MikroTik hAP ax2 Wi-Fi 6 AX1800 Dual-Band ROS7 L5

The MikroTik hAP ax² sits between the hAP ax lite (USD 59, single-band 2.4 GHz, USB-C) and the hAP ax³ (USD 139, quad-core ARM64 1.8 GHz, 2.5G, RP-SMA, License 6) — dual-band Wi-Fi 6 AX1800, ARM64, 512 MB RAM, and RouterOS v7 License 5 at USD 89.00. It is the correct home router for the majority of Canadian households and SMB deployments that need both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 6 without the hAP ax³'s premium features.

**IPQ-5018 — dual-core ARM64 with integrated dual-band Wi-Fi 6**

The IPQ-5018 is Qualcomm's dual-core ARM64 Cortex-A53 at 1 GHz — an upgrade from the hAP ax lite's single-band IPQ-5010, adding a second ARM64 core and integrated 5 GHz 802.11ax capability alongside 2.4 GHz. The IPQ-5018 handles routing, firewall, NAT, WireGuard VPN, and simultaneous dual-band Wi-Fi 6 management without throughput compromise for typical home and SMB traffic loads. With 512 MB RAM — double the hAP ax lite's 256 MB — the hAP ax² has meaningful headroom for RouterOS containers, a Pi-hole instance, or more complex firewall rulesets alongside active Wi-Fi 6 client management.

**AX1800 dual-band — 5 GHz + 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 6 simultaneously**

5 GHz 802.11a/n/ac/ax at 1200 Mbps (2-chain, 4.5 dBi) and 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n/ax at 574 Mbps (2-chain, 3 dBi) — both bands active simultaneously via four internal fixed antennas. OFDMA, BSS colouring, WPA3-PSK/EAP, and MU-MIMO on both bands. The 5 GHz band handles high-throughput devices — laptops, streaming devices, gaming consoles — while 2.4 GHz handles IoT devices, smart home sensors, and devices at greater range from the router. No external antenna ports — the internal 4.5 dBi / 3 dBi antennas are fixed. For deployments requiring antenna upgradeability, the hAP ax³'s RP-SMA ports are the correct choice.

**5× Gigabit Ethernet — full switching on a home router**

Five GbE ports versus the hAP ax lite's four — Ether1 as WAN, Ether2–5 as LAN switch ports. All five ports hardware-offloaded by the IPQ-5018's integrated switch. PoE-in on the DC jack and 802.3af/at PoE-in — the hAP ax² can be powered by an 802.3af/at PoE switch or injector without a separate power adapter, a meaningful advantage for clean desk or wall-mount installations where eliminating the power adapter cable matters.

**RouterOS v7 License 5 — the SMB-complete feature set**

License 5 adds unlimited BGP and OSPF instances versus License 4's limits — relevant for an SMB operator running a BGP peering session with an upstream ISP directly on the hAP ax². WireGuard, IPsec, hotspot gateway, CAPsMAN CAP mode, VLAN, scripting, SNMP, and container support (ARM64 containers, 512 MB RAM headroom) are all available at License 5.

**hAP ax² versus hAP ax lite and hAP ax³ — the decision**

- **hAP ax lite (USD 59):** Single-band 2.4 GHz only, USB-C power, 4× GbE, 256 MB RAM, License 4. Correct for travel, hotel rooms, cost-minimised deployments.

- **hAP ax² (USD 89):** Dual-band 5 GHz + 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 6, 5× GbE, 512 MB RAM, License 5, PoE-in, fixed internal antennas. Correct for most homes and SMB offices.

- **hAP ax³ (USD 139):** Quad-core ARM64 1.8 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 2.5G Ethernet, RP-SMA external antennas, PoE-out, USB 3.0, License 6. Correct for power users, multi-gig ISP plans, BGP homelabs.

**5-year software support guarantee:** RouterOS v7 updates free for life of product or minimum 5 years from date of purchase.

**Canadian market note — IC certification confirmed:** CE, FCC, IC, EAC, RoHS — IC (ISED) certified for Canadian dual-band Wi-Fi operation. Highlight IC certification on the wirelessnetware.ca listing.

Key specifications:

- **Product code:** C52iG-5HaxD2HaxD-TC

- **CPU / Switch / Wi-Fi:** IPQ-5018, dual-core ARM64, 1 GHz

- **Wi-Fi 5 GHz:** 802.11a/n/ac/ax, 1200 Mbps, 2-chain, 4.5 dBi internal

- **Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz:** 802.11b/g/n/ax, 574 Mbps, 2-chain, 3 dBi internal

- **Wi-Fi class:** AX1800 dual-band

- **RAM / Storage:** 512 MB / 128 MB NAND

- **OS:** RouterOS v7, License 5

- **GbE ports:** 5× (10/100/1000)

- **USB:** 1× USB 2.0 Type-A

- **DC jack:** 12–28V

- **PoE-in:** 802.3af/at

- **Max power:** 26W (13W without attachments)

- **Cooling:** Passive

- **IP rating:** IP20

- **Operating temp:** -40°C to +70°C

- **MTBF:** ~200,000 hours at 25°C

- **Certifications:** CE, FCC, IC, EAC, RoHS — IC confirmed

- **Included:** 24V 1.2A power adapter

- **Suggested price:** USD 89.00