PSA: Stick with RouterOS 7.15.3 for Stable WiFi (Issues in 7.16.x and 7.17.x)
Hey MikroTik community,
I need to correct my earlier post about RouterOS 7.17.2 working perfectly. After further testing, I’ve realized that WiFi stability issues persist in all versions after 7.15.3. Here’s a detailed update based on my experience:
I initially thought 7.17.2 was working fine, but after a few time (3 ~ 4 hours), I started experiencing random disconnects (from roaming), sluggish speeds (incorrect connection protocol), and erratic behavior. To confirm, I tested the following versions:
- 7.16 - problems already at boot
- 7.16.1 - problems already at boot
- 7.16.2 - problems already at boot
- 7.17 - problems after ~ 5 minutes
- 7.17.1 - problems after ~15 minutes
- 7.17.2 (latest stable)
All of them exhibited similar WiFi issues, while rolling back to 7.15.3 restored stability.
If you’re struggling with WiFi on newer versions, here’s my configuration for 7.15.3 that works flawlessly for 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands (WPA2/WPA3 + 802.11r).
Why Stay on 7.15.3?
- WiFi stability: Versions after 7.15.3 introduce unpredictable drops (my experience).
- Latest “stable” one: 7.15.3 was the latest i could test that proved to work without any hiccups, i tested all available after 7.8 and 7.15.3 gave me the best results.
Working Configuration (RouterOS 7.15.3)
[b]Step 1: Reset WiFi Interfaces[/b]
/interface wifi reset numbers=0,1
[b]2.4GHz Configuration (wifi2)[/b]
/interface wifi
set [ find default-name=wifi2 ] \
aaa.interim-update=disabled \
.mac-caching=disabled \
channel.frequency=2401-2483 \
.skip-dfs-channels=all \
.width=20/40mhz \
configuration.country="YOUR_COUNTRY_HERE" \
.dtim-period=3 \
.mode=ap \
.multicast-enhance=enabled \
.ssid="YOUR_SSID_NAME_HERE" \
datapath.bridge-cost=1 \
.client-isolation=no \
disabled=no \
interworking.esr=no \
.hotspot20=no \
.hotspot20-dgaf=no \
.internet=no \
.uesa=no \
.wan-at-capacity=no \
.wan-symmetric=no \
mtu=1500 \
name=wifi2 \
security.authentication-types=wpa2-psk,wpa3-psk \
.security.passphrase="YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD_HERE" \
.connect-priority=1/2 \
.disable-pmkid=no \
.eap-accounting=no \
.ft=yes \
.ft-mobility-domain=0x1 \
.ft-over-ds=yes \
.ft-preserve-vlanid=no \
.sae-anti-clogging-threshold=disabled \
.sae-max-failure-rate=disabled \
.wps=disable \
steering.rrm=yes \
.wnm=yes
[b]5GHz Configuration (wifi1)[/b]
/interface wifi
set [ find default-name=wifi1 ] \
aaa.interim-update=disabled \
.mac-caching=disabled \
channel.frequency=5170-5835 \
.skip-dfs-channels=all \
.width=20/40/80mhz \
configuration.country="YOUR_COUNTRY_HERE" \
.dtim-period=3 \
.mode=ap \
.multicast-enhance=enabled \
.ssid="YOUR_SSID_NAME_HERE" \
datapath.bridge-cost=1 \
.client-isolation=no \
disabled=no \
interworking.esr=no \
.hotspot20=no \
.hotspot20-dgaf=no \
.internet=no \
.uesa=no \
.wan-at-capacity=no \
.wan-symmetric=no \
mtu=1500 \
name=wifi1 \
security.authentication-types=wpa2-psk,wpa3-psk \
.security.passphrase="YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD_HERE" \
.connect-priority=0/1 \
.disable-pmkid=no \
.eap-accounting=no \
.ft=yes \
.ft-mobility-domain=0x1 \
.ft-over-ds=yes \
.ft-preserve-vlanid=no \
.sae-anti-clogging-threshold=disabled \
.sae-max-failure-rate=disabled \
.wps=disable \
steering.rrm=yes \
.wnm=yes
Notes:
- Replace YOUR_COUNTRY_HERE, YOUR_WIFI_NAME_HERE and YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD_HERE.
