The critical CPU percentage in a router is 80 or 90%. By having a percentage of these levels in the router, you can see that the router processes begin to become slow and this is an indicator that it is necessary to scale up to a larger computer. robust assuming that the computer is not being attacked, since attacks generate excessive consumption of CPU resources in the router.
Keeping CPU usage in an optimal range is crucial to ensuring good performance and stability of any network device, including MikroTik routers like the RB750Gr3 (aka hEX) and RB1100x4. There is no specific “recommended usage” figure provided by MikroTik, as acceptable CPU usage will depend on specific applications, device configuration, and network traffic. However, there are some general considerations that can help you understand what to expect and how to manage CPU usage on these devices:
RB750Gr3 (hEX)
- Usage Profile: Designed for small offices or as a residential router, the RB750Gr3 is effective for basic routing tasks, firewall, and some NAT rules.
- Recommended CPU Usage: Ideally, CPU usage should be kept below 70-80% during normal operations to leave room for traffic spikes and additional processes without affecting performance. If CPU usage consistently remains above this range, it could be indicative of overload and you may need to optimize your settings or consider upgrading to a more powerful model.
RB1100x4
- Usage Profile: With its more powerful hardware, the RB1100x4 is aimed at more demanding business environments, capable of handling higher volumes of traffic and more firewall/NAT rules, VPNs and other advanced features.
- Recommended CPU Usage: As with hEX, it is advisable to keep CPU usage below 70-80% for normal operations. Given its higher processing capacity, the RB1100x4 is less likely to experience high levels of CPU usage under normal operating conditions. However, keeping CPU usage within this range is still important to ensure optimal performance and responsiveness of the device.
General considerations
- Temporary Peaks: It is normal to see occasional spikes in CPU usage, especially during high-demand activities such as software updates, large file transfers, or when new configurations are applied. The important thing is that CPU usage returns to normal levels after these activities.
- Structural: Use monitoring tools built into RouterOS, such as the resource graph or CPU profiler, to identify specific processes that are consuming too much CPU and adjust settings as necessary.
- Operational: In case of high CPU usage, consider optimizing your settings. This may include simplifying firewall rules, reducing the number of simultaneous connections, disabling unused services, or increasing the efficiency of NAT rules.
If CPU usage remains consistently high and is impacting performance, it may be time to consider an upgrade to a more powerful device or review settings for efficiency improvements.
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2 comments on “What is the recommended percentage of total CPU usage for a mikrotik RB750gr3 and RB1100x4?”
I have a Mikrotik router and they tell me that it is having problems.
My internet sometimes gets slow.
What I do?
First you would have to start by verifying if all the contracted internet is being received by doing a speed test and that nothing else is consuming the internet when the test is done, also connect directly to the provider's equipment with a computer and do the speed test (to rule out that it is not the supplier that is the problem). If the problem turns out to be the mikrotik according to the tests carried out, we would have to start by checking how the router's CPU is, if it is increasing, if so, verify that using the profile tool which process is the one that is consuming the most CPU (there are times that certain configurations may cause this increase to occur). If the CPU always remains at a high value such as 80%, it would be necessary to scale to a more robust device assuming that the device is not being attacked (if you have a public IP this is when you are more prone to receiving an attack). Also, if the equipment has had some recent configuration done, it would have to be discarded if it is configured correctly.