There are currently 3 series of Cisco bridges: The 350 Wireless Bridge
(BR350), Cisco 350 Series Workgroup Bridge (WGB350), and Cisco Aironet 1400.
All 350 series bridges operate in the 2.4 GHz range, whereas the 1400 operates
in the 5 GHz range. The Cisco bridges, like other vendor bridges, are
proprietary implementations of the 802.11 standard and therefore vendor
interoperability cannot be attained. All 3 bridges require no U.S. FCC or other
applicable agency licensing.
First, the BR350 is designed to connect two
or more networks, typically located in different buildings. The BR350 wireless
bridges provide up to 11 Mbps speed, long-range, LOS wireless connections. The
bridge is ideal for indoor or outdoor installations subject to plenum rating
and harsh environments. Figure
shows the BR350.
Data rates are faster than E1/T1 lines without the need for expensive leased
lines or fiber-optic cable, as long as radio frequency (RF) LOS can be
achieved. This bridge is also called the multifunction bridge since it can
operate as a rugged AP or repeater in addition to the bridging modes.
Second, the Cisco Aironet 350 Series Workgroup Bridge (WGB350) brings low
cost wireless connectivity to any Ethernet-enabled device which is designed to
meet the needs of remote workgroups, satellite offices, and mobile users
. The
Workgroup Bridge quickly connects up to eight Ethernet-enabled laptops or other
portable computers to a wireless WLAN, providing an 11 Mbps link from these
devices to any Cisco Aironet 802.11b AP or Wireless Bridge. This bridge is for
indoor use only.
Third, the Cisco Aironet 1400 Series Bridge operates at
speeds up to 54 Mbps
. The Cisco
Aironet 1400 Series Wireless Bridge is a high-performance 801.11a wireless
bridge designed to connect multiple LANs in a metro area. The 1400 can only
operate outdoors in a fixed point-to-point or point-to-multipoint
application.