Which protocol is primarily used for management of MikroTik routers?

SSH, or Secure Shell, is the primary protocol used for managing MikroTik routers due to its robust security features and ability to provide encrypted communication over a potentially insecure network. It allows administrators to securely log into the router’s command line interface (CLI), which is essential for configuration and management tasks.

The SSH protocol supports various operations such as executing commands, accessing scripts, and modifying configurations securely, making it a favored choice for remote management. Unlike unencrypted protocols, SSH ensures that the data exchanged between the client and the router is encrypted, safeguarding sensitive information such as passwords from eavesdropping.

While HTTP can be used for web-based management interfaces, it lacks the encryption necessary for secure administration. TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) is primarily used for transferring files and does not provide the management capabilities required for configuring routers. SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) can be used for monitoring and managing network devices, but it is not typically the primary method for actively configuring or managing a MikroTik router in the same way that SSH offers.