MikroTik — professional networking equipment and RouterOS

Telecommunications

MikroTik is a Latvian company founded in 1996 by Artyurs Apels. The company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of professional networking equipment: routers, switches, Wi-Fi access points and the RouterOS operating system. MikroTik products are used by internet service providers, corporations, government agencies and for home networks around the world.

Official website: mikrotik.com

History of MikroTik

MikroTik was founded in 1996 in Riga, Latvia, by Artyurs Apels. Initially, the company developed software for routers, and later began manufacturing its own hardware. Today MikroTik supplies equipment to more than 200 countries worldwide, and the RouterOS operating system is one of the most widely used platforms for managing networking equipment.

RouterOS — MikroTik operating system

MikroTik's key product is RouterOS, an operating system for network management with more than 100 features:

Routing (static, dynamic, BGP, OSPF, MPLS);
Firewall (stateful, NAT, packet filtering);
VPN (IPsec, L2TP, PPTP, OpenVPN, SSTP, WireGuard);
QoS (queues, traffic prioritization);
Monitoring and reporting (NetFlow, traffic counters);
Hotspot and access control.

RouterOS is available both as an embedded OS in MikroTik hardware and as a software product for installation on standard x86 platforms.

MikroTik product categories

1. Routers

MikroTik hEX S (RB760iGS): compact wired router with a 2.5G SFP port, 5x Gigabit Ethernet, PoE-In/Out, USB 3.0. Dual-core ARM, 512 MB RAM. For home or small office.
MikroTik hAP ax³: flagship Wi-Fi 6 router with 2.5G Ethernet (PoE-In/Out), 4x 1G, WPA3, USB 3.0. Powerful Dual-Band Dual-Chain Wi-Fi.
MikroTik RB4011iGS+5HacQ2HnD-IN: top-level router with 10 Ethernet ports, Wi-Fi 5, SFP+ for 10G connections.

2. Switches

MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM: managed switch with 24 Gigabit Ethernet ports + 2 SFP+ (10G). For server rooms and offices.
MikroTik CRS112-8P-4S-IN: PoE switch with 8 ports (PoE) + 4 SFP. For powering IP cameras and access points.
MikroTik CRS812 DDQ: managed switch for data centers. Quad-core 2 GHz, 2x 400G QSFP56-DD, 8x 50G SFP56. Redundant power supplies, 4 hot-swappable fans.

3. Wi-Fi access points

MikroTik cAP ac: ceiling-mounted access point with Wi-Fi 5, dual-band support (2.4/5 GHz), Gigabit Ethernet, PoE. For offices and public spaces.
MikroTik hAP ac²: desktop access point with Wi-Fi 5, 5 Gigabit Ethernet ports, dual-band, PoE-Out.
MikroTik Audience: Tri-band Wi-Fi 6 access point with Mesh support. For home and office networks.

4. Wireless systems

MikroTik Netmetal: professional wireless systems for building long-range wireless networks. Link distance up to 10 km.
MikroTik SXT: compact wireless bridges for building point-to-point connections.

5. Servers and storage systems

MikroTik Cloud Core Router: high-performance routers for internet service providers. Throughput up to 100 Gbit/s.

MikroTik technologies

RouterOS: operating system with the WinBox GUI, web interface and CLI. Support for scripts, task scheduler and automation.
SwOS: operating system for MikroTik switches with a web interface.
RoMON: protocol for remote management of MikroTik networking equipment without the need for a direct connection.
The Dude: free network monitoring and management of MikroTik equipment.

Use in corporate environments

Internet service providers: building subscriber networks, automating billing and access management.
Corporate networks: building VPN tunnels between branches, managing traffic and security.
Government agencies: creating secure networks with encryption and access control.
Industrial facilities: building wireless networks over large areas.

Warranty periods

MikroTik equipment is covered by a manufacturer's warranty of 12 to 60 months depending on the device category. Products are backed by MikroTik's support team and RouterOS updates.