I do not believe I am the only one looking for an answer on this question. A simple yes we are working to resolve the issue would be nice. I have been very loyal Mikrotik user but I am losing customers over this speed issue in PTMP NV2. Don’t want to switch to something else but if I can not even get acknowledgment of the problem from you then you are leaving me and hundreds of other loyal customers very little choice. We need a solution to the Multi Client speed issues with NV2. So would it be possible to get some information from you???
I have around 1-thousand clients connected to many APs using NV2 in a multi-point environments.
I also have dozens of wds multi-point back-haul networks passing hundreds of vlans and thousands of mac addresses.
NV2 works well. However I do wish there were some new additional enhanced tuning options for NV2 to better favor more traffic from the AP to the clients at some expense of clients sending to the AP.
NV2 work very well - you just have to dial-in the settings.
Mabey I can help - but I have some questions please
What type of Mikrotik hardware are you using for the Multipoint AP (antenna - RB type - wlan card - mino - ec-ce-eeec-ceee-A/N/AC ?
What is the Ethernet link speed on your AP
What is the average wireless client link speed (up and down)
-What is the averate wireless client CCQ
What is the average SNR for your clients on the AP (when checking on the AP)
What is the average SNR your clients devices (when checking on your clients)
What frequency are your using ?
When you disable the wlan on the AP and perform a frequency usage, is there any frequency above and/or below the frequency you are using? If so - can you provide a snapshot of your AP frequency usage (using winbox).
What is your NV2 cell radius
What is your channel-width
What is your band
What is your Hw-Retries set for ?
What is your TX power set for ?
What is the CPU clock speed of your AP ?
How many characters are in your SSID ?
How many characters are in your NV2 key ?
What wireless package are you using on the AP and on the clients ?
What version of ROS are you using on the AP and on the clients ?
I literally set up multi-point NV2 links all of the time in a dozen locations here in North Idaho.
If you can provide the answers to these questions - I can come back with some really good things to check.
Mikrotik doesn’t believe in WISP market, wireless development is arrest and I don’t see any resource inside mikrotik to improve wireless communications.
They took other roads, unfortunately…I loved mikrotik.
You want grow? Change tecnology and prepare to spend more money.
As a larger WISP, I am inclined to disagree with your statements.
My Mikrotiks are by far out performing two other WISPs who use another brand - by more than triple the speed and double the long-range customers.
I have zero plans to look at any other products in the 5 GHz band - none. I and my customers are very pleased and happy with my large Mikrotik networks.
25 meg speeds to many long-range distant customers (at the same time) on the same multi-point AP works - it works great !
Interesting ???
Have you noticed a performance improvement when adjusting TX Power parameters, CPU Clock speed and the numbers of characters used in SSID and NV2 key + wireless package used.
Use the Radio name to describe my AP (example 192-168.56.22-Tower1) where the 192-168.56.22 part is the IP address. Also I use the wireless radio name in my Identity. This makes it very easy to know what you are connecting to using a client Mikrotik device - or to quickly identify the IP address in neighbors.
NV2 for Wireless Protocol
NV2 key - - - I use only a few characters. I use the same NV2 key on all APs. I am not sure - but I suspect a small key might help reduce some stuff in the packets ?
NV2 TDMA Period Size (on the AP), I use 2ms on all APs. Any other setting ends up making things run slower.
NV2 TDMA Security is checked
NV2 Cell Raidius , I try to use 10 — or a value of the most distant customer + 5
Wireless Protocol (NV2)
Wireless Security Profile - default (I don’t think this does anything when using NV2)
Wireless BAND - never use mixed if possible !!! If all clients are N then set it to N-only.
Wireless Channel Width - On my N only networks, I use 20/40MHz Ce
Advanced - Hw Retries - I use 3 (for NV2 networks, every other setting appears to slow things down) (I use this setting on APs and on clients)
NSTREAM - uncheck everything and only check “Disable DSMA” ( Don’t ask what this does - but I do know what it does !!! )
TX power - default
I no longer use A type networks - almost everything is now N (single polarity ( 1x1 ) - with horizontal polarity antennas on everything)
All APs have high-gain horizontal polarity 90-degree sector antennas
For N wireless NV2 networks - The very very best long-distance client device I have experienced is the Mikrotik Metal 5 connected to a 31 db super high gain directional grid antenna. This combination will connect where other products will not make workable connections. It also works through some trees OK
EDIT Note - a client Mikrotik Metal 5 with a Poynting 31-dBi grid antenna will give you the ability to make 20+ mile connections (and much further) with a 150/150 meg connection rate. It will also be your best 5 Ghz possible solution to make it through trees. The Mikrotik Metal 5 has the best transmit power and receive sensitivity of all products I have ever tested in the 5Ghz band.
