MikroTik WiFi CAP Configuration

  • Terminology
    • CAP device is the abbreviation for Controlled Access Point
    • CAPsMAN is the CAP manager and has an enabled CAPsMAN service
    • WinBox is a desktop application for managing Mikrotik devices
    • WinBox can be installed on Linux as a snap package and is probably
      the easiest way to connect to a Mikrotik device, since it uses Layer 2 network
      communication and therefore does not require an IP address in the LAN subnet.

  • MikroTik device
  • When MikroTik device is first powered up, the default IP address is
    192.168.88.1, admin password is empty and the SSID
    is Mikrotik. If LAN subnet is different, the easiest way
    to change configuration is to connect via WiFi to open the web
    configuration at 192.168.88.1.

    • Select Quick Set (top right) and select CAP in combobox just below
    • Configure network address
    • Choose MikroTikCAPsMAN as router identity
    • Select Bridge All LAN Ports as router identity

    Use UP arrow to revert back to default in options to follow when setting up a configuration
    or device settings which refers to some other configuration.

  • CAPsMAN manager device
    • Select WebFig (top right) and select CAPsMAN (left top)
    • Under CAP Interface tab, press Manager and select Enable and choose
      • Select Enabled
      • Choose require same version under Upgrade Policy
      • Press OK
    • Under Channels tab press Add New
      • Set Name to channel1
      • Set Frequency to 2412
      • Set Control Channel Width to 20MHz
      • Set Band to 2ghz-g/n
      • Press OK
      • Add another channel called channel6 with Frequency as 2442
      • (other properties remain the same)

      • Add another channel called channel11 with Frequency as 2472
      • (other properties remain the same)

    • Under Datapaths tab press Add New
      • Set Name to datapath1
      • Set Bridge to bridgeLocal (or whatever the default bridge is)
      • Select Local Forwarding (traffic handled by each CAP and not by CAPsMAN)
      • Select Client To Client Forwarding (allow WiFi clients to see each other)
      • Press OK
    • Under Security Cfg. tab press Add New
      • Set Name to secure
      • Select WPA PSK2 in Authentication Type
      • Select aes ccm in Encryption
      • Set Passphrase to your WiFi password
      • Select Local Forwarding (traffic handled by each CAP and not by CAPsMAN)
      • Select Client To Client Forwarding (allow WiFi clients to see each other)
      • Press OK
    • Under Configuration tab press Add New
      • Select Enabled
      • Set Name to cfg1
      • Choose none as Master Interface
      • Choose ap in Mode
      • Enter SSID
      • Choose Country
      • Choose indoor in Installation
      • Choose datapath1 in Datapath (see Datapath configuration)
      • Select secure in Security (see Security Cfg. configuration)
      • Press OK
    • Under Provisioning tab press Add New
      • Select Enabled
      • Set Action as create dynamic enabled
      • Set Master Configuration (see Configuration definition)
      • Set Name Format as cap
      • Set Name Prefix to some value
      • Press OK
    • Select Wireless menu item on the left and select WiFi Interfaces tab
      • Press CAP button
        • Select Enabled
        • Select wlan1 in Interfaces
        • Select none in Certificate
        • Select ether1 in Discovery interface
        • Select none in Bridge
        • Press OK
      • Set Action as create dynamic enabled
      • Set Master Configuration (see Configuration definition)
      • Set Name Format as cap
      • Set Name Prefix to some value
      • Press OK
    • Select CAPsMAN menu item on the left and select CAP Interfaces tab
      • Press Add New button
      • Set Name to cap1
      • Set Channel to channel1
      • Press OK

  • CAP device (controlled by CAPsMAN)
  • The easiest way to configure a CAP device is by connecting via WinBox and
    linking the device to a CAPsMAN manager.

    • Connect to the device using WinBox
      • Navigate to Quick Set using the menu on the left
      • Set mode (combo box at top) to CAP
      • Set Address Acquisition to Automatic
      • Set Address Source to Ethernet
      • Select Bridge All LAN Ports
      • Set Router Identity to a unique name on the LAN
      • Change password
      • Press OK
      • Navigate to Wireless using the menu on the left
      • Select the WiFi Interfaces tab
      • Press CAP button
      • Select Enabled
      • Set Interface to wlan1
      • Set Certificate to none
      • Set Discovery Interface to ether1 (if devices are linked via ethernet)
      • Set Bridge to bridgeLocal
      • Press OK
  • References: