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🐳 Smokeping Container

Deploy Smokeping network latency monitoring tool as a Docker container on MikroTik RouterOS. Smokeping continuously pings multiple targets and generates visual graphs showing network latency patterns, packet loss, and jitter over time. Running Smokeping in a container isolates the monitoring service while providing web-based access to historical performance data. Useful for ISPs tracking uptime, diagnosing network issues, monitoring SLA compliance, and identifying intermittent connectivity problems.

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What this does:

  • Installs Smokeping as a Docker container on RouterOS
  • Creates isolated veth network interface for container
  • Mounts persistent storage for config and data
  • Configures timezone and user permissions
  • Exposes Smokeping web UI via NAT (port 80)
  • Enables continuous network latency monitoring

Prerequisites​

  • ✅ MikroTik RouterOS v7.4+ with container support
  • ✅ Extra storage (USB, additional disk) for container images
  • ✅ Internet access to pull Docker images from registry
  • ✅ At least 512MB RAM available for container
  • ✅ Understanding of Docker containers basics
  • ✅ Router IP address for accessing web UI
  • ✅ RouterOS container package installed
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Docker container considerations:

  • Containers require RouterOS v7.4+ (not available on older hardware)
  • Container storage must be on separate disk/partition (not router's main storage)
  • Pulling images requires internet and takes several minutes
  • Smokeping data grows over time—allocate 1-5GB storage
  • Web UI exposed on port 80 (adjust if port conflict)
  • Container restart required after configuration changes
  • NAT rules depend on your WAN interface name

Configuration Steps​

Option A: Terminal Configuration​

  1. Access the router terminal:

    ssh admin@router-ip

  2. Create mount points for Smokeping data:

    /container mounts
    add dst="/config" name=MOUNT_SMOKE_CONFIG src="/smokeping/config"
    add dst="/data" name=MOUNT_SMOKE_DATA src="/smokeping/data"
    tip

    Mount paths use /smokeping/config and /smokeping/data on your router's disk. Adjust if needed.

  3. Create bridge for container networking:

    /interface bridge
    add name=containers

  4. Create veth interface for Smokeping:

    /interface veth
    add address=172.17.0.3/24 gateway=172.17.0.1 name=veth-smokeping

  5. Create environment variable list:

    /container envs
    add key=TZ name=ENV_SMOKE value=Asia/Manila
    add key=PUID name=ENV_SMOKE value=1000
    add key=PGID name=ENV_SMOKE value=1000
    add key=CACHE_DIR name=ENV_SMOKE value="/tmp"
    tip

    Change TZ=Asia/Manila to your timezone. Find valid timezones here.

  6. Configure container registry:

    /container config
    set registry-url="https://registry-1.docker.io" tmpdir="disk1/tmp"

  7. Create Smokeping container:

    /container
    add envlist=ENV_SMOKE interface=veth-smokeping logging=yes \
        mounts=MOUNT_SMOKE_CONFIG,MOUNT_SMOKE_DATA \
        name="smokeping:latest" \
        root-dir="disk1/images/smokeping" \
        workdir="/"
    tip

    Replace disk1 with your actual disk/partition name. Check with /disk print.

  8. Add veth to bridge:

    /interface bridge port
    add bridge=containers interface=veth-smokeping

  9. Assign IP to bridge:

    /ip address
    add address=172.17.0.1/24 interface=containers network=172.17.0.0

  10. Configure NAT for internet access:

    /ip firewall nat
    add action=masquerade chain=srcnat out-interface=ether1-UPLINK
    add action=masquerade chain=srcnat src-address=172.17.0.0/24
    tip

    Replace ether1-UPLINK with your actual WAN/uplink interface name.

  11. Add port forwarding to access Smokeping web UI:

    /ip firewall nat
    add action=dst-nat chain=dstnat dst-address=10.15.0.165 \
        dst-port=80 protocol=tcp to-addresses=172.17.0.3 to-ports=80
    tip

    Replace 10.15.0.165 with your router's IP address. Access Smokeping at http://10.15.0.165.

