Does anyone have suggestions on the best solution for connecting two buildings about a mile apart via 5 GHz Wi-Fi?
We have two antennas tuned to the 5 GHz range with a 28 dB gain and N-type male connectors at the end of their coax cables. The goal is to be cheap (<$400 if possible) and to be reliable even in Michigan snow storms.
The antennas will be line-of-sight or almost line-of-sight, with trees being the only major obstacle between the two points. (Our two buildings are the two tallest in the span the signal would travel, and there are a number of homes between here and there so keeping up in the 5 GHz range, out of 802.11b/g's space would be nice.)
We are looking at getting 802.11a equipment right now and powering them up to beam to the appropriate location, but that is looking like costing a fair chunk of change. (Airaya is what was pointed out to use previously, but that would cost $1,200, a fair bit more than our goal of $400.)
This would be used to replace a T1 line we are paying $250 for a month and only gets us a 1.5 Mbps connection that is being regularly maxed out, so even maintaining a strong 10 Mbps connection will make us happy.
Any feedback and comments are greatly appreciated. :-D
Hi jma89. You may want to consider EnGenius/ Senao AP's. They go up to 28dBm, and are not as expensive as what you've reflected. They are able to do a bridge mode, and should do the job ably. The 8610 series is a/b/g capable, so it should do the job at 5GHz. Their outdoor CPE casings are rated at IP67, so they should be able to take most weather.
If you don't mind, post back in here with any progress, will you?
Long Range WiFi Setups (Distance ~ 1 mile) 
Linear Mode
