Module 5: Routing Fundamentals (Cisco + MikroTik)
5.1 Static Routing (Cisco + MikroTik)
Static routing is a method where routes are manually configured by the network
administrator. Unlike dynamic routing (like RIP or OSPF), static routes don’t change unless
you update them yourself.
Cisco Static Routing
In Cisco IOS, static routes are added using the ip route command.
Syntax:
ip route [destination_network] [subnet_mask] [next_hop_ip or exit_interface]
Example:
ip route 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.2
This tells the router: “To reach the 192.168.2.0/24 network, send packets to 10.0.0.2.”
MikroTik Static Routing
In MikroTik RouterOS, static routes are configured via WinBox, WebFig, or CLI.
CLI Syntax:
/ip route add dst-address=[destination_network] gateway=[next_hop_ip]
Example:
/ip route add dst-address=192.168.2.0/24 gateway=10.0.0.2
5.2 Dynamic Routing Protocols: RIP(Cisco)
RIP is one of the oldest dynamic routing protocols, using a distance-vector algorithm. It
automatically shares routing information between routers to determine the best path based on
hop count.
Max hop count: 15 (16 = unreachable)
Updates every: 30 seconds
Administrative distance: 120
Metric used: Hop count
RIP Configuration in Cisco IOS
Here’s how to configure RIP step by step:
Basic Syntax:
Router(config)# router rip
Router(config-router)# version 2
Router(config-router)# network [network_id]
Example:
Router(config)# router rip Router(config-router)# version 2 Router(config-router)# network
192.168.1.0 Router(config-router)# network 10.0.0.0
This tells the router to advertise networks 192.168.1.0 and 10.0.0.0 using RIP.
Key Concepts
RIP v1: Classful, no subnet mask info
RIP v2: Classless, supports VLSM and authentication
Split Horizon: Prevents routing loops
Timers: Control update, invalid, hold-down, and flush intervals
5.3 OSPF & Static Routes in MikroTik
OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) in MikroTik
OSPF is a dynamic link-state routing protocol that automatically shares routing info
between routers in the same Autonomous System.
Basic Setup Steps:
1. Set Router ID (optional but recommended):
/routing ospf instance add name=default router-id=1.1.1.1
1. Create Area (usually backbone):
/routing ospf area add name=backbone area-id=0.0.0.0 instance=default
1. Enable OSPF on Interfaces:
/routing ospf interface-template add networks=192.168.1.0/24 area=backbone
Or by interface:
/routing ospf interface-template add interfaces=ether1 area=backbone
1. Verify OSPF Neighbors:
/routing ospf neighbor print
Concepts to Know:
Router ID: Unique identifier for each router.
Area 0: Backbone area; all other areas must connect to it.
LSA (Link State Advertisement): OSPF’s way of sharing routing info.
Cost: Metric based on link speed; lower cost = preferred path.
5.4 Route Summarization and Redistribution
Route Summarization (aka Supernetting)
Purpose: Reduce the number of routes in the routing table by combining multiple contiguous
subnets into a single summary route.
Benefits:
Smaller routing tables
Less bandwidth used for routing updates
Improved network stability (hides flapping routes)
Faster routing decisions
Example:
You have these networks:
192.168.1.0/24
192.168.2.0/24
192.168.3.0/24
They can be summarized as:
192.168.0.0/22
Cisco RIP Summarization:
Router(config-if)# ip summary-address rip 192.168.0.0 255.255.252.0
MikroTik RIP Summarization:
Use static route or filter rules to advertise summarized prefixes.
Route Redistribution
Purpose: Share routing information between different routing protocols (e.g., RIP ↔ OSPF,
OSPF ↔ BGP).
Why To Use It?
Migrate from one protocol to another
Connect different administrative domains
Integrate legacy systems with modern protocols
Cisco Example: Redistribute RIP into OSPF
Router(config)# router ospf 1
Router(config-router)# redistribute rip subnets
MikroTik Example: Redistribute Static into OSPF
/routing ospf redistribute static
Key Concepts:
Administrative Distance: Helps resolve conflicts when multiple protocols know the
same route.
Route Filtering: Use prefix lists or route maps to control what gets redistributed.
Metric Translation: Each protocol uses different metrics (e.g., RIP uses hop count,
OSPF uses cost), so you may need to manually set metrics.
5.5 Routing Lab with Cisco and MikroTik
Lab Topology Overview
We'll simulate a simple network with:
1 Cisco Router (R1)
2 MikroTik Routers (R2 and R3)
3 LAN segments: 192.168.1.0/24, 192.168.2.0/24, 192.168.3.0/24
Each router connects to one LAN and shares routing info using OSPF.
IP Addressing Plan
Device Interface IP Address Network
R1 G0/0 10.0.0.1/30 Link to R2
R1 G0/1 192.168.1.1/24 LAN 1
R2 Ether1 10.0.0.2/30 Link to R1
R2 Ether2 10.0.0.5/30 Link to R3
R2 Ether3 192.168.2.1/24 LAN 2
R3 Ether1 10.0.0.6/30 Link to R2
R3 Ether2 192.168.3.1/24 LAN 3
Cisco OSPF Configuration (R1)
Router(config)# router ospf 1
Router(config-router)# network 10.0.0.0 0.0.0.3 area 0
Router(config-router)# network 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
MikroTik OSPF Configuration (R2 & R3)
R2:
/routing ospf instance add name=default router-id=2.2.2.2 /routing ospf area add
name=backbone area-id=0.0.0.0 instance=default /routing ospf interface-template add
interfaces=ether1,ether2,ether3 area=backbone /ip address add address=10.0.0.2/30
interface=ether1 /ip address add address=10.0.0.5/30 interface=ether2 /ip address add
address=192.168.2.1/24 interface=ether3
R3:
/routing ospf instance add name=default router-id=3.3.3.3 /routing ospf area add
name=backbone area-id=0.0.0.0 instance=default /routing ospf interface-template add
interfaces=ether1,ether2 area=backbone /ip address add address=10.0.0.6/30 interface=ether1
/ip address add address=192.168.3.1/24 interface=ether2
Verification Steps
Cisco:
show ip ospf neighbor show ip route
MikroTik:
/routing ospf neighbor print /ip route print
What we Learn
OSPF behavior across platforms
IP subnetting and interface setup
CLI differences between Cisco and MikroTik
How to verify routing table propagation
