Please, help for Mikrotik WiFi network

RouterOS General
1

Hello friends:

I need to install WiFi in Hotel complex (formed by small buildings).

In each small building we estimate necessary 3 or 4 access points, and have 6 small buildings.

I don’t know if with Mikrotik we can plug AP’s of each small building to one switch (in that case, each small building would have one switch).

And finally, all switches (6) would be plugged to HotSpot, that must have capacity for 1.000 users, and one printer/pc for print each login access.

We need manage accounts with limit of bandwidth and time (normally 4 Mb for download, 1 Mb for upload and 24/48/72 hours of life time).

Hotel have 3 optical fiber services of 300 Mb asymmetric. I don’t know if Mikrotik hotspots have or can configured 3 WAN IN for automatic balance charge (or we needed externar balancing hardware).

Please, we need know AP model, Switch model, HotSpot model, Printer model, and Balancer model (if it’s necessary) for install the network with Mikrotik equipment.

Thanks!!.
Jose.

2

You might consider hiring a consultant. You essentially are asking others to do work that anyone qualified would be able to figure out. The forums have lots of relevant data for those willing to learn. You would know the answer to most of your questions if you took the time to search through the forums.

3

Ccr1009 at least as router / balancer / hotspot. Whatever switch you want. Whatever aps that you want. Yes is the answer to all your questions.

4

I agree with jspool. This is not a “home brew project”, but a serious design. The satisfaction of the hotel guests are important. And nowadays, since the hotel is going to charge money for the access, the clients will demand GOOD internet. They paid for it!

So how are YOU going to make “good internet”, from the USER point of view. Not how the hotel wants it, but how the client wants to see it.


Hire a consultant, and do not limit yourself to Mikrotik. You can use Cisco, HP or any other brand of AP’s, but routing can be done on Mikrotik platform. That is where the hardware is good in it.

Consider also other possibilities. Who is going to “maintain” the network? Who is “on call” 24 hours for technical problems. The clients will not accept that there is “no internet” for 3 days, because there is a “national holiday”…

You might think about Cisco Meraki. It is different from Mikrotik, but does the same out of one box. The control, issue of tickets etc… is very simple, all webbased. So only a webbrowser (or an app on the phone), and any front desk lady can do this.
Besides, you have 24 hours technical support from Cisco.
(The Meraki AP works without a controller. So only a PoE switch (or local power) is enough)

Yes, it might be “more expensive” in the beginning, but the control (and lack of a person who needs a salary), is also to consider.

I had Cisco Meraki hanging in a church for three years. I never (!) had to look into the device or whatever. Only from time to time I check if there are no more 2,4 GHz only users, so I can switch off 2,4 and leave everyone on 5 GHz. But the Meraki does a good job, by kicking dual band users to 5 Ghz immediately.


Make a business plan first. Look at CAPEX (capital expenditure = on time purchase of hardware and service for installation) and OPEX (running daily / monthly costs for having this network up and running).
Make a list of how much “downtime” can your client accept.
Request offers from different manufacturers, their support options etc…

make sure you mention every good and bad thing for each solution.
Headaches from the users, and bad reviews on hotel websites are not good.

Then present this to the management, and let them decide.

Only after that you can start the design and deployment of this project.

5

Well, many thanks to all for responses.

I think I have not explained myself well. Sorry for my english in that case.

I’m dedicated to computer services. I not need an consultant!!, I installed hundred of Lan/Wan/Wifi in hotels, stadiums, events, big offices and much more. I normally work with Cisco, DLink, Netgear and Meraki in some cases, and other third materials from TPLink, Ubiquiti…

I never worked with Mikrotik, but this mark have an very good fame and prices are cheap. I wonder how it would be an professional network installed whole with Mikrotik (router/balancer/hotspot, switches, AP’s…), and how efficient is. By that reason I’m asking in this forum, detailing the infrastructure to install and asking for advice on models that you have already tried. I’m not asking anyone to do the work for me. I know very well what I have to do. I just want to know this brand, and I only asked for details of models that you have already tried, so I do not understand some answers, but it could have been my English.

Of course I had already seen technical characteristics of Mikrotik models, and one that I like a lot is CCR103612G4S model. It can be configured for balancing, hotspot and AP’s in, and I want to think that would be hold 1000 users or more without any problem, but that’s the answer I’m looking for…, similar model in Cisco it costs much more, but if Mikrotik renders as Cisco, I would like to start working with Mikrotik and lower the budget for my clients.

Only ask for good router models for 1000 users, good AP’s and good switches, all Mikrotik. The detail of the installation is a reference to choose the best model that suits. I do not know if now I have explained it well.

Thanks!.
Jose.

6

Your latest post clarifies a considerable amount. While Mikrotik can do what you require it wont be point and click like some other brands. Mikrotik is very flexible buy requires patience and time to learn how it works, understand its limitations and then learn scripting to supplement the non native features. They route well. Their firewall is pretty simple. The CCR1036 can handle a considerable workload. Personally I use Mikrotik for routing and firewall & I use UniFi for WiFi Deployments as most of my customers want the least amount of drama. I don’t think wireless is really Mikrotik’s strong suit anymore but that’s just my opinion. You going to want to setup a test environment and learn it thoroughly before deploying something of this magnitude.

7

I can’t recommend the MikroTik WiFi for low latency 802.11; but they have good signal and very good bandwidth management so everyone can get some.
My testings show an average jitter of 30 in some very high interference places, that’s why ISP only use MikroTik with its proprietary wireless protocols.
MikroTik are pretty gold in routing and firewall, both simple to use, but nothing fancy “detect DDoS checkbox”.