How to create a transparent AP with more than 1 wireless cards

I was in need of this transparent AP because I had a linux server and 2 transparent AP-s that clients use to connect to my network. I wanted to change the AP-s so that more bandwith can be provided for the clients. The clients configuration was something like this:

IP       = 10.100.11.x
netmask  = 255.255.255.0
gateway  = 10.100.11.1

I purchased a routerboard with 1 ethernet card and 2 wireless cards. Performing the routing, the configuration of my network had to change so that the wireless cards` IP-s would be the gateways for the clients. In this scenario I had to change the routing of the linux server in a way that the Mikrotik box would be the gateway for the clients. Beside this, we had to change half of the clients` IP because wlan1 became 10.100.11.1 and wlan2 was 10.100.12.1 (new network). People who connect on wlan2 need to be in the 10.100.12.x/24 range.

With a little help from the Mikrotik forum (thanks guys) I succedded in doing this:

eth1  = 10.100.13.1/24
wlan1 = 10.100.12.254/24
wlan2 = 10.100.11.254/24

Now, all 3 interfaces are in bridge and they forward traffic without any question to my Linux box . The wlan1 and wlan2 still have IP-s in that range accidentally, they can have any private IP address, it doesn`t matter anymore.

Here is what you have to do (everything in telnet console):

interface bridge add name=bridge1 (bridge1 being the name of the bridge, in lack of ideas)
interface bridge port add interface=ether1 bridge=bridge1
interface bridge port add interface=wlan1 bridge=bridge1
interface bridge port add interface=wlan2 bridge=bridge1

The wireless cards are in ap-bridge operating mode.

interface wireless set wlan1 mode=ap-bridge ssid=greaca1
interface wireless set wlan2 mode=ap-bridge ssid=greaca2

File:Mikrotik.JPG

(Click for full-size image)

And now, we have this configuration:

Client IP 10.100.11.2 netmask 255.255.255.0 gateway 10.100.11.1 -> Mikrotik wlan1 (IP=10.100.12.254/24) -> linux server ip 10.100.11.1.

Here are the connected client APs, 28 on that moment.

File:Mikrotik2.JPG

The default gateway for the mikrotik box is 10.100.13.2, an IP alias on the same ethernet card in the linux server that is 10.100.11.1, but it doesn`t count... it can be any IP, doesn`t have to be in the same range with the linux server.

Here is the complete scheme of my network in that town:

File:Schema.jpg

I don`t know how many people it`s gonna help but it was a breakthrough for me and it helped me a lot.

I haven`t tried putting more than 2 wireless cards, but I`m pretty sure it will be fine.