Cambium PTP and cnMaestro Field Deployment Runbook
A point-to-point radio showing Ethernet and RF link lights does not prove that the path meets capacity or availability goals. TechRunz reconciles the LINKPlanner design, exact radio and antenna, regulatory settings, structure and grounding, alignment, spectrum, Ethernet path and cnMaestro visibility before acceptance.
Make each dispatch repeatable and recoverable
Define prerequisites, remote ownership, method of procedure, acceptance evidence and rollback before technicians arrive onsite.
Design reconciliation and pre-configuration
Verify both endpoint coordinates, mounting heights, path profile, Fresnel clearance, distance, structure and planned antenna against the approved LINKPlanner design. Re-run the design when field conditions, heights, frequency availability or equipment differ; small substitutions can change link margin and capacity.
Confirm regulatory domain, licensed or unlicensed frequency requirements, channel plan, polarization, synchronization, management addressing, VLANs, security, software and cnMaestro ownership. Pre-configure paired identifiers and protected management access without embedding credentials in the public work package.
Both ends need the same work package: link name, approved design revision, radio and antenna assignments per site, target signal, and the named person holding the frequency approval. Technicians should open cartons at each end and confirm serials, antenna type, mounts and surge devices match that revision before anyone climbs.
- Current coordinates and heights
- Exact radio and antenna model
- Regulatory and frequency plan
- Management and cnMaestro readiness
Mounting, cabling and radio alignment
Inspect the structure, mount, wind considerations, line of sight, grounding, surge protection, power, outdoor-rated cable, drip loops and weather sealing. Label radios, power injectors, switch ports and cable ends at both sites. Follow site safety and qualified climbing or lift requirements.
Use the manufacturer alignment procedure and the design target, not visual aiming alone. Coordinate both ends, refine azimuth and elevation, verify polarization and record signal and modulation after the link stabilizes. Do not finalize mounts while the link remains on a side lobe or unexplained low modulation.
A two-end job runs on one written sequence, so both crews know which step waits for the other. Photograph the existing mount, feedline and switch port before touching them, keep the prior radio serviceable until the new link passes, and log alignment attempts and weather while still on the roof.
- Structure and mount inspection
- Grounding and surge protection
- Coordinated alignment at both ends
- Recorded signal and modulation
| Domain | Acceptance check | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Path, height, model and regulatory plan | Current LINKPlanner record |
| Physical | Mount, alignment, cable and protection | Photos and worksheet |
| RF and Ethernet | Signal, modulation, errors and service | Radio and traffic tests |
| Operations | cnMaestro, alarms, backup and ownership | Management closeout |
RF, Ethernet and service acceptance
Review spectrum and interference using the radio tools and the approved frequency process. Compare measured signal, quality, modulation, throughput estimate and link margin with the plan. Record Ethernet negotiation, errors, VLANs, addressing, latency, loss and representative application traffic.
When redundancy or alternate paths are present, test the approved failure and restoration scenario. Observe routing or switching convergence as well as radio recovery. Investigate asymmetry between directions because antenna alignment, interference, cabling or transmit settings can affect each side differently.
Evidence for a path carries both directions and the time it was taken, because interference moves through the day. Capture each end’s signal and modulation readings side by side, the spectrum view behind them, and the Ethernet counters at both switches. An escalation without that pairing sends the next person back up the tower.
- Spectrum and interference review
- RF margin and directional symmetry
- Ethernet, VLAN and application tests
- Approved resilience scenarios
cnMaestro closeout and lifecycle handoff
Onboard the radios to the authorized cnMaestro account and correct site, then verify alarms, statistics, software policy, backups and named ownership. Reconcile radio serials, MAC addresses, coordinates, mount heights, frequencies, channel widths, cable and switch ports.
Deliver final LINKPlanner file or report, alignment and spectrum evidence, photographs, RF and Ethernet tests, exceptions and support references in the client repository. Operations should own regulatory records, monitoring, configuration backup and planned software maintenance.
Someone re-aiming this link later will want the as-built numbers the design file cannot hold: actual mount height, azimuth and elevation, feedline run, grounding point and the cnMaestro site the radios landed in. Keep account access and frequency authorization paperwork with the client, and cite manufacturer documentation for procedures.
- cnMaestro site and alarms
- Serial, coordinate and frequency record
- LINKPlanner and test package
- Regulatory and software ownership
How we plan and deliver the work
The final design depends on site conditions, existing systems, client policies and the selected manufacturer or platform.
Reconcile the design
Compare the LINKPlanner output, radio and antenna models and regulatory settings against what each structure can actually support.
Stage and preconfigure
Load firmware, frequency plan, security settings and management addressing on both radios before either one leaves the bench.
Mount and align
Set mounts and grounding, dress the cable run, then align each antenna on measured receive level rather than link lights.
Prove and enroll
Measure both directions, test the Ethernet path end to end, then bring both radios into cnMaestro with site records attached.
Information to gather before design
A point-to-point link is decided by the path, the structures at each end and the regulatory band, so those details are collected before hardware is ordered.
- LINKPlanner path profile and design output
- Structure type, height and usable mount points
- Radio and antenna models at each end
- Regulatory band and channel restrictions
- cnMaestro ownership and management addressing
Frequently asked questions
These are common planning questions. A site-specific answer should be confirmed during discovery and design.
Can a PTP link be accepted from link lights alone?
No. Compare alignment, signal, modulation, capacity, errors and application performance with the approved design.
When should LINKPlanner be updated?
Update it when coordinates, height, path conditions, frequency, antenna or radio model differ from the approved inputs.
Why measure both directions?
Interference, alignment, cabling and radio settings can create asymmetric performance that one directional observation misses.
What should cnMaestro closeout include?
Correct account and site, inventory, alarms, software policy, backup responsibility and named operational ownership.
Manufacturer software, firmware and technical files remain on the manufacturer’s official website. We do not mirror firmware files locally.
Bring us your point-to-point link plan
You have two endpoints, a distance and a capacity number the link has to hold. Send the path coordinates, structure details, band constraints and cnMaestro ownership, and the design review starts from there.