Setting Up a Wireless Repeater on MikroTik Print

Hello again! It’s Emmanuel Corels from Emmanuel Corels Creatives. Today, we’re exploring a common need for extending your Wi-Fi coverage—a wireless repeater. If you’ve ever wished your Wi-Fi signal reached every corner of your home or office, this guide will show you how to use your MikroTik device to act as a repeater (or repeater bridge) to boost your wireless coverage.

What Is a Wireless Repeater?

A wireless repeater (or extender) takes an existing Wi-Fi signal, receives it, and rebroadcasts it to extend the coverage area. Essentially, it “repeats” the signal so that devices far from your primary access point can still connect to your network. With MikroTik, you can achieve this by configuring your wireless interface to operate in a bridging mode that both receives and transmits the Wi-Fi signal.

What You’ll Need

• A MikroTik router or device that supports wireless repeater modes (check your model’s specifications; many RouterBOARDs and CHRs with wireless capabilities support “station bridge” or WDS modes).
• Access to your main Wi-Fi network’s SSID, password, and security settings.
• WinBox installed on your computer for easy configuration.

Step 1: Connect to Your MikroTik

1. Open WinBox and log in to your MikroTik device.
2. Make sure your device’s wireless package is installed and active.

Step 2: Configure the Wireless Interface in Repeater Mode

1. Go to the Wireless Settings:

   • In WinBox, navigate to Wireless and open your primary wireless interface (e.g., wlan1).

2. Set the Mode:

   • Change the Mode to station bridge (or station-pseudobridge if your RouterOS version supports it). This mode allows the interface to connect to an existing Wi-Fi network and forward traffic at Layer 2.

3. Configure SSID and Security:

   • Under the Wireless tab, set the SSID to match your main Wi-Fi network exactly. This tells your MikroTik to connect to that network.
   • In the Wireless Security section, select the correct security profile (WPA2-PSK, for example) and input your Wi-Fi password.

4. Apply Settings:

   • Click OK to save the changes. Your MikroTik will now try to connect to your primary Wi-Fi network as a client.

Step 3: Bridge the Wireless Repeater

To allow the repeater to pass traffic from its wireless interface to your LAN (or to rebroadcast the signal), you need to create a bridge.

1. Create a Bridge:

   • In WinBox, go to Bridge → Bridge and click the “+” to add a new bridge (e.g., name it bridge-repeater).

2. Add Ports to the Bridge:

   • Go to Bridge → Ports and add your wireless interface (e.g., wlan1) to bridge-repeater.
   • If you want to also extend wired connectivity (like a port for Ethernet devices), add the corresponding Ethernet interface(s) to the same bridge.

3. Assign IP Settings (Optional):

   • If your repeater is meant to simply extend your Wi-Fi and you want DHCP from your main router to assign IPs, you can leave it without an IP or assign a static IP in the same subnet as your main LAN for management.

Step 4: Final Tweaks and Testing

1. SSID Rebroadcasting (Optional):

   • Some MikroTik devices allow you to create a Virtual AP on the same wireless card. This lets you broadcast a second SSID (or the same one) simultaneously. If you want to create a separate guest or repeater SSID, add a Virtual AP under the Wireless settings and attach it to your bridge.

2. Test Connectivity:

   • After configuration, check the Wireless tab to ensure your MikroTik is connected as a client to the main network.
   • Walk around your home or office with a smartphone. Look for the repeater’s signal and test if you can access the internet.
   • Use tools like Ping or Torch in WinBox to troubleshoot if needed.

3. Troubleshooting Tips:

   • If the repeater isn’t connecting, double-check the SSID and security settings.
   • Ensure that the repeater’s MAC address isn’t being filtered by your main Wi-Fi router.
   • Verify that your bridge configuration is correct so that traffic flows properly between wireless and wired segments.

Final Thoughts

Setting up your MikroTik as a wireless repeater is a great way to extend your network’s reach without investing in additional access points. With a few adjustments in wireless mode and bridge configuration, your device can connect to your main Wi-Fi and rebroadcast it to areas that were previously out of range.

As always, feel free to experiment with settings to optimize performance and coverage. If you have questions or run into any issues, don’t hesitate to reach out. Happy networking, and may your Wi-Fi signal be strong in every corner!

Explained with clarity by
Emmanuel Corels – Admin, Emmanuel Corels Creatives