Strengths and weaknesses of MikroTik hAP lite RB941. Strengths and weaknesses of MikroTik hAP lite RB941 Mikrotik hap lite does not work

MikroTik hAP Lite – one of the affordable and famous routers on the market for similar equipment. Since 2016, the router has been very popular and is not inferior to more expensive and proven models.

What is the advantage of MikroTik hAP Lite compared to other routers, and why the model takes a leading position, we will determine based on specifications router and user reviews.

Set

For an overview of the Mikrotik Hap Light router, see the following video:

The product is delivered in a cardboard box containing:

instruction;
power supply for 5V and 0.7A;
Router BOARD hAP Lite (RB 941 2nD TC) is the official model name.

Design

The appearance of the router is shown in the picture:

Mikrotik hAP Lite has a plastic case, consisting of white and blue parts. The front side of the case is equipped with ventilation holes. On the back side there are four network ports interface activity lights, two diodes, a multi-function key and a port Micro USB(for food). To remove heat from the area of the central circuits, the bottom of the router is equipped with ventilation holes.

The housing with connectors is shown in the picture:

The shape of the body of the model allows you to use the product only in a vertical position.

Software and functionality

The functionality of MikroTik hAP Lite RB941 2nD corresponds to the high performance of the Qualcomm Atheros QCA9533 processor. The processor frequency is 650 MHz. The port transfer rate is 100 megabytes. RAM– 32 MB (16 MB constant).

The gain of the two antennas of the router is 1.5 dB, which allows you to support speeds up to 300 Mbps. The Wi-Fi power of the hAP Lite router is up to 158 mW (22 dB).

WiFi-router MikroTik hAP Liteoperates under the direction of a specialized operating system- RouterOS.

Features MikroTik hAP Lite (RB 941 2nD TC)
Type of	Wireless router
Standard	WiFi 802.11b/g/n
Maximum connection speed, Mbps	150
Multiple SSID support	+
Connection interface (LAN port)	3x10/100 Ethernet
Input (WAN port)	1x10/100 Ethernet
Firewall	+
NAT	+
VPN (virtual network) support	+
DHCP server	+
Antenna type (internal/external)	internal
Number of antennas	2
MU-MIMO/MIMO support	-/+
Web interface	+
telnet	+
SNMP support	+
Dimensions, mm	124x100x54
Power (PoE/Adapter)	-/+
Bridge Mode	+
	processor Qualcomm Atheros QCA9531 (650MHz), 32MB DDR RAM, RouterOS Level4 License

Setting

For a video tutorial on setting up a router, see the following video:

Router OS is presented on English language, in connection with which, many users experience certain difficulties when setting up the Mikrotik hAP Lite router . How to configure the router and set the required parameters, consider below.

At the first stage, you need to do the following:

Connect a router to a PC (tablet, laptop, smartphone). Activate power.
Connect the Internet to the router. It is possible to activate the connection via Wi-Fi network. If it is not possible, connect the LAN port of the router and the port network card PC.
Connect to the Wi-Fi network “MikroTik”.

With a valid network password, reset the settings.

Regardless of the presence/absence network connection, you can proceed to the next step. To go to the router settings, you should navigate to the page at 192.168.88.1. We will access the RouterOS control panel. At this stage, you need to make sure that the device is in "Home AP" mode.

How to find out what mode the router is in, see the picture:

The list of parameters is divided into three blocks and looks like this:

network connection (Internet);
Wi-Fi network (Wireless);
password to protect the system interface (System).

Dynamic IP Settings

Provided that the Internet is already working through MikroTik hAP Lite, there is no need for additional settings. Thanks to the automatic connection, you can immediately set the parameters of the Wi-Fi network.

For information about the type of connection (in the absence of a dynamic IP), contact your Internet service provider. It should also be clarified whether the Internet provider allows binding by MAC address.

Provided that there is a dynamic IP and there is no binding by MAC address, the operation of the router at this stage is carried out in full.

If you need to bind by MAC address, you must specify the MAC address of the network equipment (either from the Internet service provider or in the "MAC address" field in the router settings). The hardware address is reflected in the MAC Address field.

Entering parameters when connecting PPPoE

How to connect, you can see in the picture:

This type of connection is not very popular. Here you should highlight the connection type "PPPoE" and designate the username and password. Next, activate the "Reconnect" button and go to the Wi-Fi network settings. The data containing the username and password is provided by the ISP.

