LoRa Setup

LoRa Setup

Configure MikroTik routers as LoRaWAN gateways to connect IoT devices to network servers. MikroTik LoRa support enables long-range, low-power communication for sensor networks, asset tracking, and remote monitoring applications.

Overview

LoRa (Long Range) is a wireless modulation technique for long-range communications at low power. LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is the network protocol built on top of LoRa, defining the system architecture for IoT deployments.

Supported Hardware

Device	Description	LoRa Card
KNOT	IoT gateway with LoRa and Bluetooth	Built-in LoRa radio
LtAP	Portable LTE/LoRa access point	Built-in LoRa radio
mAP	LoRa-enabled access point	External LoRa card

Key Capabilities

• Act as a LoRaWAN gateway for thousands of end devices
• Support for multiple spreading factors (SF7-SF12)
• Connect to network servers via UDP, LNS, or CUPS protocols
• Integrate with The Things Network, The Things Stack, and AWS IoT Core
• Configure multiple frequency plans for different regions

Sub-menu

/iot lora

Prerequisites

Before setting up LoRa, ensure you have:

Hardware Requirements

• MikroTik device with LoRa capability (KNOT, LtAP, or LoRa card)
• LoRa antenna (typically 868MHz or 915MHz depending on region)
• Network connectivity (Ethernet, LTE, or Wi-Fi)

Software Requirements

• RouterOS 7.x with IoT package installed
• Account with a LoRa network server (TTN, TTS, or AWS)
• Understanding of your regional frequency plan

Caution

LoRa frequency bands vary by region. Ensure your device and network server use the same band plan (EU868, US915, AU915, etc.) to avoid communication issues.

LoRa Card Installation

Hardware Installation

1. Power off the router
2. Insert the LoRa card into the appropriate slot
3. Attach the LoRa antenna
4. Power on the router

Verifying Installation

Check that the LoRa card is detected:

/iot lora pic print

Expected output:

  # NAME     MODEL              VERSION
  0 KNOT     R11e-LoRa8         v1.0

Enable the LoRa interface:

/iot lora set enabled=yes

Verify interface status:

/iot lora info print

         enabled: yes
       name: lora1
       chip: sx1301
       model: R11e-LoRa8
    firmware: 1.0
  temperature: 38°C

Network Server Connection

LoRa gateways connect to network servers using one of three protocols:

Protocol	Port	Use Case
UDP	1700	Basic, non-encrypted connections
LNS	8883	Secure TCP connections (The Things Stack)
CUPS	443	Configuration updates, certificate management

The Things Network (UDP)

The simplest way to connect is via UDP to The Things Network:

/iot lora ns add name=ttn address=eu1.cloud.thethings.network port=1700

Enable the gateway:

/iot lora ns set name=ttn enabled=yes

Verify connection:

/iot lora ns print
/iot lora stats print

The Things Stack (LNS)

For The Things Stack, use LNS protocol with authentication:

/iot lora ns add name=tts address=eu1.cloud.thethings.network port=8883 protocol=lns

Configure gateway ID and API key:

/iot lora ns set name=tts gateway-id=eui-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX api-key=XXXXX

Tip

Generate the API key in The Things Stack console under Gateways > API Keys with “Link as Gateway” permission.

The Things Stack (CUPS)

CUPS (Concentrator UDP Protocol) provides automatic configuration:

/iot lora cups add name=cups address=eu1.cloud.thethings.network port=443 protocol=cups
/iot lora cups set name=cups gateway-id=eui-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX api-key=XXXXX

AWS LoRaWAN Configuration

Connect to AWS IoT Core via LNS or CUPS:

/iot lora ns add name=aws address=xxxxx.lns.lorawan.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com port=8883 protocol=lns

Certificate Setup

Import AWS certificates:

/certificate import file-name=aws-cert.pem
/certificate import file-name=aws-private-key.pem passphrase=

Configure TLS:

/iot lora ns set name=aws tls=yes

Gateway Configuration

Basic Settings

Configure essential gateway parameters:

/iot lora set \
    enabled=yes \
    name=lora1 \
    frequency-mode=EU868 \
    tx-power=14 \
    antenna-gain=2.5

Parameter	Description	Default
frequency-mode	Regional band plan (EU868, US915, etc.)	Device default
tx-power	Transmit power in dBm	14
antenna-gain	Antenna gain in dBi	2.5

Frequency Planning

EU868 Plan

/iot lora set frequency-mode=EU868

Standard EU868 channels:

• 868.0 MHz (SF12)
• 868.1 MHz (SF12)
• 868.3 MHz (SF12)
• 868.5 MHz (SF7)
• 867.0 MHz (SF9)
• 867.5 MHz (SF9)

US915 Plan

/iot lora set frequency-mode=US915

Channel Configuration

View configured channels:

/iot lora channel print

Add custom channels:

/iot lora channel add frequency=867100000 bandwidth=125000 spread-factor=12

Verification and Testing

Gateway Status

Check gateway connection status:

/iot lora status print

                   name: lora1
           gateway-id: eui-xxxxxxxxxxxx
        network-server: ttns
        connected-up: yes
    frames-received: 1234
      frames-sent: 567
        rx-packets: 890
        tx-packets: 234

Viewing Traffic

Monitor incoming LoRa frames:

/iot lora frame receive print

Monitor transmitted frames:

/iot lora frame transmit print

Gateway Metrics

View gateway statistics:

/iot lora stats print

Network Server Verification

In The Things Network console:

1. Navigate to your gateway
2. Check “Gateway Status” shows “Connected”
3. Verify “Last seen” timestamp is recent
4. Check “Uplink” and “Downlink” counters

Troubleshooting

Gateway Not Connecting

1. Verify network server address is correct
2. Check firewall allows outbound port 1700 (UDP) or 8883/443 (TCP)
3. Confirm gateway ID matches console registration
4. Verify API key has correct permissions

/iot lora ns print
/iot lora stats print

No Uplink Traffic

1. Ensure LoRa device is within range
2. Verify device is configured with correct frequency plan
3. Check device is joined to the network (OTAA or ABP)
4. Review network server logs for error messages

/iot lora frame receive print
/iot lora stats print

Downlink Failures

1. Check TX power configuration
2. Verify antenna is properly connected
3. Confirm device supports downlink on configured frequencies
4. Review network server queue status

Intermittent Connectivity

1. Check cable connections and antenna
2. Verify sufficient power supply
3. Review environmental factors (interference, distance)
4. Check for network latency issues

/ping eu1.cloud.thethings.network
/iot lora info print

Related Commands

• /iot lora - Main LoRa configuration
• /iot lora ns - Network server settings
• /iot lora cups - CUPS configuration
• /iot lora channel - Channel management
• /iot lora stats - Gateway statistics
• /iot lora frame - Frame monitoring
• /iot lora pic - PIC management

Related Resources

• Official MikroTik LoRa Documentation
• The Things Network Gateways
• The Things Stack Gateway API
• AWS LoRaWAN Gateway Guide
• LoRa Regional Parameters