Skip to main content
Version: 7.25

Identity

CLI reference:/system/identity

The system identity is the name of the router. The default is MikroTik. Give each router its own name so that you can tell them apart. The identity appears in several places, including:

  • In the command-line prompt, for example [admin@Riga-Office-GW] >, and in the title of the WinBox connection.
  • In neighbor discovery: neighboring devices list the router under its identity, updated with the next announcement, every 30 seconds by default.
  • As the SNMP system name (sysName).
  • As the host name that the DHCP client sends to the DHCP server by default.
  • As the default SSID of interfaces of the older wireless package (legacy wireless).
  • In scripts, as [/system/identity/get name].

The identity can be up to 64 characters long. A longer name is refused with could not change identity: too long. Spaces and other characters are allowed, with quotes, for example name="Riga Office GW"; because the DHCP host name and DNS names do not allow spaces, a name of letters, digits and hyphens works everywhere.

Set the identity​

A name that says where the router is and what it does helps when you manage several routers, for example Riga-Office-GW:

/system/identity/set name=Riga-Office-GW
/system/identity/print
  name: Riga-Office-GW

The prompt shows the new name:

[admin@Riga-Office-GW] >

Set the identity in WinBox​

In WinBox, open System > Identity, enter the router name in Identity (callout 1), and select OK. Use a name that helps you distinguish the router from other devices, such as Home-Router. The name also appears in WinBox's connection title.

WinBox Identity dialog with a callout around the Identity field

Set the identity over SNMP​

A management system can set the identity with an SNMP set request for sysName.0 (1.3.6.1.2.1.1.5.0). This needs an SNMP community with write access; the default community public can only read and refuses an SNMPv1 set request with readOnly. A community with write access can also change other settings and reboot the router, so give it a name that is hard to guess, because the name works as a password, and limit it to the address of the management system:

/snmp/community/add name=netadmin-7Qx2 addresses=192.168.88.10/32 \
    write-access=yes
/snmp/set enabled=yes

From the management system, for example with snmpset on Linux or macOS:

snmpset -v 1 -c netadmin-7Qx2 192.168.88.1 1.3.6.1.2.1.1.5.0 s Branch-GW
SNMPv2-MIB::sysName.0 = STRING: Branch-GW

SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c send the community name in clear text. Allow write access only from trusted addresses, or use SNMPv3 with authentication and encryption. The public community stays readable from any address unless you limit its addresses too.

For the parameter, see the /system/identity CLI reference.