Mesh configuration

sofia.marques · October 19, 2006, 10:31am

I have something like this:

One AP with 4 wireless cards, 3 of them for the backbone in 5GHz and one for clients in 2.4GHz. This AP is connect to Internet.

I want to config him like a repeater.
Can someone show me a simple config?

I already look at examples in wiki for mesh and repeaters but can’t understand some of the differences between them.

/interface wireless set wlan1 mode=ap-bridge band=2.4ghz-b/g frequency=2437 ssid=mesh wds-mode=dynamic wds-default-bridge=bridge1 disabled=no

or

/ interface wireless set wlan1 disabled=no mode=ap-bridge band=5ghz frequency=5180 ssid=Main wds-mode=dinamic
/ interface wireless wds add disabled=no wds-address=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:X1 master-interface=wlan1

Maybe someone can indicate me some manual.

sofia.marques · October 19, 2006, 11:29am

Can someone someone help me in this?

Pleaseeee

samsoft08 · October 21, 2006, 8:16pm

the problem is there is no official examples for a different cases or for the most common cases , wiki and this forum are not official so its only for knowing other users how did they succeded with thier setups , whst if no one accept to write his own succesfull setup ? what we can do ?

GWISA · October 22, 2006, 11:28pm

These are both the same, except for the frequencies. Adding a static WDS link or allowing one to be created dynamically is exactly the same.
You can also allow a dynamic link to be created, then open it up and click the ‘copy’ button… this will make it static. You can also add static WDS manually to the bridge, or use the ‘dynamic default bridge’ to add it.

sofia.marques · October 23, 2006, 11:01am

Thank you for your answers.
Now I understand a little more of config a router.

About wireless channels, I know for 2.4GHz we have to choose channel 1, 6 and 11 for 3 wlan cards in the same router.

And for 5GHz, what channels should i choose? If I have 3 wlan cards in a router.

hellspawn · October 24, 2006, 10:15am

Sofia, pogledni http://www.hellspawnbg.homeip.net tam ima ICQ nomer shte se radvam da ti pomogna ako imash vuprosi

GWISA · October 24, 2006, 5:45pm

On mikrotik, you can use neighbouring channels in 5GHz - the channel spacing is wider than 2.4, and the seperation is better… can’t speak for other brands though…

sofia.marques · October 24, 2006, 6:07pm

Hi
First of all thank you GWISA for your answer.

Atanas i´m not from Bulgary and I can’t understand a word you wrote
Sofia it’s my name I know that the capital of Bulgary is Sófia!!
By the way sweet nephew

janisk · October 25, 2006, 7:24am

in other words:

take a look at http://www.hellspawnbg.homeip.net where you could find ICQ number, and that he could help you with some answers

i hope that this is still true if you ask in english

promind · October 25, 2006, 9:05am

in other words you need something like roaming…
take a look at this:

/interface bridge add name=bridge1 protocol-mode=rstp
/interface bridge port add interface=wlan1 bridge=bridge1
/interface bridge port add interface=wlan2 bridge=bridge1
/interface wireless set wlan1 mode=ap-bridge band=2.4ghz-b/g frequency=2412 ssid=zone.elitsat.net wds-mode=dynamic wds-default-bridge=bridge1 disabled=no
/interface wireless set wlan2 mode=ap-bridge band=5ghz frequency=5180
ssid=zone.elitsat.net wds-mode=dynamic wds-default-bridge=bridge1 enable-nstreme=yes enable-polling=yes framer-policy=best-fit framer-limit=3200 disabled=no

for 5ghz security

/interface wireless security-profiles add name=5ghz-sec mode=dynamic-keys
authentication-types=wpa2-eap unicast-ciphers=aes-ccm group-ciphers=aes-ccm eap-methods=eap-tls tls-mode=no-certificates
/interface wireless connect-list add interface=wlan2 security-profile=5ghz-sec

you can add some security profile also for the 2.4 band

this example is already in use by me
it works flowlesly without any problems! / I use mikrotik 2.9.32 /

sofia.marques · October 25, 2006, 4:25pm

Thanks Promind.
It was very helpfull

samsoft08 · October 25, 2006, 9:37pm

that was great , Promind.

but there is a line in the MT example whis I didnt found in yours :

/ interface wireless wds add disabled=no wds-address=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:X1 master-interface=wlan1

wds add , master-interface …???

sofia.marques · October 26, 2006, 9:06am

This is because he create the wds-mode=dynamic.
That is only used if you create wds-mode=static.

