The Lab

The Lab is a testing ground for networking research and discussion, designed to enable experimentation of network concepts in a realistic working environment.

Lesson 2.5: Quick Win — Audit Your Firewall

Perform a 28-point firewall security audit covering input/forward chains, NAT configuration, rule ordering, and services. Includes scoring system, testing procedures, and documentation templates. Your Quick Win ensures professional-grade network protection and identifies security gaps.

Lesson 2.4: Blocking Common Attacks

Protect against port scans, brute force attacks, SYN floods, ping floods, and DNS amplification. Use address lists for dynamic blocking, connection limits for attack detection, and learn hardened firewall rule ordering that stops real-world network threats.

Lesson 2.3: Building Your First Custom Firewall Rule

Build, edit, and reorder firewall rules with confidence. Learn the anatomy of rules (where, what, do), add custom protections step-by-step, and test safely with Safe Mode. Includes practical examples like blocking IPs, allowing SSH selectively, and logging traffic.

Lesson 2.2: Understanding Default Firewall Rules

Learn what default firewall rules do and why they exist. Understand proper rule structure for input and forward chains, identify common configuration mistakes, and use the good-enough firewall checklist to verify your router is properly secured against basic threats.

Lesson 2.1: MikroTik Firewall Logic

Understand MikroTik firewall architecture: chains (input, forward, output), connection tracking states, and the three firewall tables (Filter, NAT, Mangle). Learn how rules process top-down and make the mental shift from Cisco ACLs to MikroTik's chain-based system.

Module 2: Secure It

Master MikroTik firewall in 59 minutes. Understand chains and connection tracking, analyze default rules, build custom protections, and block common attacks. Learn to audit your firewall systematically and close security gaps with professional-grade configuration.

Admin Security Checklist

Essential security hardening steps for MikroTik routers. Create backups, change default passwords, create personal admin accounts, disable dangerous services like telnet and ftp, restrict service access by IP, and secure MAC server access. Includes both GUI and CLI instructions.

First 10 Minutes with Your MikroTik Router

Quick start guide for new MikroTik installations or inherited routers. Connect via WinBox, assess current configuration, create critical backups (binary and export), change default password, disable dangerous services, and plan next steps based on router status.

Lesson 1.6: Quick Win — Secure Your Admin Access

Secure your MikroTik in 10 minutes: change default passwords, create personal admin accounts, disable dangerous services like telnet and FTP, and restrict access by IP address. Your first Quick Win protects against common attacks and establishes security best practices.

Lesson 1.5: Backup & Restore — Do This First

Create binary backups and text exports before making changes. Learn the difference between complete snapshots and portable configuration scripts, how to restore each type, and backup best practices. Essential safety net for protecting your MikroTik configuration.