Has anyone tried using the MT RSTP mesh (as in the wiki) but with instead of using a single radio, using dual 5ghz radios, connected to omni antennas?
I’m not sure how you would make it “hop” over the bridge for optimal packet
forwarding though. See the diagram below:
A B ---- C D ----- E F
A and B can see C and D. Of course A to B is a loop so it wouldn’t connect.
E and F can see C and D also, but I would want the best path to be B to C
and D to E.
Now in path costing, it could be done so that it “costs” more
to send out the same interface vs. over the bridge to the other, but I think
that’s opposite the thinking of any kind of dynamic routing systems (same
interface retransmit always seems to be lower cost). A better solution I
would think would require me to make the bridge itself a negative path cost
so that would happen? For example:
B to C and D cost is 75
E to C and D cost is 75
So the total cost would be 150, whether it used:
B to C to E = 150
B to D to E = 150
It would never favor:
B to C (ethernet connected) D to E because normally the cost would be higher
due to the C - D path addition, even though it’s via ethernet.
If I could set the bridge’s internal path cost (C to D) to be -25 or -50, it
would automatically make using opposite antennas the lowest path cost, and
would optimally make any kind of forwarding go on opposite antennas and
channels (like if all of antenna 1’s are set to 5745 and all antenna 2’s are
set to 5805). But then the issue becomes in the example above that the
ionly connections possible on 2 channels are:
A to C
B to D
C to E
D to F
So in the idea of the negative path costing, from A/B to E/F bridge best
path becomes A to C, D to F with a path cost of 125. A to C to E would have a path cost of 150 and not be optimal, although the “secondary” becomes B to D, C to E with a path cost of also 125 in case channel 1 from A to C is high in interference.
But the big question of the day becomes… Does RSTP / STP
support negative path costs? It doesn’t allow it in Winbox…