I’m working on a small network appliance project based on MikroTik RouterOS, and I’m exploring ideas for adding a compact external status display to show basic information such as link state, traffic indicators, or system status.
Before going too far, I’d like to ask the community:
Has anyone here implemented an external LCD or small HMI with MikroTik devices?
From your experience, is it more practical to rely on LEDs only, or does a small display add real value in field or rack-mounted environments?
Are there known limitations when trying to interface RouterOS-based systems with external display controllers (via an embedded board, MCU, or SBC)?
If this isn't spam (definitely reads as such), you could build a ESP32 based device with a small display, that shows graphs and status taken from RouterOS with SNMP
What you are looking for is probably ESP32-S3 or ESP32-C6 with LCDs. Very easy to work with lots of creative potential. Alternatively the lazier way would be bridge the API into HA and feed it into a screen like Aqara S1 plus.
And no, though it’s useful for other systems I don’t see any value for Mikrotik, as if there’s anything to check I can just Winbox in. In the field like colo, what you may need is a large display to show dozens of RouterOS at once instead of a 2” which can only show very minimal info.
Something in the less than 100 US$ range or more likely in the 150-300 US$ one?
Or more?
For people used to buy racks at the (stupidly high) rack prices of the market and used to non-Mikrotik "professional" devices, even 300 US$ is a rounding amount, but for the rest of the people it would probably represent (IMHO) an unaffordable gadget.
Full disclosure:
I am (well) over 50, and cheap.
In the single rack setup I have I placed on a shelf an old (and doomed to be thrown away even if perfectly working) Pipo X9, a kind of desktop tablet with a 9 inch touch screen and an ethernet port running Windows 10 - yes I know - that runs nicely Winbox 3, and I use that on the spot when I need it.
Buying a similar thingy new should still be below the 300 US$ mark.
