MIKROTIK

Mikrotīkls Ltd., known internationally as MikroTik, is a Latvian manufacturer of computer networking equipment. It sells wireless products and routers. The company was founded in 1995, with the intent to sell in the emerging wireless technology market.

RouterOS

The main product of MikroTik is a Linux-based operating system known as MikroTik RouterOS. It lets users turn a selected PC-based machine into a software router, allowing features such as firewall rules, VPN Server and Client, bandwidth shaper Quality of Service, wireless access point and other commonly used features for routing and connecting networks together. The system is also able to serve as a captive-portal based hotspot system. The operating system is licensed in escalating levels, each releasing more of the available RouterOS features as the level number rises. Licensing is fee based and escalates with the released features. There is a software called Winbox which provides a sophisticated GUI for the RouterOS operating system.
The software also allows connections via FTP and telnet, and SSH shell access. There is also an API which allows creating customised applications for management and monitoring.

Features

RouterOS supports many applications that can be used by medium size to large ISP, for example OSPF, BGP, VPLS/MPLS. All in one, RouterOS is a versatile system, and is very well supported by Mikrotik, both through a forum and a Wiki providing assorted and thematic examples of configurations.
The software provides support for virtually all the network interfaces that the Linux kernel 2.6.16 supports, excepting wireless, where the Atheros and Prism are the only supported chipsets, as of 3.x version. Mikrotik is also working on upgrades to the software which will enable full compatibility between the Mikrotik-specific services and newer networking developements such as IPv6 and MPLS

The RouterOS software comes with several level that differ its capabilities.

RouterBOARD

The RouterOS, combined with their hardware product line, known as MikroTik RouterBOARD, is marketed at small to medium sized wireless Internet service providers, typically providing broadband wireless access in remote areas.

You can use RouterBOARD for the purpose of indoor wireless as well as outdoor WLAN.

RouterBOARD line of products consist of:
- RouterBOARD for WIFI CPE device: RB/411, RB/411R,
- RouterBOARD for Small to Medium load WIFI Access Point Device: RB/411A, RB/411AH
- RouterBOARD for High load WIFI Access Point Device: RB/600A, RB/433AH
- RouterBOARD for non-WIFI use: RB/450, RB/450G, RB/1000U