Setting up a password and Wi-Fi network

Let's turn to the "Wireless" section (located on the left side of the page). Change the name of the Wi-Fi network is offered in the "Network Name" field. Next, in the “Country” menu that opens, we designate the password (“WiFi Password”).

This is how the window where you can change the network name and update the password looks like:

The Internet password must contain at least eight characters. It is also recommended to specify the user's region of residence.

Here you can also specify the list of clients connected to the router, and set the parameters of the guest Wi-Fi network. Before exiting the section, save the settings using the "Apply Configuration" button.

Password for the web interface

In order to protect the RouterOS interface from unauthorized persons, it is recommended to set a password. To do this, it is proposed to go to the "System" section (in the lower sector on the right). Next, enter a password in the "Password" and "Confirm Password" fields. To save the settings, use the "Apply Configuration" button.

The page for entering a new password looks like this:

At this stage, the user will be "knocked out" of the system. To re-login and gain access to the interface, you will need to re-enter given password. In addition to the password, you must enter the username (admin).

The login page looks like this:

Router in operation

Numerous positive reviews from owners of Mikrotik hAP Lite routers testify to the simplicity, but at the same time, the reliability of this model of routers. The indisputable advantages of the RB941 2nD TC router are:

the ability to simultaneously connect an unlimited number of gadgets (the scale of connected devices does not adversely affect the operation of the router);
price - the cost of the device does not exceed 1,500 rubles;
compactness;
functional operating system;
support – regular updates;
performance quality;
wireless signal strength;
convenience and simplicity of the interface;
Micro USB powered;
design.

Taking into account the functionality of the Mikrotik hAP Lite router and feedback on its work , we can confidently conclude that this model is still the best in its price segment.

Let's test the real speeds that can be achieved by wireless Wi-Fi chips in hAP AC Lite. To do this, we will use the following scheme:

From a laptop working via Wi-Fi with hAP AC Lite, we will download a file located on the computer and connected via a wired LAN fast Ethernet interface (100 Mbps). Thus, we will simulate the situation when we download some information from the Internet.

In the first test, we will use the 802.11n standard in the 2.4 GHz band using single chain - MIMO 1:1×1. In this option, the maximum channel rate in accordance with the specification can be equal to 150 Mbps.

The test result shows that the actual download speed when using 802.11n single chain was 50 Mbps. And the real connection speed was 72 Mbps. This is because 2.4GHz is very noisy and the router can't use WiFi signal spread spectrum to set a better performance. wireless channel connections.

In the next speed test, we will also use 802.11n, but with dual chain 2:2×2. The theoretical channel speed in this case is 300 Mbit/s. To achieve this speed, support for this technology must be provided not only on the router side, but also on the client side.

The test shows that the actual download speed was 94 Mbps, which is close to the maximum bandwidth of the Ethernet interface. The channel connection speed was 144.4 Mbps, which is clearly not up to the maximum values of 300 Mbps. The fact is confirmed that 2.4 GHz cannot use the maximum data transfer rates due to the noisiness of the air in an urban environment.

In this test, we will use another RB952Ui-5ac2nD wireless chip, namely QCA9887 with support for 802.11 ac technology at 5 GHz with single-chain.

The graph shows that the actual download speed was 92 Mbps, the channel speed was 433 Mbps. The limitation of the actual download speed is caused by the performance ceiling of the Ethernet interface. It follows that the 802.11 ac standard overrides the capabilities of the 100 Mbps port that hAP AC Lite uses.

From the tests carried out, we can conclude that the use of double chain in the 802.11n standard is fully justified, because single-chain does not reach the maximum bandwidth of the router.

The use of single-chain in the 802.11 ac standard also looks logical, because the performance of the wireless module is more than enough to override the capabilities of the router. Therefore, the RB 952Ui-5ac2nD looks like a very balanced device. And the use of such technologies as Triple Chain on 802.11 n and Double / Triple Chain on 802.11 ac is unjustified.

So on this moment we have a standard configuration without network separation. In order to separate our local network, create a segment (part) of the network for children. To do this, select winbox→ Bridge(1)→Bridge(2)→plus(3)→General(4)→ from the menu and add the name bridge-child in the name(5) field. Save changes - OK.

