LHG 5AC isn't that slow?

Darmach · June 10, 2020, 6:52pm

Hi guys, the title was a bit of a clickbait - I wanted to lure in here people wanting to defend that antenna, in the hope that they will be the ones with the know-how on how to do that properly

I am setting up PtP link with two of these. Found out that plain 802.11 protocol seem to give me best results (tested with routerOS bandwidth test only so far).
Testing distance is about 15 meters - mounted them on the fence posts just to learn how to configure such links. I have some network knowledge, however wireless stuff is pretty new to me - at least at this level deep.

Anyhow, speed-wise, with 15m between these antennas, which gives me around -25dB signal, with noise floor ~100dB bandwidth test reports:
udp, receive only ~550Mbps
udp, rx/tx ~260/260Mbps

Are these a proper results for such setup? If not - please point me to what might be wrong with my configuration (attached below).
I’m coming here for help after comparing my neighbour stats on Ubiquity which are similar… on 40MHz wide band (also AC)

[admin@MikroTik] > interface wireless export verbose
# jun/10/2020 20:43:46 by RouterOS 6.47
# software id = 3E56-YZHY
#
# model = RouterBOARD LHG G-5acD
# serial number = 99F4092C98B7
/interface wireless security-profiles
set [ find default=yes ] authentication-types="" disable-pmkid=no eap-methods=passthrough group-ciphers=aes-ccm group-key-update=5m interim-update=0s management-protection=disabled management-protection-key="" \
    mode=none mschapv2-password="" mschapv2-username="" name=default radius-called-format=mac:ssid radius-eap-accounting=no radius-mac-accounting=no radius-mac-authentication=no radius-mac-caching=disabled \
    radius-mac-format=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX radius-mac-mode=as-username static-algo-0=none static-algo-1=none static-algo-2=none static-algo-3=none static-key-0="" static-key-1="" static-key-2="" static-key-3="" \
    static-sta-private-algo=none static-sta-private-key="" static-transmit-key=key-0 supplicant-identity=MikroTik tls-certificate=none tls-mode=no-certificates unicast-ciphers=aes-ccm wpa-pre-shared-key="" \
    wpa2-pre-shared-key=""
add authentication-types=wpa2-psk disable-pmkid=no eap-methods="" group-ciphers=aes-ccm group-key-update=1h interim-update=0s management-protection=disabled management-protection-key="" mode=dynamic-keys \
    mschapv2-password="" mschapv2-username="" name=WPA2 radius-called-format=mac:ssid radius-eap-accounting=no radius-mac-accounting=no radius-mac-authentication=no radius-mac-caching=disabled radius-mac-format=\
    XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX radius-mac-mode=as-username static-algo-0=none static-algo-1=none static-algo-2=none static-algo-3=none static-key-0="" static-key-1="" static-key-2="" static-key-3="" \
    static-sta-private-algo=none static-sta-private-key="" static-transmit-key=key-0 supplicant-identity=MikroTik tls-certificate=none tls-mode=no-certificates unicast-ciphers=aes-ccm wpa-pre-shared-key="" \
    wpa2-pre-shared-key=testtest
/interface wireless
set [ find default-name=wlan1 ] adaptive-noise-immunity=none allow-sharedkey=no ampdu-priorities=0 amsdu-limit=8192 amsdu-threshold=8192 antenna-gain=25 area="" arp=enabled arp-timeout=auto band=5ghz-a/n/ac \
    basic-rates-a/g=6Mbps bridge-mode=enabled channel-width=20/40/80mhz-XXXX compression=no country=poland default-ap-tx-limit=0 default-authentication=yes default-client-tx-limit=0 default-forwarding=yes \
    disable-running-check=no disabled=no disconnect-timeout=3s distance=dynamic frame-lifetime=0 frequency=auto frequency-mode=regulatory-domain frequency-offset=0 guard-interval=any hide-ssid=no ht-basic-mcs=\
    mcs-0,mcs-1,mcs-2,mcs-3,mcs-4,mcs-5,mcs-6,mcs-7 ht-supported-mcs=\
    mcs-0,mcs-1,mcs-2,mcs-3,mcs-4,mcs-5,mcs-6,mcs-7,mcs-8,mcs-9,mcs-10,mcs-11,mcs-12,mcs-13,mcs-14,mcs-15,mcs-16,mcs-17,mcs-18,mcs-19,mcs-20,mcs-21,mcs-22,mcs-23 hw-fragmentation-threshold=disabled \
    hw-protection-mode=none hw-protection-threshold=0 hw-retries=7 installation=outdoor interworking-profile=disabled keepalive-frames=enabled l2mtu=1600 mac-address=B8:69:F4:61:61:79 max-station-count=2007 mode=\
    bridge mtu=1500 multicast-buffering=enabled multicast-helper=default name=wlan1 nv2-cell-radius=30 nv2-downlink-ratio=50 nv2-mode=dynamic-downlink nv2-preshared-key=testtest nv2-qos=default nv2-queue-count=2 \
    nv2-security=disabled nv2-sync-secret="" on-fail-retry-time=100ms preamble-mode=both radio-name=B869F4616179 rate-selection=advanced rate-set=default rx-chains=0,1 scan-list=default secondary-channel="" \
    security-profile=WPA2 skip-dfs-channels=disabled ssid=ebr0 station-bridge-clone-mac=00:00:00:00:00:00 station-roaming=enabled supported-rates-a/g=6Mbps,9Mbps,12Mbps,18Mbps,24Mbps,36Mbps,48Mbps,54Mbps \
    tdma-period-size=2 tx-chains=0,1 tx-power-mode=default update-stats-interval=disabled vht-basic-mcs=mcs0-7 vht-supported-mcs=mcs0-9,mcs0-9,mcs0-9 vlan-id=1 vlan-mode=no-tag wds-cost-range=50-150 \
    wds-default-bridge=none wds-default-cost=100 wds-ignore-ssid=no wds-mode=disabled wireless-protocol=802.11 wmm-support=disabled wps-mode=disabled
/interface wireless manual-tx-power-table
set wlan1 manual-tx-powers="1Mbps:17,2Mbps:17,5.5Mbps:17,11Mbps:17,6Mbps:17,9Mbps:17,12Mbps:17,18Mbps:17,24Mbps:17,36Mbps:17,48Mbps:17,54Mbps:17,HT20-0:17,HT20-1:17,HT20-2:17,HT20-3:17,HT20-4:17,HT20-5:17,HT20-6:17\
    ,HT20-7:17,HT40-0:17,HT40-1:17,HT40-2:17,HT40-3:17,HT40-4:17,HT40-5:17,HT40-6:17,HT40-7:17"
/interface wireless nstreme
set wlan1 disable-csma=no enable-nstreme=no enable-polling=yes framer-limit=3200 framer-policy=none
/interface wireless align
set active-mode=yes audio-max=-15 audio-min=-100 audio-monitor=B8:69:F4:61:61:7B filter-mac=00:00:00:00:00:00 frame-size=300 frames-per-second=25 receive-all=yes ssid-all=no
/interface wireless cap
set bridge=none caps-man-addresses="" caps-man-certificate-common-names="" caps-man-names="" certificate=none discovery-interfaces="" enabled=no interfaces="" lock-to-caps-man=no static-virtual=no
/interface wireless sniffer
set channel-time=200ms file-limit=10 file-name="" memory-limit=10 multiple-channels=no only-headers=no receive-errors=no streaming-enabled=no streaming-max-rate=0 streaming-server=0.0.0.0
/interface wireless snooper
set channel-time=200ms multiple-channels=yes receive-errors=no

