Sometimes the hardest part of extending a network is simply getting from one building to the next. Running fiber may be expensive, disruptive, or impractical, while adding separate Internet connections introduces recurring costs. The Grandstream GWN7302 wireless bridging device offers another option: a high-speed wireless bridge that can link buildings and facilities over distances of up to 3.1 miles (5 km).
This device is especially useful for linking buildings and facilities on a campus, allowing them to communicate and share network services such as internet connectivity. In this article, we review this Grandstream device, share its advanced features, and explore the most common use cases for which it is best suited.
The GWN7302 wireless bridging device offers businesses a quickly deployable, reliable, and cost-effective way to interconnect buildings and facilities located within a few miles of each other. Wireless links can reach up to 3.1 miles (5 km) with aggregate wireless data rates of up to 2.4 Gbps. At such speeds, a pair of GWN7302 devices can establish a high-speed data connection between buildings that carries voice, data, collaboration services, security camera feeds, facility management transmissions, and any other network services that rely on IP communications.
Although wireless bridging is based on Wi-Fi technology, it operates quite differently than a conventional wireless access point (WAP). In wireless bridging, two wireless bridge devices form a point-to-point link, essentially creating a “bridge” analogous to a single Ethernet cable between their respective networks. This allows devices in one building to access network services available in the other without requiring a separate ISP connection, a VPN, or any third-party services. The following diagram illustrates how a wireless bridge provides a branch location's workstation and IP phone with access to all the services that their counterparts at headquarters (HQ) enjoy.
Network services that can be shared in this fashion include internet connectivity, IP telephony, corporate email, access to local databases, intranet access, collaboration systems, and any other network services made available at the HQ location.
The diagram above shows a point-to-point link, where one building’s network is connected to another's. However, the GWN7302 is not only a point-to-point (PtP) device but also a point-to-multipoint (PtMP) device. This means that a single GWN7302 in one building can connect to up to four GWN7302 devices, forming a star topology.
Note that in a point-to-multipoint (PtMP) deployment, all remote wireless bridges share the hub device's available wireless capacity and airtime. Thus, the maximum aggregate speed of 2.4 Gbps is shared across all links it creates in the point-to-multipoint topology.
For more detailed information about wireless bridging design and best practices, take a look at the TeleDynamics Wireless Bridging Guide.
These Grandstream wireless bridges feature a 2×2:2 MIMO antenna configuration and use time division multiple access (TDMA) technology to improve spectrum utilization efficiency and enhance network stability. The device conforms to the IEEE 802.11ax wireless standard, offering advanced Wi-Fi 6 capabilities. It operates in the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, which provides a substantially more usable spectrum with more non-overlapping channels than the 2.4 GHz band.
Together with its 13.5 dBi directional antennas, these radio capabilities allow the GWN7302 to provide an aggregate wireless data rate of up to 2.4 Gbps and a maximum link distance of 3 miles. However, note that these are maximum specifications; actual throughput decreases with distance and is affected by interference and environmental conditions.
With advanced QoS features such as 802.11e/WMM, 802.1p, 802.1Q, and ToS support, time-sensitive services such as VoIP and online collaboration applications can receive prioritized treatment during periods of congestion, helping minimize latency, jitter, and packet loss across the wireless link.
The Grandstream wireless bridge supports Power over Ethernet (PoE), allowing it to be powered over the Ethernet cable using PoE/PoE+ standards such as 802.3af and 802.3at, but that’s not all. The GWN7302 also has a PoE-enabled port to power nearby devices, such as cameras, sensors, and wireless access points that provide connectivity to local wireless clients. PoE allows devices to be deployed with minimal provisioning costs for power and network connectivity. This means that you can install the wireless bridge, power it via PoE or a DC input, and then provide both network connectivity and PoE power to an IP camera directly from the GWN7302 PoE output port, as shown in the following diagram.
The GWN7302 also sports a green Phoenix connector for DC power input, as shown in the image below. This is the same type of power connector used for the Grandstream GWN7605CLR outdoor access point. More information on the advantages of using this connector to power your device is in that article.
Note that the available PoE output depends on the bridge's power source. Grandstream specifies up to 13 watts of output when the GWN7302 is powered via PoE+, increasing to 25 W when powered using a 24-volt DC/2 A supply via the Phoenix connector.
The GWN7302 is an attractive choice for network administrators because it includes a range of management, security, and network features designed to simplify deployment and long-term administration.
The GWN7302 also supports the GWN App. During installation, an administrator can connect to the device's management Wi-Fi broadcast and use the app to configure it when accessing it via the wired LAN is inconvenient. Once installed, the device can be managed in multiple ways: through its local web interface, the GWN App, the on-premises GWN Manager, or via the GDMS cloud platform.
Additional features help further simplify installation and troubleshooting, including one-key pairing, signal-strength LEDs, a built-in antenna-alignment tool, link testing, and a spectrum analyzer. VLAN support and WPA2/WPA3-PSK provide additional network segmentation and wireless security capabilities.
The GWN7302 is designed for outdoor installations, so it features an IP66-rated weather-resistant enclosure and can operate in temperatures ranging from -30°C to 60°C. Wall and pole mounting hardware is also included for flexible deployment options, while signal-strength LEDs help installers align the directional antennas during deployment.
Wireless bridges are ideal for connecting nearby buildings and facilities where a clear line of sight exists and where running physical cabling would be difficult, expensive, or impossible. Use cases for wireless bridging include university campuses, factories, hospitality facilities, parking lots, construction sites, warehouses, and other distributed locations. These are sites that require reliable network connectivity without relying on additional ISP circuits or other third-party services.
These links are extremely cost-effective because, after the initial equipment and installation expense, they eliminate the recurring carrier circuit fees that would otherwise be required to connect the sites. There are essentially no recurring costs beyond occasional scheduled maintenance. In addition, they use the unlicensed 5 GHz band reserved for Wi-Fi, so no costly or time-consuming frequency licensing is necessary.
The GWN7302 provides a practical and cost-effective way to extend network connectivity between buildings and facilities within range. These devices offer PtP and PtMP operation, up to 3 miles of range, Wi-Fi 6 and TDMA technology, flexible PoE options, IP66 weather protection, and multiple management tools. All of these features make the devices particularly well suited to campuses, industrial facilities, parking areas, construction sites, and other distributed environments.
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