WiFi 6 and RouterOS 7 WiFi Package

RouterOS 7 introduced a new unified WiFi configuration system designed for modern Wi-Fi 5 wave2 and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) hardware. This document covers the wifi package, its features, and migration from the legacy wireless package.

Overview

MikroTik devices with Wi-Fi 5 wave2 or Wi-Fi 6 radios require the wifi package (not the legacy wireless package) for full functionality. The wifi package provides:

Unified /interface wifi configuration menu
Profile-based architecture (security, channel, datapath profiles)
Wi-Fi 6 features: OFDMA, MU-MIMO, TWT, BSS Color
CAPsMAN v2 integration
WPA3 and Enhanced Open support

Two Wireless Implementations

RouterOS provides two distinct wireless implementations:

Feature	Legacy Wireless	WiFi Package
Command Path	`/interface wireless`	`/interface wifi`
Configuration Model	Direct interface settings	Profile-based
Hardware Support	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	Wi-Fi 5 wave2, Wi-Fi 6
Max PHY Rate	866 Mbps (802.11ac)	4.8 Gbps (802.11ax)
WPA3 Support	Limited	Full
CAPsMAN Version	v1	v2
RouterOS Version	6.x - 7.x	7.13+

Supported Hardware

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) devices:

hAP ax³ (C53UiG+5HPaxD2UHPaxD)
hAP ax² (C52iG-5HaxD2HaxD)
cAP ax (cAP axG-5HaxD)
Audience (tri-band Wi-Fi 6)
Chateau ax (DSL+5G)
LTAP ax, PL7411-2nG
wAP ax (wAP ax-5GaxD)

Wi-Fi 5 wave2 devices:

hAP ac³ (cAP ac)
Audience (dual-band mode)
cAP ac
mAP ac

Package Installation

Checking Current Package

/system package print where name~"wifi"

Installing WiFi Package

The wifi package requires a separate installation on some devices:

/system package install wifi

After installation, reboot the router.

Package Types

Package	Description	Hardware
`wifi`	Default package	Most ax devices
`wifi-qcom`	Alternative drivers	IPQ4019, IPQ4029
`wifi-qcom-ac`	Alternative drivers	IPQ4018, QCA9984

To check which package is loaded:

/interface wifi print

Basic WiFi Configuration

Creating an Access Point

# Enable the WiFi interface
/interface wifi set [find] disabled=no

# Configure the SSID
/interface wifi configuration set [find] ssid=MyNetwork

# Set country (required for legal compliance)
/interface wifi configuration set [find] country=UnitedStates

# Configure security
/interface wifi security add authentication-types=wpa3-psk passphrase=SecurePassword! name=MySecurity

# Apply security to configuration
/interface wifi configuration set [find] security=MySecurity

Complete AP Configuration

# Create security profile
/interface wifi security add name=corp-sec \
    authentication-types=wpa2-psk,wpa3-psk \
    passphrase=YourSecurePass!

# Create channel configuration
/interface wifi channel add name=5GHz-80MHz \
    band=5ghz-a/n/ac/ax \
    frequency=5180 \
    channel-width=80mhz

# Create datapath (bridge integration)
/interface wifi datapath add name=corp-dp bridge=bridge-local

# Create configuration profile
/interface wifi configuration add name=corp-ap \
    ssid=Corporate-WiFi \
    security=corp-sec \
    channel=5GHz-80MHz \
    datapath=corp-dp \
    country=UnitedStates

# Apply to interface
/interface wifi set [find] configuration=corp-ap disabled=no

WiFi 6 Features

OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access)

OFDMA allows multiple clients to transmit simultaneously on the same channel by dividing frequencies into smaller sub-carriers.

Benefits:

Reduced latency in crowded environments
Better spectrum efficiency
More simultaneous connections

Configuration:

/interface wifi channel add name=5GHz-OFDMA \
    band=5ghz-ax \
    frequency=5180 \
    channel-width=80mhz \
    tx-chains=0,1,2,3 \
    rx-chains=0,1,2,3

MU-MIMO (Multi-User MIMO)

Allows simultaneous transmission to multiple clients using multiple spatial streams.

/interface wifi configuration set [find] \
    tx-chains=0,1,2,3 \
    rx-chains=0,1,2,3

BSS Color

Differentiates between overlapping BSS (Basic Service Sets) to reduce co-channel interference.

/interface wifi configuration set [find] \
    bss-color=yes

Target Wake Time (TWT)

Schedules client wake times for battery-efficient communication (IoT devices).

/interface wifi configuration set [find] \
    target-wake-time=yes

Security Profiles

WPA3-Personal

/interface wifi security add name=WPA3-Personal \
    authentication-types=wpa3-psk \
    passphrase=YourPassword123!

WPA2/WPA3 Mixed Mode

/interface wifi security add name=Mixed-Mode \
    authentication-types=wpa2-psk,wpa3-psk \
    passphrase=YourPassword123!

