Realign your LiteBeam

For these steps, you'll need to be on your roof. Be sure to observe the ladder safety protocols, when climbing up to your roof.

It's also helpful to have two people, both for ladder safety and later, so one person can adjust the angle of the device and the other can monitor the signal strength.

Using the UISP mobile app

These instructions use your device's web browser to access the admin interface for your LiteBeam. If you find it easier to use the UISP mobile app, you can find instructions here.

1. Review related documentation

It's helpful to review these other pieces of documentation that are referenced throughout this guide.

• LBE-5AC-Gen2 Quick Start Guide: This has images of the different parts of the LiteBeam device and has the names Ubiquiti uses for the different parts.

2. Connect to the LiteBeam's management network

• Unplug the ethernet cable from the LightBeam. Wait a few seconds and plug the ethernet cable back in. This will restart the device.
• Once the LightBeam powers up, a blue light will appear on the bottom of the router's Antenna Feed and a wireless management network will become available. This network has an SSID that begins with LBE-5AC-Gen2, for example LBE-5AC-Gen2:245A4CD44286.
• Connect to this wireless network on your computer or mobile phone as you would any other WiFi network.
• Once you are connected to this network the device you are using will no longer be able to access the internet! Make sure you have any pages you will need to reference loaded in advance, have another device available that is connected to the internet, or be prepared to switch back and forth between the LiteBeam's management network and another network with internet access.

3. Log into the device's administrative interface

• Visit https://192.168.172.1 in your browser. You may be met with a warning due to the self-signed SSL certificate used for the connection. Bypass this warning.

• This will bring you to the administration interface.
• Use the admin username and password you recieved from Tucson Mesh Admin to log into the administration interface.

• Log in.

4. Connect the device to the correct network for alignment

• Once you've loaded the web administration interface, click on the WIRELESS icon in the left hand menu. The icon looks like a WiFi symbol. This should take you to the Basic Wireless Settings page.

• Under Wireless Security click the 'show' button next to WPA PRESHARED KEY. Make sure that the value that it shows matches the one you were given. If you need to change it, be sure to click the SAVE CHANGES button.
• Remember, the BICAS supernode and the Tucson House supernode use different keys. If you are switching from one to the other, you will need to update accordingly.
• Click the SELECT button below the SSID input and click the radio button next to the Tucson Mesh network with the strongest signal. A signal closer to zero is stronger. I.e. -68 dBm is stronger than -70 dBm and -75 dBm is weaker.

At some point perhaps this should be a map

• The network names for the Tucson House supernode are:

  • TMTH-SW-Top-W
  • TMTH-SW-Middle-SW
  • TMTH-SW-Bottom-W
  • TMTH-SE-Top-S
  • TMTH-SE-Middle-SE
  • TMTH-SE-Bottom-E
  • TMTH-NW-Top-N
  • TMTH-NW-Middle-NW
  • TMTH-NW-Bottom-W
  • TMTH-NE-Top-E
  • TMTH-NE-Middle-NE
  • TMTH-NE-Bottom-N

• The network names for the BICAS supernode are:

  • tucsonmesh-sectortest
  • tucsonmesh-sectorsouth
  • tucsonmesh-sectoreast

• Then click the SELECT button.

• After you change either the wireless network or the WPA preshared key, you might have to wait a few minutes for the LiteBeam to find the sector router and connect.

5. Open the alignment tool

Open the alignment tool and keep it open. You'll monitor this tool as you adjust the position of the LiteBeam.

• Click on the TOOLS icon in the left-hand menu. And choose ALIGNMENT in the menu that pops up.

• This will open the Antenna Alignment Tool.

6. Adjust the LiteBeam position

• Loosen the wingnut on the clamp around the azimuth mount shaft. This will allow adjusting the horizontal angle of the device.
• The shaft has small ridges and the clamp has small grooves. This makes it difficult to rotate the device around the shaft, even when the clamp is loosened. The best way to rotate the device is to gently raise the device off the shaft until it is just above the shaft. Then rotate it so the next ridge and groove are aligned.
• Adjust the angle of the device one groove at a time and watch for how the signal strength changes. The alignment tool signal strength readings will lag movements of the antenna, so make small movements and wait for the admin interface signal reading to update before adjusting the position further.
• Keep in mind the landmarks you identified in Google Earth and consult any saved images from the app.
• Look for the position that makes the signal as strong as possible as shown in the web admin interface or UISP app. A signal closer to zero is stronger. I.e. -68 dBm is stronger than -70 dBm and -75 dBm is weaker
• Now loosen the wingnut on the side of the elevation mount.
• Repeat the process of adjusting the vertical angle of the device and watch how the signal strength changes. Stop at the angle with the strongest signal strength.
• Ideally you want a signal -65 dBm or stronger, but one that is at least -70 dBm will be workable.
• Tighten the wingnut for the elevation mount, then tighten the wingnut for the clamp around the azimuth mount shaft.
• Once all the wingnuts are fully tightened (gently check that you cannot easily move the router with your hands; it should be firmly in place so as not to be knocked out of alignment by monsoon winds), you are done with realignment! Carefully descend from your roof.

7. Concluding speed test

• Reconnect to the network from your indoor home router.
• Go to speedtest.net and click the GO button in the center of the page.
• After approximately 30 seconds, the webpage will display speed test results.
• Any download speeds of 25 Mbps or higher are allow for streaming of HD video and video calls. See FCC broadband speed guide for details