How to Configure a Mikrotik Router as a Backbone Router
Mikrotik RouterOS is a popular and versatile routing software that is widely used in various networking scenarios. In this blog post, we will discuss how to configure a Mikrotik Router as a backbone router, which acts as an intermediary between multiple networks or subnets.
Prerequisites
Before you start configuring your Mikrotik Router as a backbone router, make sure you have the following:
- A Mikrotik RouterOS-compatible hardware device with sufficient processing power and memory to handle routing traffic.
- Basic knowledge of Mikrotik RouterOS interface and command-line configuration.
- Access to at least two networks or subnets that you want to interconnect.
Step 1: Configure Interfaces
The first step is to configure the physical interfaces on your Mikrotik Router that will connect to the two networks or subnets. Assign unique names and IP addresses to each interface, preferably from different subnets. For example, you can name one interface ether1 and assign it an IP address of 192.168.0.1/24, and the other interface ether2 with an IP address of 10.0.0.1/24.
/interface ethernet name=ether1
address 192.168.0.1/24
/interface ethernet name=ether2
address 10.0.0.1/24
Step 2: Configure Routing Tables
Next, you need to configure routing tables on your Mikrotik Router so that it knows how to forward traffic between the two networks or subnets. Use the /ip route add command to add static routes for each network or subnet. Make sure to set the gateway parameter correctly for each interface.
/ip route add 192.168.0.0/24 via 192.168.1.1
/ip route add 10.0.0.0/24 via 10.0.0.254
Step 3: Configure Firewall Rules
Finally, you need to configure firewall rules on your Mikrotik Router to allow traffic between the two networks or subnets. Use the /ip firewall filter add command to create a rule for each interface that allows traffic from one network or subnet to another. Make sure to set the chain, direction, and src-address parameters correctly for each rule.
/ip firewall filter add chain=input dst-address=192.168.0.0/24 src-address=10.0.0.0/24 protocol=tcp
/ip firewall filter add chain=input dst-address=10.0.0.0/24 src-address=192.168.0.0/24 protocol=tcp
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have now configured your Mikrotik Router as a backbone router that interconnects two networks or subnets. With this configuration, you can extend your network and provide connectivity to multiple devices and systems. Remember to save your configuration regularly and monitor your router's performance to ensure optimal network traffic flow.