Among the most technologically advanced and productive WiFi routers that are available on the Russian market are devices manufactured under the MikroTik brand. The most popular modifications to routers of the corresponding type include products such as RB2011UAS, RB951G, as well as RB951Ui. What are the specifics of each of them? How is WiFi set up in these devices?
Features of setting up the RB2011 router
We will learn how to work with the MikroTik RB2011UAS-2HnD-IN router. Setting up WiFi in this device involves a preliminary solution to a number of other tasks, taking into account some of its features.
First of all, it should be noted that the device uses the technological interface Ether1 as the main port for connecting to a LAN, which allows for data transfer at a speed of 100 Mbit / s. For the same purposes, you can use interfaces c Ether2 to Ether5. The functions of the other ports also have features. So, Ether10 can be used as a master when connecting the router directly to the Internet. Experts recommend using the Ether9 interface as a backup.
Taking into account the noted features, the device under consideration is configured. We will study its key stages. First of all, pay attention to the ability to update the firmware of the device.
Router Setup: Firmware Upgrade
So, our task is to update the software of the MikroTik RB2011UAS 2HnD-In device. Configuring WiFi in this device and ensuring the correct operation of the wireless module, according to experts, suggests the presence of modern firmware in it.
In order to install the appropriate software on the router, it must be downloaded from the official website of the manufacturer. Then we connect the device to the computer. It is advisable to connect the wire leading to the PC network card to the Ether5 interface.
After we open the browser on the computer and enter the IP address in the line. It is worth noting that the IP address of the router may not look like a typical one for many other devices of a similar purpose. For example, it might look like 192.168.1.10.
For further work with the router, experts recommend downloading Winbox to the computer. Having closed the browser, you need to start it, and then enter the IP address that is listed above in the address field present in it. Next - enter the admin login. The password field must be left blank. After that, the program will ask if the configuration should be saved. You must select the Remove option. After we close the program and reconnect the PC to the Ether1 interface. The operation considered by us will lead to the fact that the router will no longer be identified by the IP address, therefore, to access its settings, you must use the device mac-address.
For these purposes, you can again use Winbox. In it, you need to use the interface for displaying the mac address of the MikroTik device. Setting up WiFi is a procedure that is desirable to carry out with updated firmware, so we proceed to the final stage of installing the appropriate software. You need to mouse over the mac address of the device, then click on Connect. As soon as the program connects to the router, you must find the previously downloaded firmware and transfer it to the Winbox window area. Immediately after this, the software will begin to be installed on the device. Once this process is completed, you must select the System menu item, then click on Reboot. The device will start to reboot, and this can take quite a while - about 5 minutes. It is highly undesirable to turn off the power until the device boots up.
Configuring MikroTik WiFI router also involves updating the boot module of the device. To do this, go to the Routerboard area and click Upgrade. After you need to restart the router.
The device’s software has been updated, the next task is to correctly configure the internal addressing of the device.
Configure Internal Addressing
The Winbox program will help us to solve this problem again. You must enter it using the mac address of the device. Now you should combine the interfaces from the 1st to the 5th into a single switch, and the 1st port should be designated as the leading one. It can be called LAN1-Master. Then open the settings for interface 2 and set the value of LAN1-Master in the item Master Port. Similar procedures should be performed on ports 3 through 5. As a result, a single device switch is formed.
The ports for DMZ should be configured in a similar way, which in this case will correspond to the interfaces from Ether6 to Ether8. The next task is to activate the necessary for functioning on the MikroTik WiFi Bridge. Configuring the Bridge interface is necessary so that the LAN switch can communicate with the WiFi module.
The next task is to determine the LAN address of the router. It may be the same as indicated above. Next - you should set the correct options in the addressing of the DNS server. The data that is entered in the corresponding interfaces may need to be requested from the provider.
What else determines the functionality of the MikroTik WiFi installed on the device? Configuring a DHCP server is the most important condition for the correct operation of the corresponding module. Once it is implemented, you need to close Winbox, then remove the network cable from the computer and immediately insert it back. Then you will need to check the functionality of the LAN connection. To do this, try to connect to the router by the IP address we know.
If everything works out, go to the next stage of work with the MikroTik router. Fine-tuning WiFi is a task that we now have to solve.
