Mikrotik How To

Mikrotīkls Ltd., known internationally as MikroTik, is a Latvian manufacturer of computer networking equipment. It sells wireless products and routers. The company was founded in 1995, with the intent to sell in the emerging wireless technology market. As of 2007, the company had more than 70 employees.RouterOS
The main product of MikroTik is a Linux-based operating system known as MikroTik RouterOS. It lets users turn a selected PC-based machine into a software router, allowing features such as firewall rules, VPN Server and Client, bandwidth shaper Quality of Service, wireless access point and other commonly used features for routing and connecting networks together. The system is also able to serve as a captive-portal based hotspot system. The operating system is licensed in escalating levels, each releasing more of the available RouterOS features as the level number rises. Licensing is fee based and escalates with the released features. There is a software called Winbox which provides a sophisticated GUI for the RouterOS operating system. The software also allows connections via FTP, telnet, and SSH. There is also an API which allows creating customised applications for management and monitoring.

Features
RouterOS supports many applications that can be used by medium size to large ISP, for example OSPF, BGP, VPLS/MPLS. All in one, RouterOS is a versatile system, and is very well supported by Mikrotik, both through a forum and a Wiki providing assorted and thematic examples of configurations.
The software provides support for virtually all the network interfaces that the Linux kernel 2.6.16 supports, excepting wireless, where the Atheros and Prism are the only supported chipsets, as of 3.x version. Mikrotik is also working on upgrades to the software which will enable full compatibility between the Mikrotik-specific services and newer networking developments such as IPv6 and MPLS[1]

RouterBOARD
The RouterOS, combined with their hardware product line, known as MikroTik RouterBOARD, is marketed at small to medium sized wireless Internet service providers, typically providing broadband wireless access in remote areas.

Developing IT markets

See also: Information and communication technologies for development
A recent project to build low-cost internet infrastructure in Mali chose MikroTik routers and operating systems because of the system's cost, flexibility, the fact that the system already had "a substantial user base in Mali", and had a user interface deemed "superior to other products".[2] MikroTik routers were also preferred for a WLAN project in Burkina Faso,[3] and MikroTik's proprietary Nstreme protocol performed better than IEEE 802.11 under the project's conditions.[4]
In 2008, it was decided that MikroTik routers would also be used exclusively by the Municipality of Piripiri, Piauí State, Brazil, to build the infrastructure for providing free internet access.[5] MikroTik routers are also popular in the Czech Republic, where they enjoy a good reputation.[6]
Under OLPC program, Uruguay deployed a Nation-wide wireless network in Schools. Probaby the largest Mikrotik deployment in a Country with a total population of 3 Million. Aproximatelly 200.000 Students received a small laptop which connected to Mikrotik Access Points.