Wireless Bridge Setup Guide for Lebanon — PtP & PtMP Links

Wireless Bridges in Lebanon: Why They Matter

Lebanon's geography creates a constant challenge for network builders. Dense urban areas like Beirut and Tripoli sit alongside steep mountain ranges in Mount Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, with Mediterranean coastline running the length of the country. Running fiber between buildings separated by valleys, highways, or rough terrain is expensive and often impractical. Wireless bridges solve this by transmitting data through the air at multi-gigabit speeds over distances ranging from a few hundred meters to over 50 kilometers.

Whether you are a WISP building backbone infrastructure, a business connecting branch offices across a valley, or a hotel linking its main building to an annex, understanding how to plan and deploy a wireless bridge correctly is the difference between a reliable gigabit link and a frustrating, intermittent connection.

HI-GAIN has been deploying wireless bridges across Lebanon since 1990. This guide draws on decades of real-world experience installing links on rooftops from Jounieh to Zahle, across the Beirut skyline, and through the cedar-covered ridges of Mount Lebanon.

Point-to-Point (PtP) vs Point-to-Multipoint (PtMP)

Point-to-Point Links

A PtP link connects exactly two locations with dedicated radios on each end. Both antennas are aimed directly at each other, forming a single high-capacity connection. PtP links are used for:

• ISP backbone connections between tower sites
• Connecting two office buildings across a highway or valley
• Linking a remote camera installation back to a monitoring station
• Bridging internet from a main building to an adjacent structure without running cable

PtP links deliver the highest throughput and lowest latency because the full radio capacity is dedicated to one connection. A well-engineered PtP link using the Mimosa B5c with external dish antennas can sustain over 1 Gbps aggregate throughput at distances beyond 20 km in Lebanese mountain terrain.

Point-to-Multipoint Links

A PtMP configuration uses one base station (access point) to serve multiple remote client radios simultaneously. This is the standard architecture for WISPs distributing internet to subscribers from a tower. The base station uses a sector antenna covering 60 to 120 degrees, and each client uses a focused antenna aimed at the tower.

PtMP is used for:

• WISP subscriber distribution from tower sites
• Connecting multiple remote buildings or branches to a central office
• Campus networks spanning several structures
• CCTV backhaul from multiple camera locations to a single NVR site

PtMP links share the base station's total capacity among all connected clients. A sector serving 20 subscribers on 5 GHz typically provides 15-30 Mbps per client depending on channel width, interference, and distance. For higher per-client throughput, narrowing the sector to fewer clients or using wider channels is necessary.

Frequency Selection: 5 GHz, 24 GHz, and 60 GHz

Choosing the right frequency band is one of the most critical decisions in bridge design. Each band has distinct propagation characteristics, interference profiles, and regulatory considerations relevant to Lebanon.

5 GHz Band (5.1 - 5.9 GHz)

The 5 GHz band is the workhorse of wireless bridging worldwide and in Lebanon. It offers a good balance of range, throughput, and equipment cost.

• Range: Up to 50+ km with high-gain antennas and clear line of sight
• Throughput: 200 Mbps to 1+ Gbps depending on equipment and channel width
• Advantages: Wide equipment selection, proven reliability, reasonable cost
• Disadvantages: Heavy interference in urban areas like Beirut, Jounieh, and Sidon where hundreds of 5 GHz radios compete for spectrum

Recommended 5 GHz PtP equipment:

• Mimosa B5c — Connectorized radio supporting external antennas from 2-ft to 4-ft dishes. Up to 1.5 Gbps aggregate with GPS synchronization and automatic band optimization. The gold standard for long-range 5 GHz PtP in Lebanon.
• Mimosa B5x — Modular radio with interchangeable antenna options. Supports Mimosa's twist-on antennas for quick deployment. Ideal for medium-range links (3-15 km) where dish mounting is impractical.
• MikroTik BaseBox 5 — Outdoor 5 GHz radio with RouterOS. Excellent for operators who want full MikroTik routing capabilities integrated into the radio unit itself. Often paired with external sector or dish antennas for flexible deployments.

24 GHz Band

The 24 GHz band offers a middle ground between 5 GHz and 60 GHz — less interference than 5 GHz with better rain resilience than 60 GHz.

• Range: Up to 4 km with integrated antennas
• Throughput: Up to 1.5 Gbps aggregate
• Advantages: Virtually zero interference in Lebanon since very few operators use this band, excellent spectral isolation
• Disadvantages: Shorter range than 5 GHz, limited equipment selection

The Mimosa B24 is the primary product for 24 GHz bridging. Sold as a complete link (two radios), the B24 delivers up to 1.5 Gbps in a self-contained unit with integrated high-gain antennas. It is ideal for short urban links in Beirut where 5 GHz congestion makes reliable gigabit throughput impossible. HI-GAIN recommends the B24 for rooftop-to-rooftop connections spanning 500 m to 3 km in dense city environments.

