Review and testing of the mAP lite access point. Easy setup of a MikroTik Wi-Fi point for reception Assigning a local network IP address

These are instructions on how to step by step set up a MikroTik router from scratch without using the factory configuration.

Connecting a MikroTik router

To set up a MikroTik Wi-Fi router we will need:

• Internet provider cable (Triolan, MaxNet, Volya, Airbites, Vega or any others);
• computer or laptop with Wi-Fi;
• MikroTik router. It will distribute the Internet via cable, as well as via Wi-Fi to a laptop, smartphone, TV with Wi-Fi or tablet.

• We connect the Internet provider cable to the first port of the router;
• We connect the computer to the MikroTik router with a network cable to any LAN port from 2 to 5;
• laptop and others wireless devices connect via Wi-Fi;
• We plug the power supply into the “Power” connector of the MikroTik router.

Setting up a computer's network card

So that you can go into the settings of the Mikrotik router on your computer, let’s configure the network card to receive automatic settings.

Open “Start” → “Control Panel” → “Network and Sharing Center”.

Let's go to "Change adapter settings".

Right-click on “Connect via local network" and select "Properties"

Click on “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and the “Properties” button.

Select “Obtain an IP address automatically” and click the “OK” button.

If the network card does not automatically receive an IP address from the 192.168.88.x subnet, try specifying it manually (for example: 192.168.88.21) or .

Login to the MikroTik router settings

You can configure your MikroTik router in different ways:

• By using special program Winbox for Windows OS. Download on the official website.
• Using a browser, go to 192.168.88.1. The proxy server should not be specified in the browser settings!
• Configuration via Telnet.

We will configure the Mikrotik router using the Winbox program.

Connect to the MikroTik router:

1. Launch the Winbox program and go to the tab Neighbors;
2. Your router will appear in the list. Left-click on its MAC address;
3. Click the button Connect.
   Login default admin, password is empty.

Resetting the router

Let's reset all settings of the MikroTik router.

When you first log in, you will see a window like the one in the picture below. Click the button Remove Configuration

If you do not see this window, reset the settings through the menu:

1. Select the menu on the left System - Reset Configuration;
2. Check the box No Default Configuration;
3. Click the button Reset Configuration.
4. Click the button Yes and wait until the device reboots.

Description of network interfaces

The configuration of MikroTik network interfaces will look like this: first port ether1 will be connected to the provider (WAN port), the remaining ports ether2-5 will operate in switch mode to connect local network computers.

In order not to confuse network interfaces, we will describe them using comments.

We enter the MikroTik settings using the Winbox program.

Write down the comment “WAN” for the first port ether1:

1. Open the menu Interfaces;
2. Selecting the first interface ether1;
3. Press the yellow button Comment;
4. WAN";
5. Press the button OK.

Write down the comment “LAN” for the second ether2 port:

1. Choosing an interface ether2;
2. Press the yellow button Comment;
3. In the window that appears, enter the comment " LAN";
4. Press the button OK.

Now the list of interfaces clearly shows their purpose.

Setting up the MikroTik WAN interface

Changing the MAC address of the WAN port

If your ISP blocks access to the network via MAC address, then you must first change the MAC address of the WAN port of the MikroTik router. Otherwise, skip this step.

To change the MAC address of the MikroTik port, open the menu in the Winbox program New Terminal and enter the command:

/interface ethernet set ether1 mac-address=00:01:02:03:04:05

Where ether1- WAN interface name, 00:01:02:03:04:05 - allowed MAC address.

To return the native MAC address of the port, you need to run the command:

/interface ethernet reset-mac ether1

Where ether1- interface name.

Setting up Dynamic IP

If your Internet provider gives you network settings automatically, you need to configure the WAN port of the MikroTik router to receive settings via DHCP:

1. Open the menu IP;
2. Choose DHCP Client;
3. In a new window in the list Interface: select WAN interface ether1;
4. Press the button OK to save settings.

Now we have received the IP address from the provider, which is displayed in the column IP Address.

1. Open the menu New Terminal;
2. In the terminal we write the command ping 8.8.8.8 Enter on keyboard.

Setting up Static IP

If you use static network settings, you need to configure the WAN port of the MikroTik router manually.

Let's configure a static IP address and subnet mask of the MikroTik WAN port:

1. Open the menu IP;
2. Choose Addresses;
3. In the window that appears, click the Add button (plus sign);
4. In a new window in the field Address: register static IP address / subnet mask;
5. On the list Interface: select WAN interface ether1;
6. OK.

