52ac Metal Review

Metal 52ac - damn cool equipment. Can't comment on reliability yet, but I really appreciate the precision-machined aluminum body and powerful antenna that came with it. It really looks like military gear. As always, when you know what you're doing, you have almost limitless customization options and you can use this device however you like. If you're new to RouterOS, be prepared to spend a few hours fiddling around. This is not a home appliance. I'm using my Metal52ac with the included…

Like pretty much everything MikroTik makes, this is another of their well designed networking products that are sold at an attractive price point. I use it as an external WiFi capture device on the roof of our RV. It works great and supports both 2.4 and 5GHz (one band at a time). Keep in mind that you'll need good networking skills (or at least the ability to do your homework) to set up and run RouterOS (the operating system in MikroTik routers). This isn't your stupid plug and play consumer…

Best Router Ever! It took me a little time to get used to the functions. I only used the GUI to set up the router but now with a high gain antenna to connect my LAN to the marina wifi. The PoE connection powers the router and I haven't had any issues for the past few months. When I'm in port, the router is attached to the mast of my sailboat with a bungee cord. I use the Mandel router for my internal network. This way I can use all the home security devices that work with tonsils (bilge water…

I was using another outdoor AP when my friend said I had to try MikroTik. I did just that and was so impressed I bought a second one. As others have said, it has a professional customization interface that can be intimidating. However, there is an initial "Quick Chooser" screen that contains default setting types without delving into the plethora of options. I set up a WISP hotspot in minutes and it worked great. If you run into difficulties you can use the very active support and forum to get…