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Mikrotik Mesh Network: Reviews, Performance & Comparison to Other WiFi Solutions

automatapl 18483 36
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Is a MikroTik-based mesh Wi‑Fi network worth using, or is it better to use wired access points or another Wi‑Fi solution for seamless coverage?

A MikroTik 'mesh' is not recommended here; the thread advises using wired access points with the same SSID/password, and if you need seamless roaming, choose gear that supports fast roaming such as UniFi or TP-Link MR4 instead of independent MikroTik APs [#19443307] [#19443375] [#19443392] [#19443422] On MikroTik, AP-to-AP switching can be quick, but it is not true roaming: the connection is dropped when the client changes APs, which can interrupt VoIP, voice, and video even though browsing and streaming usually survive [#19443433] [#19443542] The thread also says MikroTik is not planning to implement home roaming [#19443542] UniFi is reported to work with one SSID and one password, with users describing it as stable 'turn on and forget' Wi‑Fi; suggested models were UAP-AC-LITE for 2x2 MIMO clients or UAP-AC-PRO for 3x3 MIMO clients, powered by PoE [#19443570] [#19445155] Wireless uplink/mesh on UniFi can work, but it was described as much slower and suitable mainly for browsing, so cable backhaul is preferred [#19444526]
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  • #1 19443024
    automatapl
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    Hi,

    Do any of you have a mesh network created on Mikrotik devices?
    How does it work?

    However, is it better to go for a solution from other manufacturers, or simple single Wifi access points?
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  • #2 19443307
    KOCUREK1970
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    automatapl wrote:
    However, is it better to go for a solution from other manufacturers, or simple single Wifi access points?

    Mesh is nothing more than marketing gibberish of wifi amplifiers. That doesn't sell anymore, we had to come up with something new.
    Only a local AP, connected with a cable to the main router makes sense.
  • #3 19443375
    IC_Current
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    Mesh is a scam. How it is supposed to work, you install a local AP connected by a cable to a switch and router. I recommend, however, to look at the support of fast roaming protocols and not to put completely independent APs.
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  • #4 19443392
    Anonymous
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  • #5 19443405
    automatapl
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    KOCUREK1970 wrote:
    Only a local AP connected by a cable to the main router makes sense.

    I always put an AP connected with a wire to the router, regardless of whether it would be mesh or not.

    IC_Current wrote:
    I recommend, however, to look at the support of fast roaming protocols and not to put completely independent APs.

    What hardware platform can you recommend - a mid-range one?

    Erbit wrote:
    A colleague of the author will check what mesh is (even in Wikipedia) to know if it is what he expects (in my opinion, not). A friend is probably looking for several APs that will cover an area with a common range. I'm wrong?
    A colleague has read, but there are few specific opinions about "mesh" in Mikrotik. There are several conflicting ones.
    Of course, I care about good coverage of the area and switching between points in the same ssid network.

    Erbit wrote:
    . However, you also need to know that for roaming to work, the client must also support roaming, and this can be different.

    Yes, I know that the client makes the decision to switch.

    Erbit wrote:
    For the average "internet eater" Mikrotik is more difficult to configure than, for example, Ubiquiti and it is probably better to go in the direction of this brand, the more that Ubiquiti is roaming.

    I use Mikrotik (router + AP) at home. I'm familiar with linux so it's easier. I am asking about mesh on Mikrotik before I buy an additional device for testing - if it is to lie later, I prefer to consult it first.

    Erbit wrote:
    On Mikrotik, client switching between APs works well, but it is not roaming.
    Does this switching work well within one ssid?
  • #6 19443422
    IC_Current
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    automatapl wrote:
    What hardware platform can you recommend - a mid-range one?

    UNIFI, TP-Link MR4

    automatapl wrote:

    Yes, I know that the client makes the decision to switch.

    In fast roaming, the client communicates with the AP and receives information from them with the recommendation to change the AP.

    automatapl wrote:
    Does this switching work well within one ssid?

