MikroTik Router is popularly used not only in ISP network but also in enterprise office network. So, MikroTik is a popular item to network administrator. A regular task of a network administrator is to keep and store router configuration file backup.

Almost every network administrator takes configuration file backup manually. But MikroTik Router has an E-mail tool by which network administrators can automate configuration file backup regularly via email and can reduce his daily manual task easily.

E-mail tool is not configured by default in MikroTik RouterOS. So, network administrators must configure E-mail tool as well as do some scripting for getting email backup service. In this article, we are going to see how to configure MikroTik E-mail tool to get configuration file backup via email with a few steps.

MikroTik Router Automated Email Backup Configuration

We will now configure MikroTik E-mail tool so that it can send configuration file backup via email. Complete configuration for storing backup and then sending via email can be divided into 3 steps.

1. Email configuration
2. Writing script for storing backup and sending Email
3. Creating scheduler for executing script regularly

Step 1: MikroTik Router Email Configuration

For sending email from MikroTik RouterOS, we first need to configure sender email. MikroTik does not have a SMTP Server. For this, we have to provide SMTP server as well as email username and password so that MikroTik RouterOS can send mail through that SMTP Server.

So, to setup SMTP Server and email username and password in MikroTik RouterOS, follow the below steps carefully.

• Go to Tools > Email and provide sender email information as below:
  Server: SMTP Server IP address (Use your mail server IP or try using Gmail IP: 173.194.77.108)
  Port: SMTP Server Port (usually 25 or if you use Gmail SMTP, use 587)
  From: Put your email address which will indicate from address for the mail.
  User: Put email user name (first part of @ sign) or full email address if applicable.
  Password: Put the email password.
• Alternatively, we can do cmd:/tool e-mail
  set address=173.194.77.108
  set port=587
  set from=systemzonedotnet@gmail.com
  set user= systemzonedotnet
  set password=*******
  Where 173.194.77.108 is Gmail SMTP Server IP, systemzonedotnet@gmail.com is a test mail ID created for this article and “*******” is the password.
• For checking email configuration, send a test mail from MikroTik with below cmd:/tool e-mail send to=sezan.sayeed@yahoo.com subject=”email test” body=”email test” tls=yes

If everything is OK, the test email will be sent to the receiver email address. We will now write script for storing backup file and sending via mail.

Step 2: Script for Storing Backup File and Sending via Email

After completing email configuration, we will now write a script that will store backup file and then send the backup file to the desired mail address. Follow below steps to write script in MikroTik RouterOS.

• Go to System > Scripts and click on PLUS SIGN (+) to add a new script. New Script window will appear.
• Type a script name (for example, Mail Backup) in Name input field and then copy and paste the below code in source box.
  :log info “Mikrotik Backup JOB Started . . . “
  :global backupfile configbackup
  :log info “Deleting old Backup File If available otherwise ignore & process further . . . “
  /system backup save name=$backupfile
  :log info “Backup process pausing for 10s so it complete creating backup file”
  :delay 10s
  :log info “Start Sending Backup File via Email using GMAIL SMTP  . . .” tool e-mailsend to=sezan.sayeed@yahoo.com subject=([/system clock get date] . \ ” MikroTik Backup”) body=”MikroTik email Backup” tls=yes file=$backupfile
  :delay 40s
  :log info “Backup Finished”
  :log info “Deleting Backup File. All Done.”
  /file remove $backupfile
• Now click Apply and OK button for saving this script.
• You can run this script manually by clicking Run Script button or typing this cmd: > system script run 0 

Script for storing configuration file backup and sending the file via email is now ready. We will now create a scheduler so that this script can be run regularly at a fixed time.

Step 3: Scheduler for Executing Script Regularly

We have created script for storing configuration file and sending via mail. But the script cannot execute itself. So, we have to create a scheduler that will execute the above script regularly at our desired time. For creating a scheduler in MikroTik RouterOS, follow below steps.

• Go to System > Scheduler and click on PLUS SIGN (+) to add new scheduler.
• Type scheduler name in Name input box and put script executing time in Start Time input box. For example, if you want to execute the script at 5:30 PM, put the time as 17:30:00.
• Put sending time interval at Interval input field. For example, if you want to execute the script daily, put the value as 24:00:00
• Now put your script name that you have provided at step 2(here, Mail Backup) in On Event box and then click Apply and OK button.

Scheduler is now ready. If everything is OK, MikroTik Router will send a mail regularly to the desired email address where configuration file should have attached.

You should follow above steps one by one otherwise your desired result may not come. If you face difficulty to do above steps properly, please watch the video tutorial carefully about MikroTik Router Auto Backup via Email. I hope, it will reduce your confusion.

Note: This configuration has been done in MikroTik Router OS version 5.20. If you face any problem in upgraded version, please let me know. I will try to solve the problem.

MikroTik Router configuration file backup via email has been discussed in this article. I hope, you will now be able to configure MikroTik Router for sending configuration file backup via email. If you face any problem, feel free to discuss in comment or contact me from Contact page. I will try my best to stay with you.