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jbai256
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3 SSIDs using different frequency bands?

Sat Feb 04, 2023 5:22 am

I'm trying to set up 3 SSIDs -- all with different frequency bands. For example:
  • MyNetwork -- All frequencies with band steering
  • MyNetwork2G -- 2.4 GHz only
  • MyNetwork5G -- 5 GHz only
I currently have two APs I manage with CAPsMAN and plan on adding more APs later. The two I currently have are:

hAP ac² RBD52G-5HacD2HnD (RouterOS 7.7)
RouterBOARD wAP G-5HacT2HnD (RouterOS 6.49.7)

I have 3 configurations in CAPsMAN -- each named after the SSID it represents. Each configuration (except MyNetwork which is supposed to use all) utilizes a specific set of bands. I had one provisioning rule with the 2G and 5G configurations as slave to the third configuration. I saw all three SSIDs but the bands weren't what I'd like them to be. Sometimes the 5G network was broadcasting on a 2.4 GHz channel, and sometimes the 2G was broadcast with a 5 GHz channel. The band steering doesn't seem to work right (I know bandwidth steering is problematic but I'm not sure I even have it set up right).

If I break the provisioning into 3 separate rules, only the first rule gets applied, even if I force provisioning.

I guess my question is, can I even do what I'm trying to do, and if so, what am I doing wrong? I'm trying to learn!
 
Kaldek
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Re: 3 SSIDs using different frequency bands?

Mon Feb 06, 2023 4:32 am

Hi mate, I think you're trying to fit a square peg in a round hole here. You can absolutely have one SSID on both frequences and other SSIDs on only one frequency each, but the way you're trying to go about it looks off.

First of all, Mikrotik has no AP-side band steering. It's a marketing term anyway for underlying protocols which may trigger a client device to choose a 5Ghz network. These protocols are things like 802.11k and 802.11v. Note that roaming (which is all band steering really is), is a client-side decision. What each device actually does when there's an SSID available on both 5Ghz and a 2.4Ghz is up to the device, and it will differ per device type (operating system, brand of device, WiFi card in use, etc). Many devices completely ignore 802.11k/v info as well.

I have MANY devices on my radio network. I have four APs and only two SSIDs on both the 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz frequencies. Clients choose what they want, when they want, and it all works.

You'll need provisioning rules which apply individually to each known Radio MAC. For example I have four access points so I have a total of EIGHT radio MACs (one MAC for each transmitter/frequency on each AP).

You need to use Master/Slave configurations in your provisioning rule. And it will need to look something like this:

AP1 5Ghz Radio MAC:
- Master Configuration "MyNetwork"
- Slave Configuration "MyNetwork 5G"

AP1 2Ghz Radio MAC:
- Master Configuration "MyNetwork"
- Slave Configuration "MyNetwork 2G"

AP2 5Ghz Radio MAC:
- Master Configuration "MyNetwork"
- Slave Configuration "MyNetwork 5G"

AP2 2Ghz Radio MAC:
- Master Configuration "MyNetwork"
- Slave Configuration "MyNetwork 2G"

So you will have four provisioning rules. This assumes you're not forcing what channel each radio uses and you just have a generic "MyNetwork", "MyNetwork 2G" and "MyNetwork5G" configurations set up without defining channels in these configs, and you don't care about forcing channels. That is, you're letting each AP choose what it thinks is the best channel.
Last edited by Kaldek on Mon Feb 06, 2023 4:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
 
Kaldek
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Re: 3 SSIDs using different frequency bands?

Mon Feb 06, 2023 4:45 am

For my second reply, let's talk about Provisioning rules and Configurations.

You can absolutely use provisioning rules to do everything dynamically. If you do this, what you end up with is unique configurations for each radio MAC so that each radio chooses the channel you want it to, and it's enabled "dynamically" each time the AP boots up, based on the provisioning rule.

For home use, there's an alternative and it's what I use:
1. Only two Configurations - one for each of my SSIDs
2. One Provisioning rule, assigned to a radio MAC of 00:00:00:00:00:00 and not using "creat dynamic enabled" but rather "create enabled"

My Configurations say this, and only this:
- SSID name
- Bridge name
- Forwarding mode
- WPA settings

My Privisioning rule says this, and only this:
- Radio MAC: 00:00:00:00:00:00
- Master Config: Config 1
- Slave Config: Config 2
- Action: Create Enabled (note, NOT DYNAMIC)
- Name Format: Identity

I let the radios come up, provision themselves, and then I edit the CAP Interfaces directly to assign the channels I want. I have the channel settings already defined of course. I just go into CAP interface, and change the channel for each radio as and when I need to.
It also means my Configuration exports include all the radio details statically, because - duh - I'm not creating them dynamically.

Personally, I find this easier to get my head around at such a small scale.
 
jbai256
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Re: 3 SSIDs using different frequency bands?

Mon Feb 06, 2023 7:42 pm

That makes a lot of sense. I'm going to give it a go and see what happens tonight when I'm home. Thank you for the info!!!
 
Kaldek
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Posts: 111
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Re: 3 SSIDs using different frequency bands?

Tue Feb 07, 2023 5:57 am

That makes a lot of sense. I'm going to give it a go and see what happens tonight when I'm home. Thank you for the info!!!
Yeah no problem mate, curious how you decide to go. Mikrotik forums can be a lot like the old XKCD comic "Wisdom of the Ancients" https://xkcd.com/979/
 
eleroy
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Re: 3 SSIDs using different frequency bands?

Sun Sep 10, 2023 10:29 am

First of all, Mikrotik has no AP-side band steering.
Apparently, it does now:
https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/display/ ... properties

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