Free study guide

MikroTik MTCSWE Study Guide

MikroTik Certified Switching Engineer (MTCSWE)

The MikroTik Certified Switching Engineer (MTCSWE) course covers Layer 2 switching on RouterOS and SwOS: MTU, VLANs, spanning tree, link aggregation, port isolation, QoS, Layer 2 security, PoE and tools.

  • Exam code MTCSWE
  • Engineer level
  • 11 course modules

This guide is free, with no sign-up. It explains every MikroTik MTCSWE exam topic in plain English, one chapter at a time. Read them in order or jump straight to the topic you need.

  • 11chapters
  • 36topics
  • 13diagrams and exhibits
  • 2 h 44 minfast track
Start with Introduction
  • Every topic follows the same simple pattern: what it is, how it works, common mistakes
  • Diagrams and real command output where a picture explains it best
  • Exam tips and worked subnetting and IPv6 practice, with answers

Chapters

Open a chapter to see its topics and how long each takes.

1Introduction2 topics · 9 min fast trackLayer 2 forwarding, MAC learning, interface settings, the RouterOS bridge, switch chips, CRS devices and SwOS.
  1. 1Layer 2 Forwarding and MAC Learning5 min
  2. 2RouterOS Bridge, Switch Chips and SwOS Overview4 min
Read the chapter overview →
2MTU3 topics · 14 min fast trackBridge behaviour with frame size, L2MTU, jumbo frames and the typical MTU problems you must be able to diagnose.
  1. 1RouterOS Bridge Overview and MTU5 min
  2. 2L2MTU and Jumbo Frames5 min
  3. 3Potential MTU Issues4 min
Read the chapter overview →
3VLANs6 topics · 28 min fast trackTagging, VLAN interfaces, router on a stick, chip VLANs, bridge VLAN filtering, MAC and protocol VLANs and QinQ.
  1. 1802.1Q and 802.1ad VLAN Tagging Concepts5 min
  2. 2VLAN Interfaces, VLAN Bridging and Router on a Stick5 min
  3. 3Port Based VLAN in Basic Switch Chips4 min
  4. 4VLANs in Bridge Interfaces with VLAN Filtering5 min
  5. 5MAC Based and Protocol Based VLAN4 min
  6. 6QinQ with Bridge VLAN Filtering and VLAN Interfaces5 min
Read the chapter overview →
4Spanning Tree Protocol3 topics · 15 min fast trackSTP and RSTP concepts, MSTP regions and instances, BPDU messages and spanning tree security.
  1. 1STP and RSTP Concepts5 min
  2. 2MSTP Concepts5 min
  3. 3BPDUs and Spanning Tree Security5 min
Read the chapter overview →
5Link Aggregation2 topics · 9 min fast trackRouterOS bonding, the seven bonding modes, LACP and static groups, and compatibility with other vendors.
  1. 1RouterOS Bonding Modes5 min
  2. 2Bonding Compatibility with Static Link Aggregation4 min
Read the chapter overview →
6Port Isolation2 topics · 8 min fast trackBridge horizon, switch chip isolation, VLAN based isolation and where each method fits on MikroTik devices.
  1. 1RouterOS Bridge Horizon4 min
  2. 2Switch Port Isolation4 min
Read the chapter overview →
7QoS3 topics · 12 min fast track802.1p priority, bridge filter priority, CRS chip queues, traffic shaping and bandwidth limits in bridge and chip.
  1. 1Layer 2 QoS with 802.1p and Bridge Filter Priority4 min
  2. 2CRS Priority Configuration and Switch Chip Rate Limits4 min
  3. 3Traffic Shaping and Bandwidth Limits with Queues4 min
Read the chapter overview →
8Layer 2 Security7 topics · 32 min fast trackIGMP and DHCP snooping, loop protect, storm control, filters, ACL, BPDU guard, port security, 802.1X.
  1. 1IGMP Snooping4 min
  2. 2DHCP Snooping and ARP Modes5 min
  3. 3Loop Protect and Traffic Storm Control4 min
  4. 4Layer 2 Firewall and Bridge Filter Features4 min
  5. 5Switch ACL and Switch Security5 min
  6. 6BPDU Guard and Port Security5 min
  7. 7802.1X Port Based Authentication5 min
Read the chapter overview →
9Power over Ethernet (PoE)3 topics · 13 min fast trackPoE out modes and compatibility, port priority when the power budget runs short, and PoE monitoring.
  1. 1RouterOS PoE Modes and Compatibility5 min
  2. 2RouterOS PoE Priority Settings4 min
  3. 3RouterOS PoE Monitoring4 min
Read the chapter overview →
10Tools2 topics · 9 min fast trackPort mirroring on switch ports and the RouterOS tools that diagnose Layer 2 faults when mirroring is not an option.
  1. 1Port Mirroring5 min
  2. 2Other Layer 2 Diagnostic Tools4 min
Read the chapter overview →
11SwOS3 topics · 15 min fast trackWhat SwOS is, dual boot, installation, web management, and its VLAN, RSTP, trunking, QoS and security features.
  1. 1Introduction to SwOS5 min
  2. 2SwOS VLANs and RSTP5 min
  3. 3SwOS Trunking, QoS and Layer 2 Security5 min
Read the chapter overview →

Ready for more practice?

The full MikroTik MTCSWE question bank has 484 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.

SubscribeTry Sample Exam

This study guide is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by MikroTik. Vendor names, certification names and exam codes are trademarks of their respective owners and are used for identification only.