WiFi module setup
At this stage, we will again use the Winbox program. We launch it and select the Wireless option in its interface. After that, double-click on WLAN1. Then you need to select the Advanced option and the Wireless tab. After that, in the settings window that opens, you must enter the correct values. In this case, it is recommended to request them from a competent specialist. It is possible that they can be obtained from the provider.
After the necessary settings are indicated on the previous tab, select the HT option. In the corresponding interface, some parameters may need to be adjusted: again, it is recommended to ask a specialist if this should be done. If it turns out that there is no need to make changes on the corresponding tab (or if these parameters are set as recommended), you can go to the next interface - Security.
In it, select the default option, then configure the data encryption scheme. It is advisable to select the WPA PSK option. Also in this interface you will need to enter a password on WiFi. Is it possible to consider configurable WiFi on MikroTik to be sufficiently secure? Configuring the router in terms of security generally corresponds to those schemes that are commonly used in modern wireless communications. The selected encryption standard is among the most reliable. It is also important, of course, to select a sufficiently complex password for WiFi.
At the request of the user, you can further enhance the security of the device. Consider how.
Additional router security
It is advisable to set the settings that provide additional security for the router before the Internet is accessed using the device in question. In this case, it is necessary first of all to disable a number of services, the use of which is not necessary for the functioning of the router, but from the point of view of security, is undesirable.
These are options such as FTP connections, Telnet, and WWW. It is also necessary to allow network requests to the router only from the LAN. That is, by the IP address of the network administrator’s computer or from any PC that is included in the corresponding LAN. To solve this problem, it is necessary, again, to use the interfaces that are present in the Winbox program.
NAT and DMZ Settings
The next important task is to set the correct NAT and DMZ options. Regarding the first service, it is necessary, using Winbox, to select the Firewall option, then the NAT tab. After that, you need to add a special rule to the corresponding settings area by selecting the WAN1 option in the Out Interface item, which is located on the General tab. It is also useful to select the item Masquerade on the next tab - Action.
Regarding the DMZ settings, you need to select the Winbox program Addresses menu item, and then enter the necessary addresses for the LAN and for the router in the appropriate fields.
WAN Settings
The next important task is to set the correct settings necessary for using the Internet. In fact, all that needs to be done in this case is to enter the correct IP address from the provider in the corresponding interfaces on the Addresses tab. You also need to set the default gateway in the router settings.
After that, the basic modules of the device should function, as well as integrated into MikroTik WiFi. Setting up wireless access in the general case does not imply making adjustments to other options, but experts also recommend checking that the SNTP client is working correctly - the interface responsible for correctly displaying time in the router’s internal registries.
In this case, you need to select the time zone in the Clock settings area corresponding to the city in which the router user lives, and also specify the address of the NTP server from which the router can request time.
Other common modifications to the router are the RB951G, as well as the MikroTik RB951Ui-2HnD. Configuring WiFi and other options on this device has features. We will study them.
Features of the RB951G router
So, MikroTik is releasing a high-tech router MikroTik RB951G-2HnD. Configuring WiFi and other options on the corresponding device as a whole is carried out in the same way as in the RB951Ui device. But there is some difference between routers.
The router in the modification of RB 951Ui is newer. It is equipped with a powerful processor with a frequency of 600 MHz, as well as an increased RAM module of 128 MB. It turns out that this router is more productive. The device differs from many analogs in the ability to transfer data through an Ethernet port at a speed of 100 Mbps. Like previous models, the newer router allows you to transfer power to other devices via the PoE protocol. According to its characteristics, it generally matches the capabilities of the MikroTik RB951G-2HnD router. WiFi configuration of the device in question is also carried out using Winbox.
But first of all, certain actions are recommended to be performed with the hardware of the router. So, some experts pay attention to the fact that the router antenna is sometimes not installed in the best way in the package: it is bent so that its efficiency is greatly reduced. The corresponding hardware component is recommended to be carefully straightened.
After that, you can proceed to configure the MikroTik WiFi router present in the model in question. The corresponding module will be configured according to the following algorithm.
