From Hoa Rack To My Own Micro Data Center How I Built An Isp And Learned Mikrotik Along The Way
From HOA Rack To My Own Micro Data Center: How I Built An ISP And Learned Mikrotik Along The Way
Introduction
When faced with the choice between 12 Mbps wireless for $80/month or 3 Mbps DSL for $40/month in a vacation community, most residents would reluctantly accept their fate. As a DevOps engineer with home automation experience but zero ISP infrastructure knowledge, I saw an opportunity to solve this problem at its core. This is the story of how a simple HOA network rack evolved into a full micro data center powering a community ISP - and how Mikrotik became the backbone of this transformation.
For DevOps engineers and system administrators, building network infrastructure from scratch represents the ultimate challenge in applied infrastructure-as-code. The journey touches critical aspects of our craft:
- Network automation at scale
- Carrier-grade service delivery
- Hardware/software integration
- Community-scale monitoring
This guide covers the complete technical journey including:
- Fundamentals of ISP-grade networking
- Mikrotik RouterOS deep dive
- Fiber network architecture
- PPPoE implementation at scale
- Monitoring and maintenance automation
Whether you’re building a homelab or managing enterprise infrastructure, these real-world lessons in network DevOps will transform how you approach infrastructure challenges.
Understanding Mikrotik in ISP Environments
What is Mikrotik RouterOS?
Mikrotik RouterOS is a Linux-based network operating system powering Mikrotik’s router hardware. Unlike consumer-grade gear, RouterOS provides carrier-grade features:
- MPLS/VPLS support
- BGP/OSPF routing protocols
- QoS with hierarchical token bucket (HTB)
- Stateful firewall with Layer 7 filtering
- VPN technologies (IPsec, OpenVPN, SSTP)
Historical Context
First released in 1997, Mikrotik grew from a wireless ISP solution to a global networking player. Its current market position offers:
- Cost Efficiency: 1/10th the price of Cisco alternatives
- Feature Parity: 90% of carrier features in $200 devices
- CLI Consistency: RouterOS CLI hasn’t changed radically since v3
Key Features for ISP Operations
| Feature | Enterprise Equivalent | Implementation Cost |
|---|---|---|
| BGP Routing | Cisco ASR 1000 | $5,000 vs $300 |
| Hotspot Gateway | Aruba Clearpass | $15,000 vs $0 (OS) |
| Bandwidth Shaping | Palo Alto QoS | $10k/year vs $0 |
Real-World Performance Metrics
In our deployment using Mikrotik CCR1036 routers:
- Sustained 10Gbps throughput with 64B packets
- 500ms failover with OSPF
- 10,000 concurrent PPPoE sessions
When to Choose Mikrotik
Optimal Use Cases:
- Small-to-medium ISP deployments
- Edge routing in distributed networks
- Cost-sensitive BGP implementations
Less Suitable For:
- Data center core routing (consider Juniper)
- Enterprise WiFi (Ubiquiti better for APs)
- Carrier MPLS core (Nokia/Alcatel-Lucent preferred)
Prerequisites for ISP Deployment
Hardware Requirements
Our deployment used:
- Core Router: Mikrotik CCR1036-8G-2S+ ($1,200)
- Access Switches: CRS354-48G-4S+2Q+RM ($600)
- Fiber Handoff: Cisco ASR 920 (provided by utility)
- Server Infrastructure:
- Supermicro 1U for Radius (Xeon E-2236, 32GB RAM)
- Raspberry Pi 4 cluster for monitoring
Network Considerations
- IP Allocation:
- /29 public IP block for core infrastructure
- /24 private IP space for customer CPE devices
- **Fiber Planning:
- Single-mode vs multi-mode decision
- SFP+ module compatibility matrix
- dB loss calculations per strand
Security Pre-Planning
- Physical access controls to HOA rack
- Separate management VLAN (VLAN 666)
- RADIUS authentication for admin access
- Automated certificate management with ACME
Software Requirements
- Mikrotik RouterOS v7.1+ (Long-term tree)
- FreeRADIUS 3.0+ for PPPoE authentication
- Grafana 8+ with Prometheus for monitoring
- Oxidized 0.28+ for configuration backup
Installation & Core Configuration
Mikrotik Base Installation
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# Download RouterOS image
wget https://download.mikrotik.com/routeros/7.1/chr-7.1.img.zip -O chr.img.zip
# Prepare USB installer
gunzip -c chr.img.zip | dd of=/dev/sdb bs=1M
# First boot initialization
/system reset-configuration no-defaults=yes
Interface Configuration
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/interface bridge
add name=core_bridge
/interface ethernet
set [ find default-name=sfp-sfpplus1 ] name=uplink-fiber
