System Logging Explained

1. Logging Overview

System logging is the process of recording events and activities within a network device, such as a MikroTik router. These logs provide valuable information for troubleshooting, monitoring, and auditing network operations. Logging helps administrators identify issues, track changes, and ensure compliance with security policies.

2. Types of Logs

There are several types of logs that can be generated by a MikroTik router:

• System Logs: Record general system events, such as startup and shutdown messages, hardware status, and software errors.
• Interface Logs: Monitor network interface activities, including link status changes, packet errors, and traffic statistics.
• Firewall Logs: Track firewall rules and packet filtering activities, helping to identify unauthorized access attempts and policy violations.
• DHCP Logs: Provide information on DHCP server activities, such as IP address assignments and lease expirations.

3. Logging Levels

Logging levels determine the severity and detail of the log entries. MikroTik RouterOS supports the following logging levels:

• Emergency: System is unusable.
• Alert: Action must be taken immediately.
• Critical: Critical conditions.
• Error: Error conditions.
• Warning: Warning conditions.
• Notice: Normal but significant conditions.
• Info: Informational messages.
• Debug: Debug-level messages.

4. Configuring Logging

In MikroTik RouterOS, logging can be configured using the system logging command. You can specify the log target, such as a file, remote server, or console, and set the logging level for different categories of events.

/system logging add action=remote remote=192.168.1.2 level=warning

5. Analyzing Logs

Analyzing logs is crucial for identifying and resolving network issues. Regularly reviewing logs can help detect anomalies, such as unauthorized access attempts, network congestion, and hardware failures. Tools like Wireshark and Log Analyzer can assist in parsing and visualizing log data.