Wireless internet for a building a cable can’t reach. Our longest link so far ran three quarters of a mile across a lake.
The lake job started as a Starlink install at a house on one shore. Then came Wi-Fi through the whole house, then a wireless link across the water to a wedding venue on the far shore, then Wi-Fi and cameras inside the venue. That kind of link is called point-to-point wireless: two antennas aimed at each other, carrying your connection to places a cable won’t go. That might be a second building, a shop across the field, or a building on the other side of water, a road or ground you can’t dig through.
- 5.0 across hundreds of Google reviews
- 35 years of Donnie’s own low-voltage work: network, camera and phone wiring
How a point-to-point link carries internet between buildings
Ordinary Wi-Fi spreads out in every direction and fades out quickly. A point-to-point link is two antennas aimed only at each other, which is why it reaches so much farther. The catch is that each antenna needs a clear view of the other, called line of sight, so the first question is always what’s in between.
professional Starlink installationWhy the two antennas need a clear view of each other
The two antennas need a clear straight line between them, plus room around that line. The signal travels in a fat oval between the two antennas, widest in the middle, and that middle needs clear space too. On a three quarter mile link at 5 GHz, the frequency most of these links use, that means at least 8 feet of clear space around the center of the path, and ideally 10 or more. A link of a few hundred feet across a yard needs only a few feet. Trees are the usual obstacle around here, so getting one antenna up onto a roof or a pole, above what’s in between, does more than extra power would. Placing a Starlink dish starts the same way, by checking what’s in the way. The difference is that a dish needs a wide patch of open sky, and a link needs one clear path to a single point.
When you need a wireless link to another building
A point-to-point link is for a barn or shop too far out for the Wi-Fi from the house to reach; a second house or a rental on the same land; an office or workshop across a paddock; or a building on the other side of water, a road, or ground nobody wants to dig a trench through.
Wi-Fi and cameras at the far building
Donnie sets up the far building like the rest of the property: Wi-Fi inside it, cameras if you want them, and the same Wi-Fi network name as the house.
“Super great company. Everything Donnie said with my setup that he designed was just as expected. Super clean, took care of everything, very respectful coming in and out of the house and shop.”
Gary S., Google review, on a house-and-shop job
5.0 across hundreds of Google reviews
Questions about point-to-point wireless
(386) 243-9535Donnie answers the phone Monday to Saturday, 9am to 7pm.
How far can a point-to-point link reach?
The longest link so far is three quarters of a mile, across open water. What’s in between matters more than the distance: a long gap with a clear view from end to end works better than a short gap through trees.
What if there are trees in the way?
Then the question is whether the antenna at either end can go higher. On a roof or a pole, an antenna can often clear trees that block it at ground level. Sometimes even that doesn’t work, and it’s better to say so on the phone than to find out on install day.
Is a point-to-point link the same as a Wi-Fi extender?
No. An extender rebroadcasts a signal outward and loses speed doing it. A point-to-point link is two antennas aimed at each other carrying a connection between two fixed places.
Do I need a point-to-point link or mesh Wi-Fi?
Mesh Wi-Fi is a set of small units that spreads Wi-Fi through and around a building. A point-to-point link carries the connection from one building to another. Most properties that need a point-to-point link also need mesh at one end or both, because the link only carries the connection. A mesh unit inside the far building still has to turn that connection into Wi-Fi. Which comes first depends on the distances.
Does the far building need anything?
Power. The antenna unit at each end usually runs off a small adapter plugged in indoors, which sends power up the same cable that carries the internet connection. So each building needs an outlet near where that cable comes in.
Does rain or weather affect the link?
Rain barely affects it. At the 5 GHz frequencies most of these links use, even a Florida downpour weakens a three quarter mile link very little. Leaves are the real problem. Branches soak up the signal, wet leaves soak up more, and trees fill in over the years, so a path that’s clear today may be blocked in a few years.
What does a point-to-point link cost?
It depends on four things: the distance, what’s in the way, how many buildings are involved, and whether either end needs a pole to get above the trees. Fill out the quote request form or call, and describe the property. Standard installations can often be quoted on the call. For other jobs, we’ll discuss the job and give you a quote or explain what else we need.
Tell us about the property. We’ll give you a quote or explain what else we need.
Donnie answers the phone Monday to Saturday, 9am to 7pm. Closed Sunday.
Point-to-point wireless links between buildings across North Florida and South Georgia, about 120 miles out from Lake City.
