Updating MikroTik Router from the command line

If you administer only a few MikroTik devices, you can manually update them one by one using the WinBox tool. This is a very easy task if you install only the long-term versions. That version is rarely updated and contains only the major bug fixes.

In case that you have larger number of devices under your control, you will probably want more automation. The good news is that you can use the magic of the command line to perform such task. This means that you can also write the update script.

How to update MikroTik from the alternate source?

You should keep your Mikrotik device up-to-date, because it is exposed to the hostile world of Internet. You can manually perform that task using the System > Packages menu option. However, there’s another way to update all your routers.

You can use your own update server to update all routers under your control. Even better, the whole process can be automated, using the Power of scripting.

Let’s do it!

How I reconfigured one remote MikroTik router using a script

Today, I will share with you how I reconfigured one remote MikroTik router using the command line script. That customer wanted additional services from his ISP. The ISP needed to reconfigure that Internet link and to use VLANs.

After my reconfiguration on the customer’s side, ISP enabled VLANs and re-routed the Internet traffic over one of them. The goal was to perform that action as fast as possible, with a minimal service downtime during the lunch break.

MikroTik and the Rogue DHCP Server

Every MikroTik device with the DHCP server service can be used to search your network for any rogue DHCP server. Even better, it can send you an email on such detection. When an alert occurred, you will be informed about the MAC address (and a few more details) of that machine.

You can’t use the MikroTik router to actively block such machine. This is the option that should be implemented on your network switches.

How to export the DHCP leases list in MikroTik RouterOS

In one productional network, I used the MikroTik router also as the DHCP server for their LAN. After a while, the customer decided to move that DHCP to another host. To speed up this process, the customer asked me for the current DHCP leases list.