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jojodim
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Hard wire extender/coud router switch to increase wireless coverage

Tue Jun 04, 2019 9:45 pm

I have a Cloud Router Switch CRS125-24G-15-2HnD-IN connected to my ISP. It is currently acting as my wireless network at my home. Unfortunately, it is spotty in some areas. Would it be better to hard wire an extender (12-57 VDC) or hard wire another Cloud Router Switch to my main router in my attic? I want the wireless network to be the same as the orginal wireless network obviously as opposed to having two separate ones. Any help with configuration would be great.
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Sob
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Re: Hard wire extender/coud router switch to increase wireless coverage

Tue Jun 04, 2019 10:43 pm

If you want it only (or mainly) for wireless, something smaller than another 24-port CRS would be probably better:

https://mikrotik.com/products/group/wir ... and-office
 
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mkx
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Re: Hard wire extender/coud router switch to increase wireless coverage

Tue Jun 04, 2019 10:45 pm

Hard-wire another access point (any wireless routerboard will do, just configure it as AP bridging wireless with ethernet ... without routing/firewalling/nating) and configure it with identical security profile. Devices will then more or less seamlessly roam between both APs. You can even choose a dual-band device and with some luck client devices will transparently switch between both bands.
 
jojodim
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Re: Hard wire extender/coud router switch to increase wireless coverage

Tue Jun 04, 2019 11:00 pm

Would you mind being more specific with each step of the configuration process as described below?:

"just configure it as AP bridging wireless with ethernet ... without routing/firewalling/nating) and configure it with identical security profile. Devices will then more or less seamlessly roam between both APs. You can even choose a dual-band device and with some luck client devices will transparently switch between both bands."
 
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mkx
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Re: Hard wire extender/coud router switch to increase wireless coverage

Wed Jun 05, 2019 7:37 pm

I guess some of it could be done by selecting correct QuickSet profile. I'm not acquainted to those, so I'll describe a bit harder way:
  • Download and install utility called winbox on your computer. It's a windows app, but works fine on linux and OS-X under wine as well
  • connect to your AP through one of "LAN" ethernet ports and perform reset without default configuration
  • at this point the device won't have any configuration and the only way of connecting is using winbox via MAC
  • now create a bridge and add all ethernet and wireless interfaces (CLI commands are the following, in winbox the structure is similar):
    /interface bridge
    add name=bridge
    /interface bridge port
    add bridge=bridge interface=ether1
    add bridge=bridge interface=ether2
    add bridge=bridge interface=ether3
    add bridge=bridge interface=ether4
    add bridge=bridge interface=ether5
    add bridge=bridge interface=wlan1
    add bridge=bridge interface=wlan2 # if your device has 2 radios
    
  • add basic IP configuration to bridge to make "normal" management connection possible. You can run DHCP client for auto-configuration from your existing DHCP server, preferrably create a static lease for your AP:
    /ip dhcp-client
    add dhcp-options=hostname,clientid disabled=no interface=bridge
    
    Or you can statically set IP address etc. Just take care to use bridge as interface.
  • Configure wireless (security profile identical to your main AP, radio settings, etc.). Use same security profile for both wireless interfaces if your device has two radios.
At this moment the AP should be a transparent L2 bridge between wired and wireless...
 
jojodim
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Re: Hard wire extender/coud router switch to increase wireless coverage

Thu Aug 01, 2019 5:37 pm

Sorry for the additional questions, but I am not too familiar with the New Terminal command codes. Additionally, are you able to specify which steps are intended for the original router updates and which steps are for the new router?

Also, if you have screen shots of the configs, that would be great. I got lost on some of these steps:
"add basic IP configuration to bridge to make "normal" management connection possible. You can run DHCP client for auto-configuration from your existing DHCP server, preferrably create a static lease for your AP"