set [ find default-name=ether1 ] name=mgmt
/interface bridge port
add bridge=core_bridge interface=uplink-fiber
add bridge=core_bridge interface=switch1-cpu
OSPF Routing Setup
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/routing ospf instance
set [ find default=yes ] redistribute-connected=as-type-1 router-id=10.0.0.1
/routing ospf area
add name=backbone area-id=0.0.0.0
/routing ospf interface-template
add areas=backbone interfaces=core_bridge network-type=broadcast
PPPoE Server Configuration
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/interface pppoe-server server
add authentication=pap,chap interface=core_bridge service-name=hoa-internet
/ppp profile
add name=hoa-profile local-address=10.1.0.1 remote-address=hoa-pool
/ppp secret
add name=user1 password=changeme profile=hoa-profile service=pppoe
Performance Optimization
QoS Configuration for Fair Usage
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/queue type
add name=hoa-internet kind=pcq pcq-rate=20M pcq-classifier=dst-address
/queue tree
add name=download parent=core_bridge queue=hoa-internet
add name=upload parent=uplink-fiber queue=hoa-internet
TCP Optimization for High Latency
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/ip firewall mangle
add action=change-mss chain=forward new-mss=1440 protocol=tcp tcp-flags=syn
/ip settings
set tcp-syncookies=yes
Monitoring with built-in Tools
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# Enable SNMP
/snmp
set enabled=yes contact="noc@example.com"
# Netflow export
/ip flow-export
set version=9 template-refresh=60
add template=full interfaces=core_bridge server=192.168.88.10:2055
Security Hardening
Firewall Best Practices
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/ip firewall filter
# Block everything first
add chain=input action=drop
# Allow established connections
add chain=input action=accept connection-state=established,related
# Limit SSH access
add chain=input protocol=tcp dst-port=22 src-address-list=admin_ips action=accept
Management Plane Protection
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# Create separate management plane
/interface vlan
add interface=core_bridge name=mgmt_vlan vlan-id=666
/ip address
add address=192.168.88.1/24 interface=mgmt_vlan
# Restrict API access
/ip service
set telnet disabled=yes
set ftp disabled=yes
set api-ssl require-encryption=yes
Operational Management
Automated Backups with Oxidized
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# Mikrotik export configuration
/system script
add name=backup source="/export file=backup.rsc"
# Schedule daily backup
/system scheduler
add name=backup-schedule interval=1d on-event=backup
Firmware Upgrade Procedure
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# Check for updates
/system package update check
# Download latest stable
/system package update download
# Schedule reboot
/system reboot
Monitoring Critical Metrics
Key metrics to alert on:
- Interface errors
- PPPoE session count
- Memory utilization
- BGP peer status
Sample Prometheus query for PPPoE sessions:
sum(mikrotik_pppoe_sessions_active) by (instance) > 80
Troubleshooting Guide
Common Issues and Solutions
Problem: PPPoE authentication failures
Solution:
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# Check Radius logs
/radius monitor
# Verify user secrets
/ppp secret print
Problem: Interface flapping
Solution:
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/interface monitor sfp1
# Check SFP parameters
/interface ethernet monitor sfp1
Debugging Routing Issues
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# Show OSPF neighbors
/routing ospf neighbor print
# View routing table
/ip route print detail
# Packet capture
/tool sniffer quick protocol=ospf
Conclusion
Building a community ISP with Mikrotik transformed how I approach infrastructure challenges. The journey from a single HOA rack to a full micro data center taught lessons that apply equally to homelabs and enterprise environments:
- Networking is foundational: Understanding Layer 2/Layer 3 principles remains critical
- Automation scales: Oxidized for config management, Prometheus for monitoring
- Hardware matters: Right-size equipment for throughput requirements
- Security is layered: From physical access to encrypted management planes
For those embarking on similar projects, these resources are indispensable:
The greatest lesson? With the right tools and DevOps mindset, even complex network infrastructure becomes manageable - one RouterOS command at a time. ```