CAPsMAN constant problems with performance

RouterOS Wireless Networking
1

Hi all,

I have a simple set up at one of our client’s site - RB3011 as a main router, 7 access points (4 RBcAP2nD and 3 RBwAP2nDr2) and one extender (RB941-2nD).
The client says that the wireless performance is very poor (they have 150down/10up WAN link). We have been on site and made some survey and the signals themselves are good, we have a good coverage in about 90% of the building (it has 3 floors).
Our set up is simple as that:

/caps-man manager
set enabled=yes
/caps-man provisioning
add action=create-dynamic-enabled master-configuration=MAIN name-format=\
    identity radio-mac=6C:3B:6B:xxx
add action=create-dynamic-enabled master-configuration=MAIN name-format=\
    identity radio-mac=6C:3B:6B:xxx slave-configurations=GUEST
add action=create-dynamic-enabled master-configuration=MAIN name-format=\
    identity radio-mac=6C:3B:6B:xxx
add action=create-dynamic-enabled master-configuration=MAIN name-format=\
    identity radio-mac=6C:3B:6B:xxx slave-configurations=GUEST
add action=create-dynamic-enabled master-configuration=MAIN name-format=\
    identity radio-mac=6C:3B:6B:xxx slave-configurations=GUEST
add action=create-dynamic-enabled disabled=yes master-configuration=MAIN \
    name-format=identity radio-mac=6C:3B:6B:xxx
add action=create-dynamic-enabled master-configuration=MAIN name-format=\
    identity radio-mac=6C:3B:6B:xxx slave-configurations=GUEST
/caps-man access-list
add action=accept interface=all signal-range=-80..120
add action=reject interface=all signal-range=-120..-81
add action=reject disabled=no mac-address=E0:94:67:xxx ssid-regexp=""
add action=reject disabled=no mac-address=E0:94:67:xxx ssid-regexp=""
add action=reject disabled=no mac-address=E0:94:67:xxx ssid-regexp="" \
    time=0s-1d,sun,mon,tue,wed,thu,fri,sat
/caps-man configuration
add channel=2GHz_CH1 country="united kingdom" datapath.bridge=bridge1_LAN \
    datapath.client-to-client-forwarding=yes datapath.local-forwarding=no \
    distance=dynamic mode=ap name=xxx rx-chains=0,1,2 \
    security.authentication-types=wpa-psk,wpa2-psk security.encryption=aes-ccm \
    security.group-encryption=aes-ccm security.passphrase=xxx ssid=xxx \
    tx-chains=0,1,2
add channel=2GHz_CH6 country="united kingdom" datapath.bridge=bridge2_GUEST \
    datapath.client-to-client-forwarding=yes datapath.local-forwarding=yes \
    name=xxx security.authentication-types=wpa-psk,wpa2-psk \
    security.encryption=aes-ccm security.group-encryption=aes-ccm \
    security.passphrase=xxx ssid=xxx
add country="united kingdom" datapath.bridge=bridge1_LAN \
    datapath.client-to-client-forwarding=yes datapath.local-forwarding=no name=\
    cfg_test security.authentication-types=wpa-psk,wpa2-psk \
    security.encryption=aes-ccm security.group-encryption=aes-ccm \
    security.passphrase=xxx ssid=xxx
/caps-man channel
add band=2ghz-b/g/n extension-channel=Ce frequency=2412 name=2GHz_CH1 tx-power=\
    15 width=20
add band=2ghz-b/g/n extension-channel=eC frequency=2437 name=2GHz_CH6 tx-power=\
    15 width=20

We have tried doing a simple speedtest standing 1 meter from the APs and the most we could achieve was 20 mbps down and 5-6 up.
We are runnning rOS v6.38.5 on every single device.

Thanks in advance for any help.

2

where did u install the caps? inside the room or in the corridor?
did u find a sollution?

3

We have set every access point statically, without using CAPsMAN. The performance is now improved by up to 70%.
Also, downgrading the main router and every AP to RouterOS v6.37.5 (bugfix) improved the stability and performance a bit.
This is our solution for now, CAPsMAN is a very nice solution although is doesn’t let you to set some specific options which are available when setting up on the wlan interface itself.

4

Which option helped ?
Have you configured CAPSMAN with local forwarding or CAPSMAN forwarding ?

5

We have tried both of them and neither local nor CAPsMAN forwarding gave us the performance we needed.

This is the configuration of every AP we have there:

/interface bridge
add name=bridge1 protocol-mode=none
/interface wireless security-profiles
add authentication-types=wpa-psk,wpa2-psk eap-methods="" management-protection=allowed mode=dynamic-keys name=profile1 supplicant-identity="" wpa-pre-shared-key=xxxx wpa2-pre-shared-key=xxxx
/interface wireless
set [ find default-name=wlan1 ] antenna-gain=2 band=2ghz-onlyn country="united kingdom" disabled=no frequency-mode=regulatory-domain mode=ap-bridge rx-chains=0,1 security-profile=profile1 ssid=xxxx tx-chains=0,1 wps-mode=disabled
/interface bridge port
add bridge=bridge1 interface=ether1
add bridge=bridge1 interface=wlan1
/ip address
add address=192.168.0.2/24 interface=bridge1 network=192.168.0.0
6

I have installed 4x WAP AC with HEX3 as CAPsMAN controller with local forwarding for main SSID and capsman forwarding for guest SSID, and im getting around 200mbit in both cases(5ghz AC).

Aps are installed in corridors on each floor.

But i must say i also had performance issues initially, was getting like max 50mbit speeds with simplest CAPsMAN setup, eventually i got it to work, not sure what exactly helped as i was upgrading software version, routerboard firmware, i tried and changed many settings until it worked..

But i think main issue for me was wrongly set bridge ports and datapaths, try checking that..

EDIT:Seeing from your setup it seams i did near 100% identical one! Try removing bridge from your datapath for that main SSID, also make sure none of CAP interfaces which are set to local forwarding are also NOT in any bridge.

7

Thank you for that, I think we will try setting up CAPsMAN again in a few months. We need to give some time for the client to have a rest after a bunch of problems with their wireless network :smiley:

BartoszP - is there any direct contact to you? I am from Poland as well :slight_smile:

8

Yes, read above i edited my post regarding bridges, think we had same issue.

9

@PatrikZ
Yes, it is. Do you use GG ? If yes, “ping” me at 1459

10

You mean completely remove bridge from the main configuration? How would they know which network to use?

11

Thats how local forwarding works, data is not supposed go thru your capsman anyways , only basic ap configuration settings.They will use whatever network you have on switch you connected them on.

12

What if I have two or more networks? VLANs?

13

I use capsman forwarding for other guest network, if you want to use local forwarding for other networks also than you need to manually set bridges on Caps

14

Thank you, I will test this later and let you know how it works for me!

15

For me local forwarding at my caps is only working when i have setup at caps a bridge with ether1. When i enable local forwarding it automatic add wlan1 to that bridge (caps).

16

I just bridged Wlan and Lan on CAPS, on CAPsMAN i havent created any birdge at all and it works proprerly.

17

Hello, I have one capsman with no bridges and all caps connect properly. All caps are RBcAP2nD. Each caps have one bridge with both interfaces (ether1 and wlan1), and WiFi signals and password works well.
The problem is the performance when I have several clients, about 10, then the service becames intermittent… any solution? I can post more info if needed