Powering ePMP using UBNT adapters

First off I don't expect anyone to start using this to replace their cambium adapter with UBNT (cost in parts and time will probably make that a pointless endeavour, in addition to warranty issues, etc).

I recently noticed UBNT came out with the airGateway Installer (AG-PRO-INS) which allows you to power a UBNT from any USB port (Laptop, battery bank, etc) which is extremely useful for its stated purpose of minimizing the setup for installers, you can now literally just walk around with a dish and your phone on a roof looking for the best signal before even having to run out an extension cord or start drilling (good for generating coverage maps as well).

The good news is getting it to work is simply a matter of swapping the blue and brown pairs in a cable. I've used a pair of keystone ports to do this easily (pictures attached, follow the normal color code for orange and green and on one side swap brown and blue). On a normal UBNT adapter this works, unfortunately for the installer version it seems the adapter is only putting out about 11volts (I'm guessing its designed to put out 12v) which is apparently enough to power a UBNT but not an ePMP.

Hopefully this helps someone else.

Cambium this is a pretty useful tool any chance you can make something similar for use with ePMP (right now I'm looking at hooking a boost converter to the keystones to provide the 30 volts). If anyone is interested https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EVRPCEG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 works alright but no other niceties.

1 Like

You actually only need to swap the brown and blue pairs for a couple of the older models of ePMPs  - the Force 180, Force 200 and, I believe, all of the 2.4ghz models will run directly from a UBNT power supply without any issues (they'll work with either PoE polarity). The 5ghz non-GPS connectorized radios/Force100/Force110 (not PTP), as well as the original 5ghz integrated do require the cable swap though (as well as all the Canopy SMs).

Here's a nice alternative to the airGateway installer, which will provide high enough voltage to run an ePMP

http://www.linktechs.net/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=2251&idcategory=110

3 Likes

other super cleap home made option is a 2.5ah 12v sealed PB battery for alarms, and but the cord off of on old canopy power supply.   the wire with the red line goes to the + terminal and your all set.  you'll be out about $10 and 10 minutes to make one.  

we've been using those for years. 

2 Likes

Yes, we also use these.
>...which will provide high enough voltage to run an ePMP

>http://www.linktechs.net/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=2251&idcategory=110

They are very slick, they power an ePMP SM properly (as well as our other non-Cambium 24v gear) and they have a wireless AP built into them, so you can put them up a mast and connect to them via your phone/tablet wirelessly - they are great with NewKirk's excellent Android Installer app.


http://community.cambiumnetworks.com/t5/Tools-and-Scripts/ePMPme-Android-app/m-p/71602#U71602

2 Likes

Going to reboot an old thread...   We bought a Link Technology power supply device. It looks like it would be perfect except we simply can not make it work with our management VLAN. All our ePMP radios have a static IP for management on a management VLAN. When I plug in the Link device, it powers up just fine and I can hapily configure the radio when I don't have a management VLAN on but that's not how ours leave the shop for install. When I wrote Link, they told me they do not support VLANs and gave me the contact info for a guy in Italy who wrote the software in the device.

Anyone that is using one of these Link Tech devices able to get it to work with VLANs?  Care to share a screen shot of your interface?

I haven't ever tried using vlans with the link techs device, so I'm not sure what might be going on there, but one option might be to just use the 169.254.1.1 IP address to access the ePMP (if I remember correctly, that IP will always work, regardless of whether or not the primary management IP is tied to a vlan).