MikroTik
Latvian networking equipment and software company known for RouterOS, RouterBOARD hardware, routers, switches, and wireless systems.
Last updated August 21, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
MikroTik, officially SIA Mikrotīkls, is a Latvian networking technology company headquartered in Riga. Founded in 1996 by John Tully and Arnis Riekstiņš, it initially concentrated on networking software for standard x86 personal-computer hardware. That software evolved into MikroTik RouterOS, a Linux-based network operating system that provides routing, switching, wireless, firewall, VPN, bandwidth-management, monitoring, and network-management capabilities. The company later expanded from software into purpose-built hardware. In 2002 it introduced RouterBOARD, a family of low-power single-board computers designed to run RouterOS. Over time, RouterBOARD developed into a broad hardware portfolio marketed under product families such as hEX, hAP, RB, CRS, CCR, cAP, wAP, SXT, LHG, and FiberBox. MikroTik equipment spans small home and office routers, enterprise and service-provider routers, managed switches, wireless access points, outdoor wireless links, LTE products, optical networking equipment, and rack-mounted platforms. MikroTik’s principal differentiation is the combination of extensive software functionality, comparatively low hardware prices, and a common operating environment across many device classes. RouterOS enables relatively advanced capabilities on inexpensive equipment, while higher-end Cloud Core Router products target carrier, internet-service-provider, and enterprise deployments. SwOS provides a more focused operating system for selected switching products. The company also supplies utilities and management tools including WinBox, Netinstall, WebFig, The Dude, User Manager, and CAPsMAN-related wireless management functionality. MikroTik serves a diverse international customer base. Its products are used by internet service providers, telecommunications operators, schools and universities, government organizations, businesses, wireless-network operators, and technically capable consumers. The company’s equipment is particularly visible in cost-sensitive deployments where administrators need routing, wireless, VLAN, VPN, traffic-control, or monitoring functions without purchasing higher-priced traditional enterprise platforms. The brand’s development history is closely connected to the growth of affordable wireless and broadband networking. Early RouterOS releases added wireless-card support and progressively introduced features such as hotspot management, OSPF, BGP, RADIUS, MPLS, VPLS, IPv6, OpenVPN, scripting, FastTrack, and hardware-aware acceleration. The hardware program followed a similar progression from expandable boards and wireless cards to integrated routers, switches, access points, outdoor radios, cellular devices, and high-throughput multi-core routers. MikroTik remains a privately held Latvian company. Public reference material describes it as employing 367 people in 2023. A reported 2022 valuation of approximately €1.30 billion made it the fourth-largest company in Latvia by value and the first private Latvian company to exceed the €1 billion valuation level. MikroTik does not have a publicly identified stock ticker. Its present identity is that of a globally distributed networking brand built around the integration of RouterOS software with a wide and comparatively accessible hardware range.
History
MikroTik was established in Riga in 1996 by John Tully and Arnis Riekstiņš. Its earliest work focused on networking software for x86 personal computers rather than on manufacturing complete network appliances. The first software release appeared in 1997 and was based on Linux 2.0. A stable release in 1999, based on Linux 2.2, added support for PCI wireless cards and helped position the product for emerging wireless-network deployments. RouterOS developed rapidly during the early 2000s. The version 2 generation introduced capabilities including hotspot services, hierarchical bandwidth management, OSPF, BGP, and RADIUS-client functions. WinBox provided a graphical management interface, while Netinstall supplied a dedicated installation and recovery utility. These additions helped RouterOS appeal to internet-service providers and network administrators that needed functionality beyond basic consumer routing equipment. In 2002 MikroTik began producing its own low-power networking boards under the RouterBOARD name. The boards initially functioned as expandable platforms for RouterOS and could also be integrated into other systems. Releases such as the RB200, RB220, RB230, RB532, and RB112 progressively added wireless expansion, memory-card support, Power over Ethernet, cellular readiness, ruggedized construction, and greater memory capacity. This hardware strategy allowed MikroTik to control the relationship between operating system and device design while offering lower-cost alternatives to conventional carrier and enterprise hardware. During the second half of the 2000s, the company broadened its platform. RouterOS