Hi,

I currently have a Netgear router at home which provides the wifi network for all devices in the house. However, now I want to connect a LAN IP camera in the garden which should be also connected to this wifi because a connection via an ethernet cable is not available.

Therefore I found this MikroTik wAP (RBwAP2nD) which seems to be perfect (small, weatherproof and can be powered via 12V or PoE). However, I am not quite sure if it can be easily configured as a wireless client to an existing wireless network (the Netgear router).
Would this be the right configuration setting for my usecase?: https://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Connect_ ... ss_Network

The reason why I am not quite sure if it works with my current router is because in the following pdf it is mentioned that the repeater mode only works with MikroTik access points: https://mum.mikrotik.com/presentations/ ... 864498.pdf

I hope someone can help me clarifying this.

Best regards

a wAP (or any Routerboard) can be be programmed to be whatever you want.

Of course can be a wireless client. What it cannot be is a repeater (wireless client + Wireless AP at the same time) if the other device is not a Mikrotik.

If your intention is placing the wAP as outdoors repeater with the Netgear being inside your home, that's actually the worst option. I doubt it will perform reliably if ever.

I assume the camera has built in wireless. If so, here's an option that will work vastly better than a repeater:

Optimal) Extend Range by placing the wAP on your house outdoor wall, wired to the Netgear.
Set it up as simple wired/wireless "switch".
You will be able to use that AP outdoors, no bandwidth halving, and the best latency. Service for the camera (or any other outdoors wireless utility devices) and you.

Alternative) Failing that, the alternative is disable Camera wireless, and wire it to a wAP or a SXT2 as wireless client connected to the Netgear inside... but cannot warrant it will work as cannot predict if there will be enough signal; you'll had to test first.

Config in this case: reset the mikrotik to no defaults, then:

1.- Set it as a wireless client of the Netgear, station mode = station-pseudobrige, as the AP is not Mikrotik an supporting only standard 802.11

2.- Create a bridge and add ether1 and the wireless interface to it

Optional If want to manage the mikrotik by IP: add a IP > DHCP-Client on the bridge. Otherwise it can be managed without any IP configuration by using Winbox Neighbor tab, clicking on the mikrotik MAC field.

Done.

Hi,

thanks for help.
The camera doesn't have any wifi, that is the reason, I need a router/AP to connect it to the wifi.
I were able to manage after some hours and x resets to configure the Mikrotik wAP to connect to the existing wifi network and also connect the camera over LAN to that network. However, there seems to be an IP-address conflict, so the IP-camera is only reachable every second time I power up my wifi router.

However, I currently have the same problem and scenario for a 2nd camera with a new Mikrotik wAP and wanted to ask, how exactly to set up the Mikrotik correctly to achieve connecting it to an existing wifi and relay it over LAN. The main thing I am struggling is that I only have 1 WIFI and 1 LAN connection and after applying a setting which isn't correct, I have to reset the router because it isn't reachable anymore.

In short, I want to use the DHCP-server from my main wifi router in the 10.0.0.0/24 network, connect to that WIFI from my main wifi router and relay the network connection to the LAN port to which the camera is connected.

I don't exactly remember how I did it the first time, but because of the IP address conflict, I thought I ask again how to do it right. If I remember correctly I did the following way:

First I had to reset the Mikrotik wAP, connect to its wifi, setup an isolated network for the LAN port and some DHCP/IP settings, disconnect from wifi and connect to the Mikrotik via LAN. Then connect the wifi-interface to the wifi network of my main router and finally bridge them together.

Is this the correct way and if not, how can I set the wAP up correctly?

WAP is an AP, the ethernet port is part of "WAN" and can not be used to connect via Winbox (default setting).
As you remove the Wifi AP and make it a client, you have no more means to connect to the WAP.

Thus, you first need to move the ethernet port to be part of the bridge or "LAN" interface list to be able to continue to programm the device.

The best way to set it up is to use Winbox to reset without default and configure it manually. Once you have reset the wAP, you will have to connect to it using it MAC Address. Now you can setup a bridge and add ether1 and wlan1 to it. And now configure wlan1 to be a station with the proper SSID and security. You can manage it with winbox, without the wAP having an IP Address.

If you want to manage the wAP using an IP Address, you have a couple options:

• You will need to manually set an IP Address for the bridge that is outside of your DHCP Range on your router. If you set an IP Address that is in a different subnet, you will either have to add a static route for it on your router or manually change the IP Address in your device (computer) to be in the same range.

• Or you can add a virtual wlan and set it up as an AP. You would need to give it an IP Address, DHCP Server and Address Pool. This will allow you to connect to the wAP directly and configure it from this interface.

The issue you are having with the IP conflict is most likely due to the DHCP Client of the wAP and the ether of the camera are being seen by your router as the same MAC Address and getting the same IP. The cameras MAC is being translated to the MAC of the wAP and this is a limitation of wireless. Most vendors have a means of passing the MAC through the connecting device, but they are usually a proprietary or non-standard way (WDS, Bridging, etc.) so they are hit and miss working between vendors.