According to the documentation https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/display/ROS/WifiWave2
As of the release of RouterOS 7.1 the 2.4GHz wireless interface on the RB4011iGS+5HacQ2HnD is not compatible with the wifiwave2 package.
Anybody knows if 2.4GHz interface will be supported in any future releases? Or such expensive router will become a “handicapped equipment” for good.
Would like to switch to the wifi wave2, but without 2.4GHz interface, cannot do so.
I’m wondering if there’s any hope for it in the future, or if I should sell it and buy new (non-mikrotik) gear.
Small correction, WifiWave2 driver does support 2.4GHz interfaces, but it depends on the wireless chip underneath. For example, Audience has 2.4GHz wireless, using IPQ-4019, and it does support the WifiWave2 package. It’s just that the RB4011 wireless chip for 2.4GHz doesn’t.
In future, there will be more products, that support WifiWave2 on all interfaces.
As indicated by Guntis, it does work if base chip does.
2.4Ghz works just fine on hAP AC3 (even better then without wave2). I don't see a dramatic difference on AC, at least not in the same amount as the fuzz that was made regarding wifiwave2 on itself.
I guess there was a little misunderstanding…
For me the wifiwave2 package is one thing, Wave 2 for “ac” is another.
I don’t think a 2.4GHz card can work in “ac”, Wave 2 or not…
And where did you see that combination being mentioned ? I don't see it.
You are the one who said "wave2 is only for ac" which on itself is not correct.
Wave2 DOES support 2.4GHz, if the wireless chip is supported.
And that was the question.
As for RB4011, out of luck there. Not supported for 2.4Ghz using wifiwave2 but it IS supported for the 5GHz radios.
WifiWave2
The wifiwave2 package offers a new wireless driver, supporting 802.11ac Wave 2 features and an alternative configuration menu.
Features
WPA3 authentication and OWE (opportunistic wireless encryption)
802.11w standard management frame protection
MU-MIMO and beamforming
400Mb/s maximum data rate > in the 2.4GHz band for IPQ4019 interfaces
Google (everyone’s friend)
Wave 2 Wi-Fi simply refers to the second wave of wireless networking gear. It’s based on the 802.11ac standard. Wave 2 introduced MU (multi-user) MIMO, for starters
It’s the same. Just need to put a space between the concatenated words “wifiwave2”
In any case, the Wave 2 802.11ac will never be applicable to 2.4GHz radios,
and is what I have wroted on first post…
I wrote so, and it remains so.
What @Guntis wrote is about the driver, not about the Wave 2 for 802.11ac tecnology:
Small correction, WifiWave2 driver does support 2.4GHz interfaces, […]
If instead you want to say that the MikroTik package called wifiwave2 also contains drivers for some 2.4GHz wifi chips,
it doesn’t mean that those will go in “ac” Wave 2…
Or prove me otherwise by configuring on your hAP ac3 the 2.4GHz wlan in “2GHz AC” mode …
@holvoetn, all is ok!!!
Ask @anav… I probably for sure express myself badly…
As of the release of RouterOS 7.1 the 2.4GHz wireless interface on the RB4011iGS+5HacQ2HnD is not compatible with the wifiwave2 package.
Anybody knows if 2.4GHz interface will be supported in any future releases?
So, OP wasn’t asking about wave 2 802.11ac, OP was asking about support for RB4011’s 2.4GHz interface as he wanted to use wifiwave2 driver for better 5GHz performance.
It’s a pitty @Guntis couldn’t shed any light … I guess that MT could make legacy wireless driver and wifiwave2 driver to work side by side … but it might be too much of work. Which means poor owners of RB4011 would be left to choose between two bad choices: either a) stay with mediocre 5GHz performance offered by legacy wireless driver or b) stay without 2.4GHz signal. My take would be option b) but not everybody can live without 2.4GHz wireless … yet.
Well well well a lot of confusing statements here. What is Mikrotik claiming when they say, they can do 400Mbps on a 40MHz wide 2.4GHz channel?
It looks as something impossible. https://meraki.cisco.com/blog/2013/08/4-things-you-need-to-know-about-802-11ac And Mikrotik then naming this “wifiwave2” adds further to the great confusion.
Very unexpected, as 802.11ac is not defined for the 2.4GHz band. It is defined for the 5 GHz band. This is about standards and can be found on many places. OK some brands may define their own extensions, but compatibility can be an issue.https://www.arubanetworks.com/pdf/technology/whitepapers/WP_80211acInDepth.pdf
Also based on the 802.11n and 802.11ac knowledge and experience , the beacons and MCS definitions are quite different for both protocols.Where 802.11n uses HT MCS (numbered up to MCS23 as the way multistream is defined for n, 802.11ac uses VHT MCS, numbered up to MCS09 per stream. https://mcsindex.com/.
802.11ac wave2 was an improvement of 802.11ac , but here the 2.4GHz band is still left aside of this standard, as that band is supposed to use 802.11n.
So how can MT claim 400Mbps?? Well the answer may be in the same help file:
.
They are not running 802.11ac or 802.11 ac wave2 on the 2.4GHz interfaces. The 2.4GHz only got an upgrade from 802.11n (wifi 4) with the 802.11ax (wifi6) standard.
So this wifiwave2 driver (what’s in a name?) is not about wifi5 wave 2 , but about wifi 6. Here the MCS rates are defined as HE (not as VHT) Different animal, no 0.4µs SGI, and different rates also when in ax. Not clear what MT is bringing here. And does the client now need to support 802.11ax (wifi6) to be able to connect ??? And if it is 802.11ax then the interface rate is 458.8Mbps, according to MCSINDEX!? Are there other things from 802.11ax available? Why not call it wifi 6 ? If hAP ac3 is a wifi 6 device, it should be all over the marketing documents.
I promise I wont advise other vendor products, but I do wonder if anyone at MT, knows anything about wifi because it sure seems to be a dogs breakfast.
One gets the feeling long ago they had an old person really experienced at wifi, who retired, and they just have not made the effort to find a credible replacement and the new guys
just care about long range wisp fun stuff.
All the more reason they should hire bpwl to help get out of this mess.
That 400Mbps claim in 2.4GHz is found on other hardware/software also. Not clear what the client requirements are. Must be some 2.4GHz standards extension?
If hAP ac3 is 802.11ax compliant but not yet wifi 6 certified, we might start to learn what that could bring to us . Like in https://documentation.meraki.com/MR/WiFi_Basics_and_Best_Practices/Wi-Fi_6_(802.11ax)_Technical_Guide , BSS coloring, is it there ?
400 mbps in 2.4 GHz is using VHT 8-9 modulation in this band. This is not a standard tweak, like Nstreme, NV2. It only works between Mikrotik devices.
Hap ac3 on the IPQ-4019, and it does not support the AX standard.
