Summary of "Introducción a airMAX de Ubiquiti (Certificación UAS-AIR-INT)"

Summary of “Introducción a airMAX de Ubiquiti (Certificación UAS-AIR-INT)”

This video is an introductory course on Ubiquiti’s airMAX technology, designed for beginners and offered by Expert Academy. The course covers fundamental concepts, product features, and practical guidance on implementing Ubiquiti’s wireless radio links, focusing on both Point-to-Point (PtP) and Point-to-Multipoint (PtMP) deployments. It also introduces the evolution of airMAX technology, including the newer LTU line, and discusses good practices for deployment.

Key Technological Concepts and Product Features

1. Radio Links Overview

Wireless communication using electromagnetic waves in free space.
Radio links serve as a wireless transport medium for voice, video, and data.
Widely used by Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs), especially for last-mile connectivity where fiber optic or cable is impractical.
Advantages: Cost-effective, quick deployment, flexible for difficult terrains.
Disadvantages: Susceptible to interference (weather, obstacles, noise), limited by regulatory frequency bands, and requires proper planning.

2. Types of Radio Links

Point-to-Point (PtP):
- Connects two nodes directly.
- Uses high-gain, narrow beamwidth antennas (dish-type) for long distances (up to 100 km).
- Offers highest performance and bandwidth.
- Requires matching wireless parameters (SSID, frequency, channel width, encryption key).
- Long-distance PtP links may use intermediate nodes to maintain capacity.
Point-to-Multipoint (PtMP):
- One main access point connects multiple client stations.
- Access points use sector or omnidirectional antennas with wider coverage (30° to 360°).
- Stations use directional antennas with narrow beamwidth to reduce interference.
- Bandwidth is shared among clients; performance depends on the number of active clients and channel width.
- Recommended to use multiple sector antennas instead of a single omnidirectional antenna to reduce interference and increase gain.

3. Ubiquiti Product Lines

airMAX M Line: Based on 802.11n standard; legacy equipment now discontinued.
airMAX AC Line: Uses 802.11ac standard with improved hardware and software; supports wider channel widths (up to 80 MHz in PtP, 40 MHz in PtMP).
LTU Line: Proprietary Ubiquiti technology, not based on 802.11 standards; designed for high-performance multipoint deployments with higher modulation schemes and channel widths up to 50 MHz (future updates may allow 100 MHz).
AirFiber Line: Operates in 24 GHz and 5 GHz bands for ultra-high throughput PtP links at short to medium distances.

Hardware Types:

Integrated radios with built-in antennas (NanoStation, NanoBeam, PowerBeam).
Connectorized radios (Rocket, LTU Rocket) paired with high-gain dish or sector antennas.
Horn-type (PrismStation) and sector antennas designed for urban multipoint deployments with high interference.

4. Technology and Protocols

airMAX uses TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) to avoid collisions in outdoor wireless environments, improving throughput and latency over standard Wi-Fi protocols.
airMAX technology prioritizes voice and video traffic automatically.
Newer hardware includes secondary chips for real-time spectrum analysis (AirView tool) without interrupting the link.
AirMagic tool helps optimize channel selection in multipoint networks by analyzing interference across all devices.

5. Planning and Configuration

Link budget calculations are essential for selecting equipment, antennas, power levels, and frequencies.
Channel width trade-offs:
- Wider channels yield higher data rates but are more susceptible to interference.
- Narrower channels provide more stable links over longer distances.
Frequency bands:
- 900 MHz: long range, low throughput.
- 2.4 GHz: medium range, moderate throughput.
- 5 GHz: shorter range, higher throughput.
- 24 GHz: short range, very high throughput.
Regulatory compliance: Equipment must be configured for country-specific frequency bands and power limits.
Power settings should be optimized to avoid excessive interference and wear on equipment.
Proper antenna alignment and mechanical stability (wind load, mast strength) are crucial for maintaining link quality.
Shielded cables, grounding, and surge protection are recommended for outdoor installations.

6. Network Modes

PtP and PtMP links typically operate in bridge mode for transparent data transport.
Router mode can be used on client stations to isolate client networks from the provider’s network and avoid DHCP conflicts.

7. Performance Considerations

Maximum theoretical and practical throughput varies by technology:
- airMAX M: ~150 Mbps real throughput.
- airMAX AC: ~450 Mbps.
- (Note: The summary text was incomplete regarding further throughput details.)