Let's prepare interfaces (ports) for inclusion in bridge-child. In our configuration, the fourth ether4 port and an additional children's wifi network will be configured for the child. This means that by connecting to the fourth port with a cable and / or to a children's network via WiFi, you will have children's access to the Internet through these interfaces.

Set up a security profile for the children's WiFi network. WinBox→Wireless(1)→Security Profiles(2)→plus(3)→General(4)→in the Name(5) field, enter child→in the WPA(6) and WPA2(6) fields, enter the future Wifi password for the children's network . Save the settings - OK.

Let's add new network wifi. WinBox→Wireless(1)→Interfaces(2)→plus(3)→Virtual AP(4)→Wireless(5)→enter the name of the children's WiFi network in the SSID(6) field→ select a security profile(7) for our network. Save the settings - OK.

Let's configure the ether4 interface. Winbox→Interfaces(1)→Interface(2)→double left click on ehter4(3) and enter interface settings→choose none in the Master Port(4) field. Apply settings - OK.

Next, we will include our interfaces in the prepared bridge-child. Winbox→Bridge(1)→Ports(2)→plus(3)→add ether4 (4) interface→ to Bridge(5) bridge-child. We will also do the same for the wlan2(6)(7) interface. Save all changes - OK.

Let's assign an internal address to the bridge-child interface. WinBox→IP(1)→address(2)→plus(3)→fill in the fields (4),(5),(6) according to the screenshot.

Now you need to assign a DHCP server to the children's network segment, for auto tuning IP parameters of network clients. To do this, Winbox→IP(1)→DHCP server(2)→DHCP(3)→DHCP Setup(4)→ select the bridge-child interface in the dhcp Server Interface(5) field.

After that, you must click the Next button and follow the DHCP server configuration wizard without changing anything. Once you reach the Select lease time window:

Here you need to change the default lease time to 3d 00:10:00 and finish configuring the DHCP server.

If you did everything right, by now you should have two network segments:

Children's network LAN-4; wifi. Addressing - 192.168.99.0/24 Adult network LAN-2, LAN-3; wifi. Addressing - 192.168.88.0/24

Now these two networks have no restrictions and are completely equal. In order to start setting up restrictive functions for the children's network, you must complete the preliminary settings of the router, namely:

Set password and SSID (network name) to adult wifi network
Set a password for the Admin user
Update your router to the latest version.

If you find it difficult to do it yourself, you can find step by step instructions setting these parameters in

I honestly admit that until recently I was not at all familiar with MikroTik routers. I heard something, read something, and all the time I thought that these were some kind of network devices for professionals. Complex setup, lots of features and all. But I recently saw several MikroTik models on sale. I decided to buy MikroTik hAP Lite TC in order to see it myself, set it up, and tell you about it.

In this tutorial, I will show you how to set up MikroTik hAP Lite TC. Using this guide, you will be able to set up almost any MikroTik RouterBOARD router. RouterOS itself, on which devices from this manufacturer run, is at first glance very complex. In fact, it is complicated not only at first glance 🙂 There are really many different sections, settings, etc. On my router, the RouterOS system itself is in English. As I understand it, there is no way to change the settings language to Russian. But, if you look, you understand that for the usual Mikrotik settings you don’t need to climb through some sections at all, look for something, etc. There are all the most necessary and important settings are on the same page. Which opens immediately after entering the control panel. Now we will consider all this in more detail.

I also want to say a few words about the MikroTik hAP Lite TC router itself. I liked the device. The case is made of high-quality plastic, although it stinks a little. Inexpensive, cool, apparently powerful and very functional. But all this functionality is not needed by most users. It's cool that it's powered by microUSB. You can even record from the USB port of a computer, or a power bank. Or, without any problems, find another power adapter if the native one breaks. I didn’t like the very boring packaging, completely incomprehensible setup instructions (in English), and most importantly - the lack of a network cable in the kit. Such are they, MikroTik RouterBOARD routers. At least the hAP Lite TC model.

Judging by the instructions that come with the kit, this guide should be useful to many. As for MikroTik, here I am a complete teapot. So the instruction, as you understand, is for dummies like me 🙂

Connecting a MikroTik router and preparing for setup

To set all the necessary parameters, we first need to connect to the router and connect the Internet to it. Since there is no network cable included, you will most likely connect to it via a Wi-Fi network. You can configure not only from a laptop or PC. You can use a tablet, phone, or other device.