60 GHz Band

The 60 GHz V-band provides multi-gigabit throughput in a license-free, interference-free spectrum. The extremely narrow beam width means virtually no chance of interference from neighboring links.

• Range: Up to 15 km (depending on equipment and atmospheric conditions)
• Throughput: 1-2 Gbps full duplex
• Advantages: Complete immunity to 5 GHz noise, very high throughput, narrow beam enhances security
• Disadvantages: Severely affected by rain — a critical concern during Lebanon's rainy season (November through March). Oxygen absorption limits range.

Recommended 60 GHz equipment:

• Ubiquiti airFiber 60 LR — Long-range 60 GHz radio capable of links up to 12+ km in clear conditions. Provides up to 2 Gbps throughput with a highly focused beam. Excellent for mountain-to-mountain links during dry months, but operators should plan for reduced throughput during heavy Mediterranean storms.
• Ubiquiti airFiber 60 XR — Extended-range variant with an even larger integrated dish for maximum distance. Purpose-built for long-range backbone links where 5 GHz interference is unacceptable.

Frequency Comparison Table

Link Budget Calculation: The Foundation of Reliable Bridges

A link budget is the mathematical equation that determines whether your wireless bridge will work before you buy a single piece of equipment. It accounts for transmit power, antenna gain, free-space path loss, cable losses, and required signal-to-noise ratio. Skipping this step is the number one cause of failed bridge installations in Lebanon.

The Link Budget Formula

The core equation is:

Received Signal (dBm) = Tx Power (dBm) + Tx Antenna Gain (dBi) + Rx Antenna Gain (dBi) - Free Space Path Loss (dB) - Cable/Connector Losses (dB)

Free Space Path Loss (FSPL) is calculated as:

FSPL (dB) = 20 * log10(distance in km) + 20 * log10(frequency in GHz) + 92.45

Worked Example: 10 km 5 GHz Link in Mount Lebanon

Consider a Mimosa B5c link across a valley in Keserwan, connecting two hilltop locations 10 km apart:

• Transmit Power: 27 dBm (per radio)
• Antenna Gain: 25 dBi (using 2-ft parabolic dishes on each end)
• Frequency: 5.5 GHz
• FSPL at 10 km / 5.5 GHz: 20*log10(10) + 20*log10(5.5) + 92.45 = 20 + 14.8 + 92.45 = 127.3 dB
• Cable/connector loss: 1 dB per side = 2 dB total
• Received Signal: 27 + 25 + 25 - 127.3 - 2 = -52.3 dBm

The Mimosa B5c requires approximately -67 dBm for maximum modulation (1024-QAM). At -52.3 dBm you have a fade margin of 14.7 dB — enough to handle moderate rain attenuation and atmospheric fluctuations. This link will run at full speed reliably year-round in Lebanese conditions.

Adding Margin for Lebanese Weather

Lebanon's Mediterranean climate brings heavy rain from November through March, and occasional fog in mountain valleys. For 5 GHz links, add 5-10 dB of fade margin for rain. For 60 GHz links, add 15-25 dB for heavy rain. If your link budget cannot accommodate this margin, shorten the link distance or increase antenna gain.

Antenna Alignment: Getting It Right

Even the best equipment will fail if antennas are misaligned. At 5 GHz with a 25 dBi dish, the beamwidth is approximately 8 degrees — meaning a misalignment of just 4 degrees can halve your signal strength. At 60 GHz, beamwidths narrow to 1-2 degrees, making precise alignment essential.

Step-by-Step Alignment Procedure

• Pre-survey: Use Google Earth or a mapping application to confirm line-of-sight between both locations. In Lebanon's mountainous terrain, a ridge that looks clear on a flat map may actually block the signal path. Calculate the Fresnel zone clearance — at 5 GHz over 10 km, the first Fresnel zone requires approximately 10 meters of clearance above any obstacle at the midpoint.
• Rough aim: Use a compass or GPS bearing to point both antennas toward each other. Many installers in Lebanon use smartphone compass apps combined with coordinates from the site survey.
• Signal sweep: With the far-end radio powered on, slowly pan the near-end antenna horizontally while monitoring the received signal indicator. Once you find the peak horizontally, tilt vertically to maximize. Repeat on the far end.
• Fine tune: Adjust in 1-degree increments, monitoring both signal strength and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Maximize SNR, not just raw signal. A strong signal in a noisy direction is worse than a slightly weaker signal in a clean direction.
• Lock and weatherproof: Once aligned, tighten all mounting hardware firmly. Apply weatherproof sealant to connectors and cable entries. Lebanon's coastal humidity and winter storms will corrode exposed connections within months.

