MikroTik RouterOS Basics
1. IP Addressing and Subnetting
IP Addressing and Subnetting are fundamental concepts in MikroTik RouterOS. An IP address is a unique identifier for a device on a network, and subnetting allows you to divide a network into smaller, more manageable sub-networks.
Example: Suppose you have a network with the IP address 192.168.1.0/24. This means the network can accommodate 254 devices. If you need to divide this network into two smaller networks, you can use subnetting. For instance, you could create two subnets: 192.168.1.0/25 and 192.168.1.128/25. Each subnet can now accommodate 126 devices, allowing for better management and control.
2. VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks)
VLANs allow you to segment a physical network into multiple logical networks. This is particularly useful for improving network performance, security, and management. In MikroTik RouterOS, you can configure VLANs to isolate traffic between different segments of your network.
Example: Imagine you have an office with departments like HR, IT, and Sales. By creating VLANs, you can segment the network so that each department has its own isolated network. For instance, you could create a VLAN for HR with ID 10, IT with ID 20, and Sales with ID 30. This way, traffic between departments is isolated, enhancing security and performance.