Ubiquiti airFiber60 vs MikroTik LHG 60G - comparison of two giants in 60GHz band

Efficient radio systems operating in 60GHz band frequencies are becoming increasingly popular. They allow to create fast connections over short distances, usually up to 1-2 km. These products from Ubiquiti and MikroTik are referred to as giants because they offer excellent performance, high reliability and optimal performance at an attractive price. What is the difference between airFiber60 AF60 and MikroTik LHG 60G? What results did they achieve, and will they work well in standard applications?

The airFiber60 AF60 radio link is a refined proposal for a radio system operating in 60 GHz. It is a perfect combination of a radio line operating in this frequency with a 5 GHz backup line, also equipped with a built-in GPS. The AF60 provides connectivity with low interference and at the same time high bandwidth up to 1 Gbps at even 2000 meters. Delays are low, providing performance comparable to wired connections. The 60 GHz link supports two channel widths ( 1 or 2 GHz) switched automatically, depending on the performance of the link being created. WPA2-PSK (AES) or WPA2 Enterprise signal encryption ensures security of transmitted data. The device has a built-in RJ-45 port operating in 10/100/1000M Gigabit Ethernet standard, allowing for Power supply in the Passive PoE standard on pins 4, 5+ and 7, 8-. Maximum power consumption is 11 W and a gigabit PoE adapter 24VDC, 0.5 A is included. AirFiber60 Ubiquiti has a wide operating temperature range from -40 to 60°C, 5-95% humidity, and high wind resistance to 200 km/h. The casing is made of lightweight aluminum and UV-resistant polycarbonate. The set includes two additional stabilizer arms. The antenna gain at 5 GHz is 11 dBi, and at 60 GHz - 38 dBi. The device provides intuitive operation, and Power/Ethernet/5G/60G/GPS signaling LEDs make theverification of operation status easy.

A radio system set MikroTik LHG 60G like its predecessor operates in the 60 GHz band. It creates a pre-paired, AES-encrypted link with good speed and stability, as well as high data security. Transmission, according to the manufacturer's specifications, can reach a total of up to 1.8 Gbps at distances up to 1500 meters. The device provides compatibility with IEEE 802.11ad wireless transmission standard on 60 GHz band. The device is powered by 802.3af/at PoE standard via RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000 Mbps. According to the manufacturer's declaration it consumes a maximum power of 5 W, voltage 12-57 V. A suitable PoE adapter is included. LHG 60G MikroTik can operate in the temperature range from -40°C to 70°C. Appropriately selected materials ensure good strength in various conditions. Data processing efficiency by the device is ensured by a quad-core processor based on 32-bit architecture, 256 MB RAM and 16 MB Flash. The Wireless Wire Dish has a set of LEDs that provide an easy link and information about the status and operation of equipment. The manufacturer guarantees free software updates up to 5 years after purchase.

Although the performance of MikroTik LHG 60G and airFiber60 AF60 has been tested under slightly different conditions, the tests indicate excellent performance and ease of configuration. The frequency of operation of the 60 GHz radio line is independent of standard WIFi network interference occurring in high urban density.

In the following links you will find a detailed discussion of our tests :

Ubiquiti airFiber60 | AF60 - field performance test

MikroTik LHG 60G - Efficient radio line for 60GHz for 1000 PLN. Is it possible?

The MikroTik Wireless Dish (RBLHGG-60ad kitr2) was tested at a distance of 500 meters in urban conditions, but in an open street, not covered by obstacles. In the field conditions, power supply was provided by two EXTRALINK 12V 7.2AH batteries connected in series and a buffer power supply AD-155B. The capacity was tested with the built-in functionality MikroTik - BTest, as well as with the use of iperf via Jperf application, based on TCP and UDP protocols. The devices have been updated to provide the latest firmware version for effective testing. We have configured them into bridge mode at 58320MHz. Antennas have been set and we have obtained RSSI -57dBm and PHY Rate 2.3Gbps.

Tests on UDP level using BTest gave effects:

receive 870Mbps - 72 500p/s,

send 572Mbps - 47 200p/s,

both 660/713 Mbps.

TCP tests using Jperf-2.0.2, laptops with a Gigabit Ethernet port and an Intel Core i5 Series processor have produced results:

Single stream - over 900Mbps,

Five streams - over 700Mbps.

Up to a distance of 1 km, the Wireless Wire Dish kit gives optimal results, providing a transfer rate of close to 1 Gbps at a really good price.

You can find a detailed discussion of our test in the article - MikroTik LHG 60G - 60GHz Efficient radio for 1000 PLN. Is it possible?

Two AF60 devices in combination with Mikrotik hEX S (RB760IGS) routers and Extralink AGM 12V 9Ah batteries have been tested in the field, creating a 1500 m link. The devices were first updated to provide the latest software version. The mode of operation has been set to Access Pont, 64800MHz channel, with a channel width of 2160MHz, and for a 5 GHz backup link the 5120MHz channel is outside the DFS and 80 MHz wide. Output power of 25dBm. Adjusting the antennas turned out to be easy, we quickly managed to get the signal at -65dBm. The tests were based on the built-in functionality of Ubiquiti SpeedTest devices in the Transmit, Receive, Duplex range for 30 seconds, as well as Mikrotik Bandwidth The test is on UDP level. The tests gave surprisingly good results:

Ubiquiti: Transmit 1002.14Mbps, Receive 978.34Mbps, Duplex 839.66Mbps / 826.97Mbps,

Microtik UDP: Receive 971.4 Mbps, Send 972Mbps, Both 873.8Mbps / 864.4Mbps

In good weather, at distances as long as 1.5 - 2 km, Ubiquiti airFiber 60 GHz works perfectly, providing a reliable alternative to fiber optic connection.

More information can be found in our article - Ubiquiti airFiber60 | AF60 - Field Performance Test

The set of radio systems from MikroTik is complete, preconfigured and ready to use. It provides basic functionality, good performance and effective range up to 1500m. In case of the device from Ubiquiti, there is a radio with antenna and mounting kit and PoE adapter available. The device works perfectly at distances up to 2000m. AirFiber 60 has more features than LHG 60 MikroTik because it provides a backup link and GPS location. It also provides better results of bandwidth tests. Of course, the software of the devices is also diverse, manufacturer-specific. Ultimately, the choice depends on the needs, how the radio link is used, the need to provide a backup solution, and the budget that can be allocated to this solution.

Both devices offer excellent performance during good weather at the distances recommended by the manufacturer, which we confirmed with tests. The prices of the devices are similar. In the case of the MikroTik radio link you get a complete, paired set of two LHG 60G devices, power supplies with PoE injectors, as well as assembly kits. AF60 Ubiquiti is a device with a mast mounting kit and a PoE power supply unit with a cable. The way of mounting the devices and setting up the link is not a big problem. It is obvious that in case of strong interference resulting from unfavorable weather or appearance of physical obstacles on the route the performance of the solution decreases, but AirFiber 60 has a backup link at 5GHz, less susceptible to interference. It is worth considering using the radio line in many situations, both to create backup links for the fiber optic cable, as well as reliable solutions for business.