Has anyone done some actual large scale CAPSMAN deployments, 2000+ APs managed.
We’ve got one which in the end we put a CHR in for as we had a beefy ESXi cluster already on site. We’re looking to install another one, probably closer to 2500+ APs, but don’t have an existing ESXi cluster to put a CHR on. Trying to figure out how big folks have done with actual Mikrotik hardware instead of CHR or do we just need to put a ESXi/Proxmox host in.
This was the main reason why I moved once from MikroTik to Aruba Network AP-5xx access points for high density and later to Grandstream GWN7660 for office environments, plus VRF lite for clients.
http://forum.mikrotik.com/t/capsman-forcing-all-access-points-to-rejoin/134567/1
Hint: Do not buy MikroTik cAP ac access points for office or campus environments. Those do not support 802.11ac MU-MIMO, no air time fairness, no 802.11k/v/r. Avoid CAPSMAN manager forwarding mode with thousands of clients.
On cAP ac clients disconnect, because 5 GHz interface is unstable. Some say the driver module crashes and reloads
Until:
Version 6.46beta59 has been released.
*) ccr - improved general system stability;
*) wireless - improved IPQ4019, QCA9984, QCA9888 wireless interface stability;
I don´t know whether this will solve your problems. Btw, do you also seee thousands of ~DHCP offer no lease messages in your logs?
=> Imagine you sit in front of one cAP, you can see.
=> Your notebook connects to the cAP but it doesn´t get any IP.
The above bugfix is the same issue I experienced with cAP AC unit with CAPsMAN deployment. the wAP AC’s did not seem to be effected. I had provided MikroTik with numerous suppout.rif files and back and forth on tickets. Eventually had to replace that cAP AC with another vendor; but all other AP’s [wAP ACs] remained.
That’s absolutely hilarious.
For me and my dozens of support tickets… It was the 2.4 hitting the fan. The 5 Ghz worked well enough that dual band clients never seemed to have the issues. It was the 2.4 only units that really lost out. What would happen is that the 2.4 radio would just stop accepting traffic. The device would show as connected in caps man… Just no packets went. So you would have to restart the radio to get it working again. And after months of tickets… Mikrotik stated that they could repeat the problem.
Just a few weeks ago… Mikrotik staff pointed out that it was a mistake to not take into account how many clients were 2.4 only. Flat out stating that the Member of this forum had made the wrong hardware choice.
Currently I am using about 150 APs for one CAPsMAN for couple of years it is working flawesly…
With right HW (CCR2216-1G-12XS-2XQ) I believe even 3000AP cannot be a problem.
I am strongly believe that.
It is a matter of network quality problem.
Mikrotik had some problem.
But it is still the priceless solution what you can use.
Mikrotik have new team and his new products are really powerfull.
I don’t think so the CCR2216 will not have any problems with 2500+ APs. It just question of correct configuration and knowledge how things work.
You can still switch to Aruba or Cisco, pay 20 times more but if you will not know how to make proper configuration the Mikrotik network with proper configuration will be more powerfull.
That’s just ridiculous.
Other vendors stomp all over Mikrotik wireless.
Do I wish caps-man could control a radio that keeps clients connected??? Absolutely.
Would I come running back if it was even a complete 2016 protocol? Probably.
But we are at the point where clients demand WiFi6 or Wifi6E specifically.
“Uhh… I have wifi AC wave1 without MU-MIMO and radios that lock up under load… But imagine how much money you could save!”
No. No. Hell no.
Thank you for reality gotsprings, nothing worse than syncophant posters who claim 100s of capsman controlled devices with NO issues…
As being said before. Don’t use MikroTik for higher density. We stopped using our CAPsMAN Setup (started with multiple CCR1036, later CHR) with < 1000 cAP ac years ago and replaced them with Aruba 600 - 900$ APs for our lecture halls, libraries and seminar rooms. And for office environments we started using Grandstream GWN76xx 120$ access points.
Nowadays we use those MikroTik cAP ac for homeoffice setups, i.e. EoIP over IPSec/L2TP with 802.1x WPA2 Enterprise and dynamic VLANs.
MikroTik’s devices are like a Victorinox swiss tool, you can do a lot of different things with it, but if you want to cut down trees you should use a chain saw instead.
Well stated anuser, capsman works great, just need radios to match!!