Introduction: The Complexity of MikroTik VPNs

| Feature | OpenVPN (via Generator) | WireGuard (Native) | SSTP | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Moderate (generator helps) | Easy (only a few lines) | Complex (Windows only) | | Performance (CPU load) | High (encryption overhead) | Very Low (kernel module) | Medium | | Firewall Friendliness | Great (UDP 1194) | Great (UDP 51820) | Excellent (TCP 443, looks like HTTPS) | | Generator Availability | Excellent (many tools) | Poor (few need it; it's simple) | Nonexistent | | Client Support | All platforms | All major platforms | Windows only |

Setting up OpenVPN on a MikroTik router (like the RB4011, hAP ac2, or CCR series) manually requires navigating WinBox or the CLI to create certificates, assign IP pools, configure encryption ciphers, manage firewalls, and tweak Time-To-Live (TTL) settings. One misplaced slash in a certificate command can break the entire tunnel.