First plug in the power adapter and plug it into a power outlet. You can also immediately connect the Internet to MikroTik (network cable from ISP or modem). To port Internet.

If you have a network cable and there is no way to connect via Wi-Fi, then simply plug one end of the cable into the LAN port of the router, and the other into the port of your computer's network card.

If in your case the network is closed with a password, or when you enter the router settings, a password request will appear, then most likely someone has already configured it. Do a factory reset according to the instructions:.

It looks like this:

Internet access may not be immediately available. We have not yet configured the connection of the router to the provider. This is fine. Let's move on to the settings.

Setting up MikroTik on the example of the hAP Lite TC model

To enter the settings of the router, you need to go to the address in any browser 192.168.88.1 . I wrote more about this in the article:. The RouterOS Control Panel should immediately open. (in my case version v6.34.2). Make sure the router is in "Home AP" mode.

As I wrote above, all basic settings can be set directly to home page"Quick Set". It is divided into blocks. We need to set up the following:

Internet connection (Internet).
Wi-Fi network (Wireless).
Set a password to protect the control panel (System).

These settings are sufficient in most cases.

Internet setup on MikroTik (Dynamic IP, PPPoE)

Important point! If the Internet is already working for you through a router, then most likely your provider uses the Dynamic IP connection type, and additional setting need not. Since the connection type is "Automatic" by default. You can immediately set up a Wi-Fi network.

You should have information about the type of connection your ISP is using. As well as all the necessary data to connect to the Internet (unless you have a dynamic IP). It is also desirable to immediately find out if the provider binds by MAC address.

So, if you have a "Dynamic IP" connection type, without binding by MAC address, then everything should work right away. If there is a binding by MAC address, then you need to either register the MAC address of the router with the provider (it is specified in the MAC Address field), or to which the Internet is attached and register it in the "MAC address" field in the router settings.

PPPoE setup

Selecting a type PPPoE connections, set username and password (provided by provider) and click on the "Reconnect" button. The router must be connected to the Internet. If all is well, then go to Wi-Fi setup networks. More on this in the article below.

Configuring L2TP/PPTP

First, in the "PPP" section, you need to add "PPTP Client".

Next, set the server address (Connect To), username (User) and password (Password). This information is provided by the provider. Check the box next to "Add Default Route". Then we save the profile by clicking on the "Apply" and "Ok" buttons.

Friends, I'm not sure if the PPTP setup instructions are correct. Unfortunately, there is no way to check this. If I wrote something wrong, please correct me in the comments.

Setting up a Wi-Fi network and password on MikroTik hAP Lite TC

On the same page we are interested in the "Wireless" section. He is on the left.

In the "Network Name" field, change the name of the Wi-Fi network. In the drop-down menu "Country" it is desirable to specify your region, and in the field "WiFi Password" set the password (minimum 8 characters), which will be used when connecting to a Wi-Fi network.

Below you can set up a guest Wi-Fi network and view a list of clients connected via Wi-Fi.

Remember or write down the Wi-Fi password. You can save the settings with the "Apply Configuration" button, or set a password to protect the settings right away.

Password for the RouterOS web interface

When we went to the address 192.168.88.1, the control panel opened immediately. Anyone who is connected to the router via a Wi-Fi network, or via cable, can enter it. To protect it, you need to set a password.

On the main page, in the lower right corner, in the "System" section, in the "Password" and "Confirm Password" fields, create and enter a password. Save the settings by clicking on "Apply Configuration" .

You will be kicked out of the system. And in order to enter the settings again, you need to specify the password that you set. The username is admin. Now you will need to log in every time you log into RouterOS.

Try not to forget the password, otherwise you will have to reset the settings of your MikroTik router and set everything up again.

Afterword

I apologize in advance if I made a mistake somewhere in the instructions. There is no way to check everything for yourself. For example, connecting via PPPoE, or PPTP. You need a provider that uses a specific protocol. The setup itself seemed to me even easier than that of popular manufacturers with a friendlier interface. I agree that it will be difficult to set up, for example, filtering by MAC addresses, site blocking, speed limiting and other functions there. Need to figure it out.

