In order to connect to your router, either use an ssh connection, the webbrowser (via 192.168.88.1 which is the default address of the Mikrotik router) or connect via Winbox. Once both LEDs representing the ethernet cable connections start blinking, the connection is successfull and the Mikrotik router has booted. It will make some beeping sounds as part of the booting process. Then connect the power cable and let the router boot. Next, you connect your pc to port 2 on the Mikrotik router. You connect an ethernet cable from your router (or any other ethernet cable providing internet access) into port 1 of the Mikrotik router. This to make sure you can configure the Mikrotik router prior to exposing it to the internet. The best way is to make sure your existing router is still in place. In order to configure you Mikrotik router you first need to connect it to your PC. This brings many benefits in terms of security as problems and bugs that introduce security issues will be resolved quickly. RouterOs is regularly updated to provide new features and fix issues in the software. Mikrotik routers run the custom Linux OS called RouterOS developed by Mikrotik. How to install the Mikrotik routerīy default the Mikrotik router can be accessed via the webbrowser, ssh or Winbox. It helps to investigate which ports and services are still exposed to the outside world that might require hardening or even blocking connections.

It enables to do a full port scan on any device within your network. If you would like to check which ports and services are running on your Mikrotik router, the nmap application is a must-have. Still, some hardening steps must be taken to increase the security of your Mikrotik server by following the below steps. However, the basic configuration is set to fit the needs of most users. This does by the way not mean that the default configuration is bad. In this article I will explain how you can secure your Mikrotik router in such a way to reduce the likelyhood of being hacked by simply hardening the weak spots of the default configuration. Once your router is exposed to the “wild” someone will sooner or later try to hack your Mikrotik router by exploiting the weak spots. In this article I will be explaining the simple steps you need to take to secure your Mikrotik router prior to exposing it to the public internet.

Default firewall mikrotik