Let's configure the address of the MikroTik Internet gateway:

1. Open the menu IP;
2. Choose Routes;
3. In the window that appears, click the Add button (plus sign);
4. In a new window in the field Gateway: we register Gateway IP address;
5. Press the button OK to save settings.

Let's add the MikroTik DNS server addresses:

1. Open the menu IP;
2. Choose DNS;
3. In the window that appears, click the button Settings;
4. In a new window in the field Servers: register the IP address of the preferred DNS servers;
5. Press the "down" button (black triangle) to add another input field;
6. In the new field we enter the IP address of the alternative DNS server;
7. Put a tick Allow Remote Requests;
8. Press the button OK to save settings.

Let's check that there is access to the Internet:

1. Open the menu New Terminal;
2. In the terminal we write the command ping 8.8.8.8(ping the google site) and click Enter on keyboard.

As you can see, the pings are 60ms, which means the Internet is connected and working. You can stop the execution of a command using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C.

On computers connected to the MikroTik router, the Internet will not work until you configure the local network, Firewall and NAT.

Setting up PPPoE

If you are using an ADSL modem to which a MikroTik router is connected via a network cable, you must first configure the ADSL modem in Bridge mode.

Let's set up a client PPPoE connection on the MikroTik router:

1. Select menu on the left PPP;
2. Click the Add button (plus sign);
3. Choose PPPoE Client.

Configuring MikroTik PPPoE connection parameters:

After creating a PPPoE connection, the letter should appear opposite it R, which indicates that the connection has been established.

Let's check that there is a connection to the Internet:

1. Open the menu New Terminal;
2. In the terminal we write the command ping 8.8.8.8(ping the google site) and click Enter on keyboard.

As you can see, the pings are 60ms, which means the Internet is connected and working. You can stop the execution of a command using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C.

On computers connected to the MikroTik router, the Internet will not work until you configure the local network, Firewall and NAT.

Combining Wi-Fi and wired interfaces into a local network

In order for computers connected to the router via cable and Wi-Fi to “see” each other, it is necessary to combine wireless and wired interfaces MikroTik. If you have a router without Wi-Fi, then combine only wired interfaces.

Creating an association bridge-local(bridge);

1. Open the menu Bridge;
2. Press the button Add(plus sign);
3. In field Name enter the name of the association bridge-local;
4. Press the button OK.

Add wired ethetnet ports 2-5 to the union:

1. Go to the tab Ports;
2. Press the button Add(plus sign);
3. On the list Interface select ethernet port ether2;
4. On the list Bridge select the union name bridge-local;
5. Press the button OK;
6. Add ports in the same way ether3, ether4, ether5.

We add a Wi-Fi interface to the association.

1. Go to the tab Ports;
2. Press the button Add(plus sign);
3. On the list Interface select the wireless interface wlan1;
4. On the list Bridge select the union name bridge-local;
5. Press the button OK.

Assigning a local network IP address

Let's configure the IP address of the MikroTik local network:

1. Open the menu IP;
2. Choose Addresses;
3. Press the button Add(plus sign);
4. In field Address enter the address and local network mask, for example 192.168.88.1/24;
5. On the list Interface choose bridge-local;
6. Press the button OK.

Setting up a DHCP server

To ensure that computers connected to the router receive network settings automatically, we will configure the MikroTik DHCP server:

Now we disconnect the computer’s network cable from the router and connect it to it again.

Setting up a MikroTik Wi-Fi access point

First you need to enable the Wi-Fi module:

1. Open the menu Wireless;
2. Selecting a Wi-Fi interface wlan1;
3. Press the button Enable(blue tick).

Create a password to connect to the MikroTik access point:

1. Open the tab Security Profiles;
2. Click the Add button (plus sign);
3. In a new window in the field Name: specify the name of the security profile;
4. For better security, we leave only registration according to the protocol WPA2PSK;
5. In field WPA2 Pre-Shared Key enter the password to access the Wi-Fi point;
6. To save the settings, press the button OK.

