Anyone using a MikroTik hAP ac² ?

Ice Tea · 30 Jul 2019 at 09:57

Is anyone running this router and did the latest RC firmware fix solve any Wi-Fi issues?

Seems to be very conflicting reports online with some saying even after the RC fix that they still can't get past 300/400Mbps on 5G (even at close range) and regularly having hard drop outs , none of these problems existed with their previous Netgear/Asus type consumer router?

Some have speculated on thermal issues kicking in as well due to the small heatsink and case but i can't find any official response to that?

Thanks

Steveocee · 30 Jul 2019 at 13:35

I would strongly recommend staying off the RC channel.

Stable is as adventurous as you want to go (I run bugfix on all mine because I'm super cautious).

Caged · 30 Jul 2019 at 18:59

They’re garbage, sent mine back after battling with it for two weeks and never being able to break through 160Mbps.

Support for Wave 2 is yet another one of those things that is definitely going to arrive in ROS 7 which is definitely not vapourware.

WJA96 · 30 Jul 2019 at 21:27

Caged said:
They’re garbage, sent mine back after battling with it for two weeks and never being able to break through 160Mbps.

Support for Wave 2 is yet another one of those things that is definitely going to arrive in ROS 7 which is definitely not vapourware.

What? As opposed to Ubiquiti with their big bag of absolutely definitely programmed by Unicorns coming soons?

If I’ve learned anything after working with UBNT and MikroTik, it’s if it doesn’t do EXACTLY what you want it to do, TODAY, with the current firmware, then buy something else that will.

If we’re honest, there are no sensible Wave 2 clients anyway. And the AC2 is only a dual-chain radio system, so what Wave 2 speed benefit did you think you were going to get?

I’ve never used the hAP AC2 but I do use the hAP AC and it’s a superb router with good, stable WLAN.

@Ice Tea - If you want to play with a MikroTik router/WLAN access point, I’m happy to lend you one to see what you think of it.

Caged · 30 Jul 2019 at 22:48

I don't like Ubiquiti stuff either, there are more than two vendors. The thread is asking about the quality of the hAP ac2, my experience is that it's bad.

I bring up the Wave 2 issue because of the way ROS works currently is that Mikrotik are always having to develop their own Wi-Fi drivers rather than being able to use what the radio vendor provides as a binary. So there's very little they can do to improve performance because they're trying to become driver developers at the same time as building network hardware.

WJA96 · 31 Jul 2019 at 06:04

Caged said:
I don't like Ubiquiti stuff either, there are more than two vendors. The thread is asking about the quality of the hAP ac2, my experience is that it's bad.

I bring up the Wave 2 issue because of the way ROS works currently is that Mikrotik are always having to develop their own Wi-Fi drivers rather than being able to use what the radio vendor provides as a binary. So there's very little they can do to improve performance because they're trying to become driver developers at the same time as building network hardware.

Stating that your experience of the hAP AC2 is bad is perfectly reasonable. I was simply pointing out that MikroTik aren’t the only ones promising a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And while other vendors are available, at this price, the only one most home and small office customers are looking st is Ubiquiti.

MikroTik don’t help themselves by making everything so difficult. The learning curve is vertical in the early stages. Any company whose official basic certification tells you the first thing to do is wipe the shipping configuration and rebuild the device from scratch probably needs to rethink one or the other.

Fundamentally, the hardware is very strong for the money. As a pro-sumer/enthusiast it’s hard to look past that.

Ice Tea · 31 Jul 2019 at 12:44

Caged said:
They’re garbage, sent mine back after battling with it for two weeks and never being able to break through 160Mbps.

Thanks Caged , seems like a lot of people feel it's not worth the battle.

WJA96 said:
@Ice Tea - If you want to play with a MikroTik router/WLAN access point, I’m happy to lend you one to see what you think of it.

I'll pass on your kind offer thanks buddy.

I've recently started reading about alternatives to stock firmware as none of them seem to care about security updates and just got side tracked with Mikrotik hardware.

Rainmaker · 31 Jul 2019 at 21:57

Ice Tea said:
I've recently started reading about alternatives to stock firmware as none of them seem to care about security updates and just got side tracked with Mikrotik hardware.

