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Review: Point-to-Point Systems: Page 6 of 15

Alvarion positions the B100 as a good solution for carrying voice traffic thanks to its support for both ToS and DiffServ (DSCP) QoS tagging; both methods worked well in our tests and effectively prioritized the VoIP traffic we sent, even when our link was near capacity.

Overall, we found the Alvarion BreezeNet B100 a solid contender for budget-minded enterprises that need near-Fast Ethernet capacity and are willing to trade off some of the bells and whistles found in higher-priced systems from Motorola or Proxim.

Motorola PTP 600

Motorola expanded its P2P (point-to-point) wireless portfolio with the acquisition of Orthogon Systems in 2006. Rebranded under the Motorola "wi4 fixed" product line, these PTP 600 radios offer several technological advancements that allow for high-performance links, even under challenging conditions. Whereas competing systems in our review used a single antenna to create a P2P link, Motorola provides two spatially separated antennas with different polarization (one vertical, one horizontal). This antenna diversity provides better reliability in cases where line of sight is less than ideal, while optimizing performance where line of sight is better.

Mounting and configuration were a breeze. Although we didn't set up the PTP 600 radios outdoors, we did walk through the alignment process, which is aided by audible tones. As the tones get higher in pitch, link quality is improved; when the signal reaches the threshold of pain--a very high pitched, single tone--you know your link is established. Of course, you've also driven every dog in the vicinity nuts.