CAP AX as CAPsMAN

RouterOS Beginner Basics
1

Hello,

First of all: really great forum! Learned so much about Mikrotik and networks in the last few days already.

Setup:
I want to replace my current WLAN by using 2 cAP AX (v7.12.1)
Router is non-Mikrotik.
ROS and wifiwave2 Version 7.12.1.
Both 5Ghz and 2,4GHz
Configure via WinBox.

One cAP AX (calling it “MAN1”) should be the CAPsMAN and control itself (CAP).
The other one only CAP (calling it “AP1”)

I managed to set up the CAPsMAN-settings in MAN1 and got the AP1 managed by CAPsMAN (showing “managed by CAPsMAN” in the interface list for wifi1 and wifi2)
In MAN1 Wireless Tables->RemoteCAP I see two entries.
In Interfaces I see 4 wireless interfaces (2x 2,4GHz and 2x5GHz)
Bridged all interfaces in both APs.
Can connect to both APs via WLAN and reach the internet.

Problem:
I thought “nice, thats it”, but when I am walking from one AP to the other, my devices (laptop/smartphones) do not change the AP until the signal strengh of the first one is gone. I would expect the devices to switch earlier. Feels like having two separate APs with the same SSID. (Asuming that CAPsMAN should handle the AP switching of my mobile devices when one AP has a lower signal strength than the other.)
Furthermore I dont get the message “managed by CAPsMan” in my MAN1 interface lists.
So I doubt that everything is set up correctly.

Question
Read about local forwarding, but couldn’t find it in wifiwave2 up to now.
Took a look at: http://forum.mikrotik.com/t/capsman-manager-on-cap-ax/167668/1
Could also be possible that the settings are “ok”, but my mobile devices are not behave like I expect.
What part am I missing?

Here the MAN1-settings

# 1970-01-02 07:20:37 by RouterOS 7.12.1
# software id = 
#
# model = cAPGi-5HaxD2HaxD
# serial number = 
/interface bridge
add admin-mac=xxx auto-mac=no comment=defconf name=bridgeLocal
/interface wifiwave2 datapath
add bridge=bridgeLocal disabled=no name=datapath1
/interface wifiwave2 configuration
add country=Germany datapath=datapath1 disabled=no mode=ap name=cfg1 security.authentication-types=wpa-psk,wpa2-psk ssid=AddNewInternet
/interface bridge port
add bridge=bridgeLocal interface=all
/interface wifiwave2 cap
set caps-man-addresses=127.0.0.1 discovery-interfaces=bridgeLocal enabled=yes
/interface wifiwave2 capsman
set enabled=yes interfaces=bridgeLocal package-path="" require-peer-certificate=no upgrade-policy=none
/interface wifiwave2 provisioning
add action=create-dynamic-enabled disabled=no master-configuration=cfg1 name-format=""
/system clock
set time-zone-name=Europe/Berlin
/system identity
set name=MAN1
/system logging
add topics=caps,debug
/system note
set show-at-login=no

And the settings of AP1

# 2023-11-26 17:54:31 by RouterOS 7.12.1
# software id = 
#
# model = cAPGi-5HaxD2HaxD
# serial number =
/interface bridge
add admin-mac=xxx auto-mac=no comment=defconf name=bridgeLocal
/interface wifiwave2 datapath
add bridge=bridgeLocal comment=defconf disabled=no name=capdp
/interface wifiwave2
# managed by CAPsMAN
# mode: AP, SSID: AddNewInternet, channel: 5500/ax/Ceee
set [ find default-name=wifi1 ] configuration.manager=capsman datapath=capdp disabled=no
# managed by CAPsMAN
# mode: AP, SSID: AddNewInternet, channel: 2442/ax/eC
set [ find default-name=wifi2 ] configuration.manager=capsman datapath=capdp disabled=no
/interface bridge port
add bridge=bridgeLocal comment=defconf interface=ether1
add bridge=bridgeLocal comment=defconf interface=ether2
/interface wifiwave2 cap
set discovery-interfaces=bridgeLocal enabled=yes slaves-datapath=capdp
/ip dhcp-client
add comment=defconf interface=bridgeLocal
/system clock
set time-zone-name=Europe/Berlin
/system identity
set name=AP1
/system note
set show-at-login=no

Would be awesome if you could give me some advices.
(It’s my first contact with Mikrotik devices. So please forgive me if I say or configured something stupid.)

2

On your CAPsMAN controller go to your configuration and under FT tab and FT enable set to yes and FT over DS set to yes

3

Great! That did it! Thank you! I wouldn’t have found that.

May I add two minor questions?

  • Why can’t I see in CAPsMAN that the wifi interfaces are controlled by CAPsMAN?


  • In Remote CAP, the AP1 does not have an adress. Is that normal behaviour?
4

1- local radios are managed locally. Those can not be controlled by capsman but since they are running on the same device acting as capsman controller, radios will participate in roaming (provided you use the same config/ssid/…)
2- no, that’s not normal. Where is your DHCP server ? I don’t see it on MAIN. Other router doing that ?
Your MAIN doesn’t have a DHCP client ? Where does it get IP address from ?

5

1- understood. Thanks.

2- (Its another topic. If you want I open a new discussion)
Main router should act as the DHCP server (non Mikrotik). I can see in my router, that the two devices have an IP address.
Have to admid that I hat some trouble to configure the APs that they forward the IP address to my router.
Furthermore I am still confused that in WinBox Quick Set, there are two sections “Internet” and “Local Network” mentioning an IP address (I would have applied the same address as static for both sections ?! )

I guess that I followed the wrong guide on my way.
Before your answer:

  • No DHCP Client
  • No DHCP Server
  • IP → Address List is empty

Now:

  • Added a DHCP Client to the bridge
    → Now IP Address is displayed (also on WinBox Neighbors List)
    But still no address om Remote CAP…