WPA3-Enterprise

/interface wifi security add name=WPA3-Enterprise \
    authentication-types=wpa3-eap \
    eap-methods=eap-tls \
    certificate=client-cert \
    radius-server=10.0.0.50 \
    radius-accounting=yes

Security Settings Reference

Setting	Options	Description
`authentication-types`	wpa2-psk, wpa3-psk, wpa2-eap, wpa3-eap	Authentication methods
`encryption`	aes-ccm, gcm	Encryption algorithm
`group-encryption`	aes-ccm, gcm	Group key encryption
`management-protection`	disabled, optional, required	802.11w MFP
`disable-pmkid`	yes/no	Disable PMKID caching

Channel Configuration

2.4 GHz Channel

/interface wifi channel add name=2.4GHz \
    band=2ghz-b/g/n/ax \
    frequency=2437 \
    channel-width=20mhz

5 GHz Channel

/interface wifi channel add name=5GHz-80MHz \
    band=5ghz-a/n/ac/ax \
    frequency=5180,5200,5220,5240 \
    channel-width=80mhz

Channel Band Reference

Band	Frequencies	Standards
`2ghz-b/g/n`	2.4 GHz	802.11b/g/n
`2ghz-b/g/n/ax`	2.4 GHz	802.11b/g/n/ax
`5ghz-a/n/ac`	5 GHz	802.11a/n/ac
`5ghz-a/n/ac/ax`	5 GHz	802.11a/n/ac/ax
`5ghz-ax`	5 GHz	802.11ax only
`6ghz-a/n/ac/ax`	6 GHz	802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E)

Datapath Configuration

Local Forwarding (Default)

/interface wifi datapath add name=local-fwd \
    bridge=bridge-local \
    local-forwarding=yes

Centralized Forwarding (via CAPsMAN)

/interface wifi datapath add name=central-fwd \
    bridge=bridge-local \
    local-forwarding=no

VLAN Configuration

/interface wifi datapath add name=corp-vlan \
    bridge=bridge-local \
    vlan-id=10 \
    vlan-mode=use-tag

CAPsMAN Integration

Controller Setup

On the CAPsMAN router:

/capsman manager set enabled=yes

# Create channel list
/capsman channel add name=5GHz-ax band=5ghz-ax frequency=5180,5200,5220,5240

# Create security
/capsman security add name=corp authentication-types=wpa3-psk passphrase=Pass!

# Create configuration
/capsman configuration add name=Office-AP \
    channel=5GHz-ax \
    security=corp \
    ssid=Office-WiFi \
    country=UnitedStates

# Create provisioning rule
/capsman provisioning add \
    action=create-dynamic-enabled \
    hw-supported-modes=ax \
    master-configuration=Office-AP

CAP Setup

On the access point:

/interface wifi cap set enabled=yes \
    capsman-addresses=10.0.0.1 \
    discovery-interface=bridge1

Migration from Legacy Wireless

Key Differences

Profile-Based Configuration: Settings are organized into security, channel, and datapath profiles rather than applied directly to interfaces.
Command Path Change: Uses /interface wifi instead of /interface wireless.
New Features Available: WPA3, OFDMA, MU-MIMO, BSS Color are only available in the WiFi package.

Migration Steps

Backup Current Configuration

/export file=legacy-wireless-config.rsc

Install WiFi Package

/system package install wifi
/system reboot

Verify New Interface

/interface wifi print

Create New Configuration Profiles

# Recreate security settings
/interface wifi security add ...

# Recreate channel settings
/interface wifi channel add ...

# Recreate datapath
/interface wifi datapath add ...

# Create configuration
/interface wifi configuration add ...

Apply Configuration

/interface wifi set [find] configuration=<config-name> disabled=no

Lost Features

When migrating to the WiFi package, certain legacy features are not available:

Feature	Status
NV2 Protocol	Not supported
Atheros Super Channel	Not supported
Legacy mode (a/b/g)	Limited
Wireless FPS	Not supported
Nstreme	Not supported

Troubleshooting

Interface Not Showing

# Check if wifi package is installed
/system package print where name~"wifi"

# Check hardware
/interface wifi print

Clients Not Connecting

Verify security configuration:

/interface wifi security print
/interface wifi configuration print

Check country setting (required):

/interface wifi configuration set [find] country=YourCountry

Check registration table:

/interface wifi registration-table print

Poor Performance

Check channel width: Reduce from 160MHz to 80MHz in congested areas.
Verify spatial streams:

/interface wifi monitor [find]

Check for interference:

/interface wifi scan [find]

CAP Not Connecting to CAPsMAN

Verify discovery interface is a bridge:
- The CAPsMAN discovery interface MUST be a bridge, not a physical port.
Check CAP configuration:

/interface wifi cap print

Verify connectivity:

/ping 10.0.0.1

Best Practices

Always set country - Required for regulatory compliance and proper transmission power.
Use WPA3 when possible - Provides better security; use WPA2 only for legacy device compatibility.
Enable hardware offloading - Most ax devices support hardware acceleration:

/interface wifi set [find] hw-offloading=yes

Use appropriate channel width - 80MHz is recommended for 5GHz; 20MHz for 2.4GHz.
Enable client isolation for guest networks:

/interface wifi datapath add name=guest bridge=bridge-guest client-to-client-forwarding=no

Monitor client capacity - WiFi 6 supports more simultaneous clients than legacy hardware.

CAPsMAN - Centralized wireless management
Security Profiles - Wireless security settings
Frequency Bands - Channel planning guide
Fast Roaming - 802.11r/k/v roaming configuration
Interworking for Wi-Fi 6 - 802.11u and Hotspot 2.0