Setting up parameters Wi-Fi points MikroTik:

1. Open the tab Interfaces;
2. Double-click on the Wi-Fi interface wlan1 to go to its settings;
3. Go to the tab Wireless;
4. On the list Mode: select the operating mode ap bridge(access point in bridge mode);
5. On the list Band: choose which standards the Wi-Fi point will operate in, we chose B/G/N;
6. In field SSID: enter the name of the access point;
7. On the list Security Profile select the name of the security profile in which we created the password to access the Wi-Fi point;
8. Press the button OK to save settings.

Now you can connect to the router via Wi-Fi.

On computers connected to the MikroTik router via Wi-Fi, the Internet will not work until you configure the Firewall and NAT.

Setting up Firewall and NAT

In order for computers to access the Internet, you need to configure Firewall and NAT on the MikroTik router.

Open the New Terminal menu to enter commands.

NAT setup executed with the following commands:

ip firewall nat add chain=srcnat out-interface= ether1 action=masquerade

Where ether1- this is the interface to which the Internet comes from the provider. For PPPoE connections, the name of the PPPoE interface is indicated.

Setting up NAT is enough for the Internet to work.

Protect router- commands to protect the router:

ip firewall filter add action=accept chain=input disabled=no protocol=icmp
ip firewall filter add action=accept chain=input connection-state=established disabled=no in-interface= ether1
ip firewall filter add action=accept chain=input connection-state=related disabled=no in-interface= ether1
ip firewall filter add action=drop chain=input disabled=no in-interface= ether1

Protect LAN- internal network protection:

ip firewall filter add action=jump chain=forward disabled=no in-interface= ether1 jump-target=customer
ip firewall filter add action=accept chain=customer connection-state=established disabled=no
ip firewall filter add action=accept chain=customer connection-state=related disabled=no
ip firewall filter add action=drop chain=customer disabled=no

We assign interface types to protect the internal network ( external- external, internal- internal LAN):

ip upnp interfaces add disabled=no interface=ether1 type=external
ip upnp interfaces add disabled=no interface=ether2 type=internal
ip upnp interfaces add disabled=no interface=ether3 type=internal
ip upnp interfaces add disabled=no interface=ether4 type=internal
ip upnp interfaces add disabled=no interface=ether5 type=internal
ip upnp interfaces add disabled=no interface=bridge-local type=internal

Changing the access password to the MikroTik router

To change the access password to the MikroTik router, follow these steps:

1. Open the menu System;
2. Choose Users;
3. Double-click on the user admin;
4. Press the button Password...;
5. In field New Password enter a new password;
6. In field Confirm Password confirm the new password;
7. In the window Change Password press the button OK;
8. In the window User press the button OK.

To reset MikroTik to factory settings, do the following:

1. Turn off the power to the router;
2. Press and hold the button Reset;
3. Turn on the router's power;
4. Wait until the indicator flashes ACT and release the button Reset.

After this, the router will reboot and you can go into its settings with a standard username admin without password.

If you enter the settings using the Winbox program, the following window will appear:

Using the button OK You can quickly configure the default router.

Button Remove Configuration allows you to reset all settings for later manual settings router.

Mikrotik mAP lite (RBmAPL-2nD)- a new compact router from Mikrotik, equipped with a WiFi radio module (operating at a frequency of 2.4 GHz (802.11b/g/n) and classic Ethernet port ohm

Features of the Mikrotik mAP lite (RBmAPL-2nD):

1. Thanks to the magnetic base, this router can be placed on metal surfaces.

2. The “micro” size of the device will harmoniously fit into the design of your home or office.

3. Supports power supply both through the network adapter and through the Ethernet port using Poe technology (802.3at standard).

4. Several operating modes: access point and/or client station.

5. Built-in modern operating system Mikrotik RouterOS Level 4 license.

6. Mobile, pocket, powerful router.

Characteristics of MikroTik mAP lite

Modern development wireless communication has led to the fact that many people, planning to renovate a house or apartment, do not organize low-current wired wiring for network switching, but use Wi-Fi capabilities. However, there are often situations when a cable connection is urgently needed for a certain device.

When moving to a new apartment, I discovered that it completely lacked low-current wiring or any sockets for the Internet, but I did not attach any importance to this, because... All my devices work fine with Wi-Fi. But I was faced with the need to solve this problem when I decided to install an old ​Smart TV without a Wi-Fi module and an old satellite receiver, on which with a non-working included USB-WiFi adapter.

