Unexpected CLI prompt when modifying settings on bridge port

RouterOS Beginner Basics
1

To be clear, this isn’t a question about how to do vlans or bridges. It’s about appropriate syntax to modify settings.

When I use:

/interface/bridge/port set bridge=”bridge” interface=”ether1” pvid=10

The CLI prompts:

numbers:

I have seen this using other commands when prompted for mandatory parameters. That said, bridge/port documentation doesn’t even document “numbers” as a parameter: Bridging and Switching - RouterOS - MikroTik Documentation

In summary, what is the proper syntax for the “/interface/bridge/port set” command to change parameters from the CLI?

mAP lite / reset / ping 192.168.88.1 via ETH-Port
2

In your command, bridge="bridge" and interface="ether1" are parameters that are to be set with the specified values (listed after =), similar to how pvid=10 means "set the pvid parameter with the value 10". What you wrote was "set the bridge parameter with the value bridge and set the interface parameter with the value ether1".

You haven't specified for which entry those 3 parameters should be changed yet. Hence you are asked for the numbers.

What you want is probably this:

/interface bridge port set [find bridge=bridge interface=ether1] pvid=10

And [find] will populate the numbers list for the command.

1 Like
3

I can see if you're new how this look confusing. Let me try to explain a bit more.

While find is perfectly acceptable in the "interactive" CLI use case... But, the more "usual case" at the CLI prompt is use some /interface/bridge/port print which show the valid "numbers" & those number(s) are what's need in a subsequent set. And it's plural since you can do some set 1,2,3 pvid=10. Keep in mind the port number may not be the port number, so 1 to a set may not be ether1.

@CGGXANNX points out find. This is typically more useful in a script, or when you want to set a larger group of items at the same time. Here the [ ] around the find is because the find becomes "sub-command" - so the [] part runs "first" - with the find sub-command returning a list .id to the set. And .id is the canonical reference to an item (means it never changes), while the value return by print can only be used at CLI – but either can be used as value of numbers=. And if you can to see the .id value, they start with a * and shown at CLI using ... print show-ids

The final part to understand is numbers= is an attribute. But it's also both default attribute (so it can be specified without the attribute name) and a required attribute for a set, which is why you do not need to numbers= in the set (since it's the default). And since the operand/"noun" of what to set requires some print "number(s)" or .id(s) to set, you'll get prompted for it as that's what RouterOS does if you try to a command but fail to provide a required attribute.

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4

I would add that this syntax Is commonly used in configurations when renaming interfaces to "friendly names", example:
/interface ethernet set [ find default-name=ether1 ] name="eth1-WAN"