Band Steering

m94646602 · Tue Apr 19, 2016 2:06 pm

In the same SSID environment(capsman wireless-rep 6.35rc49), can i use the SCRIPT to simulate the Band Steering?
I know, AP can't control what client will choose, this is for client to decide. But I still wanted to do something to help.
Many times, I often need to complete the work by hand.

Tue Apr 19, 2016 2:10 pm

i think is possible, maybe using access list, actually i don't have mikrotiks dual-band to test

m94646602 · Thu Apr 21, 2016 2:38 pm

i think is possible, maybe using access list, actually i don't have mikrotiks dual-band to test

Thanks Chechito,

can you provide more information or hints, how to work with Access List. Thanks a lot.

Michael

Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:14 am

Band steering is not implemented. It is not possible to tell the client that it should reconnect to 5ghz. You can only kick the client off the 2ghz Ap or disallow it's connection but it's all you can do.

Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:24 am

Band steering is not implemented. It is not possible to tell the client that it should reconnect to 5ghz. You can only kick the client off the 2ghz Ap or disallow it's connection but it's all you can do.

yes i think that's the way to do it

something like this

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless ... ing-manual

annefmoreno · Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:14 am

Band steering is a radio management technique Meraki APs use to improve capacity, throughput, and the experience for users of crowded wireless networks.

m94646602 · Thu Apr 28, 2016 2:03 pm

MT or other Expert, can you help to make the script? thanks a lot !!!!

R1CH · Wed Sep 21, 2016 6:50 pm

Any kind of script will be far worse than actual band steering. Mikrotik really need to try and implement real band steering, as it's very much needed with how crowded 2.4 GHz is becoming.

Band steering works by hiding the SSID in beacon frames, so the client doesn't know what networks are around it from passive listening. When the client wants to connect to a network, it sends out an active probe on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. If the AP sees the probe come in on both 2.4 and 5 GHz interfaces, then it knows the client is dual band capable and can reply on the 5 GHz radio only. The client then sees only the 5 GHz SSID available and associates as normal.

Using a script will never be able to replicate this behavior. A script at best can add an access rule to the 2.4 GHz SSID to kick the client off, but at that point the client has already connected and may be transferring data. The client has no way to know that it's blocked from the 2.4 GHz SSID - it may continue to try and associate several times before trying a different SSID. This results in a very poor user experience where after connecting to wifi, apps may attempt to connect to services only to get disconnected and lose connectivity for several seconds until the OS tries another SSID. On a phone this may also cause repeated Wifi / LTE switching which is also bad for connectivity.

haik01 · Wed Sep 21, 2016 8:38 pm

I have a Cisco Meraki in a church. It works flawlessly. One SSID with 2,4 and 5 GHz. Same password.
But it does differetn things:

My BlackBerry 10 is dual band (on WiFi). When I enter the church, first it connects to the 2,4 GHz, and later (after a minute or so), it reconnects to 5 GHz, and stays on it.

So from the user point of view, I do not see any difference (actually I should check with a laptop with full speed data download).

Wed Sep 21, 2016 9:26 pm

It is how client devices behave when there is preference setting present, I would say.

m94646602 · Sat Sep 24, 2016 8:11 am

Helpless!!!!

Disappointed !!!
MT do not listen, do not look, do not do

The 2.4G is very very busy

If want to use it in a commercial environment, 2.4 and 5G in a same SSID is a basic requirement !!!!
In our China market, we often lost to other competitors, because there is no BAND STEERING. Our customers say Without this feature it is only a "HOME AP"

When you fell from the 5G to 2.4G, you will be a long stay in the 2.4G, will not jump to 5G, I just wanted to do something to help the AP, but I've waited a long, a long time from MT

cisco : band select
Ruckus : holding the transmit beacon
aruba :http://www.arubanetworks.com/techdocs/A ... eering.htm
EnGenius : Band Steering
ASUS : SmartConnect
zyxel : client steering
d-link : http://www.dlink.com/uk/en/technology/band-steering
ubnt : https://community.ubnt.com/t5/UniFi-Wir ... -p/1429904
tp-link : http://www.tp-link.com/res/down/doc/Aur ... asheet.pdf

jekakm · Thu Jul 06, 2017 8:40 pm

Yeah, that's a reason why I stopped recommended and use mikrotik as a wireless hardware. And a problem not only in band steering. There's more much features that's looks like never be implemented by mikrotik.
You want band steering - no way guy. Dynamic VLAN assignment with radius? Forgot about it. Airtime fairness? You are kidding me...
But I still use mikrotik as a cheap routers, and I can say, that its good option. In case wireless hardware - I switch to Unifi, and it's like "from hell to heaven". I think mikrotik finally lost the cheap corporate wifi market.

juliokato · Fri Jul 07, 2017 2:47 pm

I'm also using Ubiquiti APs with Mikrotik routers.
When Ubiquiti has a decent and cheaper firewall also use.
If they could integrate the firewall with wireless better yet.

