All my Mikrotik routers and APs are running 7.22.2 latest.
I would like to use 3xwAP R in my garden (older hardware with “wireless” package), which implement CAP v2. I recently purchased a few wAP R at low price, as they don’t implement the new WIFI and support only WPA2, but this is suitable for me, as I plan to use them in my garden for automatic mowing.
My routers are more recent hardware implementing CAPSMAN v3.
Can I mix CAPSMAN v3 with CAP v2? The documentation is not straightforward:
Compatibility with station-bridging as implemented in the 'wireless' package, station-bridge only works between the same type of drivers. Wifi to Wifi, and Wireless to Wireless.
This is not very easy to understand, as “Wifi to Wifi” and “Wireless to Wireless” do not mean anything? Does it mean CAPSMAPN/CAP v2 is incompatible with CAPSMAN/CAP v3? Today I am using CAPSMAN v2 with CAP v2 and it works (except for VLAN, but I will ask later on the forum). Can I switch to CAPSMAN v3 with CAP v2?
You can have both capsman environments on the same controller but with a major attention point.
Your controller can not be a device having AX radio or it will lose that ability since you will have to add wireless package to support legacy capsman.
Base ROS as of 7.13 (I think) has all hooks embedded for wifiwave2 devices.
When you add wireless package, you can also use capsman for legacy devices (under wireless/wifi, out of the top of my head).
Both environments are to be setup separately and obviously, there will be no roaming etc between both islands. But it works.
So next question now: what device will be your controller and what other radio-capable devices you have ?
Please be more precise, I don’t understand “legacy” as I don’t know what “legacy” there is. In my opinion, there are two versions of CAPSMAN (v2 and v3) and two versions of CAP (v2 and v3). Are they compatible except for WPA2/3 and AX? Can I provision CAP v2 with CAPSMAN v3 as long as I don’t use WPA3 and AX?
Actually there is no capsman V1 anymore ?
It's capsman V2 and wifiwave2 capsman (V3, if you want).
Best not to use V1/V2/V3 since it adds to the confusion.
From wikipedia:
"Legacy" refers to something passed down from the past, including inherited property (bequest), lasting impact/influence, or outdated technology still in use.
Mikrotik speak:
Legacy = all wireless devices using drivers from pre-AX time.
Like your WAP R, or CAP or Cap Mini or hAP or hAP Lite ...
But arm-based AC radios can usually also use wifiwave2 drivers (Cap AC, cap XL AC, AC2, AC3, WAP AC). Something to keep in mind.
See here for (hopefully) more info:
WAP R = legacy wifi. Legacy capsman. Uses wireless driver.
You still did not answer what device you want to use as controller ?
If you only have 1 AX device, why use capsman for it ?
Since you have 4 wAP R, use 1 as capsman controller for all 4.
You will have to use WIFI/CAPSMAN and WIRELESS/CAPsMAN - one for each.
Note that roaming from new to old and back will not work. (At least not here where I use it).
Which is perfect, as you will need to install on it the wireless package (to use old CAPSMAN) but that will disable wifi radios (which the RB5009 doesn't have).
On the RB5009 you will use the (old) wireless CAPSMAN for the older (wAP R) devices.
Optionally the (new) wifi CAPSMAN for newer (running wifi-qcom or wifi-qcom-ac or newer) devices.
The (I know it is confusing) point being:
IF the CAP device runs wireless you need to use the old CAPSMAN to control it
IF the CAP device runs newer wifi drivers you need to use the new CAPSMAN to control it
Older devices, originally running wireless, CANNOT be controlled by the new CAPSMAN.
A limited number of older devices (arm based) can be upgraded to wifi-qcom-ac drivers and in this case they can be controlled by the new CAPSMAN.
The RB5009 can run both version of CAPSMAN at the same time.
Since there are some incompatibilities between the drivers/setup: IF you have two or more devices running the old wireless you can setup roaming between them
IF you have two or more devices running the new version you can setup roaming between them (fast and almost unnoticeable change of connected AP when moving around)..
Roaming between a wireless and a wifi AP won't work (because they are connected to two different controllers).
For similar reasons you cannot use the "proper" station-bridge mode when (if) making a "wireless wire" connection between a device running wireless and one running wifi.
I will stick to the wAP R + wireless package legacy version since I like the hardware design and very good casing and radio coverage and PoE support. Besides you can purchase those APs for as low as 20euros, so I am happy with it. So I will stick to CAPsMAN legacy version hoping it does not become deprecated.
How do you setup roaming by the way? 802.11r does not seem to be available on the wAP R.
Here is my config for vian. I would like to use vlan ID 120 for outdoor:
When my device is connected to 2 AP’s of the same type configured through CAPsMAN, when it bounces to the other AP, it remains transparent, almost immediate.
When being on 2 different CAPsMAN setups (WIFI/Wireless), it has to quit then one and build up a new connection. It is not transparent and is slower.
This is NOT how it works with legacy wireless/capsman as it doesn't offer any mobility functions.
In fact, with wireless/capsman station mobility is exactly the same as if no capsman is used (but one manually sets identical security settings on adjacent APs) and the same when station moves from wireless/capsman towards wifi/capsman (or in the opposite direction) - again if security settings are identical on both capsmans..
I use a x86 routerOS with both legacy CAPsMan (for wifi 5) and newer CAPsMan or CAPsMan v2 ( for wifi 6) in the same device to control both local (via LAN) and remote (via internet) without problems.
Only I have not used vlan. AP of wifi 5 and 6 at remote site work well with both CAPsMan.
VLANs should be configured the same way in both legacy capsman and in wifi capsman (if wifi cap devices are AX or newer ... i.e. running any wifi-* driver set except* wifi-qcom-ac). If that doesn't work as intended, then you probably have some more basic issues with your VLAN setup. You might want to post relevant part of your config (e.g. the /interface subtree) for us to have s look at.