Hi,
I would like to know if EasyMesh support is being worked on. I was considering buying a Mikrotik hAp ax S as a way to extend coverage in my home in addition to the router I already own. But this lack of EasyMesh support might be a dealbreaker for me.
Anything in the works, any ETA?
Thank you
Well considering that Mikrotik don’t seem to want to make things easier for SOHO, I wouldn’t hold your breath. Sorry if that comes across as cynical but another client has asked to stop installing Mikrotik access points as Unifi is so much easier in regard of deployment, configuration and updates (esp. updates). Unless your into all this as a hobby, I’d look elsewhere for mesh.
Hmm, that’s disappointing. Maybe I’ll have to look elsewhere then.
Or do you know by any chance when we could expect OpenWRT support?
Thank you for the help!
Why Mikrotik should pay attention to supporting OpenWRT? It needs resources that noone pays for.
Huh? I don’t mean OpenWRT support by Mikrotik… OpenWRT support is usually done by volunteers (assuming a third party OS-friendly bootloader and such). I’m not too familiar on what progress on this front is. I mentioned OpenWRT because they support EasyMesh, and could eventually be a workaround for me.
In any case, it would be so much easier if Mikrotik just supported EasyMesh (a WiFi alliance standard! even cheap Mercusys routers support) in their RouterOS. Since I want EasyMesh and they don’t, I unfortunately won’t be buying a Mikrotik router.
Huh? So what do you mean? For me an open question like
is pointed to Mikrotik, not to MT's forum users. Am I missing something? If you ask users/volunteers from this forum, I assume that it is wrong place. Go to OpenWRT forum to ask when they would add support for all MT's devices you are interested in.
Do such cheap routers provide eg. BGP & OSPF support?
There is always "something for something".
I recall that lately MT did something to bootloadr to help load other soft but I accept the fact that it is not the major or even minor target for them.
This is part of Mikrotik’s problem - their devices have many features that would cost far more from other manufacturers. But for SOHO, they’re not really needed. By not seriously looking at simple deployment, configuration and management, I have come to the sad conclusion that Mikrotik isn’t interested in the SOHO market and therefore I’ve moved on. Whilst Unifi devices and their cloud offering aren’t of course perfect, in terms of time and effort in SOHO, they’re demonstrably cheaper, easier and quicker. In the end, whilst they might cost more money (just, that edge has narrowed considerably), the overall cost is less.
Yes & no. It's not their "problem", it's their "choice".
They do devices+software that covers areas not touched by "big players" & "small players" as not worth touching. Small ones do not put any effort to implement it as their customers do not care. Big ones assume that if some functions are needed then you will pay their price that could be described: "there were times when it was cheap".
Mikrotik fills that "unknown cheap terrritories" and if you need ROS'funcionality, you need it badly. The more you know what youou can do with ROS, the more you need it.
So you came to the conclusion that you are not an Mikrotik customer that’s fine, please have fun with Unifi
I do have to be nice to both sides.
As someone who loves mikrotik not all customers feel the same and rather choose something more easy (even unifi is too complicated for the average joe)
Things get simpler to operate as users stick to simple things and do not care if "it could work better" if only it works "good enough for me".
The example are TV remotes. Nowadays you have max a few buttons: Volume +/-, Channel +/-, Streaming A/Streaming B/Console, Power on/off , Mute ... circa 10. Can you imagine such a person operating a vintage HiFi CD/Amplifier/DVD/Tape/CD changer beefy remote with 40+ buttons for every possible function. I can't but on the other hand anyone who wants to replace a dozen simple remotes for TV/lamp/Streaming device/Console/etc., needs to buy an advanced universal "macro" remote that HAS TO BE mastered to be programmed and operated properly.
Reluctantly and sadly. I’ve still got two sites using them but I’ll not be putting anymore in for SOHO - I am also heading towards retirement. Mikrotik keep making some interesting low end devices for the SOHO market but have decided that a web based hosted controller service is not something they’re interested in. Despite nearly every other vendor going down that route. The other thread about device mode hell is associated with this - they’ve made it hard for mass users as well.
Don’t get me wrong - I personally love them but my clients don’t. Many small business want to be able to manage their own IT, they can’t afford or want to engage me every time they want to (say) upgrade the firmware or change the Wi-Fi password. Especially if there is somebody reasonably IT savvy working at the company. I’ve worked in the hospitality industry (pubs etc) and they’re having a REALLY bad time at the moment so costs are incredibly tight.
I should have been more clear. But yes, despite this not being OpenWRT forum, I just attached this to my question because perhaps some user here that wants/has Mikrotik could have already found some workaround for these EasyMesh pain points..
In any case, maybe I’m wrong, but I would think that EasyMesh is not a niche feature? Especially for SOHO? Is it something that’s planned, or? If it is + has a not too distant future ETA, I could still end up buying mikrotik.
Sit down and start porting OpenWrt to your device, it’ll be ready when you finish. That’s exactly how more than 90% of devices get support.
Why did you even think that MikroTik would be interested in porting clearly inferior software to their hardware?
Audience was their attempt at it.
Mikrotik’s attempt at a web cloud controller?
I would say: device with dedicated mesh interface.
And that is great. I do not want any cloud management layer, particularly not on my core infrastructure. For me, this is a major reason for buying Mikrotik: it works without cloud services.
I think the feature you are requesting does not need any cloud service at all. Just a more user friendly WebUI/Winbox alternative would do.
Once I had to reconfigure "some other brand" device that pushed me to install locall whole "web ecosystem" to configure it from scratch as it's configuration is not stored inside it but in that management system. When I left the site, the configuration went with me. Next network technician had to start again from zero.
Crazy ... however I admit that the UI was 10/10, UX 10/10 but the overall usability for technician was not more than 3/10.
P.S.
Guess the brand ... 
Mikrotik’s attempt at a straight up mesh WIRELESS system. Sorry… i didn’t mean to imply some sort of could service.