Under ‘Wireless | Wifi Interfaces’, I have set SSIDs for wlan1 and wlan2.
And, under ‘Wireless | Security Profiles’, I have set authentication types and preshared key(s).
At this moment, I expected the wlans to show among the available networks. But no. They don’t.
I have attached the relevant screenshots.
The that looks suspicious to me is this:
BTW, I apologize for dumping all these screenshots here, but I am getting frustrated; hoping they are of use to help me sort this out.
if you want to show your total configuration, don’t send all these screenshots , but you can dump it via “new terminal” with the command “export file=myconfig” . You will find the file “myconfig.rsc” file in the file section, and can download that. You can also use “export” to see what will be in the file.
From the bridge setting screens … “disabled port” is OK, as nobody is connected. The WLAN interface is active as you have an actual MTU.
What you do under “connect list” is better to just set “Default Authenticate” and “Default Forward” in the wifi interface and remove the connect list. Connect list is the list of AP’s these WLAN interfaces can connect to as client (=station). “Acces list” is the list of devices that can access these WLAN interfaces. “Default Authenticate” and “Default Forward” is to allow access even if the client device does not match any “access list” criteria. The way to start is with the defaults.
Remember : With the default configuration not removed no interface should be in the “WAN” “interface list”. The bridge should be in the “LAN” “interface list”. Those interface lists are used in the default firewall rules. With the cleared configuration there are no firewall rules nor interface lists.
Remember also: WLAN’s and ether1 are slave interfaces of the bridge. IP settings (address, DHCP, …) should all use the bridge as interface.
I have noted your suggestions/recommendations with gratitude.
Yes. This did the trick.
Thank you.
And, here is the rant bit: I will never understand why Mikrotik doesn’t make this operation available as a menu option in Winbox.. Arguably, it is one of the most used/sought after configuration for SoHo setups.
Yes I know, confuses me all the time. What do they mean with CPE, WISP, CAP, Home AP, etc …? . There are so many configurations possible that just one word never describes what the configuration actually is. Their “Home AP” config assumes that the ether1 is a WAN-Internet connection.
As a secondary supporting AP in a home network , you need a “Home AP LAN connected” which is nowhere in the list.At least I did not find it.(They probably assume you will use CAPsMAN)
My fastest way to set them up is take the home AP, Bridge the ethernets to the WLANs. Remove or disable the DHCP server. Set the interfaces in the LAN ‘interface list’ only (so I don’t have to touch the firewall rules, and have them ready just in case I want to have a NATed WAN connection later on instead of LAN.). IP address and DHCP client on the bridge interface.
Idem dito for wireless PtP and PtMP bridged configurations. WLAN mode is [(bridge to station bridge) or (bridge AP to station bridge) depending on the ROS license level]
Same/worse here: I do not know or have time to digest all those abbreviations you listed mean.
Through the last couple of decades, I have used many different brands and types of WiFi devices and they were usually single-purpose devices --easy to setup and get going; but too many different ones to support.
Then, hearing all the good words about Mikrotik (and, that they have a usable GUI called Winbox), I decided to /standardize/ around Mikrotik.
But, having just seen that it can take me a week (on and off) to actually get a seemingly simple scenario (what ‘Dual Home AP’ should have done), I am not so sure I can spare the time to convert the rest of devices to Mikrotik.
(They probably assume you will use CAPsMAN)
I would gladly do so; if only I fully understood what it really does in my particular context.
Having read the relevant Wiki pages, I am non-the-wiser.
My fastest way to set them up is take the home AP, Bridge the ethernets to the WLANs. Remove or disable the DHCP server. Set the interfaces in the LAN ‘interface list’ only (so I don’t have to touch the firewall rules, and have them ready just in case I want to have a NATed WAN connection later on instead of LAN.). IP address and DHCP client on the bridge interface.
Hmmm.. This definitely sounds like better way.
Now that you mention it, I checked the firewall rules and they are empty.
Am I to fill them manually; or, empty firewall rules is OK for my setup?
Idem dito for wireless PtP and PtMP bridged configurations. WLAN mode is [(bridge to station bridge) or (bridge AP to station bridge) depending on the ROS license level]
In a few weeks, I will need to install a PtP (remote site communications using two antennas). Given the experience with the AP setup, I am sure I will be having plenty fun crossing that bridge (no pun)
I enjoy the Mikrotik way of controlling those devices. (It’s like playing with LEGO. You can build many different things in the way you like it. Much better than the dedicated toys.)
On the other hand you do have at least to understand the basics of networking. The Mikrotik documentation (like the wiki) just tells you what the building blocks can do. There is seldom a guide how to use them. The fact that the used terms have different meanings with different vendors does not help. (e.g. A “bridge AP” or “WDS AP” has a total different purpose with Draytek and Engenius than with Mikrotik). Those dedicated single-purpose devices are so limited in possibilities to tweak and adjust that it is a very enjoyable expeirence to have RouterOS. e.g. My (expensive) **-link repeater choses the wifi channels on its own, it’s not controllable, and in the 2.4 GHz range it uses 40 MHz width and some adjacent channel to other AP’s, resulting in massive adjacent-channel interference.And it does not pass DHCP leases.
The number of controllable parameters in RouterOS is overwhelming. I takes time to learn them …
