Advanced VPN Setup IPsec Tunnels On MikroTik Routers
MikroTik Site to Site VPN Configuration with IPsec
Virtual Private Networks (VPN) have become popular among businesses who use it to connect to their offices situated at remote locations. Many VPN technologies have come out, but IPsec stands out because it is security-related, widely acceptable, open and also efficient for VPN tunneling. In this article, we are going to look into MikroTik Site to Site VPN Configuration with IPsec.
Site-to-Site VPN behaves as a LAN for the target network. When a device from the desired network visits any resource in the target network, VPN establishes a connection between the target network and the device. The target device will get an IP address from the VPN network pool. A Site-to-Site VPN tunnel encrypts the outbound traffic at the sending site, sending it through the internet via a secure communication channel (public internet), which decrypts the traffic at the receiving end and then sending it to the target device.
This is an important solution for businesses that have many branches in remote locations. The solution provides remote access capability that requires little headquarter assistance. Site-to-Site VPN capability can also be used to provide remote access to other third parties.
Steps to Configure IPsec Site-to-Site VPN on MikroTik Router
Create a Site-to-Site Key
First, determine the WAN (Internet) IP addresses on both sites. Begin with the main router, where the key will be created. In the left-side menu, head over to IP → IPsec, and select the peer option. To secure a MikroTik IPsec Site-to-Site VPN, click on add IPsec peer:
Configure the following parameters:
- Address: Enter the public IP address of the remote peer.
- Auth method: Select PSK – Pre-shared-key.
Fill the General tab with the configuration below.
- Exchange Mode: Main.
- Nat-Traversal: Enable.
- Generate policy: Disable.
- Hash Algorithm: SHA1.
- Encryption Algorithm: 3des.
Head over to the ‘’Advanced” tab and fill in the following configurations:
- Auth Hash Algorithm: sha1.
- Encryption Hash Algorithm: md5.
- Encapsulation: IKE.
- Encryption lifetime: 1d.
Click Ok to finalize the parameters, and after some time, the IPsec peer should have been created.
Configure Site-to-Site IPsec Tunnel
In the left-side menu, navigate to IP → IPsec, and this time select Policy. Here, create an IPsec policy. Configure the following parameters:
- Src: Enter the sending device subnetwork
- Dst: Enter the receiving device subnetwork
- Protocol: All.
Fill the ’Peers’ Tab with the IPsec peer configuration that was made before. Configure the ‘Action’ tab as follows:
- Action: Encrypt.
- IPsec-Protocol: ESP.
- Level: require.
Click Ok to finalize the configurations. This will create an IPsec policy with parameters configured.
Set IPsec Proposal
Still on the left-side menu, navigate to IP → IPsec and select proposal, create a proposal, and name it Site-to-Site IPsec Proposal. Configure the following parameters:
- Authentication Algorithms: sha256.
- Encryption Algorithms: aes-256-cbc.
Click Ok to finalize the configurations, and this will create an IPsec proposal with parameters configured.
Create Peers for Remote Site
After creation of the key, configure the router at the remote site. Create an IPsec peer configuration similar to that of the main router. Enter the public IP address of the main site in the Source Address area. Ensure that policies are the same in both devices. MikroTik configuration is now complete, and you can now enjoy your secure Site-to-Site connection.
Advantages of Site-to-Site VPN Configuration with IPsec
1. Security: IPsec offers good encryption and authentication methods for ensuring safe tunneling of data, thus enhancing the security of the site-to-site VPN. IPsec requires no additional security software installation for encrypting sensitive data. IPsec encryption is hardware-based, thus enhancing the security of the system.
2. Scalability: Site-to-site VPN solves the problem of connecting remote networks. Large enterprises can easily connect offices globally by installing routers with site-to-site VPN technology, thus providing remote connections that increase the scalability of business operations.
3. Cost-effective: Site-to-site VPN is economical because it provides low operational costs. Large businesses that have many remote offices can efficiently manage their network without any additional infrastructure.
4. Performance: Site-to-site VPN can be optimized for performance because the company designs the VPN solutions for its network. This ensures that the network is maintained, monitored and optimized for maximum performance, covering security, availability, reliability and quality.
Conclusion
In this article, we have seen how to configure MikroTik Site to Site VPN Configuration with IPsec. Site-to-Site VPN is vital in providing remote network access for remote locations. It ensures security of data and enhances the scalability of business operations. Site-to-Site VPN is based on IPsec tunneling, which is secure, widely accepted, and efficient. The configuration of Site-to-Site VPN is straightforward, and this article has guided us on how to get it done on MikroTik Router.
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