Ubiquiti airFiber AF-5XHD User manual

airFiber AF-5XHD GPS Antenna Mount External GPS Antenna
Metal Strap Zip Ties (Qty. 2) Universal Bracket
IP67 Upgrade Kit
(Vent and Gasket)
Gigabit PoE (24V, 1A) with
Mounting Bracket
Power Cord
Package Contents
Antenna Compatibility
The airFiber AF-5XHD radio is designed for use with the following airFiber X
antenna models:
AF-5G23-S45
AF-5G30-S45
AF-5G34-S45
The AF-5XHD can also operate with the following RocketDish™ antenna models:
RD-5G30*

RD-5G34*
* Requires Universal Bracket (included) or AF-5G-OMT-S45 Conversion Kit (not included).
Installation Requirements
Clear line of sight between airFiber radios
Clear view of the sky for proper GPS operation
Vertical mounting orientation
Mounting point:
At least 1 m below the highest point on the structure
For tower installations, at least 3 m below the top of the tower
Ground wires – min. 10 AWG (5 mm ) and max. length: 1 m. As a safety
precaution, ground the airFiber radio to grounded masts, poles, towers, or
grounding bars.
WARNING: Failure to properly ground your airFiber radio will void your
warranty.
(Recommended) 2 Outdoor Gigabit PoE surge protectors
Note: For guidelines about grounding and lightning protection, follow
your local electrical regulatory codes.
Outdoor, shielded Category 6 (or above) cabling and shielded RJ-45 connectors
are required for all wired Ethernet connections.
Hardware Overview
2

airFiber Antenna Connectors
GPS Antenna Connector
Signal LEDs
Used to attach RF antenna cables (not included).
Used to attach the GPS Antenna.
Signal 4 LED will light blue when on.
Signal 3 LED will light green when on.

Link LED
GPS LED
Signal 2 LED will light yellow when on.
Signal 1 LED will light red when on.
Bootup to airOS When powering on, the Power, GPS, Link, and Signal 1-4
LEDs light on. Once the CPU code takes over, the GPS, Link, and Signal 1-3
LEDs turn off. The Signal 4 LED remains on to indicate the boot sequence is
underway.
Initializing airFiber Software When the airFiber application begins to boot under
airOS®, the Signal 4 LED goes from solidly on to a 2.5 Hz flash. This continues
until the AF-5XHD is fully booted.
Signal Level Once fully booted, the Signal 1-4 LEDs act as a bar graph showing
how close the AF-5XHD is to ideal aiming. This is auto-scaled based on the link
range, the antenna gains, and the configured TX power of the remote AF-5XHD.
Each Signal LED has three possible states: On, Flashing, and Off. All Signal
LEDs would be solidly on in an ideal link. If the link has a 1 dB loss, the Signal
4 LED will flash; a 2 dB loss and the Signal 4 LED will turn off. The full bar
graph LED states are shown below.
dB loss
0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6
-7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13
Off RF Off
Syncing
Beaconing
Registering
On Operational

MGMT LED
Data LED
Power LED
Management Port
Reset Button
Data Port
Off No GPS Synchronization
Non-Operational (Weak Signal)
On Operational (Strong Signal)
Off No Ethernet Link
On Ethernet Link Established
Random Flash Ethernet Activity
Off No Ethernet Link
On Ethernet Link Established
Random Flash Ethernet Activity
Off No Power
On Powered On
10/100/1000 Mbps, secured Ethernet port for configuration. In-Band
Management is enabled by default in the airFiber Configuration Interface. When
In-Band Management is disabled, the MGMT port is the only port that can
monitor, configure, and/or update firmware. This port can also be used to
provide redundant PoE power. Default IP address: 192.168.2.20
To reset to factory defaults, press and hold the Reset button for more than 10
seconds while the device is powered on.
Gigabit PoE port for handling all user traffic and powering the device. Default IP
address: 192.168.1.20
Installation Overview

We recommend that you configure your paired AF-5XHD radios before site
installation. The overview below summarizes the installation procedure, and the
subsequent sections provide detailed installation information.
Connect the airFiber PoE Adapter to the Data port, and connect your computer
to the MGMT port.
Configure the AF-5XHD.
Recommended: Install the IP67 Upgrade Kit (included) to prevent intrusion by
water, dust, and insects.
Install a ground wire and mount the AF-5XHD on an airFiber X or RocketDish
antenna.
At the installation site, install the airFiber X or RocketDish antenna with the
mounted AF-5XHD radio (see the antenna’s Quick Start Guide for installation
instructions).
Secure the ground wire and mount the GPS antenna.
Establish and optimize the RF link.
Connecting Power over Ethernet
1.
2.

3.
WARNING: Use only the included adapter, model POE-24V-5X-HD.
Failure to do so can damage the unit and void the product warranty.
4.
airFiber Configuration
The instructions in this section explain how to access the airFiber Configuration
Interface and configure the following settings:
Wireless Mode Configure one AF-5XHD as the Master and the other as the
Slave.
Frequency Setting The operating Frequency must be the same on both the
Master and the Slave.

