mAP (lite) is lacking an essential feature that might be interesting to see on other USB equipped devices as well:
An USB network adapter mode.
Use case: I have a laptop with wireless only network interface that I use when travelling. To have a hassle free “no limits” access to the corporate network I use a mAP to establish a VPN from various free WIFI networks that I find at the customer site or in hotel. To connect I have to use:
A dedicated USB power supply cable to supply the mAP
A USB-ethernet adaptor to connect to the mAP (because the mAP wireless interface is used to connect to the free WIFI)
A network cable to connect the laptop to the mAP for ethernet connectivity
With a USB network adaptor emulated on the mAP USB port all that drills down to
A single USB cable that powers the mAP and provide ethernet connectivity
What do you think, Mikrotik? There are enough devices in the market that provide this functionality. It can’t be rocket science
And there might be many more use cases for USB ethernet connectivity.
i do it this way, but it ain’t perfect. as far as i know, the client want to scan the spectrum to find the frequency where a specific SSID is broadcasted. if you run your “client” wlan instance is “virtual”, then you can’t do that - the parent wireless IF setting defines the frequency. so i did it as the wireless client running on the main wireless IF, and the APs are virtual.
so if the SSID is there, the client connects to it, and the vAP(s) are running.
but as long the client is not able to join the SSID, the IF is down (not running), and so are my virtual APs (as frequency is not set, and the client (read: parent wireless interface) is continuously hopping on the elements of the scan-list). so if you want to join a previously unconfigured SSID, you’d need them cat5 cables to connect the map with your gear. so it works, but sometimes it’s tricky. dual radios would solve this issue for good.
i did not try this (cause i think it will not work) with a “vanilla” parent interface config (frequency auto) and cause i have to specify either station or ap-bridge there, which pretty much pre-defines what will happen to the frequency, and I don’t think that any virtual instance can override that. but maybe i’m totally wrong.
You are right. It is complicated. But you can use two devices or use other device that has two radios or keep using your USB to lan adaptor. The request you made looks like: hey, build into all devices the adaptor I am using now in order I do not need to cary it with me. And everyone will buy those devices for higher price just because of that? Will even you buy that new device again? Nothing offending, just thinking loudly about this…
you’re right - and i think the same - product development for a large segment must focus on mainstream demands.
thb i wasn’t me who asked for this feature, i just wanted to verify that it is working so (station + vAP) as i do it, and there’s no better way to pull this off.
if i were asking for something new (actually i guess i did once) were to have a simple USB-to-serial bridge embedded in each mikrotik device which has a serial console. so you could just connect your laptop/desktop with a simple usb-typeb/mini/micro cable to it. this would cost like extra 3$ or similar, but would help a lot in many cases. even the standardisation of RS232 serial console connectors (rj45 and DB9) would be pleasing for me
It does not work reliably and most probably that is why Mtik explicitely does not recommend it.
You should better not recommend things that do not work in general.
Believe me I know what I am talking about.
Why don’t you read my proposal again and try to understand it. As long as this is not the case I recommend to stop speculating on senders intentions. Of course you are free to ask questions that may foster your insight. Just as a starter: We are not talking about hardware… We are talking about the EEM Ethernet Emulation Model.
Would that be okay for you as a cultural agreement?
In addition to my proposal there is a couple of more use cases: The predominant is here:
As the mAP and especially the mAP lite are designed a carry along devices they may be very convenient for the travelling salesman that needs to connect back to the company.
The ethernet interface may be the connector of choice for literally any foreign network at the customers premise or the hotel or virtually everywhere. The mAP holds various tunnel configurations to securely connect to the own companies network including all the benefits of a certificate based admission control. And of course a huge lot more. All the nice extensions that ROS brings along to have remote support and maintenance of the device as soon as it has connectivity back home.
At the downstream it simply provides ethernet of USB connectivity to the connected host. One device and one cable for a huge variety of applications on the size of a matchbox. Completely encapsulated with no loose ends on the host computer. Nobody can get a nose on the remote access technology you implemented, the box can be perfectly closed. A blackbox that just works.
Especially if you wtach the trend of the “bring your own device” in huge companies that is the only way forward to provide secure remote access for staff that is not on premise.
That would really be a huge security improvement for remote access. I don’t know any comparable device in the market.
I do a fair number of installations at trailer parks. There are always a fair number of guests in further out spaces with weak radios in old PCs. They get a very acceptable signal from our towers, but can’t return one. As a result, I typically recommend a line of USB wireless adapters to the park management to keep on hand for these folks. If Mikrotik made one at a comparable price, I would recommend those instead, because I could inspect them remotely when the park management complains that their network “isn’t working” for some guest or other.
