On July 14, 2026, a unique open-source project was shared on Greg's technology blog, demonstrating how to directly connect Large Language Models (LLMs) with MikroTik routers via API to monitor and configure network devices using natural language. This experiment quickly captured the attention of the network administration community on Hacker News by opening up a new direction for applying AI in Network Operations (NetOps).
Background & Origin
According to Greg's personal blog post, the project originated from the desire to simplify the administration of MikroTik devices, which are notorious for having complex command-line interfaces (CLI) and RouterOS operating systems for beginners. Instead of memorizing lengthy commands or manually navigating WinBox, the author wrote an intermediary tool that allows sending English requests directly to a locally running LLM, which then automatically translates them into precise API calls to the MikroTik device. This process significantly shortens the troubleshooting time for basic network issues.
Technical Analysis & Technology
Technically, the system utilizes the RouterOS API provided by MikroTik to communicate directly with the router. The author leveraged the Function Calling mechanism of modern language models to map natural language requests to standardized API parameters. For example, when a user asks to "block this suspicious IP address," the LLM does not write a raw script but calls the add_firewall_rule function with specific IP parameters extracted from the prompt. This method minimizes LLM hallucination since all executed actions on the device are strictly confined within predefined API functions.
Expert Opinions & Perspectives
The community on Hacker News has shown diverse feedback regarding this project. Some system engineers highly appreciate the creativity and convenience of integrating LLMs into device management, especially the ability to quickly analyze network logs using AI. However, many security experts raised serious concerns. They warned that granting API access of a core router to an AI model could lead to cybersecurity disasters if the model is subjected to prompt injection attacks or accidentally applies incorrect configuration changes that bring down the entire network.
Impact & Future
The project connecting LLM with MikroTik is a practical demonstration that AI Agents are moving deeper into specialized technical tasks rather than just text generation. For the tech and network administration community in Vietnam, where MikroTik devices are extremely popular among small and medium enterprises, this approach opens up opportunities to optimize NetOps processes and reduce workloads for technical support teams thanks to intelligent automation.