We like to use the RB951 and the RB751 series routers for our small office clients. It would be nice if there were a simple formula to create a 2.4 GHz repeater out of an RB751-type desktop router.
Since those only have 2.4 GHz frequencies you cannot use the more complicated mesh communicating over 5 GHz and clients communicating over 2.4 GHz.
Most how to solutions either use 2 separate radios or 2 different frequencies to accomplish the repeating. I know it is possible to do this with 2.4 GHz radio on each desktop router.
Harry’s Blog and the following form thread did a good job but still something is missing.
http://forum.mikrotik.com/t/repeater-mode/73592/1
I have read and read multiple blogs and other postings on these forums and it is still unclear to me how to get this to work. I know it can be done but I have been guessing at settings over and over again between two routers with little success (once in a while I see the WDS attempt to connect in the wireless registration area).
I simply want to be able to configure a desktop router for a small office broadband Internet connection using the quickset to get the typical masquerade, DHCP, DNS proxy and Wi-Fi with basic security running quickly. Then I would like to use another RB751 or 951 and use only the wireless interface to bridge using WDS to the other router and repeat to clients. And likely use RSTP between the two of them.
Any suggestions appreciated. I can post diagrams or other exports if that will help get feedback.
this is actually easy to get working once you know how. I do agree with you, getting it to work the first time is difficult.
First, setup the main router that is connected to the internet and get that all working.
-next is to get the wireless working on the same router.
-now go into the wireless setting | WDS tab and choose “dynamic” and the bridge that the wireless and ethernet of the local network are using (usually brdge1)
Now we add router number 2
- reset the configuration on the router (no default config)
- create a new bridge and add the wlan1 interface and any ethernet ports you want.
- go into the wireless card settings and make sure it is configured to be an access point and make sure all the wireless frequency, ESSID and password and channel are all the same as router number 1
- in the wds tab choose dynamic and the bridge we created earlier (bridge1)
- add a dhcp client onto the bridge
Any other routers you want to add are all setup the same as router 2
check the logs for messages about WDS and look under the registration tab, you should have some WDS connections there (YES in the WDS column)
I have a site with 9 of these connected and it runs well. There are times when they do require a reboot after falling off the network so I use watchdog to ping 8.8.8.8 and they restart automatically. this seems to be working ok but have no long term data at the moment.
Recomend to also setup an NTP server on the main MT so all the others have correct time.
hope that helps
Thank you very much for tips. I’ll try again and report back.