Installation Guide: Configuring NanoStation / NanoBeam / PowerBeam / LiteBeam as PtP WiFi Bridge

Below, we provide you with an illustrated guide for the installation and configuration of two Ubiquiti NanoStation / NanoBeam / PowerBeam / LiteBeam as a WiFi bridge. In our installation guide, we refer to the use of two Ubiquiti NanoStation Loco M5, meaning a 5 GHz WiFi bridge. However, the guide can be used universally for all NanoStation / NanoBeam / NanoBridge models, regardless of whether they are 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 10 GHz, or ac. - Please note that this is an example configuration of a simple WiFi bridge. Therefore, we will focus only on the essential configuration parameters.


1) Configuration of the first station:

1.1) Connect the first NanoStation / NanoBeam / NanoBridge to your PC / notebook via a network cable.

1.2) In order to access the NanoStation / NanoBeam / NanoBridge, you need to assign a static IP address to your PC / notebook. The Ubiquiti components come with a default IP address of 192.168.1.20 – assign your PC / notebook an IP address from the same subnet, e.g., 192.168.1.10 – If you're not sure how to do this, Google can help you reliably :) - Before changing the IP address of the computer you are using to configure the NanoStation / NanoBeam / NanoBridge, please make a note of the current value. At the end of the configuration, you will need to revert this setting back to its original value.

1.3) Now, open the configuration interface of the NanoStation / NanoBeam / NanoBridge in any browser. Enter the IP address, 192.168.1.20, into the address field of the browser:




1.4) The default username and password are set to: ubnt

1.5) Choose the country in the "Country" field where the WiFi bridge will be operated. This will also automatically set all the default settings to comply with the legal communication regulations of the respective country.

1.6) In the "Language" field, select the desired language, then log in.

1.7) For the configuration of the WiFi bridge, we are interested in two menus. Let's start with the "Wireless" menu:




1.8) Select the "Access Point WDS" mode under "Wireless Mode".

1.9) In the "SSID" field, enter a name for the WiFi network. Optionally, you can check the "Hide SSID" box. This will make the network invisible to others.

1.10) In the "Frequency" field, you can set a fixed frequency/channel. For 2.4 GHz-based WiFi bridges, it’s best to leave it on automatic. For 5 GHz-based WiFi bridges, it’s a good idea to choose a channel starting at "5500", as this will allow the full transmission power of up to 1000mW.

1.11) Under "Security", select "WPA2-AES" with "PSK". Enter a password under "Key". This will encrypt the connection between the two NanoStations.

1.12) No further selection fields need to be changed. Now click "Change" and then again on "Apply" to confirm and apply the settings.

1.13) Now, switch to the "Network" menu:




1.14) Adjust the IP address of the NanoStation / NanoBeam / NanoBridge according to your network. It is recommended to assign a static IP address here to always allow direct access to the NanoStation / NanoBeam / NanoBridge. For example, if you have a DSL router in your network with the IP address 192.168.1.1, assign the NanoStation / NanoBeam / NanoBridge an IP address from the same subnet, e.g., 192.168.1.2 – Enter this under "IP Address". In the "Gateway" field, enter the IP address of the router in your network, i.e., 192.168.1.1.

1.15) No further selection fields need to be changed. Now click "Change" and then again on "Apply" to confirm and apply the settings. If the IP address was set to a different subnet than in the example, a page loading error will occur, but this is correct.

1.16) Device number 1 is now fully configured.



2) Configuration of the second station:

2.1) This is configured in a similar way – Connect the NanoStation / NanoBeam / NanoBridge to your PC / notebook via a network cable, log into the configuration interface (see above), and switch to the "Wireless" menu.




2.2) Select "Station WDS" mode under "Wireless Mode".

2.3) Important: In the "SSID" field, enter the EXACT same name for the WiFi network that you used in the configuration of the first station.

2.4) Important: Under "Security", select "WPA2-AES" with "PSK" and enter the EXACT same password you used for the first station configuration.

2.5) No further selection fields need to be changed. Now click "Change" and then again on "Apply" to confirm and apply the settings.

2.6) Now, switch to the "Network" menu:




2.7) Here, adjust the IP address of the NanoStation / NanoBeam / NanoBridge according to the subnet in which it will operate. Following the example above, assign the IP address 192.168.1.3 – Please note that you cannot operate two identical IP addresses in the same network. They MUST always be different.

2.8) For the "Gateway IP", enter the router’s IP address again (see above) – 192.168.1.1.

2.9) Now click "Change" and "Apply" and this station is now fully configured :)

2.10) Additionally, to further increase throughput, you can go to the far left menu, click the Ubiquiti logo, and activate the AirMAX protocol. This must be done on both devices. Important: This will only work if you are using Ubiquiti components within the WiFi bridge.

2.11) No further selection fields need to be changed. Again, click "Change" and "Apply" and the configuration is complete! :)

2.12) Now revert the IP address of your computer back to the original value, as mentioned in point 1.2.


Now you can connect both NanoStation / NanoBeam / NanoBridge to your network(s) and put the WiFi bridge into operation.

It is generally recommended to change the access passwords for the configuration interface of the NanoStation / NanoBeam / NanoBridge. It is also advisable to update the firmware to the latest version. You can always find the latest firmware directly on the Ubiquiti website.

We hope this step-by-step guide has been helpful to you.