Mikrotik Router Basic Configuration using Winbox

Mikrotik Router is a popular packet routing device which has a lot of networking functionalities. Mikrotik Router is a mostly used device beside CISCO Router. This router is famous for bandwidth control and packet filtering functionalities as well as cheap price. Mikrotik Router is also popular to the System Administrators because of having Graphical User Interface with Winbox software and easy to maintain. So, this article is designed to show the basic configuration of a Mikrotik Router using Winbox.

MikroTik Router Basic Configuration

 

Pre-requirements to configure Mikrotik Router

1. Basic knowledge on IP Addressing.
2. A Mikrotik RouterBOARD.
3. Winbox Software.
4. PC with RJ45 cables.

To configure Mikrotik Router properly, this article is using the below information.

1. Mikrotik RouterBOARD 1100 AHX2
2. WAN IP: 172.22.3.99/25 and Gateway: 172.22.3.1
3. Public DNS: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
4. LAN IP Network: 192.168.10.0/24

Follow below steps to configure your Mikrotik Router from very beginning…

1. Download winbox from Wireless Connect site.
2. Connect your PC and Mikrotik Router with RJ45 cable.
3. Open Winbox and click on search button located after Connect To: input box. Connected Ethernet’s MAC will appear now. Click on the MAC address. Default username of Mikrotik router is admin and Password is blank. So, type admin in the login input box and password field left blank and then click on Connect button. Mikrotik GUI will appear now.
   
   

   Interface MAC from Search Button
   
   

   Login Information in Winbox
4. Now click on Remove Configuration button.
   
   

   Remove Previous Configuration
5. Go to IP > Addresses to open Address List window. Click on plus sign (+) button and put your WAN IP address that is provided to you by ISP into address box and then select interface on which you want to set WAN IP. Now click Apply and then OK button. Click on plus sign (+) button again to set up your LAN IP address at the same way.
   
   

   IP Setup in Interface
6. Go to IP > Routes. You can see two dynamic routes are already added. Click on plus sign (+) button to add a new static route. In Gateway field put your gateway address provided by ISP and click Apply and then OK button.
   
   

   Route or Gateway Setup
7. Go to IP > DNS to set DNS. Put your primary and secondary DNS server IP provided to you by ISP or you can use public DNS server those are being used in this article. Click Apply and then OK button.
   
   

   DNS Setup
8. Now go to IP > Firewall and select NAT tab and then click on plus sign (+) button to set a new NAT rule. In General tab select srcnat from Chain dropdown box and put your network address in Src. Address box. Now click on  Action tab and choose masquerade from Action dropdown box. Click Apply and then OK button.
   
   

   NAT Rule for IP Natting
   
   

   Masquerade Action
9. Your Mikrotik is ready now. Connect your PC to LAN interface and ISP RJ45 cable to WAN interface. Set your PC’s IP address to your LAN IP network series and browse any website or ping google.com. If your ISP is OK, you will be able to browse any website successfully.