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	Issue TOC Print full article Print this page Download as PDF E-Mail this URL Flame the author     In this article Introduction Going to Market Assessing the Risks Executive Summary A Spectrum of Choice Make Your Case: Determining Real ROI Epoll Results

We can see the personal ad now: "Sick of sexy mobile technologies taking your money then leaving you vulnerable? Tired of T3 leased lines that squeeze your budget dry? Consider hooking up with a cheap and available fixed wireless link. You won't be disappointed."

OK, so maybe we've gotten too much dating-service spam lately, but fixed point-to-point wireless is undeniably underappreciated. Consider some of its many charms: ROI that just won't quit, reliability, security, and the ability to free your branch offices from the pain of dial-up connections without running fiber or forking over big bucks to LECs. And for those IT veterans who remember the high costs and complex installation of yesteryear's licensed microwave systems, today's offerings are affordable and operate in the unlicensed 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz ISM bands or a 5-GHz UNII band. You can deploy and maintain them yourself, or take advantage of many experienced systems integrators that have set up shop. What's not to love?

We gathered six enterprise-level 5-GHz fixed wireless systems in our Syracuse University Real-World Labs®. After putting wares from Airaya, BitRage, Proxim, RadioLAN, Wi-LAN and Young Design through their paces, we singled out Proxim's QuickBridge 60 as our Editor's Choice, but your mileage may vary depending on your need for speed, budget and manageability requirements. Check out our findings in our review, and if you decide to take the plunge, let us know how things turn out.