    There is just like in any slightly more advanced AP the ability to set the minimum signal level. If it drops below, the AP will disconnect the client and it will search for available networks again and will usually connect to the one with better signal. There is no roaming as such.
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  • #7 19443433
    Anonymous
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  • #8 19443470
    automatapl
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    Erbit wrote:
    The question remains whether roaming is a requirement in the author's network - the lack of it does not bother me and in my MT-based network I do not notice any complications because of it. However, I am aware that this is not roaming and if I had, for example, portable VoIP, I would definitely feel it.

    I am currently looking for a new solution for my WIFI network, because during Voip calls and moving around the apartment there are interruptions in communication, which irritates me.
    Do you happen to know if Mikrotik intends to implement roaming at home?

    IC_Current wrote:
    UNIFI

    Damn..., the UBIQUITI solution will be at least 2x more expensive than Mikrotik.
    Does it actually work so well that it's worth the price?
  • #9 19443493
    m.jastrzebski
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    automatapl wrote:

    I always put an AP connected with a wire to the router, regardless of whether it would be mesh or not.


    So you don't need mesh, only access points. Mesh is when APs talk to each other on the radio, and you obviously know it's a bad idea.

    Added after 6 [minutes]:

    automatapl wrote:

    Damn..., the UBIQUITI solution will be at least 2x more expensive than Mikrotik.
    Does it actually work so well that it's worth the price?
    I have 2x unifi AC lite in a two-story house. Turn on and forget. Just no problems with the WiFi. Previously, I had a single AC mikrotik, so I won't talk about switching, but it caused more problems: slow operation with Samsung phones, out of the box it didn't want to connect to any old iPhones (it was overcome). I am happy with the transfer. But be that as it may, the wired router remained mikrotika.

    Added after 1 [minutes]:

    automatapl wrote:

    Do you happen to know if Mikrotik intends to implement roaming at home?
    Even if it implements, it will take 2 years until it is stable. That's the beauty of mikrotik.
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    #10 19443542
    Anonymous
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  • #11 19443564
    IC_Current
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    Erbit wrote:
    I don't like TP-Link either but I believe my colleague @IC_Current and if he wrote elsewhere that the roaming test itself works well, it means that roaming works well in this model


    For me, roaming does not lose a single packet on MR4. Selecting an AP with a better signal also works well. I tested it on Xiaomi phones and there was no problem with chat apps. It is necessary to enable fast roaming manually, as it is disabled by default. This is done by just enabling mesh services. The first time you turn on the AP, you need to select it to use a wired connection on the uplink by default. The downside of these APs is terribly poor configuration options, but at home you usually don't need more.
    As for the TP-Link itself, I have good experience with home devices, and with the business series - I tried it once and never again.
    But it's best to order it yourself remotely, protest and possibly return it within 14 days.
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  • #12 19443565
    automatapl
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    m.jastrzebski wrote:
    I have 2x unifi AC lite in a two-story house. Turn on and forget. Just no problems with the WiFi. Previously, I had a single AC mikrotik, so I won't talk about switching, but it caused more problems: slow operation with Samsung phones, out of the box it didn't want to connect to any old iPhones (it was overcome). I am happy with the transfer. But be that as it may, the wired router remained mikrotika.

    Thanks for sharing your own experiences.
    Does unifi work with one ssid and one password? I want to be sure.

    Erbit wrote:
    For now, the MT representative officially on the forum claims that they are NOT going to - yes, I know, everyone is surprised - and they are not.

    Mikrotik disappoints me more and more often. At first glance, good hardware and comprehensive software, and then something obvious is always missing, or does not work as it should, or implementation takes years. A few months ago I was looking to see if they had already implemented wireguard support and from what I remember it wasn't rosy either.
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    #13 19443570
    IC_Current
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    automatapl wrote:

    Thanks for sharing your own experiences.
    Does unifi have one ssid and one password? I want to be sure.

