Radios
Recommended Radios
Mikrotik SXTsq 5 High Power
An all-in-one, high power, 5.8GHz radio measuring only 5 inches square. A fantastic, cheap, and discreet radio to start your AREDN project.
Ubiquiti NanoBeam 5AC
A compact, versatile dual-band radio (the primary antenna is 5.8GHz) with dual 1Gb ethernets (ideal for connecting to a rooftop camera). An excellent upgrade from for the old Nanostation M5.
Mikrotik LHG HP5
An all-in-one, dish style antenna. Better gain and directionality than the SXT so great for point-to-point connections or for targeting something further away.
Ubiquiti Rocket 5AC Lite
Radio only (you'll need a separate antenna), but the new workhorse of many AREDN systems due to power and flexibility. This replaces the venerable Rocket M5 which is now impossible to buy new but can be found on eBay. In side-by-side tests this new radio has proven to be superior in every way.
Recommended Antennas
See Antennas.
Radio Migration
As new AC radios become available, here are some migration suggests.
Support Radios
AREDN keeps an up to date list of supported radios.
Adapters
Mikrotik Basebox5 to Ubiquiti
Remote Reset
Ubiquiti
In the case of failure, the Ubiquiti radios can be reset via the ethernet cable using the following procedure:
- Unplug the Ubiquiti radio from the POE Adapter
- Push a pin into the POE Adapter reset button (on the model I have, the reset button was on the bottom, underneath the mounting plate)
- While holding the reset button, plug the Ubiquiti radio into the POE adapter and continue to hold the reset button for 45 seconds
- The Ubiquiti radio is now ready for the AREDN factory firmware update. It's listening on 192.168.1.20
- TFTP the factory firmware to the Ubiquiti radio and you're back in business
[Source: Rachel Kinoshita KK6DAC]
Radios to Avoid
Radios with 32 MBytes RAM
Some older radios found on eBay can have only 32 MBytes of memory. This isn't enough except on a network with half a dozen nodes. Avoid.