How long have we been waiting for from Mikrotik for the new version 7, wAP kit lte, switch with decent STP support?

CZFan · Wed Sep 25, 2019 2:34 pm

Has anything changed re Band Steering, I have a customer asking about this?

heidarren · Wed Sep 25, 2019 3:01 pm

We have only 2 options:

A.) Wait for band steering.
B.) We do brand steering.

empy · Wed Sep 25, 2019 3:04 pm

no! not as far I am aware of.

erlinden · Wed Sep 25, 2019 3:30 pm

Most modern devices will prefer 5G radio over 2G radio. I do have Mikrotik wireless (while travelling) and Unifi (at home). The latter has band steering turned off. Because it doesn't work as smooth as one would expect and by turning down the 2G radio as low as possible all devices connect with the 5G radio. And while travelling all clients will connect to the Mikrotik 5G radio as I also lowered tranmission power on its 2G radio.

Though I would love to see "new features" on Mikrotik, don't expect it to bring that much of a change.

Wed Sep 25, 2019 3:43 pm

Most modern devices will prefer 5G radio over 2G radio...

by turning down the 2G radio as low as possible....

most of the time client devices prefer higher signal AP most the time 2g radio is perceived with higher signal thus clients end there, because that you had to lower tx power on 2g radio, in that way client devices see 5g radio with higher signal, some guys call this making 5g organic

i thing mikrotik is missing some beacon and probe response settings to improve 5g steering

WirelessRudy · Wed Dec 02, 2020 5:19 pm

So now we are nearing 2021 and what is the situacion re 'Bandsteering'.
We started to install 30€ costing Tenda AC21 Wifi routers that have Bandsteering working like a charm... (amongst many other features like 6 high gain antennas, MU-Mimo, Beamforming and Gigabit ports and a powerful CPU.
We make clients to pay for them but those that do are over the moon with the increase of Wifi in and around their house.
The band steering works like a charm.

Any device that has dual band immediately connects to the 5Ghz radio, the rest to the 2,4Ghz radio. Out of the box! No configuration needed.
According the manual the device knows/senses which device has dual radio and if it has 5 Ghz it arranges de device to connect to the 5 Ghz radio. No user actions needed. It works.

Now off course these Tenda's don't have all the nice features ROS is giving me. For troubleshooting of bandwidth tests from within the Wifi router. So if Mikrotik would get all these nowaday 'normal' features working on there Wifi units then that would make them King in Wifi land...

Now I have to decide which clients get the Tenda (most) and which need the extra versatility of ROS at the expense of a poorer Wifi experience......

Most Ideal situation would be a bandsteering (+ 4 Chain (4x4, 4x2) Mu-Mimo, beamforming ) Netmetal for use as an outdoor AP

n21roadie · Thu Dec 03, 2020 11:52 pm

Question - where can you purchase Tenda AC21 for 30Euro?

anav · Fri Dec 04, 2020 1:16 am

There is an AC23 (also noted as model AC2100) which I can get in Canada for $99
The AC21 does exist and imagine tis probably around $69 CDn which is closer to $ 44Euros..

Other than one more antenna, I couldnt quickly discern the difference??
https://www.tendacn.com/us/product/forhome-22.html

Chiara · Thu Jan 27, 2022 11:03 am

Hi,
it's 2022, any news on "Bandsteering" on both Routeros 6 and 7?
Thanks, BR

rfc1149 · Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:40 pm

it's 2022, any news on "Bandsteering" on both Routeros 6 and 7?