The device came to the rescue. It was noted that the device can be powered not only via Passive PoE or PoE 802.3af/at (PoE+), but also via a USB port. The input voltage of the device is only 5 V! The convenience is that you can power mAP lite with a regular USB-microUSB data cable from any USB connector that has power! I also decided to use MikroTik as a router, “over the air” using mAP lite, connecting a satellite receiver and TV to it, at the same time. Important: devices running RouterOS support the Station Bridge operating mode, which allows traffic to pass through without the need to configure NAT on the client device. All this makes it possible to connect to your wireless network any device that is not equipped Wi-Fi module- without laying cables, without using additional electrical outlets, and with minimal costs!

Setting up your device to connect to a WiFi network is very simple. For example, we will carry out all the settings using the winbox program.

First, let’s connect to the device in accordance with the quick guide and perform full reset devices - System → Reset Configuration.

After the first connection, open the “Bridge” menu and add a new bridge interface.

Now it is necessary for the device to receive network settings (address, DNS, gateway) from our central router. To do this, we enable the DHCP client function on the interface of the created bridge: open IP→DHCP Client and click “Add”. You need to make sure that the interface of the created bridge is selected in the “Interface” field.

Next, we connect our device to shared network. To do this, first, you need to specify the key that is required to connect to Wi-Fi: open the “Wireless” menu on the left, the “Security Profiles” tab and add a new security profile. In your profile, you need to fill in the key field and select the security modes that are relevant for your network connection settings.

We connect to the network: open the “Interfaces” tab and double-click to open the network interface settings; There we open the “Wireless” tab and click the “Scan” button. Then press the “Start” button. When the field below displays Wi-Fi networks, select your network with the left button and click “Connect”. After this, you need to check that the device operates in station-bridge mode (Mode = station bridge).

“The final touch”: select a security profile with our name in the Security Profile field.

In this article we will tell you how to quickly configure a MikroTik Wi-Fi point to receive the Internet using the simplified Quick Set menu.

This instruction is suitable for all MikroTik Wi-Fi points with operating system RouterOS Level3 and higher: SXT Lite2, SXT Lite5, Groove 52HPn, SXT 5 ac, SXT G-2HnD, etc.

Settings can be performed via a Web browser or the Winbox program for Windows OS. The most convenient way to do this is through Winbox, since the program can connect to the device not only by IP address, but also by MAC address.

Sometimes, after resetting a device to factory settings, it is not assigned the standard IP address 192.168.88.1. In this case, you need to connect to the device via MAC address using the Winbox program and apply the standard configuration.

This article will discuss configuration using the Winbox program. Configuration via a Web browser is performed in the same way.

Connecting a Wi-Fi point to a computer

First, connect the wireless point to your computer via POE injector as shown in the picture. After setting up the Wi-Fi point, you can disconnect it from your computer and connect it to a router or switch.

Setting up a computer's network card

To get into the Wi-Fi settings of the Mikrotik point, you need to configure the computer’s network card to an IP address from the same subnet, for example 192.168.88.21 .

Open Start → Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center.

Right click on LAN connection and select Properties.

Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and press the button Properties.

Select Use the following IP address, enter the IP address 192.168.88.21 , Subnet mask 255.255.255.0 and press the button OK.

Login to settings

If you are setting up a MikroTik Wi-Fi point via a Web browser ( Internet Explorer or other), write in the address bar 192.168.88.1 - This is the default IP address for MikroTik devices.

Attention! The Web browser should not have a proxy server specified in its settings.

In the window that opens, enter Login: admin without password and press the button Login.

We will configure the MikroTik Wi-Fi point using the program, so we download Winbox from the manufacturer’s website and launch it.

Go to the tab Neighbors and press the button Refresh. Your point should appear in the list.

Please note that if you click on the MAC address, we will connect to the device by MAC address.

If you click on the IP address, we will connect to the device by IP address.

We click on the MAC address, after which it will appear in the field Connect To:, enter your login admin without a password, and press the button Connect.

If you have connected and configured the device for the first time, a window will appear as in the picture below. It suggests applying the standard factory settings. Click the button OK.

Open the menu on the left Quick Set.

In the window that appears, we will configure the MikroTik Wi-Fi point to receive the Internet from another wireless point.

Operating mode selection

First, in the upper left corner, select the mode CPE(client).

In chapter Configuration you need to select the network operating mode.

Mode Router— used when they connect to a Wi-Fi point or a provider’s base station and want to hide clients located behind the point into a separate subnet. Otherwise, each client would need to enter into an agreement with the provider to connect to the Internet. In this mode, the provider does not see subscribers located behind the client Wi-Fi point. The wireless point plays the role of a router (Internet gateway) for clients.

