Distributed Hotspot: A use for EoIP tunnels?

RouterOS Wireless Networking
1

I know most threads involving EoIP end with “Use WDS, it’s faster/better.” However, I’m setting up a network with multiple Hotspots in an area, off different access points with antennas pointing different directions. The APs will not (theoretically) see each other wirelessly, but will be wired back to a central switch.

The Hotspots APs will be close enough that users will be able to roam between them on occasion. I’d like users in the area to not have to re-login if they swap APs. Would designating one AP as the “primary Hotspot AP” and using EoIP with the other APs be the best way to allow this?

The plan I’m devising is a bridge interface with Hotspot enabled, with the AP & the EoIP tunnels added. The other APs will simply have the wireless AP & the EoIP tunnel bridged together.

Thoughts?

-=Russ=-

2

Yes, that should work fine.

However, if the wired ethernet links to all these AP’s connect at one central switch (or into one single layer 2 network, for that matter) then you’d of course not need the EoIP tunnels at all an could just put the native ethernet interfaces of the APs into the bridge. Use the EoIP tunnels only if there’s routing / layer 3 between the APs, otherwise its just useless complexity and wasted packet overhead and CPU cycles…

–Tom

3

That setup does actually work quite well.

I have setup several networks like that, and they work like a charm. Central hotspot on a bridge bridging all EoIP tunnel to the APs (connected back to the hotspot via 5 GHz wireless).

Best regards,
Christian Meis