Visual explainer · point-to-point wireless
How a wireless bridge works: watch the signal cross the gap.
Getting internet from one building to another across a property sounds like it should need a trench and a cable. It usually does not. A wireless bridge does it with two small dishes that point straight at each other and beam the signal across, and the whole idea is easier to see than to read. Below is a working picture of it. Press the button to drop a tree into the path, and you will understand the one rule that matters more than any other: clear line of sight.
A clear line of sight: the signal beams straight from the shed to the house.
What you are looking at
One dish sits at the shed, plugged into your existing internet. The other sits at the house. They point directly at each other and beam a focused radio signal across the gap, the moving dot in the picture. Plug in at one end, and the internet appears at the other, with no trench and no cable to dig up or damage later.
The signal travels in a straight, narrow line, and that is the whole catch. The two dishes have to be able to see each other. Press the button and watch what a single tree does: the beam cannot pass through it, and the link drops. A hill, a shed, a water tank or a stand of trees in the path does the same thing. This is why the first thing we ever do is check the line of sight between your two points.
The fix for a blocked path is almost always height
When something is in the way, the answer is rarely to give up on the link. It is to lift the beam over the obstacle. Raising one or both dishes on a mast or a pole is often all it takes to clear a tree line, a shed roof or a gentle rise in the land. Where the obstacle is a genuine hill, a relay point partway across bounces the signal over the top. Trees are the sneaky one: a link that ran perfectly through bare winter branches can struggle once the leaves come back in spring, because wet foliage soaks up the signal.
Distance, by the way, matters far less than people expect. A clean path across open ground carries much further than a short hop fighting through trees. Our line-of-sight survey checks whether your two ends can see each other and at what height, before anything is mounted. The full picture, including the different kinds of link, is in our long-range wireless guide.
Questions people ask
How does a wireless bridge carry internet across a gap?
Two small dishes point straight at each other, one at each end, and beam a focused radio signal between them. One end plugs into your existing internet; the other delivers it at the far building. As long as the two dishes can see each other cleanly, they carry a fast, stable link across the gap, whether that is a shed, a second house or a paddock away.
Why does a wireless bridge need line of sight?
The signal travels in a straight, narrow beam, so the two dishes have to be able to see each other with nothing solid in between. A hill, a shed, a tree or even heavy foliage in the path weakens or breaks the link, which is exactly what the picture on this page shows when you put a tree in the way. Clear line of sight is the single most important thing for a reliable bridge.
What blocks a wireless bridge signal?
Solid obstacles in the path: a rise in the land, a building, a water tank, and trees, especially wet leaves, which absorb the signal. A link that worked in winter can struggle once trees leaf out in spring. The fix is usually height, lifting one or both dishes on a mast or pole so the beam clears whatever is in the way.
How far can a wireless bridge reach?
Further than most people expect, from one building to the next right out to many kilometres, provided the line of sight is clear and the dishes are mounted properly. Distance matters far less than a clean path; a short link through trees is harder than a long one across open ground. A site survey checks whether the two ends can see each other before anything is installed.
Is a wireless bridge as good as running a cable?
For getting internet from one building to another across a property, a wireless bridge is often better: no trenching, no cable to dig up or damage, and it can be moved or re-aimed later. A well-set-up bridge on a clear path is fast and stable enough for everyday internet, streaming and cameras at the far end. Where trenching is impractical, it is usually the sensible answer.
Can you set up a wireless bridge for my property?
Yes. We survey the line of sight between your two points, work out the right mounting height, and set up a point-to-point link that carries your internet across the gap reliably. If trees or a rise are in the way, we solve that with height or a relay. Tell us the two buildings you want connected and we will check whether they can see each other.
Two buildings you want connected?
Tell us where they are and we will check whether they can see each other, and what height it takes. No trench required.
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