Anyone have Fixed Wireless?
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How would you rate it vs. Fiber? Do you ever experience issues caused by weather?
In our latest podcast, the CTO of California Internet made an interesting comment... "When a fiber Internet connection has an issue, we blame the ISP but when a fixed wireless connection has an issue, we blame the technology."
I think there is some truth in that but thought I'd ask the opinion of IT professionals who've had hands-on, non-biased experience with both.
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Interesting topic, I like that.
Don't use fixed wireless here, there are no providers in the area. We are in that density that is light enough to be a problem but not light enough to warrant wireless to move in.
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@scottalanmiller said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
Interesting topic, I like that.
Don't use fixed wireless here, there are no providers in the area. We are in that density that is light enough to be a problem but not light enough to warrant wireless to move in.
There is no fixed wireless here either,.. however could your Cell phone provider be classified as such?
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Wireless will always have more latency. Also generally there are more Hops in wireless. Wireless is susceptible to weather, tree growth etc. Fiber generally is not.
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@gjacobse said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
@scottalanmiller said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
Interesting topic, I like that.
Don't use fixed wireless here, there are no providers in the area. We are in that density that is light enough to be a problem but not light enough to warrant wireless to move in.
There is no fixed wireless here either,.. however could your Cell phone provider be classified as such?
No there is no Fixed wireless with celluar. It's roaming.. Just like devices with wireless APs.
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I have used fixed wireless in a number of locations over the years.
It has been a great service when done right. I always blamed the ISP and not the weather unless there was actually an electrical storm happening at the moment.
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@Jason said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
Wireless will always have more latency. Also generally there are more Hops in wireless. Wireless is susceptible to weather, tree growth etc. Fiber generally is not.
I have had fixed wireless with 5-10ms latency. More than 1ms fiber, but still perfectly acceptable.
Fiber is susceptible to backhoes, while fixed wireless is not (generally).
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@JaredBusch said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
Fiber is susceptible to backhoes, while fixed wireless is not (generally).
Unless you put it up in the air.
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@scottalanmiller said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
@JaredBusch said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
Fiber is susceptible to backhoes, while fixed wireless is not (generally).
Unless you put it up in the air.
Which my hometown did. And the squirrels proceeded to eat it.
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While at Mangocon, one of my locations had a bad storm blow through and tore the wireless radio off the side of the building. Short of that I've had very stable connections even in weather.
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@JaredBusch said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
@scottalanmiller said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
@JaredBusch said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
Fiber is susceptible to backhoes, while fixed wireless is not (generally).
Unless you put it up in the air.
Which my hometown did. And the squirrels proceeded to eat it.
Those are some monster squirrels to eat a back hoe.
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@brianlittlejohn said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
While at Mangocon, one of my locations had a bad storm blow through and tore the wireless radio off the side of the building. Short of that I've had very stable connections even in weather.
At least you got to skip the storm!
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Yep... If I was there I would have most likely driven 2 hours to location to meet the repair guy.
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@brianlittlejohn said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
Yep... If I was there I would have most likely driven 2 hours to location to meet the repair guy.
Score!
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@scottalanmiller said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
@JaredBusch said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
@scottalanmiller said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
@JaredBusch said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
Fiber is susceptible to backhoes, while fixed wireless is not (generally).
Unless you put it up in the air.
Which my hometown did. And the squirrels proceeded to eat it.
Those are some monster squirrels to eat a back hoe.
I laughed a little to hard at that line @scottalanmiller
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@scottalanmiller said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
@JaredBusch said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
Fiber is susceptible to backhoes, while fixed wireless is not (generally).
Unless you put it up in the air.
Or in the air things like this happen:
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I was involved in a Fixed Wireless install about 12 years ago. Building to building over a playground. Worked great, as JB said, only an issue in electrical storms.
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DON'T DO IT!!!!
I had it for 3 miserable years. Always problems with interference. Problems with equipment. Slow speed issues. Packet loss. Latency issues.
We finally got fiber in the neighborhood and have been on it for just over a year and have had 2 brief issues. A couple months in with the fixed wireless, I was pulling out my hair.
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@MikeSmithsBrain said in Anyone have Fixed Wireless?:
How would you rate it vs. Fiber?
Not good at all compared to a solid wired connection (fiber, copper, whatever). You're adding a lot of complexity and getting a poorer result. Also adding to the list of devices in the chain, which increases your chances of failure.
If you absolutely have to use it, go for it. It does work, and pretty well these days.
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@Dashrender I think he is referring to using it with an ISP, not building to building.