For a long time I could not understand how the RouterOS system itself works. And I understood. She works "clearly". Yes, there are many settings. But everything is quickly opened, saved, deleted, etc. Nothing hangs, and does not reboot several times.

Leave comments, share useful tips and ask questions!

Today I will present you a small review of the router, which I have been waiting for a long time (it was announced back in 2015) and finally waited. In short, I can say that for most users its rich features will be redundant, but for those who want to get flexible settings home network there are practically no alternatives (for comparative money). If interested, welcome under cat.

To begin with, I will outline the background of the purchase, which prompted me to take exactly Mikrotik

For a long time, the time-tested old man Asus RT-16N worked for me as a home router. In general, very good router which fully met my needs home internet, plus provided fairly good Wi-Fi coverage. A firmware from Oleg was installed on it, and then from his followers, which significantly improved his work and added a number of additional features to the router. In general, for (approximately) 5 years, this long-liver fully provided for my requests. However, relatively recently, due to work needs, I needed to raise the VLAN on the WAN port in order to provide access to working network from home and to home from work. And here certain difficulties arose: Oleg's firmware in the webmord does not provide such an opportunity, and rummaging through ssh I also failed to do this. After reading the forums and asking around the great Google quickly came up with the only solution on the RT-16N: install the OpenWRT firmware, which I did safely. We managed to register all the settings without any problems and everything worked, but two VERY unpleasant jambs quickly emerged. Asus does not provide enthusiasts with access to control their hardware (which is understandable in principle) and therefore all alternative firmware they either use the basic core of the system from Asus with minor changes in functionality (DD-WRT, firmware from Oleg, etc.), or write something of their own (OpenWrt), but due to the lack of documentation and manufacturer support, they implement their commands in a non-optimal way. In my case this resulted in:

1. Big dances with a tambourine around WiFi, since for a long time he agreed to rise only in the bg range at a speed of 54 M / bit and N did not start by any means.
2. Much more sad: with a network load on the jump at a rate of 100 megabits, the router ran into a maximum ceiling of 55-60 megabits with a processor load of 100%.

If you managed to more or less cope with the first trouble by talking on the forums of VRT-shnikov and downloading third-party “drivers” for Wi-Fi and seemingly reviving the N band (although it works strangely: when the router is rebooted, it drops the bridges and the Wi-Fi has to be raised manually + disappeared the ability to generate access lists by MAC addresses). but in general, wi-fi is more or less moving.

It didn’t work out in any way with the second problem, although the multiple firewall rules were reduced to the required minimum, but it didn’t help: the download speed from the Internet did not rise above 60 (the speed within the home network did not drop, but this is understandable - there is essentially no load everything goes straight).

In general, considering all of the above, I gradually began to come to the conclusion that it was time to change the router, but after studying the market, I realized that not everything is so simple. I wanted modern hardware that would be relevant for +N years, would provide good Internet speed in the future, even more than 100 M / bit (such tariffs have already begun to appear, which means that in 2-3 years it will be commonplace with affordable price), and of course I wanted a dual-band router with support for AC WiFi networks for the future.
I got to choose and realized that the choice with such requests is small. Stock firmware common brands do not provide the flexible settings that I need (in most even expensive routers, everything is limited to Vlan settings for IPTv multicast, which I don’t need. So again I’ll have to sew and again (possibly) have dances with a tambourine in the future. I wanted to take TpLink Archer 7, but I read in time that the AC mode is not yet available on OpenVrt, and whether it will be available in the future - xs.
In general, I wanted something that would allow me to get everything I needed on the basic firmware and without hemorrhoids. And then I came across a mention on the network about the imminent (uh-huh, imminent:) release of the subject. I got acquainted with the characteristics and realized - this is the HE router of my dreams. It knows everything that is needed from its RouterOS, according to the settings it will satisfy any network management needs and is very promising in terms of hardware (I hope its capabilities will be enough for me in the coming years).

Let's take a closer look at the possibilities of this miracle box:

As you can see, the hardware is very decent, and it will block all the requests of most users. You can take a look at the giblets of the router (to be honest, I didn’t disassemble my router, the photos were found on the Internet)

In the figure: the numbers 1,2 indicate the built-in 2.4 GHz antennas, the numbers 3, 4 - the 5 GHz antennas. Under the epoxy are the UFL connectors to which antennas 5 and 6 (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) are connected.

