Dualband AP with Mikrotik - what hardware?

Hardware MikroTik hardware general
1

Hello everyone,

for a community event I want to provide wireless network access. There will be about 500 attendees, but there will be cable based Internet access as well.

For the wireless I would like to use both 2,4 and 5 GHz band ideally provided by the same box. Since it is a community event, I am running quite on a tight budget. Which hardware would you recommend to use?

Thanks for your input!

2

For example RB912 with miniPCIexpress slot http://www.cdr.pl/p2001,mikrotik-routerboard-rb912g-5hpnd.html

or 433 http://routerboard.com/RB433

3

500 attendees with one AP? I would place 2 Omnitiks and 2 SXT G-2HnD feeded by a 750UP.
Most people use Tablets/Smartphones these days which are not cable based.

4

A community event for 500 attendees that has a tight budget? What kind of event is that?

As per the hardware I agree with honzam and ste.

5

Hi,

thanks for the input. The community event is this here: https://entropia.de/GPN13
https://entropia.de/wiki/images/thumb/2/21/C017de24b30711e18cf91231380fd29b_7.jpg/600px-C017de24b30711e18cf91231380fd29b_7.jpg
It is a long weekend with workshops, lectures, games and socialising for german hackers in an old amunition factory, now used as an art college. Since the event is free of charge, there are not alot of funds available for infrastructure.

Last year I had 2x Omnitiks and 6x RB751 in use to provide wireless. While everything worked, 5GHz coverage could have been better. Also I had some stability issues with the RB751s until I simplified the configuration to include only the bare neccessities.

I stumbled across the RB912 myself already (http://shop.meconet.de/Hardware-component-parts/Mainboards/MikroTik/RouterBOARDs/MikroTik-RouterBOARD-RB-912UAG-5HPnD::116011.html). It would defenitly be a great choise, if it would have been release already. So I guess I have to use either Omnitiks and RB751s or build a 2,4GHz & 5GHz integrated solution myself using (quite expansive) RB433 boards.

By the way, how many clients can be connected to a single RB751? - I am just wondering, if I can spread the devices out a little to cover a greater area …

Greetings,
Rabbit@Net

6

By the way, how many clients can be connected to a single RB751? - I am just wondering, if I can spread the devices out a little to cover a greater area …

Vendors usually don’t make statements about that…I’ve taken as a general rule for better APs: 20-25 active users, 50 users max. with most of them inactive.

For bigger events I would say use a lot RB951-2n, turn each one down to minimum power and let each one cover a radius of 5-10m.

PS: Meconet AFAIR etwas Erfahrung mit größeren Messen haben. Im Zweifel also mal dort nachfragen.