version 3 introduced features including multiprocessing, MPLS, VPLS, multicast routing, OpenVPN, and wireless-network improvements. The RB600, RB411, RB433, RB1000, and related systems expanded the range from small wireless boards to gigabit and rack-oriented routing equipment. RouterOS version 4 added Wi-Fi 4 support and Lua scripting, while associated products such as The Dude and MetaROUTER extended monitoring and virtualization capabilities. The 2010s brought a shift toward integrated, purpose-built product families. MikroTik introduced switching hardware using SwOS, rack-mounted and storage-capable routers, outdoor wireless systems, small-office routers, ceiling access points, cellular equipment, and optical products. RouterOS version 5 added or stabilized functions such as IPv6, WebFig, SSTP, GRE, WPS, and the Nv2 wireless protocol. Version 6, released as a stable branch in 2013, added 64-bit support, partitioning, FastTrack, and FastPath. CAPsMAN and CAPsMAN version 2 gave administrators centralized management options for compatible wireless access points. The Cloud Core Router line marked MikroTik’s move into higher-performance routing. The CCR1036-12G-4S introduced a 36-core platform with 10GbE-related connectivity, while the CCR1072-1G-8S+ extended the company’s multi-core routing ambitions with a 72-core design and multiple high-speed ports. At the more accessible end of the portfolio, products including the hAP lite, hEX, RB750, CRS326, and related models helped establish MikroTik as a widely recognized provider of affordable professional networking equipment. MikroTik’s hardware development also expanded into specialized environments. The SXT, LHG, QRT, NetMetal, wAP, cAP, and OmniTIK families addressed outdoor links, directional wireless, weather-resistant access, and managed Wi-Fi. The SXT LTE and wAP LTE introduced integrated cellular connectivity, while FiberBox and other optical products served outdoor and fiber-oriented deployments. By 2023 public reference material reported 367 employees. A reported 2022 valuation of €1.30 billion made MikroTik one of Latvia’s largest companies by value and the first private Latvian company to exceed a billion-euro valuation. The company continues to operate as a private, globally oriented networking brand whose identity rests on the combination of RouterOS software and a broad RouterBOARD-derived hardware ecosystem.
- 2023
Reported workforce reached 367 employees
[1]Public reference material reported that MikroTik had 367 employees in 2023.
- 2022
Reported valuation exceeded €1 billion
[1]Public reference material reported a valuation of approximately €1.30 billion, making MikroTik the fourth-largest company in Latvia by value and the first private Latvian company to exceed €1 billion.
- 2017
CRS326 and 60 GHz wireless expansion
[1]MikroTik released the CRS326-24G-2S+RM and introduced 60 GHz wireless bridge products, broadening its managed-switch and high-frequency wireless offerings.
- 2015
hAP lite and expanded high-performance portfolio
[1]The hAP lite strengthened MikroTik’s low-cost home and small-office presence, while the company also released major CCR, hEX, cAP, wAP, and outdoor products.
- 2014
Centralized wireless management and Wi-Fi 5 products
[1]MikroTik introduced stable CAPsMAN functionality and began releasing Wi-Fi 5 devices, alongside new outdoor, cellular, access-point, and optical products.
- 2013
RouterOS version 6 stabilized
[1]RouterOS v6 added or consolidated 64-bit support, partitions, FastTrack, and FastPath, while MikroTik continued expanding its gigabit switching and wireless portfolio.
- 2012
Cloud Core Router line expanded
[1]The CCR1036-12G-4S brought a high-core-count routing platform with high-speed interfaces and positioned MikroTik more clearly for demanding service-provider and enterprise workloads.
- 2010
SwOS switching platform introduced
[1]The RB250GS became the first MikroTik product associated with SwOS and a microcontroller-based switching design.
- 2008
RouterOS version 3 and expanded RouterBOARD portfolio
[1]RouterOS version 3 introduced major routing, VPN, MPLS, and multicasting capabilities, while MikroTik released increasingly powerful gigabit, wireless, and rack-oriented RouterBOARD systems.
- 2006
First MikroTik User Meeting
[1]The company held its first MikroTik User Meeting, creating a recurring community and training forum around its products.
Products and positioning
A flexible, feature-rich, and comparatively cost-efficient networking platform for service providers, small and medium-sized businesses, enterprises, institutions, wireless operators, and advanced consumers.
Network operating system · 1997
RouterOS
RouterOS is MikroTik’s Linux-based network operating system and the central software platform across much of its product range. It supports routing protocols, switching, wireless networking, firewalling, VPNs, bandwidth management, hotspot services, monitoring, scripting, and other network functions. Its feature breadth allows comparatively inexpensive hardware to serve service-provider, business, institutional, and advanced home deployments.