Lebanese Terrain Challenges and Solutions

Mountain-to-Mountain Links

Lebanon's mountain ranges create both opportunities and obstacles. Towers placed on ridgelines in Mount Lebanon or the Anti-Lebanon range can achieve extraordinary line-of-sight distances. A Mimosa B11 deployed on a ridgeline above Bsharri can reach a tower near Baalbek across the Bekaa Valley — a span exceeding 30 km — if the Fresnel zone is unobstructed.

However, valleys create thermal inversions that can bend radio signals, particularly in early morning hours. ISP operators in Mount Lebanon should monitor link performance across a full 24-hour cycle before declaring a link stable.

Urban Beirut Rooftop Links

Connecting buildings across Beirut's dense urban landscape presents the opposite challenge: short distances but extreme radio interference. Hundreds of 5 GHz radios on neighboring rooftops create a noise floor that can reach -80 dBm or worse in areas like Hamra, Ashrafieh, and Verdun.

Solutions for urban links:

• Use 24 GHz (Mimosa B24) or 60 GHz (Ubiquiti airFiber 60 LR) to escape the 5 GHz noise floor entirely
• If 5 GHz is required, use narrow channel widths (20 MHz instead of 40/80 MHz) and high-gain directional antennas to reject off-axis interference
• Deploy GPS-synchronized radios like the Mimosa B5c to coordinate transmit/receive timing and avoid self-interference between co-located links

Mediterranean Weather Impact

Lebanon's Mediterranean climate produces distinct seasonal challenges for wireless links:

• Winter rains (Nov-Mar): Heavy rainfall attenuates 60 GHz signals significantly. A link designed for 2 Gbps in summer may drop to 500 Mbps during a storm. Design 60 GHz links with 20+ dB rain margin or plan for automatic failover to a 5 GHz backup.
• Summer humidity (Jun-Sep): Coastal humidity increases atmospheric absorption slightly at higher frequencies. The impact on 5 GHz is negligible, but 60 GHz links near the coast may see 1-2 dB additional loss compared to mountain deployments.
• Wind loading: Coastal and mountaintop sites in Lebanon experience strong winds, particularly during winter storms. Dish antennas above 3 feet in diameter require heavy-duty mounts and guy wires. Factor wind load into your mounting hardware specification.

PtMP Deployment for WISPs

Lebanese WISPs serving residential and business subscribers typically deploy PtMP base stations on towers or tall buildings, with CPE (customer premises equipment) radios at each subscriber location.

Base Station Equipment

For the access point side, choose equipment based on your subscriber density and throughput requirements:

• MikroTik BaseBox 5 — Outdoor 5 GHz radio with full RouterOS capabilities. Connect an external sector antenna for coverage spanning 60-120 degrees. The built-in RouterOS handles PPPoE, bandwidth management, and firewall rules directly on the radio, reducing the need for a separate router at smaller tower sites.
• MikroTik BaseBox 2 — The 2.4 GHz variant for situations where 2.4 GHz penetration is needed. Useful for reaching subscribers behind dense foliage or in areas where 5 GHz is over-saturated. The 2.4 GHz band penetrates walls and vegetation better than 5 GHz, making it suitable for rural deployments in the Bekaa Valley where trees and agricultural structures obstruct paths.

CPE Selection

At the subscriber end, the CPE radio needs enough gain to close the link back to the base station:

• Mimosa C5x — Modular CPE with interchangeable antennas covering 4.9-6.4 GHz. Supports twist-on antennas from 8 dBi panel to 25 dBi dish. For subscribers within 3 km, use the compact panel. For subscribers 5-15 km out, attach a dish for higher gain. This modularity makes the C5x the most versatile CPE in Lebanon.
• Mimosa C5c — Connectorized CPE that accepts standard N-type antenna connections. Pair it with any third-party antenna for maximum flexibility. Ideal for operators who already have antenna inventory from previous deployments.
• Mimosa C6x — Integrated CPE with built-in directional antenna. A self-contained unit for quick subscriber installations where mounting a separate dish is impractical. Covers 4.9-6.4 GHz with integrated 16 dBi gain.

Regulatory Considerations in Lebanon

Lebanon's telecommunications regulatory environment requires awareness of several factors when deploying wireless bridges:

• 5 GHz spectrum: The 5 GHz band is generally used for license-exempt point-to-point and point-to-multipoint links in Lebanon. However, operators deploying high-power links should be aware of DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) requirements on certain channels to avoid interference with radar systems.
• 60 GHz spectrum: The 60 GHz V-band is license-free in most jurisdictions including Lebanon, making it attractive for operators wanting to avoid regulatory complexity.
• 24 GHz spectrum: The 24 GHz ISM band is available for short-range links. Verify current regulations before deploying in this band.
• EIRP limits: Maximum Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power limits may apply. Using high-gain antennas with full-power radios can exceed limits. Check current OGERO and TRA guidelines, or consult HI-GAIN's engineering team for guidance.
• Tower and rooftop installations: Building owners and municipalities may have requirements for rooftop equipment installations. Secure proper permission before mounting equipment, particularly in Beirut and other densely populated areas.

