Can someone from mikrotik let me know who to speak to about getting drivers added to RouterOS ?
I’m looking at some ADSL PCI cards, and would like to be able to get them working.
Cheers
Nick.
We have no plans to add ADSL PCI card support to RouterOS.
Wouldn’t you like to ?
I have a manufacturer who is very happy to help with driver development etc.
They would like to get it working on PCI first, with a view to then producing a mini-PCI card.
Could someone contact me privately about this ? we are a major distributor of mikrotik hardware in the UK and would like to be able to increase sales, adding ADSL support would be a good way to help this.
Nick.
ADSL is probably the most common type of broadband Internet connection, and MT is commonly used to interface networks to Internet connections. So it would seem like a handy thing and popular things to support.
However, I like having my choice of DSL modems. We’re a DSL provider, and no DSL modem works ideally everywhere. Different ones work better with some DSLAMs, some work better than others at long loop lengths, some are remote managable, others are not, etc… I am fine with having an external DSL modem to link to the MT with ethernet, sort of like in the dialup days every power user had their favorite choice of external modems. Unskilled troubleshooting by swapping the DSL modem is also easier than swapping cards on a routerboard or PC.
I would also think adding ADSL support into the MT software would also involve adding an ATM subsystem into the software. This could be a big undertaking for a software company that doesn’t do anything with ATM, and if they are not ready to do that, I would not want them doing it. I don’t want ATM software from a company that is not ready to do ATM.
Good luck !!
sure, and maybe introduce a fancy GUI with translucent backgrounds and spinning windows… and then they shall call it…mm.. Windows? 
Sarcasm aside, this is definitely NOT the way to go with a router platform. Try asking Cisco or Juniper to let you install your own drivers…
MT are usually very quick in adding new drivers when new products come out, just send them what you need added and they’ll add it in.
The case of ADSL modems is a different story. As JP said, ADSL support needs a whole new subsystem. Why bother reinventing the wheel when there’s a great choice of ADSL modems out there already?
Mikrotik does not have to add support for ADSL for this. Rather than just saying “No”, maybe a redirection would be more fruitfull!
There is one product currently that I know of, Viking PCI ADSL2+, that I know of that should work perfectly, as it handles all the DSL stuff itself. The OS just sees an RTL8139 ethernet controller, which Mikrotik already supports. Downside, is that in Aus, these things are selling for A$130, which is a bit rich.
The reason people want this is to be able to use the Mikrotik Router OS for DSL, without having to have to have two boxes to provide the function.
Years ago, when ADSL was new to Australia, the telco used to supply a dumb bridge, that simply demodulated the DSL, and you had to do the PPPOE from the PC/Gateway or whatever you used. This would be perfect, as you’d connect directly to the device to set up the modulation settings, etc, and the rest done from the
However, that too was external but they were only tiny and could be integrated. I cannot find these things anymore.
Nowadays, people buy ADSL routers and switch them to bridge mode, but that still requires an extra box (yuck!).
It is a pity, because RouterOS is so far superior to what you find in off the shelf ADSL routers.
Also, from the latest Mikrotik Newsletter…
“Our distributors are already offering a wide selection of CPE enclosures, antennas, custom indoor cases, rackmount routers, for example this special RouterBOARD case by FMS-web Germany
(http://www.fmsweb.de) , that has a built-in DSL router”
The one pictured is way beyond SOHO, but maybe they are worth talking to.
Also, given that Mikrotik is linux based, would it be that “out of the box” to add a restricted driver management function?
And one final note: Yes there are a lot of ADSL routers available out there, but compared to RouterOS, the so-called “router” functionality in them is crap. This is why people are switching them to bridge mode and using a Mikrotik in line!
The FMS box mentioned is simply an RB493 + a separate DSL modem in one enclosure. Both boards are powered off the same PSU. The DSL modem is plugged into the RB493’s single Ethernet port on the side of the board.