I have scenario where i need to connect TP-link AP with Mikrotik hAP.(create wifi bridge(pseudobridge)). I had tried it before(2019) and everything was working fine(but I tested connection only with one laptop) but today morning i was setuping this for my good friend, because he need to connect his network printer(only RJ45 port) to network and is impossible use cable.
And there is a problem. I can do pseudobridge and one laptop for testing is working(internet and is reachable), but another device cannot get IP address from DHCP…It is very strange. I thought that is problem in network printer, but my friend connected another laptop to next port(in bridge1) and nothing…IP address only 169.xxx.xxx.xxx .
Could you help me or give some advice? I have red some articles about this and there was sme problem, but maybe someone have some experience or trick how to solve this problem.
I was setuping it via TeamViewer, so it is little harder to troubleshoot problem, but one device was working and another cannot get IP.
I am not expert in Mikrotik so i can use only GUI.
Thank a lot for advices.
If I understand your setup correctly, the TP-Link is the AP, and the hAP is the “repeater” with pseudo-bridge?
You know that most universal repeaters (like pseudobridge) trick the lack of addresses in a wifi packet, by inserting the MAC address of the repeater as source MAC address, maintaining a table for IP addresses (only!) to be able to deliver the answer to the proper device. Normally DHCP requests do work correctly, as the used MAC addresses are in the DHCP payload.
[However MKT bridge based DHCP server does not work with most universal repeaters (like TP-link). That setup is the other way around!!]
DHCP not working in your case is perfectly possible. It all depends on many details, that mostly cannot be corrected. Some setup have it working, others have it not.
If it is only the DHCP functionality, give the devices behind the pseudobridge a static IP address. (Or let the hAP deliver one via it’s own DHCP server in the same subnet, but reserved subset)
If even static IP addresses do not work, then there is more on hand. Maybe time to leave the “pseudobridge” idea. Replace it by mode=“station”, and an mode=“AP” virtual WLAN. Now NAT will be needed, and DHCP server on the hAP. Doing so the MAC translation ( always the repeater MAC) has been replaced by NAT (always the repeater IP address). Disadvantage is that you are now in a different broadcast domain (most discovery systems will not work) , and the devices behind the NAT are not reachable from the main LAN network.
If you use two MKT routers , then mode=“AP-bridge” at the AP, and mode=“station-bridge”/virtual WLAN with mode=“AP-bridge” at the hAP is the ideal combination. “AP-bridge”-“station-bridge” passes all 4 MAC addresses as needed, no mapping required, fully transparant.
You could try if “TP-link WDS” cooperates with “MKT-WDS”. It’s trial and error, WDS implementations are brand specific. WDS also supports the 4 MAC addresses.
Yes, you understand very well. And your second scenario with station and NAT i had in my mind, but there is problem with Network printer behind NAT and then i need to setup port forwarding and maybe it will not working correctly.(or i will need to setup static route on his home router and even i am not sure if it is possible on this home router )
It is quite unusual situation, i am little suprised(unhappy) from mikrotik pseudobridge, i thought that is working very well before(before i tested only one device and there wasnt any problem), but is not so good.
Yes, but the problem is not pseudo-bridge but the 802.11 protocol. I know no repeater that can serve a printer/NAS/server on the repeated side. It works relative well with multiple clients (request initiators) in IP protocol. But modern devices, like printers, are complex and use Netbeui, Bonjour, … and other protocols to be discovered.
With other brands the story ends here. With Mikrotik some creative solution is possible, but with only one Mikrotik the list is limited. The TP Link will probably not support EoIP, MPLS/VPLS, VxLAN, SSTP tunnel, PPtP tunnel, and other ways to directly connect the 2 LAN’s. And Mikrotik does not support Zerotier or one of it’s alternatives (https://alternativeto.net/software/zerotier-one/). Well Wiregard is new … .
Other techniques can be explored, like poor-man routing (using proxy-arp) if routes cannot be set at the TP-link. Setting the hAP as default router for everyone is probably not the best setup (even if only the first packet of a connection would use the hAP, who is sending a redirect to use the TP Link directly, for internet access). Giving the hAP a secondary IP address to be used for the printer only as DstNAT might help also,
I never tried to open 2 WLAN’s to connect to one AP, or even one SSID. (one for the printer, the other for the client devices). With the swiss-army-knife MKT is , you must always be creative.
