MikroTik Encyclopedia

Overview

Use a docs-first workflow for MikroTik work. Prefer the official MikroTik documentation at https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/, consult cached local copies under .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/ before re-fetching, and record useful official-doc excerpts plus environment-specific operational learnings so future work gets faster and safer.

This skill is for the MikroTik RouterOS/device layer. It should trigger for real RouterOS behavior, configuration, and device-management questions — not for generic networking advice or generic Linux firewall/router administration.

Workflow

1. Classify the task
• Decide whether the task is a MikroTik question, troubleshooting task, command-planning task, config review, or live SSH/API task.
• Use this skill when the request is clearly about MikroTik hardware, RouterOS behavior, or a networking/admin task in a MikroTik context.
• Do not use this skill for generic networking theory, vendor-neutral firewall design, or generic Linux firewall/admin work unless the MikroTik/RouterOS context is explicit.

1. Check local cache first
• Use .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/ as the local knowledge/cache root.
• Check these locations first when relevant:
• .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/docs/help.mikrotik.com/docs/...
• .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/notes/devices/...
• .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/...
• .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/inventory/...
• If a cached page or note already answers the question well enough, use it.

1. Consult official MikroTik docs before answering or touching devices
• Before answering direct or indirect MikroTik questions that depend on RouterOS behavior, syntax, feature boundaries, security posture, or version-sensitive details, consult the official docs unless the answer is already well-supported by the local cache.
• Before performing direct SSH/API access against a MikroTik device, consult the relevant docs first when:
• the exact command path matters
• feature semantics are easy to misremember
• the action could affect routing, switching, bridge behavior, VLANs, CAPsMAN, DHCP, firewalling, or management reachability
• Do not improvise high-impact MikroTik commands from memory when the docs are easy to check.

1. Cache consulted docs locally
• When you consult a MikroTik doc page, save a normalized markdown/text cache copy under .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/docs/help.mikrotik.com/docs/....
• Mirror the official docs path structure as much as practical.
• Cache only pages actually consulted; do not try to mirror the whole docs site eagerly.
• Use scripts/cache_doc.py when appropriate.

1. Separate official documentation from local observations
• Store official-doc-derived material under .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/docs/....
• Store environment-specific operational knowledge under:
• .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/notes/devices/
• .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/
• .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/inventory/
• Distinguish clearly between:
• official documented behavior
• observed local configuration/state
• inferred best-practice guidance

1. Record useful local learnings
• After useful live work, save durable notes such as:
• device roles and naming
• management-access methods
• discovered topology relationships
• CAPsMAN/controller placement
• repeated gotchas or RouterOS command patterns
• safe/unsafe operational boundaries for the environment
• Prefer concise durable notes over re-learning the same topology later.

Live Access Rules

• Treat official docs lookup as the default preflight for non-trivial MikroTik work.
• Prefer read/inspect first when entering a device you have not recently reviewed.
• Treat edge routers/firewalls, bridge/VLAN changes, CAPsMAN changes, and management-service changes as high-sensitivity areas.
• When uncertainty remains after checking cache + docs, say so and avoid bluffing.
• When answering a question, mention when useful whether the answer comes from cached official docs, a fresh official docs lookup, or live observed device state.

Data Root

Use this workspace-local root for cache and notes:

• .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/

Expected structure:

• .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/docs/help.mikrotik.com/docs/...
• .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/notes/devices/...
• .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/...
• .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/inventory/...

Use scripts/init_workspace.py to create or repair the expected directory structure.

Note Destinations

• Device-specific observations → .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/notes/devices/.md
• Reusable RouterOS patterns/gotchas → .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/.md
• Environment-wide topology/access info → .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/inventory/*.md
• Cached official docs → .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/docs/help.mikrotik.com/docs/...

Secrets / Sensitive Data

• Do not store plaintext credentials, API keys, session tokens, private URLs, recovery codes, or other secrets in the encyclopedia notes/inventory tree.
• If a note needs to mention access details, keep it high-level and redact or omit secret material.
• Treat these workspace notes as operational memory, not as a secrets vault.

Resources

• scripts/init_workspace.py — create or repair the .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/ directory tree.
• scripts/cache_doc.py — fetch and cache a consulted official MikroTik docs page under .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/docs/....
• references/workflow.md — detailed operating workflow and evidence-handling rules.
• references/cache-layout.md — canonical .MikroTik-Encyclopedia/ directory structure.
• references/topic-map.md — useful MikroTik topic groupings for faster doc lookup.

Good Outcomes

• Answer a MikroTik question using cached or freshly checked official docs instead of guesswork.
• Inspect a live MikroTik device after checking the relevant docs and record any new local topology knowledge.
• Build a growing local MikroTik knowledge cache that makes later work faster, safer, and more grounded.
• Turn one-off RouterOS discoveries into durable notes so future work does not rediscover them from scratch.

Avoid

• Answering RouterOS-specific questions purely from memory when docs are easy to consult.
• Treating local observed behavior as if it were guaranteed official documented behavior.
• Dumping large amounts of low-value docs into the workspace without a reason.
• Writing device-specific observations into the official-doc cache tree.
• Making high-impact live changes before checking the relevant docs when exact behavior matters.