Can I connect MikroTik to WiFi and then to my Set-Top box via Ethernet to grant internet access to it?

Hi! I just ordered MikroTik RBmAPL-2nD and I’m waiting to come to me to explore it! My question maybe is simple but I am a little inexperience in networks… So:

Firstly, I want to connect MikroTik to my Wireless network of my home’s ADSL Router.
Secondly, I want to connect MikroTik to my Set-Top box (SAT) via ethernet cable, so the Set-Top box to have access to Internet.

From my Set-Top box I can’t make any settings such as to specify IPs or to put WiFi settings. So I want to firstly make the configuration from my PC on MikroTik and then to move the MikroTik to the Set-Top box and connect to it via ethernet so the Set-Top box to be able to have access to the Internet.

How can I do that? What mode should I use, Station, Bridge or something else? Is there any step-by-step article in Wiki page to refer me?

Thank you!

Yes that is easy, just start from default settings and set it up using the quickset page.
You can choose yourself if you want it to be router or bridge (bridge is probably best for this use).
And you connect the WiFi to your existing router by entering SSID and Password.
Then you can test the whole thing from your PC.
When you can internet through the mAP then you move it to your Set-Top box and reboot it, it should just get its IP via DHCP.

Thank you pe1chl! When I have it in my hands I will do the steps you describe and I will post the result(s)!!

Bridging client is not WiFi standard and may not work with other brand access points. Bridges over WiFi work reliably only with mikrotik ap and client bridging devices on both sides. Wds might be the solution for this in mixed brands scenario but I suggest to use two mikrotik devices one as bridging ap and one as bridging client.

Of course it is always possible to just select routing. When the connected device only makes outgoing connections there really is no difference.

To route inside the home network is quite complicated for a home user. Especially when the settopbox should provide some services into the rest of network. But generally it can work fine in routing mode, that’s true.

Hi. I just got the the mAP lite! I have an hour (or more) trying to connect to it via ethernet but i can’t!

When I connect the cable to my PC (ethernet) and to mAP, windows recognize it as an “Unidentified network (Public network)” and automatically assigns the IP 169.254.182.203/255.255.0.0 to my network card. Running WinBox v3.11 and trying to connect to 192.168.88.1 it gives me “ERROR: could not connect to 192.168.88.1”. Neither Firefox connects.

Then I change the IP from my network card to 192.168.88.2/255.255.255.0. I disconnect and re-connect the cable to mAP and the I get the same status again: “Unidentified network (Public network)”. WinBox v3.11 fails to connect to 192.168.88.1. Firefox fails too. Ping to 192.168.88.1 also fails, giving me a “Reply from 192.168.88.2: Destination host unreachable.”

Notes:

  1. I have Windows 7 Professional 64-bit installed
  2. I have ESET Smart Security 8 installed but I have disabled Protection and Firewall until next restart
  3. My network card is an on board “Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller” (Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_10EC&DEV_8168&SUBSYS_E0001458&RE_03) (Realtek RTL8168/8111 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC Driver for Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.)
  4. I have also an ASUS PCE-N53 Wireless PCI-E card but I have it disabled (just to be sure there is no any conflicts with the Wifi)
  5. My network cable is a Cablexpert FTP Cat6 Patch cord 2m (I have also tested another one cable, Cat5e, but I think the cable is not the problem)

What can I do now? (I’m sending you through my netbook, over Wifi, but my netbook doesn’t have Ethernet port..)

Normally when you have a new MikroTik device you can connect the ethernet and it will have the address 192.168.88.1 and serve DHCP addresses in the 192.168.88.0/24 subnet.
So your PC should get an address in that network (I think 192.168.88.10)
When it gets 169.254.x.x addresses it did not get a DHCP reply.
Does the network LED come on when the cable is connected?

You can try downloading the Winbox program and connect the device via MAC address (it will show up as a neighbor in the list in that program).
Or you can first try a factory-reset: turn it on with button pressed, wait a few seconds, look at LED, when it blinks release the button.
(so do not yet release it when it blinks within the first 2 seconds after power-on, you need to wait for the blink after it has been on a few seconds)

Don’t use ether1 (or port marked as wan) port for direct connection, use one of other ports.

He has a mAP lite. It has only ether1.
How do these come configured by default? Maybe it can only be accessed from the wifi side?

That’s the point. Isn’t it described somewhere? In product guide maybe or on the wiki…

I’ve done it! But the problem exists again. I pushed the button (during startup) and continued to keep it pushed for about 5 seconds until the “AP/CAP” led and “WIFI” led both started to blink (alternatively, the one after the other) and then I released the button.

I also changed my IP on my PC to 192.168.88.10 / 24 as you said. No difference.

If you mean the “ETH” led on the mAP, yes it is ON and sometimes is blinking

I have already downloaded the latest version of WinBox (v3.11). With IP 192.168.88.1, again, I can’t connect.

