless ethernet bridges can operate in one of two modes: point-to-point(PTP) or point-to-multipoint(PTMP).
In point-to-point mode, the bridge creates a direct link between the two devices it’s connecting. This mode is typically used when connecting two wired networks that are geographically close to each other.
In point-to-multipoint mode, the bridge creates a wireless link between multiple receivers and a single transmitter. This mode is typically used when connecting multiple wired networks that are spread out over a large area—for example, when linking together the LANs in several different buildings on a college campus.
Examples of both PTP and PTMP deployments can be seen over on this Ubiquiti Wireless Ethernet Bridge example deployments post.
A wireless ethernet bridge can be an extremely useful tool for extending or connecting two wired networks together. By doing so, it allows devices on those networks to communicate with each other as if they were on the same network. If you’re looking for an easy way to connect multiple devices across different geographical areas, then a wireless ethernet bridge might be right for you.
They are also called Wireless Bridges. We gravitate towards Ubiquiti products because of their price and reliability. But we have recently started to carry LigoWave Wireless Bridges.
