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Version: current

Introduction to SwOS

SwOS is a lightweight operating system built exclusively for the administration of MikroTik switching hardware. It delivers maximum wire-speed Layer 2 forwarding capability across all standard Ethernet frames, handling IPv4, IPv6, and non-IP traffic seamlessly.

Core & Advanced Features

Beyond standard managed switch capabilities, SwOS offers a robust suite of networking features:

  • VLAN Management: Full configuration support for complex VLAN setups, including access and trunking ports.
  • Traffic Control: Advanced broadcast storm control, bandwidth limiting, and port-to-port forwarding settings.
  • Monitoring & Mirroring: Ingress/egress traffic mirroring along with real-time port-level statistics.
  • Security & Filtering: A granular Access Control List (ACL) engine capable of matching traffic by MAC, IP, and port-level rules.
  • Hardware Offloading: Direct hardware-driven manipulation of specific MAC and IP header fields on supported device models.

:::note Management Limitation SwOS is configured exclusively through a standard web browser (HTTP) over IPv4. It does not support command-line interface (CLI) access via serial console/SSH, API access, WinBox, or other alternative management protocols. :::