MTCRE-Module-01: Static Routing

 

OBJECTIVES- 

• Static Routing/Default Route 

• ECMP(Equal Cost Multi-Path) 

• How to force gateway over specific interface. 

• Gateway reachability check and route distance. 

• Routing mark and route policy. 

• Recursive next-hop and scope/target-scope usages.

1. Static Routing in MikroTik RouterOS

Static routing in MikroTik means manually defining the path that packets should use to reach a destination network. It is mainly used in:

• Enterprise networks

• ISP environments

• Multi-WAN setups

• VPN routing

• Traffic engineering

• Backup internet links

MikroTik routing configuration is done mainly from: /ip route

"or"

BASIC STATIC ROUTING CONFIGURATION:

TOPOLOGY INFO -

LAN NETWORK:	10.0.100.0/24
ROUTER GATEWAY:	10.0.100.254
ISP GATEWAY:	192.168.68.1
WAN IP :	192.168.68.100/24

Example for Basic Static Route (GUI/TERMINAL):

Step-01: Click on "IP" => Routes => Click on "NEW", and fill the following field for basic static/default routes=> Apply + OK.

Step-02: Ultimately, Check the Route List, Here - [A: Active, S:Static]

2. ECMP (Equal Cost Multi-Path)

To forward packets toward a single destination with the multiple paths with the equal metrics instead of selecting one single best path, its called the ECMP. Its perform basic two purposes of the entire network-

• Load Balancing for smooth distribution of the packets among the multiple paths, to ensure the best performance, high availability, and scalability of the entire network.
• Failover for continuous connection of the entire network, and ensure the minimal downtime as redundant system with the different metrics.

Example-01: The following steps of ECMP configuration for unequal WAN connection (Failover)(WAN1:WAN2=2:1) -

1. Renaming MikroTik interface name
2. Assigning WAN and LAN IP
3. Assigning DNS IP
4. NAT configuration and
5. Routing configuration
6. ECMP Rule in Firewall.

Fig-01: Rename the Interfaces 

Fig-02: Assign the IP Addresses

Fig-03: Assign the DNS IP Address

Fig-04: NAT Configuration as masquerade.

Fig-05: Configuration the Route as Unequal WAN

Fig-06: Create the Mangle Rules per connections

Fig-07: Show the Route List

Example-02: ECMP Load Balancing and Link Redundancy Configuration.

Above network diagram can be divided into 5 steps :

1. Assigning WAN and LAN IP Addresses.
2. DNS Configuration.
3. NAT Configuration as masquerade.
4. Create Mangle Rules as per connections.
5. ECMP Route Configuration.

Step-1,2, & 3 Configuration are configured as usually as per upper instructions.

Step-04: Create Mangle Rules for each WAN Connection

For Mark Connection -

Firewall => Mangle => Click (+) Sign => Chain: Input => In. Interface: ex- ether-WAN1 => action: mark connection => New Connection Mark: ex- WAN1_Conn => Uncheck: Passthrough

For Mark Routing -

Firewall => Mangle => Click (+) Sign => Chain: Output => Connection Mark: ex-WAN1_Conn => action: mark routing => New Routing Mark: ex- to_WAN1 => Uncheck: Passthrough

Step-05: Routing Table update for ECMP Configuration

IP => Routes => Click (+) Sign => General:Dst. Address -0.0.0.0/0 

=> Gateway: add both wan assigned IP address => OK

IP => Routes => Click (+) Sign => General:Dst. Address -0.0.0.0/0 

=> Gateway: ether1 IP address => OK & Vice versa.

Fig: Create Route 

Fig: Routing List

Example-03: PBR load balancing and link redundancy configuration.

Following the below configuration step by step :

• Renaming interface name
• Assigning WAN and LAN IP
• Assigning DNS IP
• Firewall configuration and
• Routing configuration

First 3 steps will have to complete as upper given pictures instruction. 

Step-04: Firewall Configuration

1. Masquerade NAT Configuration

IP > Firewall > NAT > Click (+) Sign for NEW > Chain: srcnat > action: masquerade > Apply & OK.

2. Add LAN IP Addresses Block at the Address List

Address List > Click(+) Sign > Name:GroupA_Block > Address:10.10.10.0/24 > OK & Vice versa. 

3. Create Mangle Rules

Mangle > Click(+) sign > General Tab > Chain: prerouting > Advanced Tab > Src. Address: GroupA_Block > Dst. Address [!]: Local_Block > Action Tab > action: mark routing > New routing mark: to_WAN1 > []: passthrough. & Vice versa

for GroupB_Block, new routing mark: to_WAN2, Example :

  

Step-05: Routing Configuration

Task-01:

IP > Route > Click (+) sign at General Tab > Dst. Address: 0.0.0.0/0 > Gateway: WAN1 IP > Distance: 1 > Apply & OK. Vice Versa....

Task-02:

IP > Route > Click(+) sign > Dst. Address: 0.0.0.0/0 > Gateway:WAN1_IP > Distance: 1 > Routing mark: to_WAN1 > Apply & OK. vice versa.

Example:

Testing this connection

Example-04: Load Balancing with Failover using PCC (Per Connection Classifier)

Short brief of PCC (Per Connection Classifier):

Its a load balancing technique in MikroTik routers that distributes new connections across multiple WAN/Internet links.

It works by classifying traffic based on:

• Source Address
• Destination Address
• Source Port
• Destination Port

PCC is mainly used for:

• Load Balancing multiple ISPs
• Better bandwidth utilization
• Redundancy and failover
• Session persistence
• Traffic distribution

PCC MikroTik Official Link

PCC Logical Work:

per-connection-classifier=both-addresses-and-ports:X/Y

Here, X: Total number of WAN links

          Y: Bucket Number

Example: both-addresses-and-ports:2/0

                both-addresses-and-ports:2/1