MikroTik SXTsq 5 ax 16 dBi Wi-Fi 6 Outdoor CPE AP

The MikroTik SXTsq 5 ax is the outdoor Wi-Fi 6 CPE that refuses to be locked into one role. Every other outdoor CPE in this price range is a client device — mount it, point it at an uplink, done. The SXTsq 5 ax does that, but it also runs as a full access point with RouterOS License Level 4, meaning it can be the uplink that other CPEs connect to. For WISPs, IT managers building campus wireless infrastructure, and community networks, this single hardware platform covers both ends of the link.

The Wi-Fi 6 upgrade from the previous SXTsq generation is the same story as the LHG ax series — 1024-QAM, OFDMA, and improved spectral efficiency over 802.11ac. In real-world terms: more consistent throughput in RF-congested urban environments, better performance when multiple clients connect simultaneously, and higher data rates per MHz of spectrum used. MikroTik field-tested the SXTsq 5 ax at 3 km in high-interference urban scenarios — a meaningful benchmark for rooftop-to-rooftop and building-to-building links in Canadian cities where the 5 GHz band is crowded. In clean line-of-sight conditions, the 16 dBi antenna supports 10+ km links.

The compact square form factor and three mounting positions are a practical advantage that larger grid antenna units cannot match. The SXTsq 5 ax mounts on vertical poles, horizontal railings, and wall brackets — including on metal railings where a round-dish or grid antenna would be physically awkward or require a custom bracket. For rooftop deployments on apartment buildings, commercial properties, and tower sites with railing infrastructure, this matters.

IP55 weatherproofing — one step above the IP54 of the LHG series — provides protection against low-pressure water jets from any direction, not just rain splash. In Canadian outdoor deployments where pressure washing of rooftop equipment areas is routine, the IP55 rating is a genuine operational difference.

RouterOS v7 License Level 4 at USD 65 is the value story. The LHG 5 ax (24.5 dBi, USD 99) ships with Level 3. The SXTsq 5 ax (16 dBi, USD 65) ships with Level 4 — a higher RouterOS licence at USD 34 less. Level 4 enables AP mode, full routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), advanced firewall, traffic shaping, and SNMP. For deployments that need routing capability at the CPE level — not just bridging — the SXTsq 5 ax delivers more RouterOS for less money, at the trade-off of lower antenna gain and shorter maximum range.

MikroTik explicitly positions the SXTsq 5 ax paired with a mANTBox ax 15s uplink as a complete village ISP kit — one mANTBox as the sector AP, multiple SXTsq 5 ax units as CPEs at subscriber premises. At USD 65 per CPE node, the economics of deploying community internet infrastructure become accessible at a scale that was previously out of reach for small operators and rural cooperatives.

Key features:

- 16 dBi integrated antenna — 5 GHz directional, 3 km in high-interference urban deployments, 10+ km in line-of-sight conditions

- Wi-Fi 6 (802.11a/n/ac/ax) — 1024-QAM, OFDMA, 1,200 Mbps max data rate, dual-chain 5 GHz (QCN-6102)

- Dual mode — CPE client AND Access Point — reconfigure without hardware change

- 3 mounting positions — vertical pole, horizontal railing, wall bracket — fits where grid antennas cannot

- IP55 weatherproofing — protection against low-pressure water jets from any direction

- Gigabit Ethernet with Passive PoE-in (12–28V) — single cable for power and data

- Dual-core IPQ-5010 ARM 32-bit CPU, 800 MHz, 256 MB RAM, 128 MB NAND

- Max power consumption 6W — passive cooling, no moving parts

- CPU temperature monitor

- RouterOS v7, License Level 4 — AP mode, BGP, OSPF, advanced firewall, traffic shaping, SNMP, scripting — no subscriptions, free updates for life (minimum 5 years)

- FCC, IC, CE, EAC, RoHS certified — fully approved for Canadian deployments

- Tested ambient temperature -40°C to +70°C, MTBF ~100,000 hours at 25°C

In the box: 24V 0.38A power adapter, Gigabit PoE injector, 1× hose clamp.

Ideal for: WISP CPE deployments at subscriber premises (pairs with mANTBox ax 15s as sector AP); community and village ISP networks where CPE cost per node determines deployment viability; point-to-point building-to-building links up to 10 km in line-of-sight conditions; rooftop and tower deployments requiring horizontal railing mounting; Canadian outdoor installations requiring FCC/IC certification, IP55 weatherproofing, and -40°C cold weather operation; and any deployment where RouterOS Level 4 AP mode capability is needed at the CPE level without paying for a higher-tier platform.