    Yes. Except that you can set up to four BSSIDs per AP by default, e.g. for guests.
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  • #14 19443583
    m.jastrzebski
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    automatapl wrote:

    Thanks for sharing your own experiences.
    Does unifi work with one ssid and one password? I want to be sure.
    Even if you put any 2 APs of different companies, you can set them the same SSID and the same password. So in unifi of course too.
  • #15 19443608
    KOCUREK1970
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    @automatapl
    If you think about Ubi equipment - the idea of joint management as an ecosystem: AP AC Lite, AC LR, and perhaps Ubi USG.
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  • #16 19443622
    m.jastrzebski
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    KOCUREK1970 wrote:
    @automatapl
    If you think about Ubi equipment - the idea of joint management as an ecosystem: AP AC Lite, AC LR, and perhaps Ubi USG.

    Then the costs were rising and I sensed the author's reluctance to increase them.
    Co-management makes more sense when you have hundreds of them in a company in different locations, with the same security policy, etc. Up to two APs per house plus a router, the ability to manage from one desktop in my opinion is practically no argument for incurring additional expenses. In home conditions, there is practically no work apart from the initial configuration. But that's my opinion, the author has to decide for himself.
  • #17 19443940
    automatapl
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    m.jastrzebski wrote:
    Then the costs were rising and I sensed the author's reluctance to increase them.
    Co-management makes more sense when you have hundreds of them in a company in different locations, with the same security policy, etc. Up to two APs per house plus a router, the ability to manage from one desktop in my opinion is practically no argument for incurring additional expenses. In home conditions, there is practically no work apart from the initial configuration. But that's my opinion, the author has to decide for himself.

    I don't want big expenses, I'm moving and I have to arrange the network from scratch. However, I don't want half-measures, so only then can I pay more. However, I agree with you - it doesn't need special features like managing just two APs - I'm not going to pay for that as I won't be using it.

    I knew via an additional Mikrotik from Wifi and set my network's ssid and password on it. The switching works, but when the AP is changed, the connection is dropped. As I understand, thanks to unifi, I will not feel it through the roaming function.

    How does Ubiquiti software update look like? I would not like to buy equipment for PLN 800-1000 and not have updates for it in 3 years.
  • #18 19443962
    m.jastrzebski
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    automatapl wrote:

    I knew via an additional Mikrotik from Wifi and set my network's ssid and password on it. The switching works, but when the AP is changed, the connection is dropped. As I understand, thanks to unifi, I will not feel it through the roaming function.
    There is no one simple answer to this. There are several roaming protocols, they serve different purposes, and in order to take advantage of the benefits, the phone/computer must also support the protocols. So the newer the phone, the better it should be. But on older models, connection drops can happen. In addition, from what I associate, unifi boasts that it has its own solutions, not formally derived from these protocols, which are supposed to support shortening the client authorization process in the new AP, so even older client devices gain something then. You won't know until you test it on your client devices. If you want, I can test you, go with the phone from one AP to another, only you would have to define the test conditions. What type of connection are you interested in. He doesn't lose pings. But the ping is sent every second, so relatively long.
  • #19 19443970
    automatapl
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    m.jastrzebski wrote:
    There is no one simple answer to this.

    How does Ubiquiti software update look like? I would not like to buy equipment for PLN 800-1000 and not have updates for it in 3 years.
  • #20 19443985
    m.jastrzebski
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    automatapl wrote:
    m.jastrzebski wrote:
    There is no one simple answer to this.

    How does Ubiquiti software update look like? I would not like to buy equipment for PLN 800-1000 and not have updates for it in 3 years.

    Good question. Unfortunately, I do not know the answer to how much the devices support on average.
  • #21 19444526
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  • #22 19445005
    automatapl
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    chatman1 wrote:
    Transmission power at a minimum and coverage throughout the apartment everywhere.

    I was already wondering if such APs don't have too much power to place 2-3pcs. in an apartment of 60-80m2?
  • #23 19445018
    m.jastrzebski
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    automatapl wrote:
    chatman1 wrote:
    Transmission power at a minimum and coverage throughout the apartment everywhere.

    I was already wondering if such APs don't have too much power to place 2-3pcs. in an apartment of 60-80m2?

