Setting Up SXT sa5 ac

RouterOS Beginner Basics
1

I am trying to set up wireless access between and house with Internet access with a router (192.160.1.1/24) that is assigning the DHCP addresses (102.168.1.100-150), a garage with a security system of surveillance cameras and a 3rd location where fuel pumps are located.
Due to the obstacles in the yard I have an SXT 5 ac (RBSXTG-5HPacD) located at the house where the internet is located. It has a line of site to the garage where I have an SXT SA5 ac (RBSXTG-5HPacD-SA) mounted. Then there is another line of site to the fuel pumps where I have a SXT Lite5 (RBSXT-5nDr2) which connects to the camera at the fuel pumps.
I have tried numerous settings on these devices but I can’t seem to get them all talking together. Can anyone help me or point me in the right direction where I can get help on what settings need to be applied to each device. The devices are using versions 6.23 on the SXT SA5 ac and 6.21.1 on the SXT 5 ac.
I have just recently learned that the programming can’t be done over wireless and that you should program the devices via hard wire before they are deployed.
Thanks in advance for your assistance,

Dwayne Pilling

2

Start by upgrading all to ROS 6.36.3. You can do this by simply downloading the mipsbe ROS .npk package from mikrotik downloads to your desktop, then dragging and dropping the file on top of the winbox window; reboot once is transferred, SXT will be upgraded.

Once upgraded, go to System > Routerboard, and check if Current Firmware is the same as Upgrade Firmware; press the Upgrade button otherwise, check the logs for a successful upgrade message, then reboot.

The simplest way is to setup all SXTs is as pure layer 2 devices, i.e., to build a wireless “switch”.

To achieve this:

1.- Setup SXT SA wireless mode as Ap bridge, and the other SXTs connecting to it as station-bridge.

2.- Create a bridge on all the SXTs, and add wlan1 and ether1 as bridge ports.

done.

You can manage them via mac-winbox (“neighbors” tab in winbox) even if they don’t have any IPs assigned.

Think now as if all your SXT were a switch; all you have to do is set IPs/netmasks, gateways, etc on the devices connected “behind” them.

I have just recently learned that the programming can’t be done over wireless and that you should program the devices via hard wire before they are deployed.

Not sure where did you learnt that, but it’s not the case, specially if you’re on the AP side, as all station devices “follow” most AP settings.

Of course, if you make the wrong move while changing wireless settings and lose the wireless link, you’ll need to go there.

3

Thank you so much for your help.

I was trying to do way too much and I think the additional steps I was trying was conflicting with each other.

Before I deploy them, does it matter if the SXT AS is in the middle and not the one directly connected to the ISP router?

Thanks again,

Dwayne

4

Doesn’t matter at all.

Think about the wireless links as if they were wires. The SXT SA would be the switch; the other two will be “plugged” into that switch.

The key settings here are:

  • having the SXT SA in ap bridge wireless mode, and the rest in station-bridge mode.
  • “Default forward” setting on wlan1 > Wireless is enabled (it is by default)