I have a MikroTik hAP AC Lite (RouterBoard) and would like to use it for the various services I have instead of having the services on other nodes here that come and go depending on the testing I am doing. Also, I'd like to access the mesh with my PC using 5 GHz WiFi which seems to work fine.
I have a NetGear VLAN switch (108E) that is configured as 3-Nodes, Wan and LANs.
I have Internet on the NetGear switch and have also tried it successfully on Port 1 of the RB.
- I'd like to have all the older nodes (re: NetGear sw) be dtd-connected with this new RB but so far I can't figure how to do it. (I'd like to run this with AREDN-Mesh-RF turned off.)
Oh, as an unrelated (?) test I connected a Ubiquiti node to Port 5 of the RB but nothing seemed to happen and I couldn't see the node on the RB Mesh Status screen. The RB port status light was also out. The RB power supply from (MikroTik) is a 24 volt model. I don't have easy access to the actual node device to see if any lights are on it but I guess not.
Any help would be appreciated.
73 - Mike ab4yy
1) use GS108E to dtdlink all the nodes, including hAP ac lite
This GS108E configuration would work at the following link. It allows for 4 mesh nodes to be connected via dtdlink and 1 of the ports can be a laptop or other LAN device.
https://www.arednmesh.org/content/gs105e-1-lan-4-node
Connect port 5 of the hAP ac lite into port 5 of the GS108E. Put the mesh node on port 1 that you would like the LAN device in port 2 to receive an IP address from. ports 3 and 4 can be other mesh nodes.
On all the mesh nodes connected to the GS108E, be sure that the POE passthrough is 'OFF' in advanced settings.
2) I connected a Ubiquiti node to Port 5 of the RB but nothing seemed to happen
Hmm, should be working. This would not work if you tested with a Nanostation which does not have a recent Nightly build firmware version and used the wrong port on the Nanostation. with older AREDN firmware versions dtdlink only works on 1 of the ports. In currently nightly build firmware, any port can be used. In older firmware , XM devices only the main port is dtdlink, with XW device only the secondary port is dtdlink. This unusual configuration bites a lot of us, so we're all very happy it is no longer an issue with current nightly builds.
Joe AE6XE
Thanks Joe. This is progress.
RE: 1)
Ideally I'd like the hAP ac lite to provide all my 10.x.x.x LAN ip addresses so in the setup you suggested, could I connect the hAP ac lite to Port 1 of the NetGear switch? Or alternately program Port 2 to be LAN-D?
RE: 2)
I hooked up my PoE Tester Gen2 again to the hAP ac lite port 5. Here are the results:
FYI, the MikroTik AC supply measures 23.89 volts (no load).
- Mike
Re: 2) Yes, the hardware powers on with the POE passthough on (or immediately as linux is starting up). Once linux boots up, the AREDN settings take over (on the "Advanced setting" page). The default in AREDN after linux boots up (20 to 30 seconds after power on) is to turn POE passthough off. It would take some time to investigate and see if there is something that can be changed in the firmware to prevent the POE passthough from being on after power is applied. Regardless, if the load is not with in designed tolerance, the POE passthough is automatically turned off.
Joe AE6XE
Thanks Joe, I think I finally have it figured out.
By the way, I do have another 8-port switch I use as a dumb switch.
Also I was able to get (RE: 2) the hAPac Port 5 to work nicely to power up another node. I just had to change the advanced setting from the default (to: aredn.@poe[0].passthrough ON). With my tester I could also toggle that setting and see power go on and off.
And I see now all I need to do is connect (non powered) Port 5 of the hAPac to one of my vlan-programed "Node" ports on my GS-108e and I am in business with good dtdlinking. It doesn't look like I need to connect anything to ports 2-4 of the hAPac. And if I wanted Internet via the hAPac versus the GS-108e, I could connect Internet to Port 1 of the hAPac instead of the programed WAN port on the GS-108e. So all I have to do now is reprogram my GS-108e to my liking. The hAPac should be able to dhcp serve up a bunch of 10.x.x.x addresses if I still decided to go that way. (I don't see why not...)
Let me know if I am missing anything in my understanding of this. Thanks again.
- Mike ab4yy
"I just had to change the advanced setting from the default (to: aredn.@poe[0].passthrough ON)."
But the checkbox says "off" next to it, so I though it was ON unless I checked the box!!!
So, I tried checking the box and guess what - it now says "on." That's not how I'm used to check boxes working...but as long as the POE turns on I'm good :-)
I have summoned the black smoke on a netgear switch before by (mistakenly) backfeeding POE into it.
Joe AE6XE
I was wondering the same thing as AL0Y. Thanks, Joe.
"The hAP ac lite will dynamically power the POE Passthrough off, if an appropriate load does not exist with the device connected" .
Just to be sure I fully understand, (especially as I see the red light POE indicator light change state) does this dynamic monitoring by this hAP unit specifically apply to the assertion of POE on port 5 for the entire period from power-up thru POST and then AREDN etc ?
TIA,
- Don - AA7AU
"The Ether5 port supports PoE output for powering other RouterBOARD devices. The port has auto detection feature, so you can connect Laptops and other non-PoE devices without damaging them. The PoE on Ether5 outputs approximately 2 V below input voltage, and supports up to 0.58A (So provided 24 V PSU will provide 22V/0.58 A output to the Ether5 PoE port). "
My experience is consistent with this statement, including immediately after power on. Note, a 12v battery system may be problematic to power devices when reduced to ~10vdc.
Joe AE6XE
I recently burned up a switch that was connected to port 5 that had POE enabled, immediately upon plugging the CAT into port 5 there was a burning resistor smell from the switch. I was using the 24V wall wart that came with the hAP.