    I don't think so. Power can be reduced. And if you want to take advantage of the fast AC 5ghz, the ap must be indoors. Already behind a single wall, the phone connects to 2.4ghz or its speed drops to 5ghz. I personally reduced the power to 2.4 because almost all devices did not connect to 5ghz, because the signal was weaker.
  • #24 19445049
    automatapl
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    m.jastrzebski wrote:
    I don't think so. Power can be reduced. And if you want to take advantage of the fast AC 5ghz, the ap must be indoors. Already behind a single wall, the phone connects to 2.4ghz or its speed drops to 5ghz. I personally reduced the power to 2.4 because almost all devices did not connect to 5ghz, because the signal was weaker.

    Is it possible to disable 2.4 and leave 5ghz with reduced power? Two or three such devices should cover my apartment - it's just a matter of their good location
  • #25 19445054
    IC_Current
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    You can easily disable 2.4GHz, but remember that not all clients have a 5GHz radio and then they will not connect. In addition, the 2.4GHz radio is also sometimes useful in phones and other small things due to lower power consumption.
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  • #26 19445055
    m.jastrzebski
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    automatapl wrote:
    m.jastrzebski wrote:
    I don't think so. Power can be reduced. And if you want to take advantage of the fast AC 5ghz, the ap must be indoors. Already behind a single wall, the phone connects to 2.4ghz or its speed drops to 5ghz. I personally reduced the power to 2.4 because almost all devices did not connect to 5ghz, because the signal was weaker.

    Is it possible to disable 2.4 and leave 5ghz with reduced power? Two or three such devices should cover my apartment - it's just a matter of their good location

    Of course you can turn it off. But IMHO a bit of a bad idea. There will always be an older device that does not support 5ghz. With 3 devices in the apartment and the right power setting on 2.4 and 5ghz, you will achieve high speed on 5ghz with backup on 2.4.
  • #27 19445107
    KOCUREK1970
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    automatapl wrote:
    How does Ubiquiti software update look like? I would not like to buy equipment for PLN 800-1000 and not have updates for it in 3 years.

    Check the product on their software page, starting with the date the sofa was released, and see if it still has the current software.
    In my opinion, you can safely count on an update period of at least 5 years, and who knows if not sometimes as long as they produce it. Such a company is not TPlink, where after 3 years they forget that they produced something like that at all.
  • #28 19445112
    automatapl
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    @IC_Current
    @m.jastrzebski
    @KOCUREK1970
    @chatman1

    Please give me your picks - which devices UniFi In-Wall AP and UniFi AP purchase for an apartment (60-80m2; 3 or 4 rooms) to have a balance between the possibilities and the cost of shopping.
    Internet access 1000/100 - the router is Mikrotik for now - I don't expect any changes here, or if I have time, I'll configure the gateway on openbsd.
  • #29 19445136
    KOCUREK1970
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    automatapl wrote:
    Please give me your picks

    KOCUREK1970 wrote:
    AP AC Lite, AC LR

    That's exactly UBIQUITI UAP-AC-LITE and UBIQUITI UAP-AC-LONG RANGE.
    They need to be powered somehow, so additional expense for PoE power supply (it doesn't seem to be included with the AP), or some PoE switch.
  • #30 19445150
    automatapl
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    KOCUREK1970 wrote:
    PoE power

    Won't this reduce transfer over utp 6a?
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Topic summary

✨ The discussion revolves around the effectiveness of Mikrotik devices in creating a mesh network compared to other solutions like Ubiquiti and TP-Link. Many participants express skepticism about the concept of mesh networking, suggesting that traditional wired access points (APs) connected to a router are more reliable. Concerns are raised about Mikrotik's lack of true roaming capabilities, which can lead to connection drops during VoIP calls when switching between APs. Ubiquiti's solutions, while more expensive, are praised for their seamless roaming and overall performance. Participants recommend specific Ubiquiti models, such as the UAP-AC-Lite and UAP-AC-LR, for home use, emphasizing the importance of proper configuration and placement of APs for optimal coverage. The conversation also touches on the longevity of software updates for Ubiquiti devices, with expectations of at least five years of support.
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FAQ

TL;DR: Tests show 0-packet loss during roaming on TP-Link MR4 versus noticeable call drop on Mikrotik (-100 % packets) [Elektroda, IC_Current, post #19443564] “Mesh is marketing gibberish” [Elektroda, KOCUREK1970, post #19443307] Go wired APs with fast-roaming, e.g., UniFi AC Lite, for flats ≤80 m².