Ubiquiti

shurik3 · Sat Jan 29, 2022 3:31 pm

Hi,
it's 2022, any news on "Bandsteering" on both Routeros 6 and 7?
Thanks, BR

Just give one Band more power, make another one weaker, so devices automaticly will connect to the prefered band, if it is your wish...

infabo · Sat Jan 29, 2022 4:21 pm

I wish there were some capable wifi devices/vendor aside china-spyware (TP-Link, Zyxel, tenda,...) and ubiquiti cloudbloatware. And no, for a home user with privacy concerns it is out of price-range to go for 500€ enterprise wifi hardware e.g. from ruckus.

gotsprings · Tue Feb 01, 2022 12:49 pm

I wish there were some capable wifi devices/vendor aside china-spyware (TP-Link, Zyxel, tenda,...) and ubiquiti cloudbloatware. And no, for a home user with privacy concerns it is out of price-range to go for 500€ enterprise wifi hardware e.g. from ruckus.

Pick up an old Cambium e410. They are similar to the r320 from Ruckus .

Want WiFi6... The xv2-2 can definitely be purchased for less than 500 US.

anuser · Tue Feb 01, 2022 10:21 pm

I wish there were some capable wifi devices/vendor aside china-spyware (TP-Link, Zyxel, tenda,...) and ubiquiti cloudbloatware. And no, for a home user with privacy concerns it is out of price-range to go for 500€ enterprise wifi hardware e.g. from ruckus.

Beside Aruba AP-535/AP-555 access points we use Grandstream GWN7660 Wi-Fi 6 certified devices with local VLAN breakout.

Integrated cluster, i.e. you can manage all access points from one device. You can also use Grandstream's cloud or on premise management software.

Roaming (802.11k, 802.11v, 802.11r)

Airtime Fairness Feature

Dynamic VLAN assignment with RADIUS (with integrated controller, too)

Works with IEEE 802.3af PoE

support band steering, aswell

Wed Feb 02, 2022 2:56 am

Hi,
it's 2022, any news on "Bandsteering" on both Routeros 6 and 7?
Thanks, BR
Just give one Band more power, make another one weaker, so devices automaticly will connect to the prefered band, if it is your wish...

keep in mind:

this way to make 5ghz organic is very good for capacity but sacrifice coverage

jbl42 · Wed Feb 02, 2022 4:07 am

Just give one Band more power, make another one weaker, so devices automaticly will connect to the prefered band, if it is your wish...

That's what Mikrotik is telling us for years. But band steering is much more than having different TX power for different bands. This might help if a station newly connects to the network, while some stupid devices will still pick the 2.4G band, even if weaker than 5G.
Band steeering is actively managing clients. If a client approaches the AP and is supposed to switch from 2.4G to 5G for closer range, the AP tells the client to switch band using 802.11v.
If this does not work, the client is deassociated from 2.4G and further connection denied, so the client is forced to connect on 5G. There usually also is a fallback leaving a device back on 2.4G after some attempts for the case 5G connection fails.

infabo · Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:29 pm

Cambium. Dò they only offer Cloud Management or on-premise Controller (VMware Image yuck) only? No Others options?

DL7JP · Sat Feb 05, 2022 2:36 am

Cambium. Dò they only offer Cloud Management or on-premise Controller (VMware Image yuck) only? No Others options?

I am perfectly happy with Ruckus Unleashed. If you don't insist on Wifi6, you can get used Ruckus APs on ebay for OK prices.

gotsprings · Sat Feb 05, 2022 4:41 am

Cambium. Dò they only offer Cloud Management or on-premise Controller (VMware Image yuck) only? No Others options?

Cloud from manufacture
Private cloud set up by you.
Local interface web browser based.

infabo · Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:10 pm

I'll give Aruba Instant On AP22 a try. Cloud Management only, but 802.11ax for cheap as 117€. Just for SOHO. If it sucks, I can still look out for an used Ruckus AP. R610 is currently for 500€ available brand new, but that's 4 times the price. Maybe I too find one Ruckus on ebay for 100$ - all these guys on Reddit say.

edit:
Aruba Instant On portal sucks. This is some cloud management for absolute non-technical people. Only the bare minimum can be configured and even this little config you can do, is scattered over 10 different screens. You need to search for hidden config icons, where you can maybe adjust a little more. I even have not found out, how to set wifi regulatory domain. it is just impossible. Not even the manual mention terms like country or regulatory domain. And its WPA3 sucked too, as my Intel AX200 was not even able to connect with WPA3 on. What a disappointment. And throuhput? I could not see a dramatically better iperf3 performance compared to Chateau LTE12.

BUT band steering really worked. So please Mikrotik, this is all we need. Some band steering.

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