The client Wi-Fi point allows you to connect only one computer via cable. But if you connect a Wi-Fi router to the device, you can distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi and cable to several subscribers (computers, smartphones, phones).

If you are using a Wi-Fi point to connect to a neighbor's Wi-Fi router, we recommend using Router mode. There are situations when, in Bridge mode, a client point connects to a Wi-Fi router and receives automatic network settings, but the computer cannot receive the settings and access the Internet. In this case, use Router mode.

Mode Bridge— used when it is necessary to see all devices located behind the client Wi-Fi point. In this case, all subscribers are on the same network and can transfer data to each other.

For example, you have a main office and several remote warehouses that need to be combined into a common computer network. Bridge mode is more suitable for this task. When using this mode, the central router of the enterprise will distribute automatic network settings to all computers on the network, including remote warehouses.

Setting up work in Router mode

In chapter Configuration select operating mode Router.

If your provider provides network settings automatically via DHCP, then in the section Wireless Network

• Address Acquisition- select Automatic.

If your provider uses static network settings, in the section Wireless Network make the following settings:

• Address Acquisition- select Static;
• IP Address- enter the IP address given to you by your provider. Typically, static settings are specified in the agreement with the provider;
• Netmask- specify the mask;
• Gateway- enter the gateway address;
• DNS Servers- specify the DNS server addresses.

If your provider uses a PPPoE connection, in the section Wireless Network make the following settings:

• Address Acquisition- select PPPoE;
• PPPoE User- enter your username;
• PPPoE Password- enter password;
• PPPoE Service Name- enter the service name.

Now let's configure the local network in the section Local Network:

• IP Address- indicate the IP address of the client Wi-Fi point. Let's leave the standard one 192.168.88.1 ;
• Netmask- select a standard mask for our subnet 255.255.255.0 ;
• DHCP Server- check the box to enable the DHCP server. It will allow you to automatically distribute network settings to clients located behind the device;
• DHCP Server Range- range of IP addresses that will be issued to connecting clients. Enter the range 192.168.88.10-192.168.88.254 ;
• NAT- check the box to allow clients to access the Internet.

Setting up work in Bridge mode

Select in section Configuration operating mode Bridge.

If you want the client Wi-Fi point to receive network settings from the provider automatically via DHCP, then in the section Bridge

• Address Acquisition- select Automatic.

If you are using static network settings, in the section Bridge make the following settings:

• Address Acquisition- select Static;
• IP Address- enter the IP address of the client Wi-Fi point;
• Netmask- select a mask 255.255.255.0 ;
• Gateway- enter the IP address of the gateway (IP address of the router);
• DNS Servers- specify the DNS server addresses. You can specify the router address or DNS address Google servers 8.8.8.8 .

Setting up a Wi-Fi connection

Now let's do it Wi-Fi connection to the provider's base station.

In chapter Wireless make the following settings:

• In column Network Name- select the name of the Wi-Fi point to which you want to connect;
• In field WiFi Password- enter the password to connect to the Wi-Fi point, if used;
• Click the buttons Apply And Connect.

After the settings have been made, it should appear Status: connected to ess and connection parameters.

If you configured the client point to work in a subnet other than 192.168.88.xxx, then do not forget in the settings network card computer, change the network settings to the required subnet. Otherwise you will not have access to the Internet.

Solving connection problems

IN latest firmware The CPE client mode in the Quick Set menu is buggy. The problem is that QuickSet does not correctly save the password for connecting to a Wi-Fi point. In this case, you will see that the device is constantly searching for a network with Status: searching for network, as it shown on the picture.

There will be error messages in the logs MIC failure (14), as in the picture below.

To fix this, do the following:

• Open menu Wireless, go to the tab Security Profiles and double-click on the profile with the name default.

• In the window that opens, in the fields WPA Pre-Shared Key And WPA2 Pre-Shared Key re-enter the password to connect to the Wi-Fi point, and press the button OK.

After this, the device should connect to the base station in client mode. To check this, open the menu Quick Set. You should have Status: connected to ess and connection parameters.

Changing the default administrator password

To prevent anyone other than the administrator from accessing the Wi-Fi hotspot settings, you need to set a password. By default there is no password.

To do this, in the section System in field Password enter a new password and confirm it in the field Confirm Password.

