In the same SSID environment(capsman wireless-rep 6.35rc49), can i use the SCRIPT to simulate the Band Steering?
I know, AP can’t control what client will choose, this is for client to decide. But I still wanted to do something to help.
Many times, I often need to complete the work by hand.
i think is possible, maybe using access list, actually i don’t have mikrotiks dual-band to test
Thanks Chechito,
can you provide more information or hints, how to work with Access List. Thanks a lot.
Michael
Band steering is not implemented. It is not possible to tell the client that it should reconnect to 5ghz. You can only kick the client off the 2ghz Ap or disallow it’s connection but it’s all you can do.
yes i think that’s the way to do it
something like this
Band steering is a radio management technique Meraki APs use to improve capacity, throughput, and the experience for users of crowded wireless networks.
MT or other Expert, can you help to make the script? thanks a lot !!!
Any kind of script will be far worse than actual band steering. Mikrotik really need to try and implement real band steering, as it’s very much needed with how crowded 2.4 GHz is becoming.
Band steering works by hiding the SSID in beacon frames, so the client doesn’t know what networks are around it from passive listening. When the client wants to connect to a network, it sends out an active probe on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. If the AP sees the probe come in on both 2.4 and 5 GHz interfaces, then it knows the client is dual band capable and can reply on the 5 GHz radio only. The client then sees only the 5 GHz SSID available and associates as normal.
Using a script will never be able to replicate this behavior. A script at best can add an access rule to the 2.4 GHz SSID to kick the client off, but at that point the client has already connected and may be transferring data. The client has no way to know that it’s blocked from the 2.4 GHz SSID - it may continue to try and associate several times before trying a different SSID. This results in a very poor user experience where after connecting to wifi, apps may attempt to connect to services only to get disconnected and lose connectivity for several seconds until the OS tries another SSID. On a phone this may also cause repeated Wifi / LTE switching which is also bad for connectivity.
I have a Cisco Meraki in a church. It works flawlessly. One SSID with 2,4 and 5 GHz. Same password.
But it does differetn things:
My BlackBerry 10 is dual band (on WiFi). When I enter the church, first it connects to the 2,4 GHz, and later (after a minute or so), it reconnects to 5 GHz, and stays on it.
So from the user point of view, I do not see any difference (actually I should check with a laptop with full speed data download).
It is how client devices behave when there is preference setting present, I would say.
Helpless!!!
Disappointed !!!
MT do not listen, do not look, do not do
The 2.4G is very very busy
If want to use it in a commercial environment, 2.4 and 5G in a same SSID is a basic requirement !!!
In our China market, we often lost to other competitors, because there is no BAND STEERING. Our customers say Without this feature it is only a “HOME AP”
When you fell from the 5G to 2.4G, you will be a long stay in the 2.4G, will not jump to 5G, I just wanted to do something to help the AP, but I’ve waited a long, a long time from MT
cisco : band select
Ruckus : holding the transmit beacon
aruba :http://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/ArubaOS_63_Web_Help/Content/ArubaFrameStyles/ARM/Band_Steering.htm
EnGenius : Band Steering
ASUS : SmartConnect
zyxel : client steering
d-link : http://www.dlink.com/uk/en/technology/band-steering
ubnt : https://community.ubnt.com/t5/UniFi-Wir … -p/1429904
tp-link : http://www.tp-link.com/res/down/doc/Aur … asheet.pdf
Yeah, that’s a reason why I stopped recommended and use mikrotik as a wireless hardware. And a problem not only in band steering. There’s more much features that’s looks like never be implemented by mikrotik.
You want band steering - no way guy. Dynamic VLAN assignment with radius? Forgot about it. Airtime fairness? You are kidding me…
But I still use mikrotik as a cheap routers, and I can say, that its good option. In case wireless hardware - I switch to Unifi, and it’s like “from hell to heaven”. I think mikrotik finally lost the cheap corporate wifi market.
I’m also using Ubiquiti APs with Mikrotik routers.
When Ubiquiti has a decent and cheaper firewall also use.
If they could integrate the firewall with wireless better yet.
How long have we been waiting for from Mikrotik for the new version 7, wAP kit lte, switch with decent STP support?
Has anything changed re Band Steering, I have a customer asking about this?
We have only 2 options:
A.) Wait for band steering.
B.) We do brand steering.
no! not as far I am aware of.
Most modern devices will prefer 5G radio over 2G radio. I do have Mikrotik wireless (while travelling) and Unifi (at home). The latter has band steering turned off. Because it doesn’t work as smooth as one would expect and by turning down the 2G radio as low as possible all devices connect with the 5G radio. And while travelling all clients will connect to the Mikrotik 5G radio as I also lowered tranmission power on its 2G radio.
Though I would love to see “new features” on Mikrotik, don’t expect it to bring that much of a change.
most of the time client devices prefer higher signal AP most the time 2g radio is perceived with higher signal thus clients end there, because that you had to lower tx power on 2g radio, in that way client devices see 5g radio with higher signal, some guys call this making 5g organic
i thing mikrotik is missing some beacon and probe response settings to improve 5g steering
So now we are nearing 2021 and what is the situacion re ‘Bandsteering’.
We started to install 30€ costing Tenda AC21 Wifi routers that have Bandsteering working like a charm… (amongst many other features like 6 high gain antennas, MU-Mimo, Beamforming and Gigabit ports and a powerful CPU.
We make clients to pay for them but those that do are over the moon with the increase of Wifi in and around their house.
The band steering works like a charm.
Any device that has dual band immediately connects to the 5Ghz radio, the rest to the 2,4Ghz radio. Out of the box! No configuration needed.
According the manual the device knows/senses which device has dual radio and if it has 5 Ghz it arranges de device to connect to the 5 Ghz radio. No user actions needed. It works.
Now off course these Tenda’s don’t have all the nice features ROS is giving me. For troubleshooting of bandwidth tests from within the Wifi router. So if Mikrotik would get all these nowaday ‘normal’ features working on there Wifi units then that would make them King in Wifi land…
Now I have to decide which clients get the Tenda (most) and which need the extra versatility of ROS at the expense of a poorer Wifi experience…
Most Ideal situation would be a bandsteering (+ 4 Chain (4x4, 4x2) Mu-Mimo, beamforming ) Netmetal for use as an outdoor AP
Question - where can you purchase Tenda AC21 for 30Euro?