Extend AP Coverage Using 2 Wireless Interfaces

RouterOS Wireless Networking
1

I have a RB433 with 2 wireless interfaces. I want to know how to configure my RB properly so I can do the following :

  1. wlan1 : to be connected to (Linksys AP).
  2. wlan2 : to share the Internet with my devices.

This image will show exactly what I need to do :
2WLAN.jpg

2

Thats simple, set wlan1 of RB433 to Station mode or better Station Bridge, wlan2 to AP Bridge mode and set also SSIDs (wlan1 SSID must match with the Linksys AP connected and wlan2 SSID you can choose whatever you want your network to be named). Note that in 2,4GHz only 3 channels from available 13 (or 11 in US) doesnt overlap so choose one as far as you can from the one used by Linksys AP.

Regarding the IP addressing it depends if you want to do a bridge and use same IP address range like the Linksys, or if you will use routing. Bridging is maybe more simple so create a bridge and add wlan1 and wlan2 to the bridge (Winbox → Bridge → Ports) and if wlan1 connects to the Linksys AP you should be able to browse internet when connected to the wlan2, you should get the IP adress assigned by LInksys DHCP (if its configured)

Do you also manage the Linksys AP?

3

The AP connected to the wire is from a different brand and I can’t configure it.

4

I found this link (MikroTik Wiki) :
http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Wireless_repeater

Can I configure the RB I have as combination of (e.g. both repeater & AP1) as shown in the following image :

In other words, configure :

  1. wlan1 : as Repeater.
  2. wlan2 : as AP1.

Thanks

5

BTW : Linksys AP isn’t the DHCP server for the network. It acts as a bridge with no viewable IP address. The IP addresses are assigned by the main router, and there is no way to tell what’s the AP IP address is.

6

You have two wireless interfaces on your RB, so no need to do a repeater. In case Linksys is in the bridge mode and you have no access to it, then you cant use WDS and creating a bridge on the RB as it will most probably not work. I would do it this way:

Set wlan1 of your RB to station mode and connect it to the Linksys AP, use DHCP on this interface or assign a static IP from the range the main router provides to clients via DHCP. You also need to set default gateway and configure masquerade (NAT) for packets going out of wlan1.

Then configure wlan2 as AP bridge, assign whatever IP address you want (outside the IP range used on the Linksys of course), configure DHCP server and you are done.

7

I’m still unable to connect to the Internet. Here is the configuration of my RB (using “export”):

# jan/01/2002 01:01:10 by RouterOS 6.22
# software id = XXXX-XXXX
#
/interface bridge
add name=Bridge
/interface wireless
set [ find default-name=wlan2 ] band=2ghz-b/g disabled=no frequency=2412 \
    l2mtu=1600 ssid="Linksys"
/interface wireless security-profiles
set [ find default=yes ] supplicant-identity=MikroTik
add authentication-types=wpa-psk,wpa2-psk eap-methods="" \
    management-protection=allowed mode=dynamic-keys name=Bridge \
    supplicant-identity="" wpa-pre-shared-key=password \
    wpa2-pre-shared-key=password
/interface wireless
set [ find default-name=wlan1 ] band=2ghz-b/g disabled=no frequency=auto \
    l2mtu=1600 mode=ap-bridge security-profile=Bridge ssid=AP1
/ip pool
add name=dhcp_pool1 ranges=192.168.88.150-192.168.88.250
/port
set 0 name=serial0
/system logging action
set 2 remember=yes
/tool user-manager customer
set admin access=\
    own-routers,own-users,own-profiles,own-limits,config-payment-gw
/interface bridge port
add bridge=Bridge interface=wlan1
add bridge=Bridge interface=wlan2
/ip address
add address=192.168.88.2/24 comment="default configuration" interface=ether1 \
    network=192.168.88.0
/ip dhcp-client
add default-route-distance=0 dhcp-options=hostname,clientid disabled=no \
    interface=wlan2
/ip upnp
set allow-disable-external-interface=no
/snmp
set trap-community=public
/system identity
set name=Bridge
/system lcd
set contrast=0 enabled=no port=parallel type=24x4
/system lcd page
set time disabled=yes display-time=5s
set resources disabled=yes display-time=5s
set uptime disabled=yes display-time=5s
set packets disabled=yes display-time=5s
set bits disabled=yes display-time=5s
set version disabled=yes display-time=5s
set identity disabled=yes display-time=5s
set Bridge disabled=yes display-time=5s
set wlan1 disabled=yes display-time=5s
set wlan2 disabled=yes display-time=5s
set ether1 disabled=yes display-time=5s
set ether2 disabled=yes display-time=5s
set ether3 disabled=yes display-time=5s
/tool user-manager database
set db-path=user-manager
8
  1. Do not add both wlan interfaces to Bridge if you want routing which apparently you want. You should add only ether1 (or also ether2 and 3) and wlan1, wlan2 is in another network (Linksys) so not a member of bridge.
/interface bridge port
add bridge=Bridge interface=wlan1
add bridge=Bridge interface=wlan2
  1. All your interfaces are disabled? No No No
set time disabled=yes display-time=5s
set resources disabled=yes display-time=5s
set uptime disabled=yes display-time=5s
set packets disabled=yes display-time=5s
set bits disabled=yes display-time=5s
set version disabled=yes display-time=5s
set identity disabled=yes display-time=5s
set Bridge disabled=yes display-time=5s
set wlan1 disabled=yes display-time=5s
set wlan2 disabled=yes display-time=5s
set ether1 disabled=yes display-time=5s
set ether2 disabled=yes display-time=5s
set ether3 disabled=yes display-time=5s

If I understand correctly the Linksys network is not secured?

Try this config but before doing this make:

/system reset-configuration no-defaults=yes

then configure some static IP on your PC and connect to the Mikrotik via MAC address from winbox and paste this:

/interface bridge
add name=Bridge
/interface wireless
set [ find default-name=wlan2 ] band=2ghz-b/g disabled=no frequency=2412 \
    ssid="Linksys" mode=station
/interface wireless security-profiles
set [ find default=yes ] supplicant-identity=MikroTik
add authentication-types=wpa-psk,wpa2-psk eap-methods="" \
    management-protection=allowed mode=dynamic-keys name=Bridge \
    supplicant-identity="" wpa-pre-shared-key=password \
    wpa2-pre-shared-key=password
/interface wireless
set [ find default-name=wlan1 ] band=2ghz-b/g disabled=no frequency=auto \
    mode=ap-bridge security-profile=Bridge ssid=AP1
/ip pool
add name=dhcp_pool1 ranges=192.168.88.150-192.168.88.250
/interface bridge port
add bridge=Bridge interface=ether1
add bridge=Bridge interface=wlan1
/ip address
add address=192.168.88.1/24 interface=Bridge \
    network=192.168.88.0
/ip dhcp-server network
add address=192.168.88.0/24 dns-server=8.8.8.8,4.4.4.4 gateway=192.168.88.1
/ip firewall nat
add action=masquerade chain=srcnat out-interface=wlan2 to-address=0.0.0.0
/ip dhcp-client
add default-route-distance=0 dhcp-options=hostname,clientid disabled=no \
    interface=wlan2
/system identity
set name=Bridge