Mikrotik RouterBoard hAP ac

And mikrotik make great little routers

This is a great router with great flexibility when it comes to configuration. I use it on my home network, it handles VLANs and Wireless no problem. Be advised with great flexibility comes complexity and to take full advantage of this router you will need to spend some time learning RouterOS / Winbox. It hands down beats any of the mainstream / consumer home routers that I have ever used (you get so much more functionality with RouterOS) . If you are willing to accept the learning curve and put a bit of study time in, you will love this router!

The design is not the best one but the interface is so fast and powerful it's just beyond my expectations.Signal is very good too. The installation took just 5 minutes, I set my previous router's SSID to 3GHz network and set the same password so that I can reconnect all of my devices and, voilà, everything is up and working!

First one I have received was from a very old batch (74: mac address). Don’t know why they were still on sale. I noticed a squeaky noise when using 5GHz Wifi. Looking up on mikrotik forum revealed a known issue for the early ones in 2018. So ordered a replacement which by luck or because the seller knew what’s the crack and realised they can’t sell me the old left overs was from the 48: mac address also having a mich newer RouterOS. The later has no noise and also much better throughput on WiFi.Apart of the small glitch, they do the job as per Mikrotik expectations and hoping to last for a few years.

★★★★☆ (4/5) 𝐖𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐩𝐮𝐭★★★★★ (5/5) 𝐖𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲★★★★☆ (4/5) 𝐖𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐩𝐮𝐭★★★★☆ (4/5) 𝐖𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲★★★☆☆ (3/5) 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲★★★★★ (5/5) 𝐒𝐎𝐇𝐎 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲Review RouterOS: 6.41.4 (2018-Apr-05)Review firmware: 6.41.4Perhaps not the fastest performer for its class, unlike its wired Mikrotik hEX cousin (RB750Gr3), but it comes with all the valuable entry Mikrotik goodies, except the Dude server package:► 𝐏𝐥𝐮𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲: as only a basic home Internet router (not AP), just follow the four simple instructions that are on the underside of the box. As an AP, you need to configure it to be secure► 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐎𝐒: has almost every pure routing feature you can imagine for consumer, prosumer and small businesses, including software support for VLANs. Powered by the exact same software used in Mikrotik's ISP and enterprise products► 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐱: great multi-document, highly responsive and "flat" (no deep drilldown menus) software for Windows PCs, Linux Wine or Windows VMs makes the router configuration very accessible. Can also be configured by http, https, and ssh► 𝐔𝐒𝐁 𝟐.𝟎: full size USB 2.0 port for storage, modems, usb host or other devices► 𝐖𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬: full control over the configuration of the radios, including virtual SSIDs (advanced version of Guest networks), transmit power, channels, supported speeds, distances, noise thresholds, chains, priorities, multiple types of wireless bridging, including L2 modes, etc.► 𝐖𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐬: RB962UiGS-5HacT2HnT (International) supports all 5 GHz channels centered between 5180 MHz to 5860 MHz, including DFS channels. It allows setting any country regulatory mode or Superchannel mode for testing a huge range of channels. RB962UiGS-5HacT2HnT-US (USA) is hardware locked to US-only regulatory mode, no DFS channels and no Superchannel all due to US FCC regulations► 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥: powerful firewall similar to Linux's iptables, including Layer 7 (application) rules. The action of each rule can be logged► 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐲: 12 months► 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞: Level 4 RouterBOARD License comes with the device = 15 days free support, including over emailIt is fanless and silent. It comes with a single Passive PoE input, single Passive PoE output and single SFP cage port. It also has an advanced switch chip, the QCA8337. So, it has hardware support for VLANs (4k) and switch rules (92 rules).Despite its excellent and sensitive dual band radios, 3x3:3 chains and streams (triple chain), its performance is bottlenecked by the 720 MHz CPU to approximately a maximum of 550 Mbps. This can, of course, only be achieved by clients with the most sufficiently powerful WiFi adapters, e.g. MacBook Pros or PCIe adapters.The most advanced WiFi routers and APs available, including at enterprise level, can sustain just over 800 Mbps and peak at 940 Mbps to a single equivalently specced client in practice. These are 802.11ac Wave 2 4x4:4 devices from the likes of Aruba, Ruckus and Cisco. Netgear R7800/XR500 and Synology RT2600ac wireless routers also have consumer versions of this tech to single clients, but then with these you are playing chicken with the usual poor retail behaviour in terms of samples, update lifetime, security updates, stability, breaking updates, and who knows what (Asus routers apparently even have an issue with USB 3.0 interfering!). Additionally, you will not have access to anywhere near the feature set of enterprise devices. Yet these top-end devices 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 at a minimum of twice the cost of the Mikrotik hAP ac for often less than 1.6 times the maximum performance.However, unlike many other competitor devices, including the direct competitor Ubiquiti, Mikrotik devices do not currently support certain popular or bleeding edge retail features, the most notable of which is lack of band-steering, buit-in support for roaming assist and OpenVPN with UDP. There is also no support for enterprise roaming standards like 802.1r/k/v. RouterOS is a closed system so it cannot be modified to support the latest and greatest, including very modern and sophisticated traffic shaping (with AQMs like fq_codel and Cake). RouterBoard hardware can run open source software like LEDE or OpenWRT, but it is far from easy to do so for a typical consumer. This model cannot run MIkrotik Metarouter, a type of virtual router instance.Anyway, the hAP ac comes with multiple QuickSet profiles, i.e. preset device configurations, if you don't want to throw yourself into the deep end of configuring RouterOS. Here is the selection at this time:► "CPE"► "PTP Bridge AP"► "PTP Bridge CPE"► "WISP AP"► "Home AP Dual"► "CAP".The most useful configuration for home customers using this device as a basic Internet router + AP would be the "Home AP Dual".One thing to note: despite its white box and plain appearance photo, the LEDs in it light up like a xmas tree, seen through the grated sides of its box! Just something to be aware of when planning where to put it, or you can disable or modify them under the System LEDs menu.Having had this router for a month, it seems every bit as rock solid stable in uptime and performance as other Mikrotik devices.Good luck!𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬:► upgrade your RouterOS and firmware ASAP. Just like any other router, you need security updates and may get useful new features and performance improvements. There are Bugfix/Stable, Current/Release and Beta/Release Candidate update options. Unless it is for business use, just get the Current update► change your Router password, just like on any other router. It is empty by default► the router is not in stealth by default. It still allows ping responses from the entire Internet. If you don't need pings/ICMP from the Internet (extremely unlikely), you should consider disabling this Accept rule in the IP Firewall Filter Rules section. You can test with the famous Shields Up! GRC Security site, which advises the same► [WIRELESS] it is highly recommended to disable WPS mode and use only WPA2-PSK with only AES-CCM security for non-businesses► if you want help configuring anything, the online Mikrotik Wiki can be very useful, or consult the Mikrotik forums or Reddit /r/mikrotik. Youtube should also have the very basic, e.g. port forwarding, and some advanced configurations (it's in-between where it is less useful)► many things are easier or just a copy & paste away using commands in the Terminal, e.g. based on the default factory configuration, port forwarding is just "/ip firewall nat add chain=dst-nat action=dst-nat protocol=tcp dst-port=1234 to-address=192.168.1.234 to-port=1234" (change the ports, change the to-address, DONE)► you can use the "/export hide-sensitive" command to share your configuration with others without sharing passwordsFactory RouterOS: 6.39.2 (2017-Jun-6)Factory firmware: 6.34.2

