5ghz AP & slow speeds

RouterOS Wireless Networking
1

I just setup a RB532 with an CM9 and SR5 card. CM9 is a B backhaul and the SR5 is AP running at 5745. Now I have them mounted in a PacWireless enclosure with 12db 5ghz Omni http://www.pacwireless.com/products/OD5x_datasheet.pdf and it is up 155ft on a tower. I’m running into problems with signal quality and speed. I’m running 2.9.18. I’ve tried manually setting the output of the SR5 and tried default with no success. I’m seeing a maximum of 6Mbps when I’m only about 200ft from the tower. Once I get 2 miles, the signal drops to about -80-90db and is unusable. My pigtails are certified for 6ghz (just a ufl to n-male that mounts directly to antenna about 6") When I’m only 200ft from the tower I’m able to get a signal strength of upto -69db (I expected this to be higher at such a close distance). In the lab I’m seeing 20+Mbps up and down. I’ve tried 2 different CPE’s, 1 is a RB512 with CM9 and 18db Rootenna, second is laptop with SRC to 17db Echo Backfire antenna.

My real problem here is I have to pay someone each time to climb the tower. (this person is also not local) I feel something is wrong/bad, whether it be the omni, pigtail, card etc. Here is my wireless config:

0 name=“SR5” mtu=1500 mac-address=00:15:6D:10:21:0B arp=enabled
disable-running-check=no interface-type=Atheros AR5213
radio-name=“00156D10210B” mode=ap-bridge ssid=“sonicnet” area=“”
frequency-mode=manual-txpower country=united states antenna-gain=0
frequency=5745 band=5ghz scan-list=default rate-set=default
supported-rates-a/g=6Mbps,9Mbps,12Mbps,18Mbps,24Mbps,36Mbps,48Mbps,
54Mbps
basic-rates-a/g=6Mbps max-station-count=2007 ack-timeout=dynamic
tx-power-mode=manual-table noise-floor-threshold=default
periodic-calibration=default periodic-calibration-interval=60
burst-time=disabled dfs-mode=none antenna-mode=ant-a wds-mode=disabled
wds-default-bridge=none wds-default-cost=100 wds-cost-range=50-150
wds-ignore-ssid=no update-stats-interval=disabled
default-authentication=yes default-forwarding=yes default-ap-tx-limit=0
default-client-tx-limit=0 hide-ssid=no security-profile=default
disconnect-timeout=3s on-fail-retry-time=100ms preamble-mode=both
compression=no allow-sharedkey=no

Anyone see any obvious problems here? I’ve also tried to change the antenna-mode to A or B and it seems to have no effect on the signal quality.

Thanks

2

I have been reading this forum and am not sure if .18 is very good (I may be wrong)

If it was me Id go back to .17 and see if it helps

3

Zorker,

have you actually thought about the vertical beam width of your omni? The datasheet gives some 7 segree (!) vertical beam width, and you wrote you mounted it up 155 ft. … So at first glance it’s no big surprise that you don’t get much of a signal standing 155 ft. right BELOW this antenna.

Ok, there are effects like reflections etc. - but an omni usually HAS a quite flat signal pattern, which you should take into account…

Best regards,
Christian Meis

4

I have considered this and tried from a further distance, but my signal quickly drops to -80db or so at under a mile. I’ve also found that changing antenna-mode= from a to b makes no difference what so ever. In lab testings, this causes a 10-12db difference (however I do not have another SR5 to test with, this test was done with a CM9). So I’m thinking my ufl connection has come undone, however I can’t see being able to see a SR5 at 2 miles without any sort of antenna/pigtail attached to it and it being mounted inside a metal enclosure (or does it really put out that much and this is normal?).

Nik