Mikrotik "wifi" capsman / I'm screwed

RouterOS Wireless Networking
1

Hey guys — at work I’ve been running the original CAPsMAN from the “wireless” package for ages, and it’s been rock solid for us. On our APs, we spin up several virtual interfaces via CAPsMAN — each one broadcasts a totally different SSID, and each SSID lives on its own separate bridge. That isolation is super important because we don’t want these networks mixing or seeing each other.

But now I’ve run into a snag. Our new MikroTik Wi-Fi AX units only support the new CAPsMAN from the “WiFi” package. When I switch to that, the whole way virtual APs get assigned to bridges shifts. From what I can tell, we have to use VLAN IDs: the APs need to be set up, the VLAN IDs need to be pushed into the network — or at least that’s how I understand it.

So, here’s my question: is there any way to configure the new CAPsMAN (WiFi package) to behave like the old one? Can I still map the CAPsMAN-created interfaces into bridges on the CAPsMAN side only, so that a single physical radio on the AP can broadcast multiple, totally isolated SSIDs — without having to mess around with VLANs?

5

1- Yes, ofcourse you can
2- No, IMHO VLANs are the most efficient and flexible way to handle this. Setting VLAN ID for new SSIDs and provision those works perfectly.

6

How did you do it previously? As far as I can see, CAPsMAN does not need to be involved with the plumbing on the cAP side. The remote Manager just sets up the wireless and virtual wireless interfaces more or less equivalent to the way you set them up at present. You are left to do your own plumbing on the cAP as before.

vLANs are a steep learning curve and I can understand the reluctance, having been through this myself in the last few months. But it is the only way I would do it now

7

IT WORKS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE OLD CAPS-MAN APs.

Under data path on the CFG you set the VLAN ID. Its pretty simple and doesn’t require any messing with filtering or anything like that.