It is an amazing piece of hardware for the money. I have reasonable networking knowledge but it was still a little daunting. Fortunately whatever you want to do you'll almost certainly find a tutorial for. A lot are made available by VPN providers and their instructions are easily adapted to use your own service. Mine is running L2TP/IPsec in client mode, and I found an easily followed/adapted guide for that. I also found easy instructions to configure a "kill switch" if the VPN drops. I'm not even scratching the surface - and will dabble more when I have the time. Highly recommended.

If you're looking to have a higher degree of control over your home network than your ISP's router allows, this will almost certainly be able to fit the bill. Want a VPN? Your own DNS? A guest network for visitors? Time-limited access for your kid's devices? You can do all that and more with this box. Of course you can get those features in much more expensive products from Asus, Netgear, etc. or with commercial grade equipment from Unifi, Ubiquity, etc. But if you have an understanding of the basics of IP networking or are willing to learn, and the patience to work out how to configure the Routerboard software to your requirements, this inexpensive unit can do it all. Steep learning curve though!

Having previously been using a Draytek 2925vn+ I was really surprised at the amount of functionality this little box has for the cost. In fact in some ways I would say this unit is better - the WIFI strength is much better than the Draytek, the VPN options are more extensive and the routing filters are more flexible. Admittedly you don't get dual WAN or VOIP but to be honest i never use those features much these days anyways.As good as it is, RouterOS is complex and some of the more obvious config settings are hidden away - eg.. I wanted to conntect the hAP to a Draytek Vigor 130, this should have been a simple case of plug in and enter my ISP provided username/password. No where in the web interface could I find the PPPoE settings to enter the username/password. It wasn't until i installed WinBox and clicked the 'quick setup' option that the PPPoE options were visible.For the price and functionality (should you need it) its a great bit of kit.