With MAC address…which is the MAC address? In the box there are two MAC addresses (if I am looking correctly). One in the form of E01: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX and one in the form of W01: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX. I tried to connect to both MAC addresses (if I’m not wrong, only the XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX part is the MAC address, right?) but again I got the same “ERROR: could not connect to XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX”. I am always trying to connect with the default settings (Login: admin, Password: (blank)).

Nothing also in the Neighbors tab (also pushed the “Refresh” button, nothing happened)…

Normally you would see the correct MAC address in the selection list in Winbox.
I don’t have experience with this particular model but jarda has a point: the ethernet is probably considered as “internet side” so it is firewalled.

I guess it is time to read the manual… get your magnifying glass and read that tiny piece of paper that comes with the router, it explains what to do.
(probably it tells you to connect from the wireless side)

I have already read the manual from the first time: https://i.mt.lv/routerboard/files/mAP-Lite-qg-b.pdf !!

As indicated in the manual:

“The device is preinstalled with MikroTik RouterOS software. It can be configured in several ways.
This device doesn’t come fitted with a Serial Port connector, so initial connection has to be done via the Ethernet
cable”

I did exactly this.I made (my first-time / initial) connection via Ethernet cable.

Should I connect wirelessly to it?? I will try this way…

Ok apparently the ethernet port is considered LAN side on this device. So config from ethernet should work.
Well, that manual already says everything I explained here.

I’m inside, I did it!! I connect to it over Wifi from my netbook (without Ethernet cable connected). No I am in URL http://192.168.88.1/webfig/.

What should I do from there? I am in the “Quick Set” section / tab. In this tab there is a list in the up-right corner with the choices below:

CAP
CPE
Home AP
PTP Bridge
WISP AP

Now it is in “WISP AP”. Should I select something from this list?!

I connected it to my ADSL Modem / Router via Ethernet and then I connect to it from my netbook via Wifi just to update the firmware to the latest version. Now mAP runs on RouterOS v6.40.5 (stable). But the user interface is changed a little bit!

I am again in the “Quck Set” tab and again, there is a “Quick Set” list in the upper right corner containing:

Basic AP
CAP
CPE
Home AP
PTP Bridge AP
PTP Bridge CPE
WISP AP

(EDIT: again, WISP AP is selected by default in the list.)

As I said in my initial post, I want to connect the mAP to my ADSL Modem / Router via Wifi (so to mAP have access to Internet via Wifi) and then to connect mAP via Ethernet to my Set-Top box..

What step is next?!

Look here: https://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:Quickset
As we already discussed previously, Bridge CPE would be nice but likely will not work, so use CPE.
That will mean the WiFi will be client to your router and the ethernet will be 192.168.88.1/24 with DHCP server.
Of course after you have committed that you won’t be able to connect it from WiFi anymore.
So you need to investigate why your ethernet does not work.
Of course you can always reset it again…

I have a nearly identical problem. below is my config. trying to connect wlan1 to several different wifi in my office (one at a time to verify compatibility with different wifi models) then connect ether1 to a set-top-box. so far using a laptop instead of set-top-box but this is irreverent because the problem is the routeros never shows an ip address as dhcp-client for several of the available wifi. in winbox set to CPE. one of the wireless connects occasionally several others never or occasionally if i use router instead of bridge. if i connect the wifi to my cellphone (acting as hotspot) it works fine every time. Mikrotik support said to try removing tkip but that didn’t help. one of the wifi that doesn’t work is a Mikrotik 951Ui-2HnD (i realize i might change the mode of 951Ui-2HnD but this exercise is to find a generic config i can use that will allow a customer in the field to connect their set-top-box to their wifi in this manor no matter what their wifi is)


/interface bridge
add name=bridge1
/interface wireless
set [ find default-name=wlan1 ] band=2ghz-b/g/n channel-width=20/40mhz-Ce country=“united states2” disabled=no mode=station-pseudobridge ssid=office-Guest
wireless-protocol=nv2-nstreme-802.11
/interface wireless security-profiles
set [ find default=yes ] authentication-types=wpa-psk,wpa2-psk group-ciphers=tkip,aes-ccm mode=dynamic-keys supplicant-identity=MikroTik unicast-ciphers=tkip,aes-ccm
wpa-pre-shared-key=TALKtalk wpa2-pre-shared-key=TALKtalk
/ip hotspot profile
set [ find default=yes ] html-directory=flash/hotspot
/interface bridge port
add bridge=bridge1 interface=ether1
add bridge=bridge1 interface=wlan1
/ip dhcp-client
add dhcp-options=hostname,clientid disabled=no interface=bridge1

i was able to get it to work Mikrotik to Mikrotik (i had to enable NAT on the router)

still other brands do not work, even if i put the map in router mode. it will not get an ip address