Mikrotik is made by MikroTikls a company in the city of Riga, Latvia. Latvia is a country that is a "fraction" of the former Soviet Union or Russia Today. Mikrotik was founded in 1995 which was originally intended for Internet service companies (PJI) or Internet Service providers (ISP) that serve customers using wireless or wireless technology.
MikroTik is an operating system and software that can be used to make a computer into a reliable network router, includes various features made for IP networks and wireless networks, suitable for use by ISPs, hotspot providers, & internet cafes.
Currently MikroTikls provides services to many wireless ISPs for Internet access services in many countries in the world and is also very popular in Indonesia.
Understanding Microtics
Mikrotik is an operating system and software installed in a computer so that the installed computer can be operated. The computer that has been connected to mikrotik acts as the heart of the network (network), controller, data traffic controller. This type of computer is called a Router.
Router is a connecting medium and regulator between two or more networks that are useful in forwarding data from one network to another. Mikrotik is a Linux base operating system used for network routers. Mikrotik is designed to provide convenience for its users.
System Administration can be implemented using Windows Application (Winbox). In addition, the installation process can also be done using a Standard Computer. Thus mikrotik can be interpreted as a router operating system that is used to run and manage all network activities (network) as a whole.
Mikrotik routers can be used on large and small scale computer networks which of course must be adjusted to resources rather than the computer itself.
If mikrotik is used to set up a small network, then the use of computer devices can be mediocre or standard, but for large scale it must use computers that have high specifications.
Mikrotik includes a variety of features created for wireless networks and IP networks. This system is suitable for use by ISPs, hotspot providers and internet cafes. So, mikrotik really helps its users.
Mikrotik Functions
The following are some of the functions of mikrotik:
- To block sites that contain prohibited content using a proxy in mikrotik so as to support government programs in the form of positive internet use,
- Mikrotik serves for LAN setup and configuration using PC Mikrotik Router OS along with very low hardware,
- Internet network settings that can be done centrally making it easier for admins to manage.
- Can be used as a billing hotspot that makes it easier to configure and share bandwidth on the network,
- Can be used for PPPoE Server creation,
- Able to separate international and local traffic bandwidth
Router function: serves as a link between two or more networks to forward data from one network to another. Routers are different from switches. Switch is connecting several devices to form a Local Area Network (LAN).
As an illustration of the difference in function of the router and switch is a road, and the router is a link between the road. Each house is located on a street that has an address in a certain order.
In the same way, switches connect a wide variety of devices, each of which has its own IP address on a LAN
Types of Microtics
Mikrotik is available not only in one assortment. Mikrotik company developed two types of products named Mikrotik RouterOS and RouterBoard. Here's the explanation:
Mikrotik RouterOS
Mikrotik RouterOS is a UNIX-based operating system that can make ordinary computers capable of providing features such as routers, firewalls, bridges, hotspots, proxy servers and others. Because it is so easy to use, many people use this operating system to build their routers.
RouterBoard
If Mikrotik RouterOS is a software operating system, RouterBoard is actually a network hardware developed by the Mikrotik company. RouterBoard installed mikrotik RouterOS operating system. Although in the form of hardware, the RouterBoard is very small and practical.
Built In Hardware Mikrotik
Mikrotik is in the form of special hardware packaged in a router board in which Mikrotik RouterOS is already installed. For this version, the license is included in the price of the Mikrotik router board. An example of Mikrotik in the form of hardware is the RouterBoard 433 2 Indoor Access Point. Here are the specifications of the RB 433.
Mikrotik Features
Here are some features mikrotik, consisting of:
Address List: grouping IP addresses by name
Asynchronous: supports serial PPP dial-in / dial-out, with chap, PAP, MSCHAPv1 and MSCHAPv2 authentication, Radius, dial on demand, modem pool up to 128 ports.
Bonding: supports the combination of multiple ethernet interfaces into 1 pipe on a fast connection.
Bridge: support the function of bridge spinning tree, multiple bridge interface, bridging firewalling.
Data Rate Management: HTB-based QoS with the use of burst, PCQ, RED, SFQ, FIFO queue, CIR, MIR, limit between peer to peer
DHCP: supports DHCP any interface; DHCP Relay; DHCP Client, multiple network DHCP; static and dynamic DHCP leases.
Firewall and NAT: supports peer to peer connection filtering, source NAT and destination NAT. Able to filter by MAC, IP address, port range, IP protocol, selection of protocol options such as ICMP, TCP Flags and MSS.
Hotspot: Hotspot gateway with RADIUS authentication. Supports data rate limit, SSL, HTTPS.