Finally, press the button OK to save all settings.

Now you can connect a Wi-Fi router or switch to the MikroTik client Wi-Fi point via a cable to distribute the Internet to several subscribers.

Reset

If you have gone overboard with the settings and cannot log into the device, reset it to factory settings.

1. Turn off the power;
2. Press and hold the button Reset;
3. Apply food;
4. Wait until the LED starts flashing;
5. Release the button Reset;
6. After the reboot, connect to the device using the Winbox program using the MAC address, because the device may have an IP address of 0.0.0.0. In this case, you will not be able to access the settings via the Web interface using the standard IP address 192.168.88.1.
7. In Winbox, in the window that appears, click the button OK to apply the default settings. In some firmware, this window may not appear, but the standard configuration will be applied immediately.

mAP lite (RBmAPL-2nD) is supplied in a box made of cardboard, already familiar to Mikrotik, although its design is somewhat different from other company products. In addition to the router itself, the kit includes a power supply with a microUSB plug, an information leaflet and a metal plate, which we will talk about a little later.

The first thing that strikes you is the size, mAP lite is not just small, it is very small. For comparison, we took a fairly popular model of the TP-Link TL-MR3020 3G router.

Even compared to the TL-MR3020, the new product from Mikrotik looks very compact. Well, mAP lite (RBmAPL-2nD) is noticeably smaller than its older brother mAP. Something, of course, had to be sacrificed: the lite version lost the second network port, and the only one remaining was replaced with a special modification used in ultrabooks (thin laptops). Unfortunately, USB support no, which is a pity, because the processor itself supports USB, and the same 3G/4G modem could be connected using an OTG cable.

mAP lite in the background modern smartphone with a diagonal of 4.7"

On the other hand, when using microUSB for an external modem, power would have to be supplied via PoE, and for this, at a minimum, an injector and a standard power supply with a DC jack would be required. Therefore, after weighing all the pros and cons, as well as the cost of the device, there are no complaints about the lack USB port disappear on their own.

As you already understood, with the standard configuration, the device receives power from a standard 5V power supply via the microUSB port, just like hAP lite. Wherein network port also supports PoE In, and not only standard Passive PoE, but also 802.3at/af. In addition, the device supports a wide range of PoE input voltage from 10 to 60V, which allows you to connect it to any Mikrotik device that supports PoE Out.

On top panel There are 4 indicators: PWR, AP/CAP, ETH and WiFi. The presence of a CAP indicator will be very useful in cases where mAP lite (RBmAPL-2nD) will be used in conjunction with a controller.

Near network interface There is a multi-function WPS / Mode / Reset button.

Pay attention to the diamond on the back of the device; this is a special recess for the metal plate included in the kit. The fact is that mAP lite (RBmAPL-2nD) is quite lightweight, so engineers equipped it with a magnet for attaching it to a metal base. If the base is not metal, a metal plate comes into play; on one side it has a protruding diamond shape, for even fixation on the mAP lite; on the other side, double-sided tape is glued.

The blue coating on the plate is transport polyethylene, which prevents scratches; after gluing the plate, it must be removed before use. mAP lite is fixed quite reliably, and can be removed quickly and easily.

Hardware implementation of mAP lite (RBmAPL-2nD)

In order to disassemble the device, you will need certain skills and a special tool, and during disassembly you can damage the board and void the warranty. For those who are interested in the internals of the new product, we have specially disassembled mAP lite (RBmAPL-2nD).

It's time to look inside the case.

The interior of the case is used to the maximum, free space, as such, there is no such thing. A thermal pad is glued to the top of the processor to improve heat dissipation from the chip. WITH reverse side on the board, in the place where the processor is soldered, a slightly larger terp pad is installed, which additionally prevents the magnets from coming into contact with printed circuit board, which can lead to a short circuit.

The basis of the system is the Atheros QCA9533 WiSoC chip (QCA9533-BL3A, MIPS 24Kc V7.4 architecture) manufactured by Qualcomm with an operating frequency of 650 MHz. For this chip, the standard frequency is 560 MHz, so 650 MHz is a slight factory overclock. There is no reason to worry, because... other Mikrotik products based on QCA9531/9533 have similar CPU frequencies: hAP lite, hAP ​​lite TC, hAP, wAP, hEX lite, hEX PoE lite, SXT Lite 5 ac, PowerBox.

