Wireless Routers and Hardware

What it is

A MikroTik wireless router is a RouterOS device that has one or more radios built in.

It routes and filters like any other RouterOS box. The radio adds the ability to act as an access point, a client or a point to point link.

The hardware you choose decides the bands, the number of chains, the antenna type and how the device is powered. Those choices matter before any configuration starts.

How it works

A device combines a router board, one or more radios, antennas and a power input.

Product families

MikroTik sells wireless products in several shapes. Each shape suits a different job.

Some models carry one radio per band, so a single box can serve 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz at the same time.

Radios, bands and chains

A radio works in a band. The common bands are 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, and newer hardware may also support 6 GHz depending on the model and the region.

A chain is one transmit and receive path with its own antenna connection. More chains allow higher data rates and better reception. You will meet chains again on the MIMO page.

MikroTik wireless cards

Besides complete devices, MikroTik sells wireless cards. These are radio modules that fit the miniPCI or miniPCIe slot of a RouterBOARD, so a board with a free slot can gain a radio.

The R11e series are miniPCIe cards. A card has its own antenna connections, usually reached through short cables, and it has one or more chains like any other radio.

Once fitted, the card appears as a normal wireless interface. Which package drives it depends on the card and the RouterOS version, either the wireless package or the wifi driver, so check /system package print.

Antennas and connectors

Many indoor units have antennas built into the case. Other models have connectors so you can fit an external antenna and so choose a different gain and beam shape.

An external antenna changes the legal output power, so antenna gain must be recorded in the configuration. The regulatory chapter covers this in detail.

Power

Most wireless devices accept power over Ethernet. This lets one cable carry both data and power to a ceiling or a mast.

Check which PoE input type and voltage range the device accepts. A switch that supplies the wrong type of PoE will not power the unit.

Wireless packages in RouterOS

RouterOS uses a driver package to control the radio. The older wireless package uses the /interface wireless menu. The newer wifi driver uses the /interface wifi menu, and in earlier v7 releases it was called wifiwave2.

Which package a device uses depends on the hardware and the RouterOS version. The two menus use different parameter names, so always check which one you are in before following an example.

/system routerboard print
/system resource print
/system package print
/interface wireless print
/interface wifi print

• /system routerboard print shows the model and firmware.
• /system resource print shows the architecture, board name and version.
• /system package print lists the installed packages, so you can see which wireless driver is present.
• Only the print command that matches the installed driver returns radio interfaces.

Choosing hardware

Match the device to the task before you buy.

• An indoor office needs a ceiling access point with PoE.
• An outdoor yard needs a weatherproof unit.
• A long link needs a directional antenna and a clear line of sight.
• A crowded site may need a model with more than one radio so clients can be split across bands.