Go x86 and don’t look back. Depending on what you need there’s OpnSense, pfSense, IPFire, *BSD, Linux... Roll it exactly how you need it, regular updates (daily on a Linux or BSD box), full control.

I run a SFF Core i7 Dell Optiplex with half height 4 port Intel server NIC on Arch Linux. It has the usual routing capabilities (using iproute2), DHCP (dhcpd4), encrypted DNS (dnscrypt-proxy), WireGuard VPN on one of my subnets with split routing and custom DNS per client, and a solid stateful firewall (Shorewall, controlling netfilter).

I have full SSH access worldwide (key required), and it has ridiculously good uptime. It also cost less than a normal fancy router.

Ice Tea · 31 Jul 2019 at 23:27

That was the route i was originally thinking but all the extra gear , switch and leads is just so messy and it's not easy for family members to administer.

Rainmaker · 31 Jul 2019 at 23:47

Ice Tea said:
That was the route i was originally thinking but all the extra gear , switch and leads is just so messy and it's not easy for family members to administer.

You need a network cupboard/shelf/rack/space. Also, what the devil are you doing letting family members administer your interwebs?

Mine know the Internet 'just works' - and when it doesn't, they call me. Simple.

Ice Tea · 1 Aug 2019 at 00:55

LOL , i don't need an elderly Aunt calling me when her Porn downloads stop working.

Something along the lines of a all in one box would make life easier plus i'm waiting to see what the new SuperHub 4 will be like as there was talk of VOIP so i'm not sure how that would work in Modem mode?

Steveocee · 1 Aug 2019 at 07:20

Ice Tea said:
there was talk of VOIP so i'm not sure how that would work in Modem mode?

It wouldn't. Likely a cost of using modern mode would be losing VoIP ports

Ice Tea · 1 Aug 2019 at 08:41

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.p...-launch-500mbps-broadband-in-spring-2019.html

We also note that Voice-over-IP (VoIP) services are now available to 42% of their UK cable footprint.

I didn't realize it had already started , i've not heard anyone complain so i'm guessing it's an extra option rather than being forced upon people?

Caged · 1 Aug 2019 at 11:44

If you order a Virgin Media service with a phone today and you didn't already have their copper line installed, then your phone connects to the back of the Hub. It works fine in modem mode.

Steveocee · 1 Aug 2019 at 12:04

Caged said:
If you order a Virgin Media service with a phone today and you didn't already have their copper line installed, then your phone connects to the back of the Hub. It works fine in modem mode.

So it's not a "true" VOIP solution then unless the Hub is passing through modem mode for the router and some form of routing for the phone? I guess if you can connect a normal POTS phone to the hub then there is definitely some jiggery pokery going on.

Ice Tea · 1 Aug 2019 at 12:41

@Caged

Thanks for the VOIP info.

Bluecube · 1 Aug 2019 at 12:49

Ice Tea said:
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.p...-launch-500mbps-broadband-in-spring-2019.html

I didn't realize it had already started , i've not heard anyone complain so i'm guessing it's an extra option rather than being forced upon people?

Let me be the first then! I had bog standard phone line when I got Virgin installed. I could only get a VOIP phone (ie there was no other option BUT a VOIP phone) which plugged into the Virgin Hub. Of course, when Virgin screwed up the connection, I then had no home phone...

Ice Tea · 1 Aug 2019 at 12:52

Thanks for being our first.

No internet and no phone crossed my mind as a potential issue...

Bluecube · 1 Aug 2019 at 13:05

It took Virgin nearly a week to fix btw. I suppose that these days a home phone isn’t too necessary but still!

Caged · 1 Aug 2019 at 13:12

Steveocee said:
So it's not a "true" VOIP solution then unless the Hub is passing through modem mode for the router and some form of routing for the phone? I guess if you can connect a normal POTS phone to the hub then there is definitely some jiggery pokery going on.

It uses an IP network, it's just a private one that Virgin Media provision onto your Hub for you. Presumably there's a voice VLAN or whatever the DOCSIS version of it is, and the ATA in the Hub connects to that, and the Internet VLAN/whatever is what you connect to.

It's what everybody is going to be doing in a few years from now.