Advanced VPN Configurations With MikroTik Routers Deep Dive

Hey there fellow internet explorer, if you're reading this then it's safe to say that you're looking to get remote access to your Mikrotik Router, am I right? Well don't you worry your pretty little head because I'm about to give you a step-by-step guide on how to set up a VPN in your router for remote access! Woohoo!

First things first, let's talk about VPN a.k.a Virtual Private Network. In simple terms, VPN is a secure way to connect to the internet or a private network remotely. It provides a layer of security by encrypting your data and hiding your IP address so that you can surf the internet without anyone snooping in on your online activities.

Alright, let's get started with the setup:

Step 1: Access your Mikrotik Router

To access your router, you need to know the IP address of your router. If you don't know the IP address, don't panic because it's pretty easy to find out. Just follow these steps:

On your computer, click on the Windows logo in the bottom left corner.
Type "cmd" in the search bar and press enter.
The Command Prompt window will pop up, type in "ipconfig" and press enter.
Look for the "Default Gateway" under the Wireless LAN adapter or Ethernet adapter section. The numbers next to it are your router's IP address.

Step 2: Log in to your Mikrotik Router

Once you have your router's IP address, open up your web browser and type in the IP address in the search bar. This will take you to the login page of your router. Enter the username and password that you set up for your router. If you haven't set up a username and password, then try using the default credentials which are usually "admin" for both username and password.

Step 3: Configure your Mikrotik Router

After you successfully log in to your router, follow these steps to configure your router for VPN:

Click on the "IP" tab on the left-hand side of your screen, then click on "Pool".
Click on the "+" button on the top right corner of the screen to add a new pool.
Enter the pool name, for example, "VPN-Pool".
Enter the range of IP addresses that will be assigned to the VPN clients under the "Ranges" section. For example, if you want to assign IP addresses from 192.168.1.10 to 192.168.1.20 then enter those values.
Click on the "OK" button on the bottom right corner of the screen to save your settings.
Next, click on the "PPP" tab on the left-hand side of the screen, then click on "Interface".
Click on the "+" button on the top right corner of the screen to add a new interface.
Enter the interface name, for example, "VPN-Interface".
Select "pptp-client" from the "Type" dropdown menu.
Under the "General" tab, enter the IP address of the VPN server that you want to connect to in the "Remote Address" field. You can get this IP address from your VPN provider.
Under the "Authentication" tab, enter the username and password that you received from your VPN provider.
Under the "Advanced" tab, enable "Use Encryption", "Use Point-to-Point Encryption (MPPE)", and "Allow Stateful Encryption".
Click on the "OK" button on the bottom right corner of the screen to save your settings.

Step 4: Create a Firewall Rule

Now that you have configured your router for VPN, you need to create a firewall rule to allow VPN traffic:

Click on the "IP" tab on the left-hand side of your screen, then click on "Firewall".
Click on the "Filter Rules" tab, then click on the "+" button on the top right corner of the screen to add a new rule.
Enter a name for the firewall rule, for example, "VPN-Firewall".
Under the "General" tab, select "pptp" from the "Chain" dropdown menu.
Under the "Action" tab, select "accept" from the "Action" dropdown menu.
Under the "Extra" tab, select the interface that you created earlier from the "In Interface" dropdown menu, and select "any" from the "Out Interface" dropdown menu.
Click on the "OK" button on the bottom right corner of the screen to save your settings.

Step 5: Connect to the VPN Server

Now that you have completed all the necessary configurations, you can connect to the VPN server:

Click on the "PPP" tab on the left-hand side of your screen, then click on "Secrets".
Click on the "+" button on the top right corner of the screen to add a new user.
Enter a name for the user, for example, "VPN-User".
Enter a password for the user.
Under the "Service" dropdown menu, select "pptp".
Under the "Profile" dropdown menu, select "default-encryption".
Click on the "OK" button on the bottom right corner of the screen to save your settings.
Now, go to your device's network settings and create a new VPN connection. Enter the IP address of your Mikrotik router as the server address, and enter the username and password that you created earlier.
Click on the "Connect" button to connect to the VPN server.

Voila! You have successfully set up a VPN in your Mikrotik Router for remote access. Now you can access your network or surf the internet securely from anywhere in the world without worrying about your online privacy.

I hope this step-by-step guide helped you. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. Happy VPN-ing!