  12. Start the container:

    /container start [find name="smokeping:latest"]

  13. Verify container status:

    /container print
    /container shell [find name="smokeping:latest"]

Option B: Winbox Configuration​

  1. Create mounts:

    • Navigate to Container > Mounts
    • Click +
    • Name: MOUNT_SMOKE_CONFIG
    • Source: /smokeping/config
    • Destination: /config
    • Click OK
    • Repeat for MOUNT_SMOKE_DATA (src: /smokeping/data, dst: /data)

  2. Create bridge:

    • Navigate to Interface > Bridge
    • Click +
    • Name: containers
    • Click OK

  3. Create veth interface:

    • Navigate to Interface > Veth
    • Click +
    • Name: veth-smokeping
    • Address: 172.17.0.3/24
    • Gateway: 172.17.0.1
    • Click OK

  4. Configure environment variables:

    • Navigate to Container > Envs
    • Add four variables:
      • Name: ENV_SMOKE, Key: TZ, Value: Asia/Manila
      • Name: ENV_SMOKE, Key: PUID, Value: 1000
      • Name: ENV_SMOKE, Key: PGID, Value: 1000
      • Name: ENV_SMOKE, Key: CACHE_DIR, Value: /tmp

  5. Configure container registry:

    • Navigate to Container > Config
    • Registry URL: https://registry-1.docker.io
    • Temp Dir: disk1/tmp
    • Click Apply

  6. Create container:

    • Navigate to Container
    • Click +
    • Name: smokeping:latest
    • Root Dir: disk1/images/smokeping
    • Interface: veth-smokeping
    • Envlist: ENV_SMOKE
    • Mounts: MOUNT_SMOKE_CONFIG,MOUNT_SMOKE_DATA
    • Logging: ✓
    • Click OK

  7. Add bridge port:

    • Navigate to Interface > Bridge > Ports
    • Click +
    • Bridge: containers
    • Interface: veth-smokeping
    • Click OK

  8. Assign IP to bridge:

    • Navigate to IP > Addresses
    • Click +
    • Address: 172.17.0.1/24
    • Interface: containers
    • Click OK

  9. Configure NAT:

    • Navigate to IP > Firewall > NAT
    • Add three rules:
      • Chain: srcnat, Out Interface: ether1-UPLINK, Action: masquerade
      • Chain: srcnat, Src Address: 172.17.0.0/24, Action: masquerade
      • Chain: dstnat, Dst Address: 10.15.0.165, Dst Port: 80, Protocol: tcp, Action: dst-nat, To Addresses: 172.17.0.3, To Ports: 80

  10. Start container:

    • Navigate to Container
    • Select smokeping:latest
    • Click Start

Understanding the Configuration​

Container Architecture​

Router (10.15.0.165)
     ↓
┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Bridge: containers (172.17.0.1/24)      │
│                                          │
│   ┌──────────────────────────────────┐  │
│   │ veth-smokeping (172.17.0.3/24)   │  │
│   │                                  │  │
│   │  ┌────────────────────────────┐ │  │
│   │  │ Smokeping Container        │ │  │
│   │  │ - Monitors network targets │ │  │
│   │  │ - Web UI on port 80        │ │  │
│   │  │ - Persistent storage:      │ │  │
│   │  │   /config (settings)       │ │  │
│   │  │   /data (graphs)           │ │  │
│   │  └────────────────────────────┘ │  │
│   └──────────────────────────────────┘  │
└──────────────────────────────────────────┘
     ↓ NAT Port Forwarding
External access: http://10.15.0.165

Traffic Flow​

User accesses http://10.15.0.165:80
     ↓
Router receives on WAN interface
     ↓
DST-NAT rule: 10.15.0.165:80 → 172.17.0.3:80
     ↓
Packet forwarded to veth-smokeping
     ↓
Smokeping container responds with web page
     ↓
Response sent back through bridge → router → user

Component Relationships​

ComponentPurpose
Container MountsPersistent storage for Smokeping config and data
Bridge (containers)Network segment for all containers
Veth InterfaceVirtual ethernet connecting container to bridge
Environment VariablesContainer settings (timezone, user IDs, cache)
Registry ConfigDocker Hub URL for pulling images
NAT MasqueradeAllows container internet access
NAT DST-NATPort forwarding for web UI access

Configuring Monitoring Targets​

After container deployment, configure Smokeping targets to monitor network latency.

