Interesting Hotspot over bridge issue

RouterOS General
1

I have come across an interesting issue with the hotspot i am running. The old configuration looked like this:

                        ADSL
                            |
             (RB532 - hotpsot + userman)
                            |
                    ethernet bridge
                            |
                        rb532
                            |
                        WLAN -- RB532
                     /          \ 
             RB532        RB532 -- RB532
                                    \
                                   RB532
          
         (multiple WDS bridged RB532's)

This configuration worked perfectly but i only had a level 4 license on RB running Usermanager so max 10 sessions allowed through userman.

I then installed a level 6 Usermanger on a dedicated PC router and shifted the Hotspot to the incoming Wlan bridge port of the RB532 on the WDS network. So it looks like this:

                         ADSL
                            |
             (PC Router Level 6 + userman)
                            |
                    ethernet routed
                            |
                  (rb532 + Hotspot)
                            |
                        WLAN -- RB532
                     /          \ 
             RB532        RB532 -- RB532
                                    \
                                   RB532
          
         (multiple WDS bridged RB532's)

The problem is that now the hotspot system wont allow access from any routers except those directly connected to the hotspot router. Any router that has to pass through a hopwont allow client access. Clients will still be assigned DHCP but they wont get the hotspot login screen. From the routers themselves I can still ping to the internet and to other routers.

Anyone else experienced this?

2

Have you added the ‘downstream’ routers to the IP/hotspot/IP Bindings list?

I also had funny issues with a WDS mesh and a central hotspot server on the gateway bridge… never could solve that one…
eventually dropped the hotspot and changed it to an APbridge+WDS/Virtual AP+PPPoE setup.

I guess I could’ve run a Hotspot server on each Virtual AP with Userman on the gateway router and achieved much the same thing…
maybe an excessive solution to your problem…

3

I managed to solve the problem by bridging the ethernet side ports instead of routing. I was still not entirely satisfied though as this solved the problem but did not explain why it was happening.

4

Stupid question - you had a route to either side subnet on both sides? Pinging etc all worked ok?

5

I think you know me well enough to ask a question like that! It was definitely something in the way the hotspot works through a bridge. DHCP was being assigned normally and if you added a hotspot bypass ip you could surf on that IP even on the non-operational AP’s

6

True - sorry… I had to ask. Daily habits die hard…

Sounds very similar to the issues I had… I spoke to you once about them you may recall, and now it seems you’ve experienced the same thing.

Ah well - we found our own workarounds, but as you say it would be nice to know why it didn’t work…

7 
|
                         rb532----hotspot
                            |
                            |wired
                            |
                        1. rb112(ap) ----wireless--------2.rb112(ap)
                                                wds              |
                                                                 |
                                                                 | wired
                                             3. rb112(ap)-------switch ----------4. rb112(ap)

I have the above configuration.
all rb112(ap) is ip binding passthru on rb532
I couldn’t seem to be able to winbox or telnet from rb532, only the first rb112(ap). or mac telnet the rest
I am bridging ether + wlan and ip is defined on the bridge



savagedavid: when you say :
I managed to solve the problem by bridging the ethernet side ports instead of routing. I was still not entirely satisfied though as this solved the problem but did not explain why it was happening.

what did you really mean ? could I have the same problem as yours..

thanx

8

Once the RB112’s become part of a bridged hotspot all authorization happens through the hotspot, often meaning you cant telnet or mac telnet or access the routers behind the hotspot. Create IP Binding passthrough entries using the MAC addresses of the routers and that should solve the problem.

9

Still could not resolve the issue, I could only access thru mac-telnet from the AP after hotspot gateway. Could not mac-telnet on RB532 on hotspot gateway.

RB532 hotspot gateway seems to have high cpu - 100% when more than 30 hotspot users is active . I though processing is distributed to the downstream AP. Could not understand why or its just Rb532 is not capable of handling more than 30 active users. Traffic is only 2Mbps, 500 Tx/Rx packet rate when cpu goes 100%, and reboot.

Did replace a new RB532.
Did RAM test.. pass,
ROS V2.9.40.. same thing
Change to 48V supply(from 18V) – same thing.
Overclocking the cpu speed .. same thing..

Do you have the same experience ?? How many can actually RB532 handle.

Need some advice before changing hotspot gateway to a pc.

Thks