Nstreme Protocol · Topic 1 of 3
Nstreme Features
Learn what the MikroTik Nstreme wireless protocol is, how framing, polling and disabled CSMA raise throughput on long links, and what it needs.
- 5 min
- Nstreme is a MikroTik protocol that improves throughput and long distance behaviour.
- Framing packs several frames into one, which cuts overhead.
- Polling lets the access point decide who sends, and it avoids hidden node collisions.
What it is
Nstreme is a MikroTik wireless protocol that replaces some of the standard 802.11 behaviour to get more speed and better long distance links.
Standard Wi-Fi uses a polite scheme where every device listens, waits and then sends. That scheme costs airtime, and it works poorly over long distances and with hidden clients.
Nstreme changes the rules. It packs frames together, it can let the access point control who speaks, and it can switch off the waiting rules.
How it works
Nstreme uses three main ideas: framing, polling and optional removal of CSMA, and both ends must run it.
Why standard Wi-Fi struggles on long links
In standard Wi-Fi, a sender waits for a quiet channel and then sends. It waits for an acknowledgement and repeats the frame if none comes.
On a long link, the acknowledgement takes longer to arrive, and the timing rules do not fit well. Clients that cannot hear each other collide at the access point.
Nstreme tackles these problems with changes to how frames are built and how the channel is shared.
Framing
Framing packs several small frames into one larger frame. The fixed cost of sending, such as headers and waiting time, is then paid once for many frames instead of once for each.
This helps most when there is a lot of traffic made of small packets. It raises throughput, but a larger frame must wait until it is filled or sent, and a lost frame costs more to repeat. The framer-policy and framer-limit settings control how it works, and the configuration page describes them.
Polling
With polling, the access point asks each client in turn whether it has data to send. A client sends only when it is polled. This replaces the free for all of standard Wi-Fi with an orderly turn system.
| Point | Standard 802.11 | Nstreme with polling |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides when to send | Each device | The access point |
| Hidden node collisions | Possible | Avoided, because clients wait to be polled |
| Behaviour with many clients | Collisions rise | More orderly |
| Distance sensitivity | Timing rules limit it | Less sensitive |
Polling suits point to multipoint networks with many clients, and long links. The access point does more work, and the airtime is shared by the poll.
Disabling CSMA
CSMA/CA is the listen before talk rule of standard Wi-Fi. When the access point controls the turns by polling, listening first is less needed. Nstreme lets you disable it to save the waiting time.
Disabling CSMA gives more throughput on a link where only your own devices use the channel. If other systems share the channel, turning CSMA off makes your link a bad neighbour. It is mainly used on point to point links on a clean channel.
Do not disable CSMA on a shared channel. Your link will talk over other users, and you will both lose frames.
Both ends must support it
Nstreme is a MikroTik protocol. Both ends of the link must run RouterOS with Nstreme turned on. A client that does not support Nstreme cannot take part in an Nstreme network, and standard clients, such as phones, do not connect to it.
Nstreme is available on certain wireless cards. It does not apply to every device, so check the hardware before you plan around it.
Selecting Nstreme
In RouterOS v6, the protocol is chosen with the wireless-protocol setting:
/interface wireless set wlan1 wireless-protocol=nstremeThe details of its behaviour live in a separate submenu:
/interface wireless nstreme printOlder RouterOS versions used an enable-nstreme property in that submenu instead. The result is the same, so check which form your version uses.
Where Nstreme fits
| Use | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Long point to point link between RouterOS devices | Yes |
| Point to multipoint with many RouterOS clients | Yes, with polling |
| Public hotspot for phones and laptops | No |
| Link on a very busy shared channel | Use with care |
Nv2, covered in the next chapter, is a later MikroTik protocol for the same kind of job, and it suits newer 802.11n hardware.
Use Nstreme only where you control both ends, and keep standard 802.11 for ordinary clients.
What to remember for the exam
Six facts cover this topic.
- Nstreme is a MikroTik protocol that improves throughput and long distance behaviour.
- Framing packs several frames into one, which cuts overhead.
- Polling lets the access point decide who sends, and it avoids hidden node collisions.
- CSMA can be disabled to save waiting time, but only on a channel you control.
- Both ends must support and enable Nstreme.
- Standard clients cannot join an Nstreme network.
Common mistakes
Four errors are typical.
Enabling it on one end only. The link does not use Nstreme, or does not form.
Disabling CSMA on a shared channel. You interfere with other users.
Expecting phones to join. Only devices with Nstreme support can connect.
Assuming every card supports it. Check the hardware first.
Check yourself
Work through these three questions.
What does framing do in Nstreme?
It packs several small frames into one larger frame. The fixed overhead is then paid once for many frames.
How does polling help on a network with many clients?
The access point asks each client in turn, so clients send only when polled. This avoids hidden node collisions.
Why must both ends of a link support Nstreme?
It is a MikroTik protocol that changes how frames are sent and how the channel is shared. A device without it cannot take part.
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