but the added connection never completes “scanning” process.
Not a wireless bridge (4 address frame) unsupported in WifiWave2.
I want to route across the connection with 3 address frames if possible.
Added setup & “working” setup are all suspect; all help welcome.
What are useful tools in RouterOS for WiFi connection diagnosis?
I apologize for omitting wireless link to remote AP will hide local LAN IPv4 with NAT on hAP ax3 so remote router sees traffic only from single IPv4 the remote AP provides with DHCP.
I want hAP ax3 to look just like just another client device accessing the Internet like any other laptop or smartphone user looks over a standard generic WiFi AP link.
However before any of the above becomes relevant, the radio link must be up so the question remains: How does RouterOS support wireless connection diagnosis?
Basic problem when configuring virtual wireless interfaces is that if any of them is in mode=station, that one should be master (and realistically only one can be station, the rest can be ap).
The reason: only master interface can drive physical properties of underlying radio hardware (such as frequency, channel layout, etc.). And if mode is station, then it has to follow whatever its AP decides to do. If master interface is in mode AP, then that interface sets physical properties and station can not follow AP. The drawback of putting the station as master wireless interface is that if station is not connected to its AP (i.e. is in search mode), then none of virtual APs can be in the air (as parameters of radio hardware are not set, station is searching and thus changing radio parameters constantly). There’s a compromise: set radio parameters on master interface static (i.e. no auto anywhere) … they have to match parameters of its AP (and if the upstream AP is in auto mode, inevitably station will loose connection some time). In this case, virtual wireless interface with mode=station can be slave interface.
@mkx Thank you so much; absolutely perfect information; it makes further progress possible.
IMO a dedicated radio could prove useful. Does RouterOS support USB connected radios?
How is RouterOS with external USB hub for both external storage and external radio?
Forum search suggests RouterOS USB WiFi support ended with version 6; correct?
The problem with multiple radios in close physical proximity (either USB dongle with built-in or two devices “touching each other”) is the fact that WiFi is TDD - Tx and Rx are using same frequency. The problem arises when one radio is transmitting while the other one is receiving … due to close physical proximity the signal level of the close transmitting one will “deafen” receiver to the level where it’ll be unable to properly receive more distant link peers.
There’s Audience, which has two 5GHz radios built in. For the reason explained above, both radios are physically limited to distinct parts of the 5GHz band: the 2x2 radio can work in part between 5180MHz and 5320MHz while the 4x4 radio can work in part between 5500MHz and 5640MHz. This makes sure both radios can not “deafen” each other.
The problem is not solvable only by making sure that software settings don’t overlap: Rx pre-amplifier works on the whole band all the time and the only way of “saving” pre-amplifier to get into problems is to install proper RF filters which filter away the unnecessary part of RF spectrum.
@mkx Thank you.
What’s a best practice separation distance for hAP ax3 (AP mode only) and hAP ax2 (Station mode only) on same wired network?
The third AT&T gateway AP that the hAP ax2 will connect with is 2 rooms away with 2 gypsum board walls in between.
I’ve no idea how far apart should two devices be. Probably a meter or so would do. It should be fairly easy to find it out: configure one as AP and use the other one to scan for APs. Signal strength of any of APs IMO should definitely not exceed -30dBm, lower than -40dBm would be perfect (but that probably means distance of more than a metre). You can probably enhance the separation by putting some obstacle between both devices (e.g. a thick book or a plant or some metallic decorative object … ask your better half for ideas ), that would allow to place both devices closer.
), that would allow to place both devices closer.