There are two methods for configuration:
Ubiquiti® Network Management System (preferred method)
airFiber Configuration Interface (browser-based interface)
Configuration Using UNMS
1. Launch the UNMS app.
2. Optional: Enable Bluetooth on your mobile device.
Note: By default, Bluetooth is enabled on the AF-5XHD.
3. On the Connections screen, select the AF-5XHD.
4. Enter ubnt in the Username and Password fields. Select your Country and
Language. You must agree to the Terms of Use to use the product.
Note: U.S. product versions are locked to the U.S. Country Code to
ensure compliance with FCC regulations.
5. On the Summary screen, tap Configuration, and then tap Wireless.

Note: UNMS screens shown here are from the iOS-based app. The
Android-based app differs slightly in appearance and operation.
6. Configure these settings:
a. On one AF-5XHD, enable Master Mode; on the other AF-5XHD, keep the
default setting (Off) for Master Mode.
b. Enter a name in the Link Name field. This should be the same on both the
Master and the Slave.
c. Select your Country.
d. If needed, change the Channel Bandwidth, Frequency, Output Power (EIRP),
Antenna Gain, and Max TX Modulation settings. The Channel Bandwidth and
Frequency should be the same on both the Master and the Slave.
Note: U.S. product versions are locked to the U.S. Country Code to
ensure compliance with FCC regulations.

e. In the Security Key field, enter a combination of alphanumeric characters (0-
9, A-Z, or a-z).
7. Click Save Changes.
8. Configure each airFiber radio with a unique IP address for the Data port:
a. Tap Configuration, and then tap Network.
b. For both the Data LAN Network and Management Network options:
DHCP Have your router use DHCP reservation to assign a unique IP
Address.
Static Change the IP Address, Netmask, and other settings to make them
compatible with your network.
Note: The key is an alphanumeric password between 8 and 63
characters long.

Configuration Using Browser-Based Interface
1. Optional (if the Data port is used for power only):
2. Configure the Ethernet adapter on your computer with a static IP address on the
192.168.2.x subnet.
3. Launch your web browser. In the address field, type the address of the port you
are using to manage the device:
http://192.168.2.20 (Management port)
http://192.168.1.20 (Data port)
Then press enter (PC) or return (Mac).

4. Enter ubnt in the Username and Password fields. Select your Country and
Language. You must agree to the Terms of Use to use the product. Click Login.
5. Click the icon.
6. Configure the following settings:
a. For one AF-5XHD, enable Master Mode. For the other AF-5XHD, disable
Master Mode.
b. Enter a name in the Link Name field. This should be the same on both the
Master and the Slave.
c. Select your Country.
d. If needed, change the Channel Bandwidth, Frequency, Output Power (EIRP),
Antenna Gain, and Max TX Modulation settings. The Channel Bandwidth and
Frequency should be the same on both the Master and the Slave.
e. In the Security Key field, enter a combination of alphanumeric characters (0-
9, A-Z, or a-z).
7. Click Save Changes.
8. Configure each airFiber radio with a unique IP address for the Data port:
a. Click the icon.
b. For both the Data IP Address and Management IP Address options:
DHCP Have your router use DHCP reservation to assign a unique IP
Address.
Static Change the IP Address, Netmask, and other settings to make them
compatible with your network.
c. Click Save Changes.
Repeat the instructions in the airFiber Configuration section on the other AF-5XHD
radio.
For details on the airFiber Configuration Interface, refer to the airFiber AF-5XHD
User Guide, available at: ui.com/download/airfiber
Upgrade for IP67 Compliance
1.
Note: U.S. product versions are locked to the U.S. Country Code to
ensure compliance with FCC regulations.
Note: U.S. product versions are locked to the U.S. Country Code to
ensure compliance with FCC regulations.
Note: The key is an alphanumeric password between 8 and 63
characters long.

Note: Do not damage or remove the post on the Port Cover.
2.
3.

4.
Hardware Installation
Installing the Ground Wire
1.

2.
3. At the installation site, secure the other end of the ground wire to a grounded
mast, pole, tower, or grounding bar.
WARNING: Failure to properly ground your airFiber radio will void your
warranty.
Note: The ground wire should be as short as possible and no longer
than one meter in length.
Mount to an airFiber X Antenna
Note: To mount the AF-5XHD to a RocketDish using the included Universal
Bracket, see the Mount to a RocketDish Antenna section.
The airFiber X antenna AF-5G23-S45 is shown in this section:
1.

2.
3.

4.

Mount to a RocketDish Antenna
Note: If you are mounting the AF-5XHD on a RocketDish equipped with the
AF-5G-OMT-S45 Conversion Kit, the Universal Bracket is not needed.
Refer instead to the Mount to an airFiber X Antenna section for
instructions.
The RocketDish RD-5G30 antenna is shown in this section:
1.
2.

Mount the External GPS Antenna
Locate a mounting point that has a clear view to the sky, and is above and as far
away as possible from the AF-5XHD.
1. 
OR
2.
3.

Connecting Power over Ethernet
1.
2. 
OR