Hi guys,
This is my first post here. I’m new to MikroTik and also new to networking, so sorry if my questions are very basic.
I’m from a 3rd world country. Here it’s hard to buy high‑end hardware and also hard to pay for trainings. Most of the MikroTik “learning” groups I see on Facebook are asking money for almost every config or problem, even simple ones. That made me a bit frustrated, so I decided I want to learn MikroTik properly and in the future help other beginners for free.
Right now I have one MikroTik, hEX RB750Gr3, and a few media converters, because I still cannot afford an OLT yet. My plan is to start small, share internet to maybe 20–50 houses in my area, using PPPoE and simple speed limits per user. In the future, if I earn and save, I want to buy an OLT and move to a better fiber setup. I also want to start a YouTube channel later, with simple tutorials, and if possible keep it without ads, just to help people who are like me and cannot pay for config.
I read and see many posts where people have high CPU usage on hEX Gr3. Usually their setup has dual ISP, load balancing, many firewall rules, queues, and a lot of mangle rules. Sometimes PPPoE + queues + mangles together cause problems when not done correctly. I want to avoid this and keep my router stable, even if it’s only an hEX.
My simple goals for now:
First, make a basic and stable setup with one ISP, NAT, firewall and LAN.
Then, add PPPoE server for my users.
Then, add simple bandwidth limits for each PPPoE user.
Later, when I understand more, learn proper use of mangle rules, and maybe basic dual‑WAN or failover.
In the future, when I can buy OLT, improve the network design but still use MikroTik as main router.
I want to ask:
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Is hEX RB750Gr3 still OK to use as main router/PPPoE server for around 20–50 users, if my total bandwidth is not very high?
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What is a simple and “clean” design you recommend for this kind of setup? For example, WAN on ether1, then bridge for ether2–5 for PPPoE users, IP address pool, PPP profiles, etc.
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In your real experience, what are the common reasons for high CPU on hEX Gr3? Things like wrong fasttrack, too many firewall rules, heavy or messy mangle rules for load balancing and queues, layer7, and so on. What should I avoid if I just want a small PPPoE “mini ISP” or community network?
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For someone new like me, what is the safest and simplest way to start learning mangle rules, so I can use them later for basic load balancing or better queues, but without killing the CPU?
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Can you share any good free resources for beginners? For example, step‑by‑step guides or videos for:
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PPPoE server on MikroTik
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Small WISP / community network using MikroTik
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CPU and performance tuning on lower‑end devices like hEX, including correct use of fasttrack, queues and mangle.
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My goal is not only to earn a little by reselling internet for cheap to my neighbors, but also to become someone in my place who can help other people with MikroTik config without charging them for every small change. I want to learn things the right way and later maybe share it on YouTube also, in a simple way.
Thank you very much for any advice, sample configs (sanitized), or links you can share. I really appreciate your time and all the knowledge in this forum.
Best regards,
nyjhchz