MikroTik Router Configuration Dynamic Routing With RIP And OSPF

In today's technological world, networking plays a vital role in connecting and sharing resources among different devices. One of the most important aspects of networking is routing, which helps in forwarding data packets between different networks. In this post, we will delve into the topic of OSPF Routing in Mikrotik routers.

Introduction to OSPF Routing

Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a routing protocol that enables routers to communicate with each other in a network. It is used to determine the best path for forwarding data packets between networks. OSPF is a link-state protocol, which means that each router has complete information about the network topology.

In OSPF routing, the network is divided into areas, and routers only have information about their area. Area Border Routers (ABRs) connect different areas and have complete information about the network topology. The use of areas improves the scalability and manageability of the network.

Configuring OSPF on a Mikrotik Router

Configuring OSPF on a Mikrotik router is a straightforward process. Follow the steps below to configure OSPF routing:

Step 1: Log in to your Mikrotik router using Winbox or the web interface.
Step 2: Click on IP -> Addresses and add an IP address to your router interface.
Step 3: Click on IP -> Routes and add a default route pointing to your ISP gateway.
Step 4: Click on Routing -> OSPF and add a new OSPF instance.
Step 5: Add your router interface to the OSPF instance and set the area ID for the interface.
Step 6: Add the networks that your router is connected to the OSPF instance.
Step 7: Configure the priority and cost for the OSPF instance.
Step 8: Save your configuration and enable OSPF on your interfaces.

OSPF Routing Metrics

OSPF routing calculates different metrics to determine the shortest path for forwarding data packets. The metrics used in OSPF routing include:

Bandwidth: The bandwidth of the link between routers.
Delay: The delay between sending and receiving data packets.
Load: The current load on the links between routers.
Reliability: The reliability of the link between routers.
MTU: The Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) of the link between routers.

By using these metrics, OSPF routing can determine the shortest path for forwarding data packets between different networks. This improves the efficiency and speed of the network.

OSPF Routing Types

OSPF Routing supports different types of routing. The different OSPF routing types are:

Intra-Area Routing: This type of routing is used to route data packets within an area.
Inter-Area Routing: This type of routing is used to route data packets between different areas.
External Routing: This type of routing is used to route data packets between OSPF and non-OSPF networks.
Multipath Routing: This type of routing is used to split traffic between different paths to increase network performance.

OSPF Authentication

OSPF supports authentication to prevent unauthorized access to the network. The authentication methods used in OSPF routing include:

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Simple Password: This method uses a plain text password that is shared among all routers in the network.
MD5 Authentication: This method uses a hash function to authenticate routers in the network.

By using authentication, OSPF routing can ensure that only authorized routers can access the network, improving network security.

Conclusion

OSPF Routing is an important aspect of networking that helps in forwarding data packets between different networks. It is a link-state routing protocol that uses different metrics to determine the shortest path for forwarding data packets. Configuring OSPF on a Mikrotik router is a straightforward process that can improve the scalability, manageability, and speed of the network. By using different OSPF routing types and authentication methods, OSPF routing can ensure efficient and secure communication between different devices.