Tenda O3S — 5km 5GHz 12dBi 11ac 867Mbps Outdoor CPE

Buying it, and when not to

The O3S is a 5km 5GHz 12dBi 11ac 867Mbps outdoor CPE - the Loco 5AC-class unit. Five kilometres of range on a clear path with 867Mbps-class capacity, in a small directional body.

This is the sweet spot of the O-series and the one to reach for by default. Most real links in and around Lagos are under five kilometres, and a 12dBi radio rated for five gives useful headroom on a two or three-kilometre hop - headroom that keeps the link up in heavy rain and after a mast has shifted slightly in a storm. Use it to feed a building, backhaul a hotspot or a market block, connect a branch to a head office, or bring service to a site with no last mile. A link needs two; the 2-pack is the cheaper way to buy a pair.

For a very short hop across one compound the O1-5G is cheaper and will do. For links past five kilometres, step to the O6 at around ten kilometres or the O9 at around twenty-five - do not stretch a radio to its rated limit and expect reliability. On obstructed paths with trees in the way, the 2.4GHz O3 copes better. And for outdoor coverage rather than a link, the OAP1200 is the product designed for it.