MikroTik SNMP setup for monitoring tools

Last updated: 11 October 2026

SNMP lets a monitoring program read a router's traffic counters, CPU, memory and uptime every few minutes and draw graphs of them over months. It is how ISPs see that a tower link is full every evening or that a router restarted at night.

Before you change a live router: take a backup (how) and turn on Safe Mode in Winbox, so a mistake that locks you out is undone by itself.

1. Turn it on with a private community

/snmp community set [find default=yes] name=ALongSecretWord addresses=192.168.88.10/32 read-access=yes write-access=no
/snmp set enabled=yes contact="noc@example.com" location="Main tower"

The community name works like a password for SNMP v1/v2c, so never leave it as public. addresses lists the machines allowed to ask; here only the monitoring server 192.168.88.10. Keep write access off.

SNMPv3: with a password and encryption

Version 2c sends the community name in plain text. If the monitoring traffic crosses links you do not control, use version 3:

/snmp community add name=monitor addresses=192.168.88.10/32 security=private authentication-protocol=SHA1 authentication-password=AuthPass12345 encryption-protocol=AES encryption-password=CryptPass12345 read-access=yes

In the monitoring tool, choose SNMPv3 with user monitor, level authPriv, SHA and AES, and the same two passwords.

2. Firewall

SNMP uses UDP 161. Allow it from the monitoring server only, and never from the internet:

/ip firewall filter add chain=input protocol=udp dst-port=161 src-address=192.168.88.10 action=accept comment="SNMP from monitoring" place-before=0

3. Test from the monitoring server

snmpwalk -v2c -c ALongSecretWord 192.168.88.1 1.3.6.1.2.1.1

This prints the router's name, description and uptime. No answer: check the community name, addresses, and the firewall.

Find the number for a counter

RouterOS shows the SNMP number (OID) of many values, handy for tools where you type it in:

/interface print oid where name=ether1
/queue simple print oid where name=all-users

Which tool?

The Dude: MikroTik's own free monitoring program, with a map of your network.
LibreNMS, Zabbix: free, run on a Linux machine, find MikroTik devices by themselves.
PRTG: Windows, free for a small number of sensors.

Without any server, the router can also draw its own graphs; see MikroTik graphing.

Turn it off

/snmp set enabled=no

Questions and answers

Is SNMP enabled by default on MikroTik?

No. It is off until you set /snmp enabled=yes. The default community is called public; rename it and limit its addresses before turning SNMP on.

Which port does MikroTik SNMP use?

UDP 161 for questions; traps, if you use them, go out to UDP 162 on the monitoring server.

Should I use SNMPv2c or v3?

v2c is fine inside your own network with a long community name and an address limit; use v3 when the traffic crosses links you do not control.

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