Mikrotik setup for private home -> Switch + AccessPoints

RouterOS General
1

Hi,
currently I am planning a new setup for my home.
I have 20 Cat7 LAN cables and want to have 2 PoE AccessPoints.

The following Mikrotik Products would fit my needs:
Switch: CRS328-24P-4S+RM (https://mikrotik.com/product/crs328_24p_4s_rm) (I need at least 8 PoE+ ports)
AP: 2x cAP ax (https://mikrotik.com/product/cap_ax) (due to WiFi-6 support)

As it seems, I am not able to install the WiFiWave2 package on the Switch, therefore I am not able to use it as my CAPsMAN server, is this correct?
If so, what are my alternatives to control my two APs? Should I install a dedicated router or should I use one of the APs as a CAPsMAN server?

What are you thoughts?

Thanks!

Cheers,
Max

2

The switch can be CAPsMAN when using RouterOS (instead of SwitchOS) without any additional package.

3

What router will you be using?

4

PoE+ is often used as a synonym for 802.3at … and that one defines max output current of 600mA. But CRS328-24P-4S+RM is specced only with 450mA (which is halfway between PoE 802.3af specced at max 350mA and PoE+).

5

Hi infabo,
thanks. So the cAP AX will work with the switch. They do not need the new WifiWave2 CAPsMAN?


Hi Anav,
I would use the switch in RouterOS mode.

Hi mkx,
the advertised 802.3af/at PoE of the Switch is enough for me. I thought PoE+ and 802.3af/at is the same.

Cheers,
Max

6

Ahh okay I didnt realize you had a small internet connection, the switch should be good for up to 300 down or so.

7

Hi Anav

Hi Anav,

so you would say it could only handle up to 300MBit?
Which Router would you suggest?

Cheers,
Max

8

Only for the record, there is a lot of confusion around POE and Mikrotik has some own quirks on top of that.
802.3af=POE
802.3at=POE+
802.3bt=POE++
Mikrotik’s 802.3af/at=POE and almost, but not quite, POE+, as mkx noted earlier the amount of current is below the one in the standard, and even raising the voltage to the max allowed, 57V, it can barely deliver the amount of power the standard requires.
In practice most POE powered devices do not need the actual max power the standard prescribes, so in most cases it will work fine anyway.

The rule of the thumb for roughly estimating Mikrotik devices routing speed is using the results of tests for the 512 byte packet with 25 ip firewall filter rules:
https://mikrotik.com/product/crs328_24p_4s_rm#fndtn-testresults