How to Allow a Website in MikroTik

What you will read?

• 1 Step 1: Accessing Your MikroTik Router
• 2 Step 2: Adding the Website to the Address List
• 3 Step 3: Configuring Firewall Rules
• 4 Step 4: Blocking Other Websites
• 5 Step 5: Testing Your Configuration

If you’re managing a network using MikroTik routers, you might encounter situations where you need to allow access to specific websites while blocking others. Whether you’re controlling access for security reasons or managing bandwidth, MikroTik’s RouterOS provides you with the tools to achieve this. In this article, we’ll guide you through the steps to allow a specific website, using dropvps.com as our example.

Step 1: Accessing Your MikroTik Router

Before you can make any changes, you need to access your MikroTik router. You can do this via Winbox, WebFig, or SSH. For this guide, we’ll use Winbox due to its user-friendly interface.

1. Open Winbox and connect to your MikroTik router.
2. Enter your username and password, then click on “Connect.”

Step 2: Adding the Website to the Address List

To allow a specific website, you need to add it to an address list. This step helps MikroTik recognize the website and manage access accordingly.

1. In Winbox, navigate to IP > Firewall > Address Lists.
2. Click on the Add New button (the plus icon).
3. In the Name field, enter a descriptive name, such as AllowedWebsites.
4. In the Address field, enter dropvps.com.
5. Click OK to save your changes.

Step 3: Configuring Firewall Rules

Now that you’ve added the website to an address list, the next step is to configure the firewall rules to allow access.

1. Navigate to IP > Firewall > Filter Rules.
2. Click on the Add New button.
3. Set the following parameters:
   • Chain: forward
   • Src. Address: Leave this blank to allow all source addresses or specify a certain range.
   • Dst. Address List: Select the address list you created (AllowedWebsites).
   • Action: accept
4. Click OK to save the rule.

Step 4: Blocking Other Websites

To ensure that only dropvps.com is accessible while other sites are blocked, you need to add a rule to drop all other traffic.

1. Again, navigate to IP > Firewall > Filter Rules.
2. Click on the Add New button.
3. Set the following parameters:
   • Chain: forward
   • Action: drop
4. Click OK to save the rule.

Ensure that this drop rule is placed after the accept rule you created for dropvps.com. The order of the rules is crucial, as MikroTik processes them sequentially.

Step 5: Testing Your Configuration

After configuring the rules, it’s essential to test whether the settings work correctly.

1. Open a web browser on a device connected to your network.
2. Try accessing dropvps.com — it should load without any issues.
3. Attempt to access another website to ensure it is blocked.

By following these steps, you can easily allow access to specific websites like dropvps.com while blocking all others on your MikroTik router. This configuration not only enhances security but also helps in managing bandwidth effectively. Remember to periodically review your firewall rules to adapt to any changes in your network requirements. Happy networking!