Lead Image © andreysuslov, 123RF.com

Lead Image © andreysuslov, 123RF.com

Discover the power of RouterBOARDS

Self-Control

Article from ADMIN 77/2023
By
Most routers provided by ISPs are built cheaply, come with low-quality firmware, and are insufficient even for basic tasks. MikroTik manufactures a line of affordable routers for those in need of professional network gear.

MikroTik is a Latvian manufacturer of network equipment whose main audience comprises small Internet service providers (ISPs) and wireless connectivity providers. What makes MikroTik's offerings interesting for home users and administrators of small business networks is that their low-end products offer a lot of features for the money. Deploying a small router from MikroTik feels like deploying consumer-grade hardware loaded with enterprise-grade firmware (Figure 1).

Figure 1: MikroTik equips their low-end SOHO routers with the same firmware they use for their more powerful products. Pictured is a RouterBOARD RB3011UiAS-RM intended for a network rack – clearly not a router designed for home users.

Unplanned IT

I was forced to learn network administration when my university migrated to a digital distribution platform for resources and documentation necessary to follow classes online. The University's plan was built on the premise that every student had a serviceable Internet connection at home; yet, I was stuck with a pitiful one. My ISP provided 3Mbps of symmetric bandwidth in an age in which

...
Use Express-Checkout link below to read the full article (PDF).

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy ADMIN Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Creating a redundant array of inexpensive links
    The Fault Tolerant Router daemon uses multipath routing among multiple Internet connections to keep you connected, even when some connections go down.
  • IPv6 security on IPv4-only networks
    Even though corporations are looking to move to IPv6, in some situations networks still rely exclusively on IPv4. We discuss ways to minimize delays and unsatisfactory behavior in mixed IPv4/IPv6 IT environments.
  • Routing with Quagga

    Cisco and Juniper have implemented routing protocols to help your router find the optimum path. On Linux, you can use software like Quagga, with its Zebra daemon, to help automate this process.

  • Neglected IPv6 Features

    IPv6 is establishing itself in everyday IT life, and all modern operating systems from Windows, through Mac OS X, to Linux have it on board; but if you let IPv6 introduce itself into your environment, you could be in for some unpleasant surprises.

  • Professional protection for small and mid-size enterprises
    To what extent does the Untangle NG Firewall, where apps come together like pieces of a jigsaw, meet customer criteria for protection, usability, price, and support?
comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs



Support Our Work

ADMIN content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you've found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More”>
	</a>

<hr>		    
			</div>
		    		</div>

		<div class=