TABLE OF CONTENTS Sometimes end-users who are located in geographically separated buildings need to be connected to the same network. Wirelessly bridging using Wi-Fi technology provides a perfect way to connect two buildings. As long as the two buildings are within a few miles of each other, and there is a clear line of sight between the locations to be bridged, a wireless connection (bridge) between the buildings will allow all network users to access the same network system. Note, however, that to provide adequate signal levels, special antennae may be required.
A Wi-Fi bridge is essentially a media access control (MAC) level wireless access point that's configured so it can "bridge" or pass incoming wireless packets to one or more corresponding bridges. Wireless bridges allow network managers to quickly and inexpensively extend a wireless LAN across intervals ranging from several hundred feet/meters to a mile/kilometers or more. With specialized antennae, the distance could be up to 5 or 6 miles (8 or 9 kilometers). And new antenna technology may enable that distance to grow to more than 30 miles (48 kilometers).
| Note | Although wireless bridges can provide line-of-sight bridging at greater and greater distances, in the U.S., the FCC limits the maximum distance a wireless bridge is allowed to span to 25 miles / 40.2 kilometers. And in European countries the maximum is 6.5 miles / 10.5 kilometers. |
Bridging is not covered, per se, under the 802.11 series of standard. Yet the standards do allow a wireless bridge system to...
