Licensed Links

[LRL]

I've asked this question several places and I figure I might as well start it here.

What is your personal preference for Licensed Back-haul and why?

I've yet to make up my mind between SAF or Exalt.

I have two links I'm looking at upgrading to licensed. A 9 mile and 5 mile. The difficult part is I need about 300Mbps

Currently I'm running 5G links but my lovely neighboring wisp won't stop adding and switching channels and 5G is becoming difficult and getting more unreliable. Unfortunately the 9 mile is too far for AF24 and the 5 mile is to iffy for me to want to try. Then you've got AF5 which would only compound my already noisy environment.

[josh]

SAF. Solid financial history with no sign of going out of business... unlike Exalt. Also, good warranty, very solid hardware.

We're running an 11GHz SAF link at ~11 miles, 366Mbps, and it's an older unit (Lumina). Integra is even better.

[LRL]

Did you do the FCC paperwork yourself or sub it out?

[sirhc]

SAF. Solid financial history with no sign of going out of business... unlike Exalt. Also, good warranty, very solid hardware.

We're running an 11GHz SAF link at ~11 miles, 366Mbps, and it's an older unit (Lumina). Integra is even better.

I agree 100% with Josh, absolutely LOVE my SAF links, put them up and FORGET ABOUT THEM!!!!

THey have been the only radios that survived 2 direct tower lightning strikes, took everything else on the tower and in the cabinet out, Cisco EHWICs fused or welded and could not remove. SAF links are still in service in same places to this day!

[josh]

Did you do the FCC paperwork yourself or sub it out?

Liz Creekmore @ Intelpath
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/liz-creekmore/0/373/51b

[wtm]

Who handles these SAF units, we have been trying to get a quote on them, and have not found anyone to do so?

[sirhc]

Microcom

[josh]

Who handles these SAF units, we have been trying to get a quote on them, and have not found anyone to do so?

We went through Double Radius.

[adairw]

Our Exalt G2 links have been very good and sparing is awesome.
So far we have 4, soon to be 5 full production links.
anywhere from 7 to 13 miles 370Mb.
Exalt is getting their act together again as a company. Sort of like Canopy and Cambium. Don't know that it makes them a bad company.

[LRL]

I haven't go quotes back yet for SAF, but so far the Exalt is looking much more attractive.

According the SAF link Calc I need a 6ft dish on one of our hub towers!

Unfortunately that's not going to fly, not with a new and much larger frame tower.

Exalt came back with 2 3fts for that link and two 2fts for our other link. Unfortunately the only reason I'm going this way is because we 200Mb now and soon it's going to jump to needing 300Mb. Right now we have 2 5G links to each tower and we're balancing over them. My tests with AC radios hasn't been enough.

I might be able to get by with a AF24 on our 4.6 mile link, but another WISP has a af24 in close proximity(50ft) to our tower and that makes me concerned to even try. AF5 works, but because of noise on the upper 5G band I was forced to the lower and just couldn't more than 150-190Mbps. Although I found out AF5 is a sure fire way to stomp on the competition. It wasn't intentional, but he called me in less than 5 minutes...

The 8.9 mile link is a tough one.