MikroTik is a company whose name may not be familiar to many, but it’s products are quite known within ISPs. MikroTik is a Latvian company that makes wireless products. It is used by many small to medium scale Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to provide internet access.
Their main market is currently in developing countries as their products are cost-effective in the deployment of internet access. Their products are mainly used to provide wireless broadband access. So, many ISPs that provide internet access through a receiver or dish that is placed on roofs is most likely using MikroTik’s products.
While they make routers, their main products are modems and receivers. Their devices use the following proprietary products.
- RouterBOARD
- RouterOS
RouterBOARD
RouterBOARDs are devices made by MikroTik that can be used for managing and running the networks. They are combined with RouterOS to form a complete Internet solution for ISPs.
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MikroTik RouterBOARD RB493G |
RouterOS
RouterOS is a linux based operating system MikroTik uses for the management of their products. It can be installed on MikroTik’s own RouterBOARDs, or any computer and turn it into a network router with many features. Some of those features include:
- Firewalling
- Routing
- VPN
- Wireless
- DHCP
- Hotspot
RouterOS comes in varying licences denoted by numbers. 0 being the trial version and 6 being the highest version with maximum features.
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Licensing Menu in RouterOS |
While RouterOS can be accessed by connecting the device it’s installed on to a monitor, there are other ways that are much preferred in a large scale scenario:
- Using Winbox
- Using Webfig online portal
Winbox
Winbox is a windows utility that can be used to access the device. It connects through IP or MAC protocol. After running it, press the […] button to find the device on which RouterOS is installed. After selecting it, you will need to add the credentials and press Connect.
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Winbox Login Window |
This will lead to the main Winbox utility.
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Winbox Workarea |
Now we can use the utility to modify various available settings.
Webfig Online Portal
MikroTik Webfig online portal is another way to access the RouterOS device easily. It is similar to various router logins that have been mentioned before on the site. This gives the same amount of functionality as Winbox from the web browser itself.
The login page is a pretty basic one and is quite similar in RouterOS versions. An image is shown below
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MikroTik Webfig Login page |
By default the MikroTik Login IP is 192.168.88.1. The username is admin and there is no password in the start, but this may be changed by the ISP. After logging in, the interface is simple and easy to use like Winbox.
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MikroTik Webfig |
Stay tuned for more guides like this one.