json-ping on MikroTik RouterOS

Run json-ping on the router itself as a RouterOS /app: the probes leave from the router, so the graph shows each uplink as the router sees it.

Requirements

• RouterOS 7.22 or newer (custom /app YAML appeared in 7.22)

• arm64 or x86 hardware (RB5009, hAP ax², hAP ax³, CCR2004/2116/2216, CHR…); arm32 and MIPS models cannot run containers

• The container package installed and container mode enabled — this needs physical access once:

  /system/device-mode/update container=yes
  # then press the reset button or power-cycle the router when asked
  

• Storage for images and data. On devices with small flash, use a USB/NVMe disk.

Install

Before enabling, change the password. The app ships with login on (admin / admin) because RouterOS publishes the web port through dst-nat.

1. Download json-ping.tikapp.yaml, change passwd=admin in the command: line, and upload it to the router (Files).

2. Add it:

   /app/add yaml=[/file/get json-ping.tikapp.yaml contents]
   

3. Enable json-ping in WinBox/WebFig → Apps. The web UI link appears there once the container is up (port 8517).

Quick trial with the default password (lab routers only):

/app/add yaml-url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/githubflyideas/json-ping/main/mikrotik/json-ping.tikapp.yaml

Or add the whole store, which lists json-ping in the Apps catalog:

/app/settings/set app-store-urls=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/githubflyideas/json-ping/main/mikrotik/json-ping.tikappstore.yaml

Edit targets

The first start creates targets/ping.list with one demo target. The image includes busybox, so edit it from a container shell:

/container/print                 # find the json-ping entry number
/container/shell 0               # use that number
vi targets/ping.list             # save: changes apply within 3 seconds

Format, one target per line:

8.8.8.8          google-dns
1.1.1.1          cloudflare   pace=fast

TCP targets go in targets/tcp.list as host:port [name].

Data lives in the app's data volume (<disk>/apps/json-ping/data/) and survives restarts and upgrades. /app cleanup json-ping deletes it permanently.

Notes

• The container runs as root (user: "0:0") so it can write the volume RouterOS creates and fall back to a raw ICMP socket when unprivileged ICMP is not allowed.
• The image tag is pinned to 3.1, which follows 3.1.x patch releases.