Networking hardware platform · 2002
RouterBOARD
RouterBOARD began as a family of low-power single-board computers designed to run RouterOS. It developed into the foundation for MikroTik’s integrated routers, wireless devices, switches, and specialized networking appliances. The platform has appeared in expandable boards, desktop systems, rack-mounted products, outdoor radios, and cellular equipment.
High-performance router · 2012
Cloud Core Router
Cloud Core Router is MikroTik’s high-performance routing family for internet-service providers, enterprises, and other demanding networks. Models such as the CCR1036 and CCR1072 use high-core-count processors and high-speed interfaces to provide substantially more capacity than small-office products. The family represents MikroTik’s move beyond entry-level and small-business networking into carrier-oriented routing.
Wired router · 2015
hEX
The hEX family consists of compact wired routers aimed at small offices, homes, laboratories, and professional network installations. Models provide RouterOS capabilities in small, generally fanless enclosures and emphasize flexible routing, firewalling, VPN, VLAN, and traffic-management functions. Variants have included gigabit, PoE, and SFP-oriented configurations.
Wireless router · 2015
hAP
hAP is MikroTik’s family of integrated home and small-office access points and wireless routers. The range includes compact low-cost models as well as dual-band products, combining Wi-Fi connectivity with RouterOS routing and management features. The hAP lite in particular helped extend the brand into affordable consumer and small-business wireless networking.
Managed switch · 2010
CRS
CRS, or Cloud Router Switch, is MikroTik’s managed-switch family. Products range from compact copper switches to rack-mounted systems with SFP and SFP+ connectivity. Depending on the model, users can operate SwOS or RouterOS, allowing a choice between focused switching management and a broader routing and network-services environment.
Wireless access point · 2014
cAP and wAP
The cAP family targets ceiling-mounted and centrally managed wireless access, while wAP products are compact weather-resistant access points and routers for indoor or outdoor use. These devices support MikroTik’s broader wireless-management ecosystem and are intended for homes, small businesses, institutions, and distributed deployments.
Outdoor wireless system · 2011
SXT and LHG
SXT and LHG products are integrated outdoor wireless systems for point-to-point links, customer-premises equipment, and directional broadband access. The families use directional antenna designs and RouterOS-based hardware to support longer-range wireless connectivity. Related models have addressed 5 GHz, 60 GHz, and cellular networking applications.
Switch operating system · 2010
SwOS
SwOS is MikroTik’s focused operating system for compatible switching products. Compared with RouterOS, it concentrates on switch configuration and management, providing a simpler environment for VLANs, port controls, monitoring, and related switching functions. It is used on selected CRS and earlier switch platforms.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006MikroTik User Meeting
International
MikroTik began its User Meeting program as a community, education, and technical-exchange forum for RouterOS users, administrators, integrators, and service providers.
Outcome. Created a recurring user and training community around the brand.
Brand decisions
2012
Launch of the CCR1036 Cloud Core RouterProduct launchBackground
Service providers and larger networks required more routing capacity than MikroTik’s small-office and earlier RouterBOARD products could provide.
Action taken
MikroTik launched the CCR1036-12G-4S with a 36-core processor architecture, high-speed interfaces, and a design aimed at demanding routing workloads.
Aftermath
The product established the Cloud Core Router family and strengthened MikroTik’s position in higher-performance routing.
2010
Introduction of SwOS-based switching productsProduct launchBackground
MikroTik’s RouterOS platform provided broad routing functionality, but dedicated switching products required a more focused operating environment.
Action taken
The company released the RB250GS, associated with the first stable SwOS switching platform and a microcontroller-based design.
Aftermath
SwOS gave MikroTik a distinct switching-oriented software option alongside RouterOS.
2002
Expansion from software into dedicated hardwareStrategyBackground
MikroTik initially developed networking software for x86 computers. The company identified an opportunity to provide purpose-built, low-power systems optimized for RouterOS.
Action taken
It introduced the RouterBOARD line of networking-oriented single-board computers and subsequently expanded into complete routers, wireless devices, and switches.
Aftermath
The hardware platform became a central part of MikroTik’s identity and enabled a broad, vertically integrated product portfolio.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/mikrotik · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled