Are you planning a wireless network where obstructions such as trees or buildings are in your line of sight path?

NLOS or Non-Line of Sight wi-fi applications requires lower frequency radio waves to penetrate obstructions found along the way.

Of the unlicensed ISM frequencies used in the United States, 900 MHz is the perfect choice for NLOS wireless networking.

The 900 MHz license-free frequency allows wireless transmissions to travel distances of up to 1,500 feet or more with obstructions such as trees in the way using directional or yagi antennas with at least 15dBi of gain.  For indoor wireless NLOS applications, some higher-powered 900 MHz radios can penetrate up to 10 walls!  We use 900MHz to connect buildings when the AP must be installed indoors, and line of sight is not available.  Connecting remote solar controllers is easy with a 900MHz wireless bridge.

900MHz Limitations

For all of the benefits of using 900 MHz in NLOS applications, there are also some drawbacks and limitations including:

• Limited amount of unlicensed bandwidth in the 900 MHz spectrum (only 26 MHz). This means that if there are a lot of other devices nearby using the same spectrum range then an increased amount of “noise” from the other devices could adversely affect the signal quality.  If you are installing 900MHz close to cell towers, police stations, or emergency services, expect there to be some interference.
• 900 MHz supports lower data rates than the 2.4 and 5 GHz ISM frequency bands, in most cases only 15 to 30 Mbps maximum throughput.
• In most countries outside of the United States, 900MHz is not open for unlicensed use

If your application involves NLOS conditions and you require a point-to-point RF Ethernet bridge, 900MHz is the solution for you.

GNS Wireless carries a wide range of 900 MHz wireless products. Contact us today for more information.