How to: Set up MikroTik router as access point - RouterOS configuration
You would like to set up a Mikrotik router with RouterOS as a simple access point, but are a bit lost in the multitude of options because it is your first MikroTik device? Don't panic, we'll show you how to easily bring a MikroTik router into your home network and show you a few more tricks.
Briefly on the philosophy of MikroTik: where other routers are normal cars that stop for you and open the door, the MikroTiks are more like trains that drive past you. Much more powerful but also more difficult to keep up. To be fair, MikroTik holds a strong arm out of the train to pull you on board: "Quick Set" is the name of the function that lets you get started. However, it still won't be easy, but you will get help to make yourself smarter. Also with us from this guide.
MikroTik hAP ac2 as an access point - Instructions
Connect the router as follows: port 1 remains empty, port 2 is your computer, port 3 is your home network (but you can also leave this out for now). Now, after switching on, your Mac should get an address in the System Preferences - network via DHCP that looks like this: 192.168.88.x. The router itself can be reached via browser at 192.168.88.1.
First it asks for a password. Choose something safe here. Then click on the already mentioned Quick Set in the upper right corner. The option you then choose is called "Home AP Dual".
There you configure the WLAN on the left. The options are more or less self-explanatory, just look at the screenshot.
On the right-hand side you set the following: Leave Internet on "Automatic", uncheck "Firewall Router". Also unchecked are "DHCP", "NAT" and "UPnP". Enter one of your home network's IP addresses, for example 192.168.1.4 if this is still available and the main router is running under 192.168.1.1. Set the netmask to 255.255.255.0.
Now you press Apply Configuration. It looks like nothing is going to happen, but MikroTiks are very down to earth and just take the settings. So the router restarts. In the meantime, you can plug the home network cable into port 3.
The address space of your home network should now have been found in your system settings, otherwise request DHCP again. In principle, everything is already working, including WLAN. We're still making a few adjustments that will make things safer and more practical. After that we clean up a bit.
First, go to Wireless - Security Profiles and click "default". There you remove the hook at "WPA PSK". This is outdated. We're sticking with WPA2. WPA3 is not available on most MikroTiks, but WPA2 is still considered secure. You then press Apply and OK.
Then you go to Bridge - Ports and then "Add new". There select Interface: ether 1 and Bridge: bridge. Again Apply and OK.
With this step we have added the WAN port of the bridge. So there is no longer any difference between all ports and they all pass through your local network now. Test it now and plug the network cable from port 3 into port 1. It shouldn't make any difference.
With this step we also gave you a little trick: if you now go to System - Packages and check for updates, it should work. This only works if the cable for the Internet is plugged into the first port, because only there the DNS is correct. And that is only possible if the first port belongs to the bridge. Since the updates are now available, you can even use this guide to have the updates made automatically in the future.
So now all ports are on the same bridge, WiFi is a bit more secure, updates work. Now we can clean up a bit. You can now disable or delete all rules in IP - Firewall and IPv6 - Firewall. Firstly, we don't want them since we are in our own network and another router is shielding us from the Internet. Secondly, there is no longer a WAN port because we added ether1 to the bridge. After deleting the firewall rules, you can also delete the WAN list under Interfaces - Interface List for the sake of completeness, as it no longer exists.
That's it! The real trick is to take the first port to the bridge so that we have one more slot and we can access the automatic updates. The rest is superfluous for the function but creates some order. Now you have an access point that is stable and does exactly what you want.