MikroTik

I was wondering If You guys at Mikrotik could develop a setup wizard for the most common and basic configurations.

Something friendly that eaven a novice could use to quickly setup the most common and basic configurations.

My Idea of this would be something with a nice graphical interface, real simple to understand, like: What are going to use your router for? and then some options like: Standard Router, Hotspot... etc. and so on.

This would really hellp people like us who are just getting the hang of RouterOs.

Thanks.

Best Regards:

James Edward Sowell Escoth.

I was wondering If You guys at Mikrotik could develop a setup wizard for the most common and basic configurations.

Something friendly that eaven a novice could use to quickly setup the most common and basic configurations.

My Idea of this would be something with a nice graphical interface, real simple to understand, like: What are going to use your router for? and then some options like: Standard Router, Hotspot... etc. and so on.

This would really hellp people like us who are just getting the hang of RouterOs.

Thanks.

Best Regards:

James Edward Sowell Escoth.

Have you tried the Web interface? Theres some easy firewall configurations etc..


/Henrik

You may try Winbox, as it already provides very intuitive 'web-interface'.
As well HotSpot server, DHCP-server, etc. already provided with 'setup' command, that allows to create basic configuration.

some will say that a router is not for novices, and that there is no such thing as a common configuration for a router. how can the router know which interface is the private one, which IP addresses you want to use and which user should get his speed limited? if you wish to set all these, simply use "Simple Queue" as it needs only these settings.

In this case MT need to include voice recognize soft and then may be

Yes, configuring a router involves a lot of tecnical knoledge, and it all starts with "What are you going to use your router for?",
-It could be just to hide some machines from the network
-use it like a hotspot
-....... the list is virtually endless

but there are certain aplications witch are used the most,

and as far a knowing witch interfaces are doing what, once the setup wizard knows what you are going to use the rotuer for, then the wizard asks you to connect a certain utp to any interface.

I don't know, It's just an Idea, It would be really cool

I agree, one who wants to use MikroTik should have descent knowlege

I can imagine at least one scenario that could be put under wizard: classic two interface, NAT- router. Is could simply ask user which interface to use for ISP connection, adn help to set that connection, and set NAT, DHCP and equal bandwidth sharing on interface for LAN.

The other one is very similar, but with plain routing instead of NAT.

It would be great ifMT script can accept input from user, so we can create our own little wizards. It would be very helpgul, when you have lots of MT's in network, and they all have to be set in very similar manner with jut one or two different pats (usualy IP addresses).

use webbox and you will have this wizzard ready for you.

and on the other had, we have wiki page with many good examples - use that for reference on how to create these configurations.

if you want to you can create your own how-to and submit it into wiki, so all users can use it and/or make error corrections to that how-to. it would be more useful as some lousy wizards..

Sometims I have a feeling that you do not even bother to understand what we are talking about.

Point is that we know how to it set up, but we find it more practical to have wizards to set do staight forward settings we have to repeat again and again.

yes, but did you try webbox? it does have wizards

Webbox is not accessible on freshly installed MT. It works after you set it up (at least, provide IP address. I talked about wizard that asks you few questions in console and then sets MT all way up. Something very similar to setup command but more automated and with few more options..

most often wizards offer simple solutions that is right, but i would point out, that is also a security risk, as these addresses would be most often used to set up internal networks. wireless configuration would be the same.

and IMO it is faster for me to set up an access point by hand in console that by a wizard.

and at the end there will be group of MT users that will not understand anything about networking at all, and there will be more errors like - my network does not work, fix it, this is urgent and answer would be, check your ip addressin - and repply - which wizard is that?

Webbox is not accessible on freshly installed MT. It works after you set it up (at least, provide IP address. I talked about wizard that asks you few questions in console and then sets MT all way up. Something very similar to setup command but more automated and with few more options..

it is, if you install over netinstall, basic IP config is already set up. Besides Netinstall even allows you to run scripts which will do all config as you want.

Yes, as far as the security issues involved in using wizzards... Why not have the wizard explain you that in advance??

Router Os is a great platform, but it does requiere a good knoledge of networking.

It would be really cool if there could be a Cd you put in a pc this cd contains a setup wizard witch dettects the mikrotik boxes in the network and then ask you things like... what are going to do with this boxes?, and based upon that, guide you with the verry basic setup, and then configure the securities ishues.

I belibe this would be a major selling point for Mikrotik.

Why do you think CISCO is so succesfull??? because their products are easy to configure¡¡¡¡ they have all kinds of support and stuff, you put a cd in the computer and there comes a really simple wizard and you are ready to go. later on in the future if you whant to tweek the configuration then you can do so.

The point here, is that, once you get the basic configuration, you have a starting point and you can tweek the other things latter on.

I started configuring my mikrotik box with out previos knoledge of networking or anything like that¡¡¡ so... IT WAS FUN¡¡¡ when I finally configured the MT box the way I whanted, I knew a hole bunch of networking stuff because I had to.

But the regular user... would avoid at all cost that kind of work, so... it would be really nice, to have a settup wizard for regular users, then as their requirements grow, he can get into the more tecnical stuff.


Best Regards: James S.

I do not see wizards as help to users who do not know how to set thing sup. On the contraty, they should be able to help experienced users to automate settings, thus, save them time.

... and for this you have netinstall import script support

I agree with Normis unfortunately - unfortunately Wizards take away control and you WILL get people using Mikrotik if it has wizards - these people have no business using Mikrotik - If they can't setup Mikrotik in Console or Winbox then they shouldn't be using Mikrotik - they don't have the right knowledge for the job that theya re trying to do. Mikrotik is a specialised Linux based operating system - it's not Made or intended for Plebs - they only create un-necessary work for the MT support staff - the MT support staff could rather be working on REAL problems - not helping someone setup MT that shouldn't even be using MT.

Isn't the obvious short-term solution to write the wizards using Visual Basic, compiled to .exe and running on a PC ?
The VB could communicate using SSH or telnet to the box
(we do this already with our own-brand RadioManager which gives deliberately-restricted access to our MT-based solutions)
http://www.cablefreesolutions.com/radio ... screen.png
http://www.cablefreesolutions.com/radio/RM%20tab1.png

In the ideal case wizards would run "on the box" but OTOH it'll tie up MT developer time, and precious Flash code space especially on RB-type boards where there isn't tons spare.
Wizards could be put on a website, or even put on the router (assuming there's spare flash space in FTP) and downloaded when needed. << some more thought needed here.
If people want some specific PC-based wizards I don't mind volunteering some developer time here to code them up. They'd help our customers too. Comments/votes please-

Regards

CableFree Solutions

instead of ssh you should use API - more functionality and all kinds of benefits.

instead of ssh you should use API - more functionality and all kinds of benefits.

Noted! I will tell our developers here.

http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/API
http://forum.mikrotik.com/viewtopic.php ... hlight=api