Tue Apr 07, 2020 12:00 pm
There are 2 ways to achieve fail-over, Mikrotik has setup the simplest method in their LHGXL52ac factory default configuration, that is then RSTP (STP tab) which is a system that toggles (switches) itself between available interfaces in its bridge. So the RSTP is designed to stop looping, the RSTP intelligence logic has been programmed to stop packets / traffic looping. For status of the actual used port you need to go to the menu Bridge then Tab Ports where you will see column Role, the port line that has the words "root port" next to it is the used port at that moment. The next colum Root Path Cost shows the total value that it sees as being the accumulative Path Cost from all your equipment in this RSTP path.
To see the workings of how to control the used or preferred RSTP wlan interface then look in the bridge and at the ports of the bridge, you will notice that the tab STP most likely says Path Cost 10, by changing this value to a higher value then that port will be then the lower priority used port, so hereby one can force the LHGXL52ac to use the other wireless wlan.
Disadvantage of RSTP is the typical 5 seconds delay when it changes port, which is a problem for voip voice calls. If a link is 100% down say due to a power failure at one end of a radio link, then this works great, but if the wireless link has low signal level due to say mist or summer heat in the link path, then it will cause even more of a headache and require mostly manual intervention (by changing the cost value) at the time of the signal level drop off so that it does not keep toggling the traffic.
Bonding
Mikrotik Bonding (menu Interfaces, tab Bonding) has the advantage that it can move over to other interface in a split second therefore reducing hiccups or longer breaks in the connection so is the best method to use. Typical use would be a Mikrotik 2.9km or 1.8 mile wireless link RBLHG-60ad being a 60Ghz radio with a Mikrotik 5Ghz backup link (due to 60Ghz rain issues with this distance) and a 3rd Mikrotik router to do the bonding. With the bonding one can setup the changeover based on the packet loss, packet loss time, a wait time before reactivating the main 60Ghz link. This 3km link works great for us and should work fine within the one RBLHGG-5HPacD2HPnD-XL antenna as well.
Best of luck with it all Daniel