I recently implemented a network in my home that has a hEX S connected to the modem and a hAP ax3 configured in access point mode connected to the hEX. This is working fairly well in the main house, But the WiFi begins to drop off significantly when I move to the far end of the garage or the extreme corners of the property. So, I am considering installing a second hAP ax3 at the other end of the house nearer to where the drop-off is occurring with some form of mesh configuration. Running cable to the second hAP is not an issue for me, so I do not need to sacrifice a wireless band for back-hauling. I have recently upgraded RouterOS to 7.14.1.
My question is how do I configure this mesh arrangement? I am already using CAPsMAN on the hEX to manage the hAP, so is getting this to function properly as simple as connecting the second hAP to the network and adding it into CAPsMAN, or is it going to be more complex than that? What is the correct procedure for this and is it documented anywhere?
Yes. 802.11ax standard, wifi roaming should work properly after applying identical settings (using CAPsMAN).
PS You can use different wifi channels for access points, but it is not critical at the distance…
My house is wired for ethernet with an ethernet connector in every room. Every cable runs back to a metal box in the master bedroom closet. That is also where the ISP connection comes in, so the modem must be in that box. But that box is a terrible location for the hAP to be located, so I placed a hEX in there to be the primary router/firewall and to connect any hardwired connections to. Then I put the hAP in a coat closet that is more central in the house (I believe this is called a “router on a stick” configuration). It is too bad that I had to resort to this as I am fully aware that the hAP is a more powerful router than the hEX, but this is the best configuration that I could work out. But it works well.