I’m looking to do an outdoor wireless install/upgrade to an existing client [outdoor camping venue]. They have older AP’s that I used, but already have RB1100ahx4 as core router and doing radius + hotspot.
Looking to replace all AP’s and expand coverage…
Anyone have suggestions or more detailed experience with the wAP AC’s?? I’ve used alot of them, but more for small restaurants and indoor setups. I was planning to use all wAP AC’s outdoors mounted on poles throughout the camp ground venue. The TX power is good, but the gain on the wAP AC’s suck, only 2dBI.
MikroTik does not have any other Dual Band outdoor AP’s. Othewise I would have to mount a SXT2 & SXT5… Or just keep using 2.4Ghz throughout campground without any 5Ghz, as there are various camper/RVs’
I was also looking at LigoWave ‘NFT Blizzard 2ac-90 Lites’, but USA Availability is limited.
“The TX power is good, but the gain on the wAP AC’s suck, only 2dBI.”
Well I disagree. It does not suck, it is a specific antenna pattern that is very good, if used for local access. So it all depends on what you want.
Problem with antenna gains is that the higher the gain, the narrower the direction in which the full signal is available. For omnidirectional antennas the higher antenna gains form a thorus/donut shaped signal pattern. It reaches far, and listens far. It captures also far away AP’s and clients, and is prone to interference by them. It often shoots over the head of the nearby users, as they stand “under” the donut. It is only good for the “coverage” deployment model, which provide low capacity overall. (Almost all AP’s around are in the same interference cell, which reaches extremely far for 2.4GHz, and there are only 3 usable channels.)
Using a low gain antenna gives a more spherical signal pattern. The signal is also very good close to, and under the AP. (It’s a dipole , so not perfectly spherical, but quite close to that). It does not reach far, and does not receive from far. (6 dBi doubles the distance). It servers the local clients better, and has less cochannel (=wait for free media access) or adjacent channel (=distorted/corrupted transfer) interference.
So it depends on what you want. The 2 requirements (backbone/clients) cannot be combined in one type of antenna. Using the WAP-to-WAP to make the backbone is not going to bring you far. Using one of those high powered omnidirectional outdoor units for delivering high throughput to the client devices is going to be difficult. The high power output is illegal. The higher power does not help the client to reach the AP. The high gain antenna helps in both directions, but you will “hear” any other wifi in the neighborhood. You will “wait” a lot for free airtime.
(I use SXTsq for backbone, wAP for client access (2.4 and 5 GHz) , all on non-interfering channels, in the “capacity” deployment model. They are mounted on different altitude, based on their function. But a Netmetal ac^2 might combine the two with different type of antennas. Just never considered it. )
I’m looking at two options right now… and I’m very torn! @Bpwl@Rudolfs would either you be open for private PM so I can show you the site layout using a google earth screenshot? Shows where placement of WAPS would be. This is for a campground.
Either going to use wAP AC’s for client/hotspot users. These would be all around campground. Then there is a need to shoot Wifi access across the road. So was thinking to use a mantabox 2.4Ghz.. or SXT2.
This would essentially be 100% MikroTik powered network, from router, to POE Sources and even using PowerBox Pro’s mounted outside for additional Powering abilities..
Otherwise, will stick with Engenius AP’s. 620EHS’s and continue building off those.
PS: Looking at using the new MikroTik CRS328-24P-4S+RM as new core router. As has all the appropriate voltage options and to account for voltage drops. As the Netonix WISP switches are all backordered.
Thank you, didnt see this new product - I am now looking and considering this. As I see MikroTik recently put out new the outdoor omni HGO-antenna to go with it… I could use this in center of area, and use the wAP AC’s around the perimeters.
or in center I could use the RBMetalG-52SHPacn-US with the included high gain omni and have wAP AC’s around perimeter to fill in the gaps and overlap coverage.
Unsure what the actual power output is on the NetMetal AC though…?? Anyone?? or is it same 1300mW as the RBMetal?
“@Bpwl@Rudolfs would either you be open for private PM so I can show you the site layout” … i’m believe PM’s are blocked on this forum, at least for normal members.
Always ready to have a look at your setup, but be prepared for many many questions, as it all depends on the details.
I use SXTsq-SXTsq only for PtP type of connections (like for the exception that is in opposite direction of the sector antenna).
For the rest we use “SXT SA5 ac” as sector antenna towards the SXTsq 5 ac. This is in an area surrounded by other wifi installations and we don’t need full 360° omnidirectional. Rather 200°. Another 90°, and one 60°)
MantBOX 15s was a candidate for the sector antenna, but for now, due to standardization in equipment, we use the “SXT SA5 ac”, and hope to cover what we need.
The Omnitik 5 ac remains in the box for the moment. This is based on troubles with the previous 2.4GHz installation, future expectations and some technical considerations.
This selection is not the only possibility, but what has made this selection happen in this case is:
very bad experience with interference from strong omnidirectional solutions installed around our area. Our own omnidirectional installation was just making this worse. (Antenna with high gain, flat pancake like signal spectrum, reaching far away.)
no electronic downtilt signal pattern found in the Omnitik 5 ac specs. Mechanical downtilt is now made with sector antenna, avoiding the neighborhood.
unbalanced antenna gain between AP en CPE gives unequal received signal strength. The allowed EIRP in Europe is low, so we run at that limit. We need that high SNR for speed.
needing quite high data rates. Current internet uplink is only 200Mbps/100Mbps, but we design to distribute 2Gbps/1Gbps (using 3 distribution points, sectors do not overlap)
Distribution points use PowerBOX Pro (outdoor hEX PoE), houses use RB260GSP (for SXTsq, hAP ac2, wAP ac, …)
Installation is 1200km remote. physical adjustments only 2 times a year.