bpwl · June 10, 2020, 8:29pm

This can become a long list of remarks.

But let’s start with the obvious:

how do you test? The Mikrotik cannot and generate/receive the data stream and do the transmission at the same time at the max speed.
What are the specs of the Ubiquiti? 60 GHz , no? Then 5 GHz with 2x2 streams, 802.11ac at 40 MHz . Max interface rate is 400 MHz, expected data rate 60% , never 550 Mbps !!!
(You cannot beat the theory: http://mcsindex.com/) . If Ubiquity is getting more than this, then it is on different link characteristics. (Could be 4x4, 80 MHz or so)
Your setting : 80 MHz/ 2 streams/ ac / VHT MCS9 = interface rate 867 Mbps (data rate 60% of interface rate , depending on media access overhead and A-MPDU setting)
550 Mbps is expected data speed for this. Actual interface rate can be seen in “wireless/registration” in Winbox.
It will be probably lower as you saturate the receiver, this gives bit errors (-25dBm is very very strong, set your antenna gains on 35 dBi for this test setup)
260/260 bidirectional. Yes WIFI is half duplex, and bidirectional generates more media access overhead

Remove A/N/AC and use AC only.

Darmach · June 10, 2020, 8:41pm

Thank you @bpwl !

I indeed tested with routerOS builtin bandwidth test on station antenna. So first error here
Calling my neighbour results similar, might’ve been a bit of a lie (unintended) - He gets about 180rx/170tx on the screenshot he sent me. My bad. That’s on Ubiquity 5AC Gen2
Good news that 550 is the expected result - it will be enough for me, just you know, wanted to know it I can get “more and more and more”.
I will test with antenna gain set to 35 - I understand that this will trick the board to lower the output power to comply with regulations?
I’ll also check out AC only.

So again, thanks for valuable input!

bpwl · June 10, 2020, 8:51pm

With 35 dBi antenna gain, you are 10 dBm below the maximum allowed regulation limit. Is only because you are so close that it is better to reduce. For longer distances set it back at 25dBi.