QCA9531/9533 features good performance, low power consumption and low heat dissipation. In other solutions with a spacious case, the processor heat is practically not felt. mAP lite, in turn, has a compact body, and the processor is in contact with the body, so the heating is felt during operation. It can be described as “above average”. Considering the configuration of the device (only 1 network port), the processor frequency can be safely lowered to 550 MHz via Winbox, the heating of the chip will be lower and will have virtually no effect on performance.

You can judge the size of the RBmAPL-2nD PCB board for yourself by looking at the photo below:

Volume random access memory is 64 MB (Nanya NT5TU32M16EG-AC chip, 512 Mbit, DDR2-800 SDRAM), which is unusually large for a device with such positioning. Persistent memory has a capacity of 16 MB (Winbond 25Q128FVSG chip, 128 Mbit, Flash), which is an established standard for almost all devices in the low and middle price segment.

Both antennas are internal, implemented by etching on the board, according to the official Datasheet, gain 1.5 dBi. In general, the technical implementation gives a pleasant impression.

Turning on mAP lite for the first time, operating modes

In our test configuration mAP lite was connected by cable to the 5th port of the Mikrotik RB951Ui-2HnD router, i.e. The access point was powered using classic Passive PoE.

After switching on, an open wireless network MikroTik-XXXXXX appeared, and you need to connect to it to configure the access point.

By default, RouterOS devices have local IP 192.168.88.1, login admin, password empty. The first step is to update to the latest version of RouterOS, at the time of writing this review it is version 6.34.1. Updates are often released for new devices, and our model is no exception.

The default settings assume automatic channel selection and support for all 802.11 b/g/n standards. To conduct tests, the channel is selected manually, and the security type is changed from Open to WPA2 + AES.

The device runs RouterOS with a 4th license level, so it provides high configuration flexibility. In addition to the two standard modes Router and Bridge, the panel quick setup QuickSet has as many as 5 operating modes available.

By default, the WISP AP mode is used - an access point mode with advanced settings; there is also a Home AP mode - a simplified AP configuration mode. For use in conjunction with the CAPsMAN controller, a CAP (managed access point) mode is provided, which makes mAP lite Mikrotik one of the most affordable solutions on the market for building a wireless network in hotel rooms.

To connect to a remote wireless network, CPE mode is provided. The last mode is quite unexpected - PTP Bridge, i.e. mode for creating a wireless bridge between two devices.

Testing mAP lite

As mentioned earlier, mAP lite was initially connected to the RB951Ui-2HnD (5th port with PoE Out). On the RB951 local network (subnet 106.0/24) there was a PC connected via twisted pair cable, and the JPerf server was running on it. A second PC with an external Netis WF2190 adapter (Realtek 8812AU chip, external antennas, MIMO 2x2:2) was connected to the mAP lite wireless network (subnet 88.0/24).

Thus, when a connection is established between PC1 and PC2, the wireless module is activated, and the traffic goes between the local and external network (WLAN/LAN<=>WAN), i.e. Traffic is being routed (routing).

When exchanging TCP packets, the maximum speed averaged 93-94 Mbit/s (both PCs in the same room), the processor load averaged 30%. As you can see, the processor reserve is quite large.

When exchanging UDP packets, the speed reached an average of 115 Mbit, which, however, is not surprising because this protocol has its own features, and the wireless network supports a channel speed of 300 Mbit/s. For the third test, mAP lite and the PC connected to it were separated by some distance, to be more precise - by 8-9 meters. In addition, there were 3 walls between them: the first was solid, made of brick, the second, 1 brick, and the third, plaster.

The presence of obstacles and interference is a problem for all access points without exception. The overall speed dropped to 25-40 Mbit/sec. When working with regular laptops, the speed will be lower, because... For the test we used a powerful external USB adapter.

In the fourth test, both PCs were in the same room, but both were already connected to the mAP lite wireless network.

The average speed in this configuration is 44 Mbit. The speed will change if both PCs are out of sight of each other (it is recommended to enable the “RTS CTS” option in the wireless module settings).

Finally

Mikrotik engineers once again managed to present an interesting product. mAP lite has an affordable price and good set opportunities. How to use it is up to you, because despite its size, this baby is equipped good processor and runs RouterOS Level 4, which opens up wide configuration possibilities. We have already listed the list of possibilities above. We can already say that mAP lite is one of the company’s best budget products, on par with hAP lite.