First Impressions

Two new ClearSignal units arrived on Monday morning from AirLive. On first impressions the WL-5470POE and WH-5420CPE are packaged and present as high quality professional units.

First testing of the WL-5470POE

I have begun testing the WL-5470POE indoor unit to become more familiar with the setup and I so far have found it very easy to setup and is doing all the things expected as described in their instructions manual. So rather than posting a whole bunch of screen grabs, here is the WL-5470POE Manual (6.1Mb). Which leaves me to just tell you about the areas of interest.

Although the site survey tool may appear privative it does give a dynamic signal level once an SSID is selected. The receiver sensitivity is quite high and the site survey tool can be used in all modes e.g. AP and Bridge mode which is quite helpful. It also has the added feature of being able to change receive sensitivity also available in all modes. These features in combination with adjustable output power also adjustable in all modes makes a refreshing difference.

Note this site survey was done inside my office using a 2db antenna the SSID "Air-Stream-Bedford-Park" AP is very Non-LOS 600 Metres away it goes through a wall, carpark, trees, a building and a busy Road.

Next test is in a high interference area, using an external antenna at Myrtle Bank.

Key features of interest

AirLive have packaged some key features that many other off-the-shelf units in the same class have just forgot. Some features of interest to the wireless enthusiast and professional alike include:

• Up to 400mW adjustable Power Output
• Adjustable receive sensitivity
• Signal Survey
• ACK Timeout Adjustment for long distance links in 802.11g mode
• Watchdog Timers
• Great flexibility with up to 8 Wireless Operation Modes
• IEEE 802.3af PoE standard compliance
• SSH2, HTTP, and Telnet Managements
• Bandwidth Control and Wireless Client Isolation, ideal for hotspot setups

Both the WL-5470POE Indoor Unit and WH-5420CPE Outdoor Unit have identical radios and cpu, the only difference is the WH-5420CPE Outdoor Unit has no DC socket or regulator for 12V opperation and so are PoE only. So the main difference is their enclosures and so share the same functions and configuration.

It is also worth noting although included in the code, that the WL-5470POE Indoor Unit Alive have kept the PoE components on the PCB and so is able to operate either on a standard 12V 1A DC power pack or PoE, which is very handy in the office keep cables to a minimum.

WH-5420CPE Outdoor Unit

WH-5420CPE is an outdoor Access Point with a waterproof enclosure and built in with a 14dBi Antenna or external rSMA antenna connector.

Easy opening box which seems to offer good transport and storage protection.

Some things supplied with the WH-5420CPE included POE injector and power supply, brackets, manuals and CDs

Stainless Steel Pole Bracket is supplied with long and short bolts for large and small diameter poles.

It also includes screws and whole for wall mounting.

Bracket assembly is easy and offers easy access for adjustment once installed.

Although this unit is not fully air-tight there is sufficient physical barriers to isolate the electronics from exposure to the elements.

Yes the PCB in the WH-5420CPE is identical to the WL-5470POE Indoor Unit.

Although the antenna is designed to operate in horizontal polarization the use of a 14dbi planar array antenna design does offer some cross polarization and a good balance between forward gain and wide sector coverage. However as the antenna is not a hard wired an alternate external antenna can be deployed easily.

WL-5470POE Indoor Unit

WL-5470POE is an indoor Access Point with a rSMA antenna connector which is design for 12V or 802.3af PoE

Easy opening box which seems to offer good transport and storage protection.

Some things supplied with the WL-5470POE included power supply, wall mount screws, manuals and CDs

The indoor unit is quite small measuring only 160 x 115 x 30 mm overall

Yes the PCB in the WL-5470POE is identical to the WH-5420CPE Outdoor Unit.