RB951G Router: Configuring Network Interfaces
As in the case of ensuring the functioning of the device in the RB2011UAS modification, it is necessary to cancel the router options installed at the factory. To do this, you need to re-use the Winbox program. Using the interfaces of this software, you need to select System, then - Reset. After that, the router will reboot, and you can begin to configure it. In this case, as in the case with the previous device, it is necessary to update the firmware.
What basic principles are recommended to adhere to while ensuring the correct functioning of the MikroTik WiFi installed on the router? Configuring network interfaces can be done in this case in several ways.
So, you can use the algorithm, according to which, the addresses in the LAN will be received by the device automatically. To do this, select the IP menu item, then the DHCP option, and then set the settings by which the addresses of the DNS server and NTP server will be obtained automatically.
If you are connected to the Internet through the PPPoE interface, you must select the PPP menu item, then add the Client setting. In it, you need to select the settings area responsible for ensuring the functioning of the network connection to the provider's servers, then select the tab in which the login and password are indicated to gain access to the resources of the Internet provider.
Some administrators prefer to specify IP addresses manually. To do this, select the IP item, after the Address option, and in the opened interfaces fix the necessary settings. As a rule, this also requires the choice of the port to which the cable is connected from the Internet provider. It is worth paying attention to the fact that the subnet mask is specified using a slash.
If you specify the IP address manually, you will also need to configure the default route settings. To do this, select the IP menu item again, after the Routes option, then add the required route. The most important parameter for ensuring the correct operation of the modification of the MikroTik router under consideration is setting up a WiFi bridge. Consider how this problem is solved.
Bridge setup in RB951G router
In order to configure the bridge on the router in the appropriate modification, you must select the Bridge option in the interface of the device management program . Then go to the Ports menu area, and then add the necessary network ports to the bridge. The optimal number is from 2 to 5. You also need to add a port to WiFi. When setting up the bridge, you must specify the IP address in it.
The next task is to configure DNS. We will study how it is carried out.
DNS setup
To solve this problem, select the IP menu item, then go to the DNS tab. After we enter the desired server address. Be sure to set the option in the appropriate interface that allows access to the router from computers connected to the network. It can be noted that for PC data, the addresses can be issued automatically by the router. To activate the corresponding algorithm, you need to select the IP item, after - the DHCP option, then - use the settings interface.
Since the ports in the device are combined into a bridge, you must select bridge1. After you need to specify the subnet settings. As a rule, the corresponding options are set automatically by the program, but you need to check their correctness.
These are the main parameters that you should pay attention to when setting up the RB951Ui router. The next task to ensure the functionality of the MikroTik router is to configure guest WiFi. We study the features of its solution.
WiFi setup in RB 951G router
WiFi configuration in this modification of the router should begin by opening the Security tab in the Wireless section. Then you need to set the data encryption options. As in the case of the previous modification of the router, it is advisable to choose WPA2 PSK technology in order to protect access to the network. It is also necessary to set a sufficiently complex password.
The next task is to activate, in fact, the WiFi module in the device. To do this, select the Interfaces tab, and then activate options in the corresponding interfaces, such as:
- Mode in ap bridge mode (only if this option is activated, the router can function as a separate access point);
- Band as B / G / N (the corresponding parameter is responsible for activating the router's support for certain wireless standards);
- Channel as 20 or 20/40 (this parameter sets the working bandwidth of the router);
- Frequency in the value of 2412 (this parameter corresponds to the operating frequency of the router);
- SSID: in the value selected by the user (the corresponding option determines the name of the wireless network);
- Protocol: like 802.11 (activating the router’s support for the basic wireless communication standard, most often supported by devices with a WiFi module).
This is how the WiFi guest network is configured. MikroTik is a router that has interfaces with other popular settings. Which of them can you pay attention to?
So, among the options that can optimize the operation of the MikroTik router is the power of WiFi. Setting the appropriate interface allows you to enhance or, if necessary, reduce the signal and at the same time the range of the wireless network.
These are the main features of the settings of popular routers of the MikroTik brand - RB2011UAS, RB951G, as well as RB951Ui. Of course, this company produces other high-tech products. For example, MikroTik hAP Lite. WiFi setup in this device will also have features, but in general it will be implemented using algorithms similar to those that characterize the work with the routers we examined.