- FT (802.11r): Critical for fast roaming—works reliably on 7.15.3.
- Multicast Enhance: Reduces broadcast clutter.
TL;DR: If it ain’t broke, don’t upgrade. 7.15.3 + this config = no headaches.
Anyone else seeing WiFi regressions in 7.16.x or 7.17.x? Share your experiences below!
Working WiFi Configuration for 2.4GHz/5GHz (RouterOS v7.17.2)
Hey everyone!
After some trial and error, I finally got my MikroTik WiFi setup working smoothly on > RouterOS 7.17.2> . Sharing my config here in case it helps anyone else. This includes both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands with WPA2/WPA3 and Fast Transition (802.11r) enabled.
Configuration:
Reset WiFi interfaces > (optional, but I did it for a clean start)
/interface wifi reset numbers=0,1
>
> **2.4GHz Configuration (wifi2)**
>
> ```text
/interface wifi
set [ find default-name=wifi2 ] \
aaa.interim-update=disabled \
mac-caching=disabled \
channel.frequency=2401-2483 \
channel.skip-dfs-channels=all \
channel.width=20/40mhz \
configuration.country="United States" \
configuration.dtim-period=3 \
disabled=no \
mode=ap \
multicast-enhance=enabled \
ssid="YOUR_WIFI_NAME_HERE" \
station-roaming=no \
datapath.bridge-cost=1 \
client-isolation=no \
interworking.esr=no \
hotspot20=no \
hotspot20-dgaf=no \
internet=no \
uesa=no \
wan-at-capacity=no \
wan-symmetric=no \
mtu=1500 \
name=2.4Ghz \
security.authentication-types=wpa2-psk,wpa3-psk \
security.passphrase="YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD" \
security.connect-priority=1/2 \
security.disable-pmkid=no \
security.eap-accounting=no \
security.ft=yes \
security.ft-mobility-domain=0x1 \
security.ft-over-ds=yes \
security.ft-preserve-vlanid=no \
security.sae-anti-clogging-threshold=disabled \
security.sae-max-failure-rate=disabled \
security.wps=disable \
steering.rrm=yes \
steering.wnm=yes
5GHz Configuration (wifi1)
/interface wifi
set [ find default-name=wifi1 ]
aaa.interim-update=disabled
.mac-caching=disabled
channel.frequency=5170-5835
.skip-dfs-channels=all
.width=20/40/80mhz
configuration.country=“United States”
.dtim-period=3
.mode=ap
.multicast-enhance=enabled
.ssid=“YOUR_WIFI_NAME_HERE”
datapath.bridge-cost=1
.client-isolation=no
disabled=no
interworking.esr=no
.hotspot20=no
.hotspot20-dgaf=no
.internet=no
.uesa=no
.wan-at-capacity=no
.wan-symmetric=no
mtu=1500
name=wifi1
security.authentication-types=wpa2-psk,wpa3-psk
.security.passphrase=“YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD_HERE”
.connect-priority=0/1
.disable-pmkid=no
.eap-accounting=no
.ft=yes
.ft-mobility-domain=0x1
.ft-over-ds=yes
.ft-preserve-vlanid=no
.sae-anti-clogging-threshold=disabled
.sae-max-failure-rate=disabled
.wps=disable
steering.rrm=yes
.wnm=yes
>
> **Notes:**
>
> * Replace > _YOUR_WIFI_NAME_ > and > _YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD_ > with your actual SSID and password.
> * Some settings were included from experiments. No clue if they matter, but I left them in since everything works! > 😅
>
> **PSA:** > If you’re copy-pasting, double-check interface names (> _wifi1_> /> _wifi2_> ) for your device—they might differ!
>
> Feel free to ask questions or suggest improvements. Happy to share more details!
