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MikroTik MTCNA lab 6 of 19

Bridging, MAC learning and RSTP

Turn three RouterOS devices into switches with bridges, watch them learn MAC addresses, and let RSTP break the loop in a ring of links: choose the root bridge, find the blocked port, protect the edge ports, and test a link failure. Ends with a reading section on RouterOS wireless.

Run this lab

It needs Lite: its 5 nodes are set to 5 vCPU and 2,816 MB in total. That fits the free demo too.

In your workspace: Shared, then MikroTik MTCNA RouterOS v7 guided labs, then 06 - Bridging MAC learning and RSTP

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Level
Intermediate
Time
About 50 minutes
Nodes need
5 vCPU, 2,816 MB
Smallest plan
Lite

The scenario

A school's three buildings are linked in a ring so that one broken cable doesn't cut a building off. Each building has a MikroTik doing nothing but switching. Your job is to make them switches, give each a management address, make sure the ring doesn't melt down in a broadcast storm, and decide which switch is the root of the spanning tree.

DevicePortsManagement addressRole
SW1ether1 → SW2, ether2 → SW3, ether3 → PC1192.168.50.1/24Main building, root bridge
SW2ether1 → SW1, ether2 → SW3192.168.50.2/24Sports hall, backup root
SW3ether1 → SW2, ether2 → SW1, ether3 → PC2192.168.50.3/24Library
PC1, PC2eth0192.168.50.101 / .102 (already set)Staff PCs

What you’ll practise

  • Create a bridge, add ports and give the bridge a management address
  • Read the bridge host table and explain MAC learning
  • Explain why a ring of switches needs (R)STP
  • Choose the root bridge with bridge priority and predict port roles
  • Configure edge ports and BPDU guard on host ports
  • Describe wireless modes, station bridge and wireless security on RouterOS

The tasks

  1. Build the bridges
  2. Give each switch a management address
  3. Watch MAC learning
  4. Choose the root bridge
  5. Protect the edge ports
  6. Break the ring
  7. Reading: wireless on RouterOS (needs radio hardware)

The Lab Tasks pane has the scenario, these tasks, the checks to run, hints and the full solution.

Topology and devices

The network as it opens in EVE-NG, drawn from the lab’s own canvas, and the image each node runs.

Topology of Bridging MAC learning and RSTP5 nodes, 5 links. Every link is listed as text below the diagram.SW1SW2SW3PC1PC2ether3eth0ether3eth0ether2ether1ether2ether2ether1ether1
5 nodes, with the interface names each link uses. On a narrow screen, scroll the diagram sideways.
Every link, as text
  • SW1 ether1 to SW2 ether1
  • SW2 ether2 to SW3 ether1
  • SW3 ether2 to SW1 ether2
  • SW1 ether3 to PC1 eth0
  • SW3 ether3 to PC2 eth0
Nodes in Bridging, MAC learning and RSTP, with the image each runs and the vCPU and RAM it’s set to
NodeDeviceImage in Add NodeSet to
SW1MikroTik RouterOSmikrotik-7.14.21 vCPU, 256 MB
SW2MikroTik RouterOSmikrotik-7.14.21 vCPU, 256 MB
SW3MikroTik RouterOSmikrotik-7.14.21 vCPU, 256 MB
PC1VPCS hostBuilt in to EVE-NGCounted as 1 vCPU, 1,024 MB
PC2VPCS hostBuilt in to EVE-NGCounted as 1 vCPU, 1,024 MB

How to open this lab

  1. Sign in to your workspace at lab.cloudlabbox.com.

  2. In File Manager, open Shared, then the folder MikroTik MTCNA RouterOS v7 guided labs.

  3. Open 06 - Bridging MAC learning and RSTP and start its nodes, then open Lab Tasks for the scenario and the steps.

The lab is read-only. You can start the nodes and configure the devices, but changes to the topology can’t be saved. To change it, rebuild it in your own folder.

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CloudLabBox is independent of MikroTik. The lab follows exam topics and isn’t vendor training material; vendor names identify the exams and the images in the workspace.