Router block diagram:

CAPsMAN - Another opportunity from Mikrotik for country houses / offices

Starting from version 6.11, CAPsMAN functionality has appeared in RouterOS - the ability to centrally manage access nodes.

That is, instead of configuring each such node individually, it is enough to configure one controller, and then connect managed nodes to it. In this way, and not with the use of WiFi repeaters, which only repeat the signal already received with errors and increased latency over a wider coverage area, you can quickly and easily organize a seamless unified network that can cover almost any area object.

It is clear that the quality of such coverage will directly depend on the hardware capabilities of the central controller. When using three or four MikroTik hAP ac, for example, it will not be difficult to create a network that does not require re-logging in the entire volume of a three-story country house (with a basement, attic and outbuildings) or an entire vast floor of some business center.

At the same time, due to the ability to receive and give further along the chain the supply voltage via the Ethernet line (Poe In / PoE Out), such devices will allow you to do without redundant wires and additional load on electrical outlets.

For sure coverage WiFi network extended (in one, two or three dimensions) objects, two alternative methods are used:

1. You can install in the center of such an object a really powerful universal router with several external antennas, with the ability to simultaneously create two or more non-intersecting communication channels in the 5-GHz range - and hope that this monster will confidently "finish off" to the very border of the computational domain. And if not, then try to increase its power with additional antennas, but a simple increase in the number of antennas will not lead to an increase in the total power: the developer can either make individual antennas more powerful, or increase their number, but not both. Accordingly, at a great distance, you can install a WiFi repeater, but such a solution is fraught with an inevitable deterioration in the quality of communication.

2. A different approach, for Mikrotik with RouterOS - CAPsMAN, is directly opposite to the first. It provides for the organization of a two-level network from one control router and several managed access nodes. Each of these devices will be cheaper than a monstrous heavy-duty Internet center. Their combination, reasonably distributed efforts will lead to the fact that over the entire covered length, or over the entire area, or in the entire volume, the WiFi signal level will remain approximately the same, and switching between access nodes mobile devices will occur seamlessly and imperceptibly for both the user and applications.

The availability of an SFP port for installing a fiber optic communication module further expands the range of applicability of hAP ac. The use of an optical data delivery line to each of the access nodes allows you to expand the WiFi coverage area of a single network configuration almost to infinity - until the central router has enough computing resources to process all requests in a timely manner.

And now, briefly about my own impressions:
This small box fully justified my hopes, the speed is strictly according to the tariff, nothing is cut or lost. By testing a 5 GHz network, the Wi-Fi speed within the network exceeded 100 megabits (115-120). Unfortunately, I don’t have a single AC device at hand, so I’ll have to wait for the future to look into my house :) However, there is no urgent need for an AC right now - anyway (my) Internet tariffs will not pull it out, so this technology is for the future .
As for the settings, you can really turn your head off by studying the tabs :) The tool is really flexible and allows any network perversions.

For example, this is how you can set up a guest grid:

And this is how you can deploy HotSpot:

I decided not to drag here under the spoller, in the end it makes no sense to pull the floor of the Internet here, sometimes links are enough. I am sure that if someone is interested, he will find any additional information.

Mikrotik turned out to be a very interesting home router. The company has made a worldwide name for itself network solutions for corporate needs, and now, apparently, the time has come for her to master the home segment of the market, I am sure that they have prospects in this direction. In general, I am personally completely satisfied, new router began to work in the home network, I hope it will serve me no less than Asus. I bow out for this, if you have questions - write.

Down there in the comments, I was rightly noticed about the lack of photos of the purchase and was suspected of being an advertising agent :) Fair remark. I didn’t take pictures of sending and unpacking, but I didn’t want a working device, because I didn’t have time to lay the wires beautifully - they stick out in different directions. The router was received just yesterday.

However, I understand that it looks like an order, so here are the pictures of the purchase, do not look at the wires - I will think about how to carefully throw everything through.

Well, in a couple of days I tidied up a little, and combed the wires:

Every day I find something interesting and NECESSARY in the settings of the router ... In general, now I'm digging into the manuals - I really don't regret buying it for a second. Good luck friends!

I plan to buy +83 Add to favorites Liked the review +36 +87