MikroTik hEX S — Bell Canada PPPoE Setup Procedure
Table of contents
MikroTik hEX S Bell Canada PPPoE Setup (VLAN 40) + Safe Backup Strategy
Step-by-step RouterOS v7.21.4 long-term setup for Bell PPPoE on VLAN 40, with backup and RSC recovery best practices before and after changes.
Important Security Note
Do not publish real PPPoE credentials in a public blog post. Replace username/password with placeholders before posting.
Quick Environment Details
Date: 2026-05-21
Router: MikroTik hEX S
RouterOS: v7.21.4 (long-term)
LAN Router IP: 192.168.1.254/24
WAN Method: Bell PPPoE over VLAN 40 on SFP1
Network Diagram
Pre-Change Checklist
- Confirm current DHCP client, VLAN, PPPoE, NAT, and firewall state.
- Create backup files before any change: one .backup and one .rsc.
- Confirm Bell modem is in bridge mode.
- Use placeholders in documentation: YOUR_BELL_USERNAME and YOUR_BELL_PASSWORD.
Step-by-Step RouterOS Commands
1) Review existing config:
2) Remove old DHCP client on WAN (if present):
3) Remove incorrect NAT rule (if it points to raw sfp1):
4) Create VLAN 40 on SFP1:
5) Create PPPoE client on VLAN 40:
6) LAN IP on ether1 (if not already set):
7) DHCP pool + server + network:
8) NAT masquerade via PPPoE interface:
9) Basic firewall rules:
Verification Commands
Backup and Recovery Plan
- Create pre-change binary backup: backup-YYYY-MM-DD.backup
- Create pre-change export: export-YYYY-MM-DD.rsc
- Create post-change final backup after validation.
- Download all backup files off-router (never keep only one copy).
- If binary backup fails, rebuild using .rsc and re-import missing sensitive items.
When to Update and When to Wait
Update when: security fixes apply, critical bugs affect your setup, or required features are needed.
Wait when: no clear benefit exists, the site is remote with weak fallback access, or stability feedback is poor.
Quick Reference
- PPPoE status:
/interface pppoe-client monitor 0 - Public IP check:
/ip address print - DHCP leases:
/ip dhcp-server lease print - NAT rules:
/ip firewall nat print - Firewall rules:
/ip firewall filter print - Routing table:
/ip route print - Logs:
/log print
MikroTik-only network engineer and trainer, helping Canadian businesses design, deploy, and understand MikroTik networks since 2002.
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