Ubiquiti airFiber: Setting Up and Aligning a Point-to-Point Link

Ubiquiti airFiber is the value leader in point-to-point backhaul, but a link only performs as well as its install. This guide walks the real-world steps: choosing the model, mounting and roughly aiming the radios, fine-aligning for signal, and confirming the link is stable before you trust traffic to it. The radios below are in stock in our Point-to-Point Wireless collection.

Pick the model for the distance

Start from distance and line of sight, then size throughput with headroom. Browse the full lineup under Ubiquiti or the Point-to-Point Wireless collection.

Before you climb: survey the path

A point-to-point link lives or dies on line of sight. Confirm a clear Fresnel zone between the two points — no trees that will leaf out, rooftops, or towers in the path — and note the GPS coordinates of each end. Higher frequencies (60/24 GHz) are less forgiving of any obstruction than 5 GHz, so survey honestly.

Mount and roughly aim

Mount each radio on a rigid, vibration-free structure — a flimsy mount is the most common cause of a link that drifts out in wind. Use the GPS coordinates (or a compass bearing and a map) to point each dish at the other end before you ever look at signal. Get both ends within a few degrees first; fine alignment only works once you are roughly on target.

Configure the link

Power each radio over its PoE injector and reach its web interface (airOS/airFiber UI) in a browser, or adopt it into UISP for central management. Set one end as Master and the other as Slave, match the frequency/channel and SSID/link name and security key on both ends, and set the distance. Both ends must agree or the link won't establish.

Fine-align for signal

With the link attempting to associate, use the radio's alignment tool (the on-board signal/RSSI readout, or the alignment tone on some models) and adjust each dish slowly in azimuth, then elevation, to peak the received signal. Aim for the manufacturer's target RSSI and a clean, balanced signal on both chains. Lock down every bolt once peaked, then re-check — tightening a mount often shifts the aim slightly.

Confirm it's stable before you trust it

Don't declare victory on signal alone. Check the link capacity/modulation rate matches what the model should deliver at your distance, run a throughput test end to end, and watch it for a while — ideally through a windy period — to be sure the aim holds and the modulation doesn't drop under real conditions. Only then cut production traffic over to it.

Frequently asked questions

How precise does airFiber alignment need to be?

Very, at high frequencies. 60 GHz dishes have narrow beams, so you align in small increments and peak the on-board signal reading. 5 GHz is more forgiving but still rewards careful aiming. A rigid mount is as important as the aim itself.

Can I manage airFiber centrally?

Yes. Adopt the radios into UISP (Ubiquiti's ISP platform) to monitor signal, throughput, and uptime, push config, and get alerts — the same platform most WISPs already use for their Ubiquiti gear.

What ruins an airFiber link most often?

Three things: an obstructed path (survey line of sight first), a flimsy or vibrating mount (the link drifts in wind), and mismatched settings between ends (frequency, link name, or distance). Rule those out and the link is rock-solid.

Do both ends have to be the same airFiber model?

Yes — a point-to-point link uses a matched pair from the same airFiber family on both ends. Different links across your network can use different models.

Licensed or unlicensed?

The airFiber models here run in unlicensed 5/24/60 GHz bands in the US, so there's no coordination to do. Choose licensed options only when you need protected spectrum in a congested area.

Standing up a link? Browse Point-to-Point Wireless or tell us the distance and capacity and we'll spec the pair.