IPSec: AH and ESP protocols for IPSec; MODP Diffie-Hellmann groups 1, 2, 5; MD5 and SHA1 hashing algorithms; encryption algorithms using DES, 3DES, AES-128, AES-192, AES-256; Perfect Forwarding Secrecy (PFS) MODP groups 1, 2,5
ISDN: supports ISDN dial-in / dial-out. With pap, CHAP, MSCHAPv1 and Mschapv2 authentication, Radius. Supports 128K bundle, Cisco HDLC, x751, x75ui, x75bui line protocols.
M3P: MikroTik packet Packer protocol for wireless links and ethernet.
MNDP: MikroTik Discovery neighbor protocol, also supports Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP).
Monitoring / Accounting: IP Traffic reports, logs, graph statistics that can be accessed via HTTP.
NTP: Network Time Protocol for servers and clients; synchronization using GPS system.
Point to Point Tunneling Protocol: PPTP, PPPoE and L2TP Access Concentrator; authentication protocol using PAP, CHAP, MSCHAPv1, MSCHAPv2; authentication and report Radius; mppe encryption; compression to PPpoE; data rate limit.
Proxy: Cache for FTP and HTTP proxy servers, HTTPS proxy; transparent proxy for DNS and HTTP; supports SOCKS protocol; supports parent proxy; static DNS.
Routing: static and dynamic Routing; RIP v1 / v2, OSPF v2, BGP v4.
SDSL: support Single Line DSL; connection and network line Termination mode.
Simple Tunnel: IPIP and Eoip (Ethernet over IP) tunnels.
SNMP is a simple Network Monitoring Protocol with read-only access mode.
Synchronicity: V.35, V.24, E1/T1, X21, DS3 (T3) media ttypes; sync-PPP, Cisco HDLC; Frame Relay line protocols; ANSI-617d (ANDI or annex D) and Q933a (CCITT or annex A); Frame Relay type LMI.
Tools: Ping, Traceroute; bandwidth test; ping flood; telnet; SSH; packet sniffer; Dynamic DNS update.
UPnP: supports Universal Plug and Play interface.
VLAN: supports IEEE 802.1 q Virtual LANs for ethernet and wireless networks; multiple VLANs; VLAN bridging.
VoIP: supports voice over IP applications.
VRRP: supports Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol.
WinBox: GUI mode application to remote and configure MikroTik RouterOS.
Benefits Of Using Mikrotik
The benefits of using mikrotik which include
:1. As an Internet Gateway for LAN " Local Area Network”
For example, a mikrotik router connects several local networks to connect to the internet. Mikrotik routers can also be controllers of incoming and outgoing data traffic. Mikrotik is also able to manage content from the internet that can be accessed by the client.
2. As An Access Point
Mikrotik routers equipped with wireless interfaces can function as access points on wifi networks. Such as in schools, cafes, campuses or public networks, most use mikrotik routers as the wifi access point.
3. As Routing
Routing is the main feature in mikrotik router this Routing connects several networks and determines the best path to the computer or destination address. For example there are three branch offices A, B and C Mikrotik router set the three offices to connect to each other into the internet.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Mikrotik
The advantages and disadvantages of mikrotik which include:
1. Advantages Of Mikrotik
Consists of:
- More cost-effective, because the price of a router board license is much cheaper than an OS router (which is the same level)
- More efficient electricity, example RB750 electricity consumption is only 2.5 watts only.
- Not complicated to install, just turn on the Settings then the router can be used.
- Suitable as a router whose workload is small to medium, for heavy ones you can buy a high-spec routerboard of course at a high price too
2. Disadvantages Mikrotik
Consists of:
- Limited hardware specs (CPU, Main Storage/Nand, RAM)
- Less good when used as an Internal Web Proxy
- If there is damage in the hardware that is not severe can still be repaired but if severe forced to buy a new one and can not upgarde hardware.
How To Prevent A Router From Being Hacked:
1. Change WiFi Password Regularly
This is the simplest way to secure WiFi. You can do this through the router settings. Usually, there is a guide to change the password on each router.
Choose a password that is easy to remember, but quite difficult to hijack. It is even better to use a combination of Lowercase, Capital and numbers. Although it is a bit troublesome, but it is better to prevent than to fix, is not it?
2. WiFi User Check
After changing the WiFi password, some other settings need to be viewed. On the settings page, there is usually a list of who is using your WiFi. If there is a foreign device, you need to be aware of it.
3. Use the app to monitor
using the application. For example, Fing is available for Android and iOS. For Windows users, you can use Acrylic WiFi, while for mac OS users, you can use Who is On my WiFi.