Why does one RB in ap-bridge mode connect itself to another RB in ap-bridge mode?

RouterOS Wireless Networking
1

Hi,
I got two MikroTiks - hAP lite and hAP ac2. Both shall work as access points for mobile devices in different rooms and send the traffic via LAN and a MikroTik CRS112-8P-4S-IN to the router into the internet. My problem is: Once I switch on the 2.4 GHz on the hAP ac2, the hAP lite connects itself with its 2.4 GHz radio to the hAP ac2. Here is what I see, the hAP lits’s MAC address being CC:2D:E0:B2:35:1C:
haplite connected to hapac2.jpg
I don’t see why that is happening!

My configurations as exported are as follows.
hAP lite

jan/03/1970 01:59:22 by RouterOS 6.46.4

software id = YCVN-IXY1

model = RouterBOARD 941-2nD

serial number = 8B0E087A2902

/interface bridge
add name=bridge1
/interface wireless
set [ find default-name=wlan1 ] band=2ghz-b/g/n country=germany disabled=no
mode=ap-bridge ssid=ZiegelEi wireless-protocol=802.11
/interface list
add name=WAN
add name=LAN
/interface wireless security-profiles
set [ find default=yes ] authentication-types=wpa2-psk mode=dynamic-keys
supplicant-identity=MikroTik wpa-pre-shared-key=xxx
wpa2-pre-shared-key=xxx
/interface bridge port
add bridge=bridge1 interface=ether1
add bridge=bridge1 interface=ether2
add bridge=bridge1 interface=ether3
add bridge=bridge1 interface=ether4
add bridge=bridge1 interface=wlan1
/interface list member
add interface=ether1 list=LAN
add interface=ether2 list=LAN
add interface=ether3 list=LAN
add interface=ether4 list=LAN
add interface=wlan1 list=LAN
/ip address
add address=192.168.178.5/24 interface=bridge1 network=192.168.178.0
/ip dns
set allow-remote-requests=yes
/system identity
set name=“MikroTik hAP lite”
/system ntp client
set enabled=yes server-dns-names=pool.ntp.org

hAP ac2

jan/04/1970 03:07:14 by RouterOS 6.44.6

software id = KL0W-M0YY

model = RBD52G-5HacD2HnD

serial number = A64B0A4E6965

/interface bridge
add name=bridge1
/interface wireless
set [ find default-name=wlan1 ] ssid=ZiegelEi tx-power=13 tx-power-mode=
all-rates-fixed
set [ find default-name=wlan2 ] antenna-gain=3 band=5ghz-onlyac country=
germany disabled=no frequency-mode=regulatory-domain mode=ap-bridge ssid=
ZiegelEi tx-power=13 tx-power-mode=all-rates-fixed wireless-protocol=
802.11
/interface list
add name=WAN
add name=LAN
/interface wireless security-profiles
set [ find default=yes ] authentication-types=wpa2-psk mode=dynamic-keys
supplicant-identity=MikroTik wpa-pre-shared-key=xxx
wpa2-pre-shared-key=xxx
/interface bridge port
add bridge=bridge1 interface=ether1
add bridge=bridge1 interface=ether2
add bridge=bridge1 interface=ether3
add bridge=bridge1 interface=ether4
add bridge=bridge1 interface=ether5
add bridge=bridge1 interface=wlan2
add bridge=bridge1 interface=wlan1
/interface list member
add interface=ether1 list=LAN
add interface=ether2 list=LAN
add interface=ether3 list=LAN
add interface=ether4 list=LAN
add interface=ether5 list=LAN
add interface=wlan2 list=LAN
add interface=wlan1 list=LAN
/ip address
add address=192.168.178.6/24 interface=bridge1 network=192.168.178.0
/system identity
set name=“MikroTik hAP ac2”

Any help greatly welcome!

2

For that to happen you must enable WDS Mode on your Wireless Interfaces.. In your case i dont see anything in your config…
But take a look under the WDS Tab on your Wireless Interface…
That’s actually how we setup MESH Networks…

In case its not the above the MAC is wrong…
Two APs just with the same SSID do not connect to each other just like that !

3

“mode=” not set on WLAN1 of hAP-ac2 ??? Don’t know what the default is. Station ? Then hAP-ac2 connects to hAp Lite. (AP is YES in screenshot !!! )

4

Yep, the default mode is “station”, see here.

5

Hi,
thanks for your answers this far. Here some information for clarification:
Setup WDS on both hAP lite and hAP ac2:

  • wds mode: disabled
    wds default bridge: none
    wds ignore ssid: unchecked

The MAC address of the wlan1 interface of hAP lite I double checked - see screenshot. It does match the MAC address I see in the hAP ac2.
haplite MAC address.PNG
Wlan mode of hAP ac2 is ap-bridge (this is printed in the export of the original post, somewhat hidden).
To me it unfortunately looks like one AP simply logs into another with the same SSID…

6

Check your wireless modes on both your APs, as simple as that !

7

Hi Zacharias,
the wireless modes on both devices is “ap-bridge” as you can see in the two exports in the first post. That is exactly what puzzles me! Can you explain, how to “ap-bridge” connect to each other???
Cheers,
FluidStone

8

hAP-ac2 in station mode connects to hAP Lite. Not the other way around. hAP-ac2 mode is not in AP-bridge mode, please change it.
In the screenshot you can see that the hAP-Lite was in AP mode, and WDS was off. However the WLAN1 in the hAP-ac2 is not in AP-bridge, but station mode.
Read your sent config file: for WLAN1 in the hAP-ac2 the “mode= AP-bridge” is missing! WLAN2 is in Ap-bridge, but WLAN1 is NOT.

/interface wireless
set [ find default-name=wlan1 ] ssid=ZiegelEi tx-power=13 tx-power-mode=
all-rates-fixed
set [ find default-name=wlan2 ] antenna-gain=3 band=5ghz-onlyac country=
germany disabled=no frequency-mode=regulatory-domain mode=ap-bridge ssid=
ZiegelEi tx-power=13 tx-power-mode=all-rates-fixed wireless-protocol=
802.11

9

@bpwl - You got it. I searched a week straight and kept missing, beats me why. Un-be-lie-vable. Thanks! I switched wlan1 on hAP ac2 to ab-bridge and the problem disappeared.
Frankly, I would’ve expected hAP ac2 to log into hAP light, not the other way around. However, problem gone!

PS:
I bought MikroTik for two reasons:

  1. It might not be easy, but I learn a lot about network while setting it up.
  2. I was told that documentation and support / form are great.
    Well - both points met!
    Thanks for such fast and problem solving support!
10

OK. Glad it works. Mikrotik devices are swiss-knifes for networking. Enjoy!

" I searched a week straight and kept missing, beats me why." … been there many many times :slight_smile: