Keith Davis

Keith Davis

Monthly Maintenance Checklist

Printable 30-minute monthly maintenance routine for MikroTik routers. System health checks, log reviews, backup creation, update checks, user account audits, configuration cleanup, and documentation. Includes quarterly and annual maintenance tasks.

Lesson 5.5: Quick Win — Monthly Maintenance Routine

30-minute monthly maintenance checklist: health check (CPU/memory/interfaces), log review (errors, logins, drops), backups (binary + export), update checking, configuration cleanup, and documentation. Includes copy-paste template and time-saving tips for consistency and reliability.

Lesson 5.4: Updates & Maintenance Routines

Update RouterOS safely with version understanding, timing decisions, backup creation, lab testing, maintenance windows, and rollback procedures. Learn configuration management with export history, documentation habits, and three-level maintenance schedules with automation examples.

Lesson 5.3: Common Problems & Solutions

Solve eight critical scenarios: Internet down, can't access websites, slow networks, router admin lockout, DHCP failures, VPN connection issues, config change lockouts, and high CPU usage. Step-by-step diagnosis with decision trees and emergency recovery commands.

Lesson 5.2: Torch & Packet Sniffing

Real-time traffic monitoring with Torch (bandwidth analysis, find hogs, protocol breakdown) and Packet Sniffer (detailed PCAP capture for Wireshark). Learn filtering options, common troubleshooting scenarios (slow network, VPN issues, attacks), and best practices.

Lesson 5.1: Reading Logs Effectively

Master MikroTik logging: memory (default), disk (persistent), and remote (syslog). View and filter logs by topic/time/content, understand common log topics, and read specific messages (DHCP, firewall, VPN failures). Includes log management best practices and troubleshooting scenarios.

Module 5: Fix It — Troubleshooting & Maintenance

Troubleshoot and maintain MikroTik professionally in 59 minutes. Read logs effectively, use Torch for traffic analysis, solve common problems with decision trees, update RouterOS safely, and establish 30-minute monthly maintenance routines that prevent emergencies.

Network Segmentation Cheat Sheet

Quick VLAN reference for MikroTik network segmentation. Common VLAN IDs, IP organization, bridge VLAN commands, isolation patterns (guest, IoT, corporate), DHCP setup, bandwidth management, and troubleshooting.

Guest Network Configuration Template

Complete guest network configuration in 5 minutes. VLAN-based guest WiFi setup with complete isolation from internal networks, DHCP configuration, bandwidth limits, firewall rules, and optional captive portal. Includes verification commands and alternatives.

Bandwidth Policy Template

Ready-to-use bandwidth management policies for common office scenarios using Simple Queue and Queue Trees. Includes per-user limits, department-based allocation, priority-based QoS for VoIP, guest network limits, guaranteed bandwidth for servers, and time-based controls.