A Northeast Ohio business ran a warehouse about 400 feet from its main office, and each building had its own internet service and its own network equipment. Tech Dynamix replaced the warehouse internet circuit with a secure point-to-point (PTP) wireless bridge. The office network now reaches the warehouse with no fiber trenching and no added monthly service.
The situation
The main office and the warehouse sat only a few hundred feet apart, but they ran as two separate networks, each with its own points of failure. In practice that meant:
- Two monthly internet bills
- More than one firewall and network configuration to manage
- Inconsistent connectivity between the buildings
- Extra troubleshooting every time the internet had a problem
- Higher operating costs from paying for duplicate services
- Limited visibility and no central management
With 400 feet between the buildings and a clear line of sight, the second internet connection was adding cost and complexity the business didn't need.
What we did
Tech Dynamix looked at underground fiber and a leased circuit between the buildings, then compared both against a wireless bridge. On cost and performance, a point-to-point wireless link came out ahead, so that's what we designed and deployed.
The project covered:
- A wireless site survey and line-of-sight check
- Installing enterprise-grade outdoor wireless bridge equipment
- An encrypted wireless link between the buildings
- Integration with the existing office firewall
- VLAN and security configuration
- Testing and performance validation
- Removing the warehouse's dependence on its own internet connection
The warehouse now works as an extension of the main office network, sitting behind the same firewall and security configuration as the office.
The outcome
The warehouse is now part of one centrally managed network. Here's what changed for the business:
- One internet provider in place of two
- Simpler network management
- Less time spent troubleshooting
- Consistent access to company resources from both buildings
- Better reliability
- Lower recurring monthly costs
- Better visibility into network performance and security
The main result is that the business dropped a monthly expense it didn't need, and performance didn't suffer for it.
For manufacturers and other businesses with more than one building on the same property, a wireless bridge is worth pricing before anyone orders a second circuit or digs a trench. Sites that are farther apart are a multi-site connectivity question, and we're happy to look at those too.
The numbers
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Internet connections | 2 | 1 |
| Monthly ISP bills | 2 | 1 |
| Buildings managed | 2 separate networks | 1 unified network |
| Distance connected | Not applicable | 400 feet |
| Additional trenching required | Yes, for fiber | No |
| Ongoing internet cost | 100 percent | Approximately 50 percent |
| Network complexity | High | Reduced significantly |
What it changed
- Eliminated one monthly internet circuit
- Avoided costly trenching and fiber installation
- Reduced support and troubleshooting time
- Lower total cost of ownership for network infrastructure