Like this:
/interface wireless set wlan4 mode=ap-bridge band=2.4ghz-b/g frequency=2437 ssid=Main wds-mode=dynamic wds-default-bridge=bridge1 disabled=no

or

/ interface wireless set wlan1 disabled=no mode=ap-bridge band=2.4ghz-b/g frequency=2437 ssid=Main wds-mode=static
/ interface wireless wds add disabled=no wds-address=XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:X1 master-interface=wlan1

In the manual they tell the best thing to use is wds-mode=static (pag.241) but a still don’t understand why almost everyone shows dynamic config.

sergejs · October 26, 2006, 9:46am

There are few very informative and useful old topics,
http://forum.mikrotik.com//viewtopic.php?t=9684
http://forum.mikrotik.com//viewtopic.php?t=10197

Look at the Uldis reply about static/dynamic WDS,

Dynamic WDS is easier when you are making a new mesh system.
If the WDS node count will increase in wide area then lot of wds liks will be establishing and disconnecting the wds links (the nodes wich has very low signal strenght between them).
First place all the nodes in their places enable dynamic WDS, then monitor few hours, days or maybe more to see which WDS links ar stable and wich not. Then start changing these dynamic WDS links wich are stable to static ones. After you have done that, you can disable the Dynamic WDS mode.

promind · October 26, 2006, 5:45pm

I use dynamic because after mt v.2.9.10 there appears bridge mode=rstp

GWISA · October 26, 2006, 7:18pm

Eh?

This will not help you 1% if you have a scenario as described in sergejs’ post…

trust me, I’ve been there…

In a true mesh system, use Static WDS AND connect-list rules for a stable system…

samsoft08 · October 26, 2006, 9:49pm

promind in your setup , are you using 5G for the WDS link of the AP’s and the 2.4G for clients connections ?
1- i want to know couse i want to do this with my setup , and i dont see difference between the 2 band setup , is it the band ( 5 or 2.4 ) which will decide ? i mean do the 2.4G Wcards in the AP’s will connect to each other too ?
this is becouse i want to be use different SSID in each AP ..

2- if I have 3 Node mesh , can i connect the last AP back to the first ( the Main AP ) , if i use RSTP ? no problems ?

promind · October 27, 2006, 5:58am

I’m using 5G as backbone connection…one every 400 meters I put another mikortik box with 5G card and 2.4 card antennas are 160’ for 2.4 and 15’/pointed ones/ for 5G if 5G connection is lost the 2.4 band is still paired with other 2.4 base station via wds.
DO NOT USE EoIP and bridge for 5G!!! it makes loop!

samsoft08 · October 27, 2006, 9:45pm

ok , so nice … you mean both bands used as Wds connection AT THE SAME TIME …is this necessary or just for emergency cases , 5G connection lost ..

and using the same Wcard for clients and WDS would it make it slower , i read that once , if its true , can I use only the 5G for backbone WDS ?

ok about not using EOIP , but if i connect the last AP with the first ( WDS ) does it loop ?

sorry for many questions promind ,but i found your answers perfect ..

promind · October 28, 2006, 4:20pm

yes I have 2 master aps connected via ethernet to the main hotspot router/which is linux/ they both are cm9 and wds…other connect to them or to each other/depends/ via WPA2 5G or no security profile via 2.4G, it’s something like roaming/take a look at mobile operators construction…I’ve made something like that and yeah it worx flowlessly /

EoIP = ethernet over ip
WDS = shared wireless links /wireless distribution system /
take a look at http://forum.mikrotik.com//viewtopic.php?t=11708
if you find solution except wds that will not loop please inform me