Yeah, completely true. even without making any actual configuration changes, you'll gain a lot of extremely useful tools just be having a Mikrotik sitting there acting like a switch.
On Mon, Mar 9, 2015 at 12:54 PM, Ken Hohhof <af...@kwisp.com> wrote: > There are lots of SNMP based monitoring tools without integrating with > “billing”. > > Also you gain a lot of interactive troubleshooting tools with a router at > each tower that have nothing to do with billing or monitoring. Think in > terms of a Winbox session to a Mikrotik router, and tools like Torch. Even > if he goes with VLANs, an intelligent device at the tower is worth its cost > many times over. > > > *From:* Mathew Howard <mhoward...@gmail.com> > *Sent:* Monday, March 09, 2015 12:48 PM > *To:* af <af@afmug.com> > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] Looking for help converting from a bridged network > torouted. (More Info) > > But it seems like his primary reason for going routed at this point is > to get better monitoring abilities... and a good billing system would > accomplish most of that. > > I would start replacing all the switches at the towers with something like > Mikrotik RB2011's... you could just configure them all as switches to start > out and get all the hardware you need in place before you actually change > anything, if nothing else, you'd gain the Mikrotik's internal graphing to > give you a better idea what's going on in the short term. > > On Mon, Mar 9, 2015 at 12:29 PM, Ken Hohhof <af...@kwisp.com> wrote: > >> Let the guy do his routed network. A billing system is not a >> prerequisite. Although if he has something in mind like Powercode for the >> future, it might be good to take that into consideration since it has a >> network element (BMU) that has to go somewhere. >> >> *From:* Bill Prince <part15...@gmail.com> >> *Sent:* Monday, March 09, 2015 12:17 PM >> *To:* af@afmug.com >> *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] Looking for help converting from a bridged >> network torouted. (More Info) >> >> Free for 30 days, or free for up to 30 "sensors". The way I use sensors >> on our network, that will cover about 2 devices. >> >> http://www.paessler.com/prtg/download >> >> bp >> <part15sbs{at}gmail{dot}com> >> >> >> On 3/9/2015 10:13 AM, Chuck McCown wrote: >> >> PRTG is free and will monitor all your stuff if you fire up an internal >> subnet for it. >> >> *From:* Brandon Yuchasz <li...@gogebicrange.net> >> *Sent:* Monday, March 09, 2015 10:43 AM >> *To:* af@afmug.com >> *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] Looking for help converting from a bridged >> network torouted. (More Info) >> >> >> Alright so I have always said I am not proud too admit when I am >> uneducated in an area if it means learning something I need to know. So as >> embarrassing as it is Ill open to robe. >> >> >> >> All APs are Cambium FSK and we are now deploying the PMP450 as well. >> Backhauls are a mix of companies but we are looking to try and standardize, >> Cambium, and Ligowave are the most used. >> >> >> >> Ill just use one site because they are all evolved in a similar way. But >> we have several different sites that are all very similar. >> >> >> >> The site I would like to do first is Tower one, 5 FSK APs (PMP450 coming >> soon) This site has a shed no heat and my equipment at the base is secured >> in a locking large steel box. Think of a truck tool box. Backhauled to >> Tower 2 through Ligowave and tower two has 5 FSK APs and one PMP450. This >> site is really remote no roads and its all tied together in a weatherproof >> box. >> >> >> >> So no managed switches, Single IP and DHCP. Never went then way of >> NAT. >> >> >> >> We have no real monitoring for customers date use, we limit up and down >> speeds at the SM. We don’t shape no caps you get the idea. So existing >> equipment is useless for this process. Our customers are quite happy with >> the services but I am blind. I will most likely double my size in the next >> 6 months and I can’t keep doing it this way. >> >> >> >> Brandon >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> *From:* Af [mailto:af-boun...@afmug.com <af-boun...@afmug.com>] *On >> Behalf Of *Jeremy >> *Sent:* Monday, March 09, 2015 10:51 AM >> *To:* af@afmug.com >> *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] Looking for help converting from a bridged >> networktorouted. >> >> >> >> Also, depending on your monitoring system, you should be able to track >> CPE and AP bandwidth as is. >> >> >> >> On Mon, Mar 9, 2015 at 9:48 AM, Ken Hohhof <af...@kwisp.com> wrote: >> >> The availability of inexpensive Mikrotik routers made this much less of >> an issue than it used to be. Even at micropops that I bridge, I put a >> small Mikrotik like a 450G or a 2011 there as a managed switch. That way >> it can be converted to routed, often without a truck roll. >> >> >> >> One question is how you assign IP addresses to customers. Static with >> NAT in CPE? DHCP? PPPoE? Do you NAT multiple customers to one public >> IP? This may determine which approach is easiest to migrate to. Router at >> each tower with block of public IPs? VLANs to central site with big >> central router? >> >> >> >> >> >> *From:* That One Guy <thatoneguyst...@gmail.com> >> >> *Sent:* Monday, March 09, 2015 10:23 AM >> >> *To:* af@afmug.com >> >> *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] Looking for help converting from a bridged >> networktorouted. >> >> >> >> not to hijack you, but there are some who maintain a fully bridged >> network and use VLAN instead of routing, this I am curious about, it may be >> a cost effective solution for you as well. >> >> >> >> I started our migration 4ish years ago and had the budget cut out from >> under me with only half the routers deployed, let me tell you, a 50/50 >> network sucks a great deal to manage. whatever you do, make sure you have >> all your routers on your desk before you begin >> >> >> >> On Mon, Mar 9, 2015 at 10:15 AM, Chuck McCown <ch...@wbmfg.com> wrote: >> >> Everyone seems to have lived through this evolution at some point. >> >> A bridged WISP is asking for trouble. >> >> >> >> How many APs and how many sites? Are the switches at the sites capable >> of supporting VLANs? That is where I would start. Either that or >> replacing the switches with routers. Personally, one router with VLANS to >> each AP via managed switches would be my preference. >> >> >> >> *From:* Brandon Yuchasz <li...@gogebicrange.net> >> >> *Sent:* Monday, March 09, 2015 9:10 AM >> >> *To:* af@afmug.com >> >> *Subject:* [AFMUG] Looking for help converting from a bridged network >> torouted. >> >> >> >> I am looking for help converting our network from bridged to routed. This >> is something I don’t have a lot of background in but I also don’t want to >> end the process having a system I can’t fix so I will need someone that is >> willing to both do the work and teach me at the same time. Depending on how >> the process works in regards to time I am hoping to spend an hour a week >> working over the phone and through a remote desktop app. >> >> >> >> My main reasons for working on this now are I need to see bandwidth use >> per SM, per AP, and have better ways of tracking both long term. We are >> just to blind right now and starting to really grow again I need to get it >> under control now before we get to large. >> >> >> >> I am open to suggestions on routers but already had purchased microtik >> and butches scripts which after trying and failing to get it to work never >> implemented. >> >> >> >> Contact me off list bran...@gogebicrange.net if you can help. >> >> >> >> Thanks, >> >> Brandon Yuchasz >> >> GogebicRange.net >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> If you only see yourself as part of the team but you don't see your team >> as part of yourself you have already failed as part of the team. >> >> >> >> >> >