Throughput Expectations: Marketing vs Reality

Manufacturers advertise peak throughput numbers achieved under laboratory conditions — clean spectrum, zero interference, maximum modulation, maximum channel width. Real-world Lebanese deployments typically achieve 50-70% of these numbers. Here is what to realistically expect:

The 24 GHz and 60 GHz products maintain their throughput regardless of surrounding 5 GHz noise — a decisive advantage in Lebanese cities.

Real-World Deployment Scenarios in Lebanon

Scenario 1: ISP Backbone Across the Bekaa Valley

A WISP in Zahle needs to connect its main NOC to a distribution tower 18 km away on a hillside overlooking Chtaura. The terrain is open with excellent line of sight across agricultural land.

Solution: Mimosa B5c radios with 3-foot parabolic dish antennas on each end. At 18 km on 5 GHz, the FSPL is approximately 131 dB. With 25 dBi dishes and 27 dBm transmit power, the received signal sits around -57 dBm — well above the threshold for gigabit modulation. This link delivers 700+ Mbps real-world throughput and remains stable through winter rain with over 10 dB fade margin.

Scenario 2: Office Building Connection in Central Beirut

A financial firm needs to connect its main office in Hamra to a data center in Achrafieh, approximately 2 km across the city. The 5 GHz noise floor on both rooftops measures -78 dBm.

Solution: Mimosa B24 at 24 GHz. At 2 km, the link operates in the B24's optimal range with strong signal and zero interference. The firm gets a dedicated 1+ Gbps connection with sub-millisecond latency, unaffected by the surrounding 5 GHz chaos. The self-contained units require no external antennas, simplifying rooftop installation.

Scenario 3: Hotel Campus in Jounieh

A resort hotel needs to extend its network from the main lobby building to a pool area building 300 m away and a hillside villa block 800 m uphill.

Solution: Ubiquiti airFiber 60 XR for the 800 m hillside link (2 Gbps, immune to the hotel's existing WiFi interference) and a Mimosa B5x for the 300 m pool link (simple, cost-effective, and sufficient capacity for guest WiFi backhaul).

Scenario 4: WISP Subscriber Distribution in Mount Lebanon

A WISP operating from a tower in Bikfaya needs to serve 40 subscribers spread across villages in the surrounding 120-degree sector, at distances from 1 to 8 km.

Solution: MikroTik BaseBox 5 as the access point, paired with a 120-degree 17 dBi sector antenna. Subscribers within 3 km use Mimosa C6x integrated CPEs for quick installation. Subscribers at 5-8 km use Mimosa C5x radios with 20 dBi dish antennas for the extra gain needed to close the longer links.

Installation Best Practices for Lebanon

• Grounding: Every outdoor radio and antenna mount must be properly grounded. Lightning strikes are common in the Lebanese mountains, particularly on exposed ridgelines. Use copper grounding wire and lightning arrestors on every coaxial cable run.
• Weatherproofing: Seal all outdoor Ethernet connections with self-amalgamating tape and weatherproof boots. Lebanon's coastal humidity and salt air corrode unprotected connectors within a single winter season.
• PoE and surge protection: Install Ethernet surge protectors at both the radio and indoor switch ends. Voltage spikes from generator switchovers — a daily occurrence in Lebanon — can destroy PoE equipment.
• Cable management: Use UV-resistant outdoor-rated Ethernet cable. Standard indoor Cat5e degrades rapidly under direct sunlight. Run cable through conduit where possible to protect from physical damage and UV exposure.
• Power backup: Every bridge radio should be on a UPS. A 15-minute UPS at each end covers generator switchover gaps and prevents link drops during power transitions.

Get Expert Help from HI-GAIN

HI-GAIN stocks the full range of Mimosa, Ubiquiti, and MikroTik wireless bridge equipment at our warehouse in Dora, Beirut. Our engineering team has designed and deployed hundreds of wireless links across Lebanon, from short urban rooftop hops to 40+ km mountain backbone links.

We provide:

• Free link budget calculations and path analysis for your specific deployment
• Equipment recommendations based on your distance, throughput, and budget requirements
• On-site installation support and antenna alignment services
• Post-installation monitoring and troubleshooting

Visit our Dora, Beirut warehouse, check our real-time product availability, or call +961 3 337 666 to discuss your wireless bridge project with our engineers.