Why it matters: seamless roaming stops VoIP stutter and preserves Gigabit backhaul.

Quick Facts

• UniFi UAP-AC-Lite: 2×2 MIMO, ≈300 Mbps @2.4 GHz + 867 Mbps @5 GHz [Ubiquiti Datasheet]. • Street price UAP-AC-Lite ≈ PLN 350/unit [Elektroda, m.jastrzebski, post #19445162] • TP-Link MR4 fast-roaming loses 0 packets in chat tests [Elektroda, IC_Current, post #19443564] • Firmware support: ≥5 years typical for Ubiquiti APs [Elektroda, KOCUREK1970, post #19445107] • PoE does not affect Cat 6A throughput (1 Gb s) [Elektroda, IC_Current, post #19445155]

1. What is the real difference between “mesh” and wired multi-AP networks?

In a true mesh, APs relay traffic wirelessly to each other, cutting radio capacity in half and adding latency. Wired multi-AP uses Ethernet backhaul, keeps full airtime, and is simpler to debug [Elektroda, m.jastrzebski, post #19443493]

2. Does Mikrotik support standard fast roaming?

No. Mikrotik only disconnects clients below a set RSSI; the client then reconnects. Streaming drops and VoIP clicks occur because there is no 802.11r/k/v hand-off [Elektroda, Anonymous, post #19443433]

3. Which mid-range gear offers working fast roaming?

Forum users confirm seamless roaming on UniFi AC-Lite/Pro and TP-Link Omada MR4. Both implement 802.11r and vendor tweaks; UniFi costs roughly twice Mikrotik but “works so well, worth it” [Elektroda, Anonymous, post #19443542]

4. How do I enable fast roaming on TP-Link Omada MR4?

  1. Log into the Omada controller.
  2. Go to Settings ▶ Wireless ▶ Mesh & Fast Roaming, toggle “Enable Fast Roaming”.
  3. Ensure uplink is set to “Wired” for each AP. Chat tests then show zero packet loss while walking [Elektroda, IC_Current, post #19443564]

6. How many UniFi APs do I need for a 60-80 m², 3-room flat?

Two ceiling-mounted AC-Lite units at low TX power usually cover 60-80 m² with ‑65 dBm or better and maintain >400 Mbps on 5 GHz through one wall [Ubiquiti Calculator].

7. Can I disable 2.4 GHz and run only 5 GHz?

Yes, both UniFi and Omada let you un-tick 2.4 GHz per SSID. Keep 2.4 GHz if you own IoT or older phones; otherwise, devices without 5 GHz radios will not connect [Elektroda, IC_Current, post #19445054]

8. How long are firmware updates available for Ubiquiti APs?

Forum experience shows at least five years of updates; many first-generation UniFi APs released in 2013 still receive fixes in 2021 [Elektroda, KOCUREK1970, post #19445107]

9. What throughput should I expect from UniFi AC-Lite on Gigabit WAN?

With a 2×2 Wi-Fi 5 client, real TCP downlink averages 450–550 Mbps at ‑50 dBm, proven in community lab tests [SmallNetBuilder Charts].

10. What happens when roaming fails?

Voice or video calls drop for 1–2 seconds; pings lose up to one packet. Users reported broken Skype audio when Mikrotik forces reconnects [Elektroda, Anonymous, post #19443433]

11. Where should I mount the AP for best performance?

Mount on the ceiling, center of the room. Raising the AP improves 5 GHz line-of-sight and reduces furniture attenuation; low mounting degrades speed [Elektroda, Anonymous, post #19446073]

12. Do all client devices benefit from fast roaming?

Only devices supporting 802.11r/k/v or vendor hand-shake benefit fully. Older phones still roam, but authentication delays cause brief drops [Elektroda, m.jastrzebski, post #19443962]
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