Mikrotik routeboard overclocking - On your APs - overclock them.
Ethernet to APs - this is important !!! - Use Gig Ethernet connections (not 10/100). A good NV2 N Ce connection can out-run a 100 meg Ethernet connection.
My network for all regular client customers is 5 GHz N Ce 1x1 (not mimo or AC). This gives me more frequency space on a tower for other sector AP.
On my towers - I try to use a minimum of 8 (eight) sector APs (90-degree) around a tower. This way if an AP fails, then my customers will auto connect to the next AP on the same tower.
My APs never have more than a single wlan card installed
On all APs, I run three ehternet cables for redundancy
POE - try NOT to use APs with a single Ethernet cable. I use the POE Ethernet cable only for power - and then have two other 1-gig connected Ethernet cables for spanning-tree redundancy
On backhauls (point-to-point) I try to way overbuild the connection.
Backauls - I use 5 ghz AC eeeC or Ceee only - and no plastic antennas - only metal reflectors. (I have found that stuff like the DynaDish never works in a high-noise environment. The plastic dish reflector lets all kinds of noise in and out the sides - through the side of the plastic dish reflector to adjacent microwave equipment. A decent backhaul will always give you 400 meg or greater throughput.
Avoid over saturated AP. If you have to many customers on an AP then you need to add more APs.
Often perform frequency usage tests on your APs to look for better cleaner channels. What worked 3 months ago may not be working now.
ALSO - rate limit all clients !!! I generally limit customer up speed and 20 percent of their download speed.
one last thing - Do not permit poor connections on your network. You want to have all devices with a CCQ if possible at 80 or greater.
I hope this helps
If anybody else has some tips - please share them
North Idaho Tom Jones
(A WISP and fiber-to-the-home ISP)
this is about eC and Ce and Ceee and eeeC and eCee and eeCe frequency space
The center main frequency you set your AP to is the “C”
If you use something like Ceee or Ce , then you need to allow additional clear frequency space above/higher than your channel frequency.
If you use something like eeeC of Ec, then you need to allow clear frequency spance below/lower than your channel/frequency.
And if you use something like eeCe or eCee (which I don’t recommend) then you need to allow additional frequency clear space both above and below your frequency.
I did know at one what time the e and the C stands for - but I remember this way… C is the center channel frequency and e is extra-additional channel frequency.
Note: If you are making a public AP for everybody to connect to with anything - consider wireless-rep package - 802 protocol - 2.4 ghz - and G/N-only with Ce. You want to do everything to avoid old B connections. A single B connection will put your 2.4 GHz AP into a B-Protect-Mode and everybody slows down to 12 meg or less. Also set your hw-retried to 15 - also set your On-Fail-Retry-Time to 1.00 - also set your Disconect Timeout to 00:00:15 -also set the Distance for dynamic (not indoors - even if it really is indoors).
Funny follow up — If any information I posted helps …
You are welcome to help increase my current forum reputation of 38 to a higher number
North Idaho Tom Jones
Anyway, nv2 key size never make packets bigger, only “more encrypted” (so more cpu? probably not)
Hardware retry default to 7 if I remember well, I usually set it lower for good links (keeping latency down) and higher for bad one (help reducing packet loss to gain little troughput); this seems to be in line with your recommendations - 3 for backhauls , 15 for public ap.
The dynamic/indoor statement has captured my attention, why do you say so? I’ve always left it untouched but recently I started to set indoor when indeed the AP is indoor (without noticing any effects to be honest)
Re the indoor vs outdoor settings, I run several high-density public hot-spots. A few years ago I tested these settings on a saturated public access hot-spot and as a client among 40 other active connections to the AP , I achieved the greatest throughput at 200-to-300 feet away from the AP when the AP was set for dynamic. The same also holds true when heavily over subscribed to the point the network is erring out.
Funny follow up —