Step 1: Create Targets Configuration File​

On your router, create the Smokeping targets file:

sudo tee /config/Targets > /dev/null <<'EOF'
*** Targets ***
probe = FPing
menu = Top
title = Network Latency Grapher
remark = Script by github.com/Kintoyyy.

+ Local
menu = Local
title = Local Network (ICMP)
++ LocalMachine
menu = Local Machine
title = This host
host = localhost

+ DNS
menu = DNS latency
title = DNS latency (ICMP)
++ Google1
title = Google DNS 8.8.8.8
host = 8.8.8.8
++ Google2
title = Google DNS 8.8.4.4
host = 8.8.4.4
++ Cloudflare1
title = Cloudflare DNS 1.1.1.1
host = 1.1.1.1
++ Cloudflare2
title = Cloudflare DNS 1.0.0.1
host = 1.0.0.1
++ Quad9
title = Quad9 DNS
host = 9.9.9.9
++ OpenDNS
title = OpenDNS
host = 208.67.222.222

+ HTTP
menu = HTTP latency
title = HTTP latency (ICMP)
++ Facebook
host = facebook.com
++ Youtube
host = youtube.com
++ TikTok
host = tiktok.com
++ Instagram
host = instagram.com
++ Gcash
host = m.gcash.com
++ Discord
host = discord.com
++ Google
host = google.com
++ Cloudflare
host = cloudflare.com
++ Amazon
host = amazon.com
++ Netflix
host = www.netflix.com

+ CDN
menu = CDN Providers
title = Major CDN Providers
++ CloudflareSpeed
host = speed.cloudflare.com
++ FacebookCDN
host = static.xx.fbcdn.net
++ FacebookMobileCDN
host = z-m-static.xx.fbcdn.net
++ Fastly
host = global.ssl.fastly.net
++ Highwinds
host = hwcdn.net
++ CDN77
host = cdn77.com
++ SteamCDN
host = steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net

+ Cloud
menu = Cloud Services
title = Major Cloud Providers
++ AWSS3
host = s3.amazonaws.com
++ AWSEC2
host = ec2.amazonaws.com
++ GCPCompute
host = compute.googleapis.com
++ DigitalOcean
host = digitaloceanspaces.com
++ Linode
host = linode.com
EOF

Step 2: Reload Smokeping Configuration​

Access the container shell and reload configuration:

/container shell number=1

Inside the container:

smokeping --reload

Or use the shorter command:

smokeping -reload

Exit the shell:

exit

Target Categories Explained​

CategoryPurposeTargets
LocalRouter itselflocalhost
DNSDNS resolver latencyGoogle, Cloudflare, Quad9, OpenDNS
HTTPPopular websitesFacebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, GCash, Discord
CDNContent delivery networksCloudflare, Facebook CDN, Fastly, Steam
CloudCloud service providersAWS, GCP, DigitalOcean, Linode

Customizing Targets​

Edit the Targets file to add your own monitoring targets:

# On router, edit the file
/file edit /smokeping/config/Targets

Add custom target syntax:

++ CustomTarget
menu = My Custom Target
title = Description of target
host = your-ip-or-hostname.com

Remove a target: Delete or comment out (add #) the target section.

Change ping frequency: Edit probe settings in main Smokeping config.

After any changes, always reload:

/container shell number=1
smokeping --reload

Verification​

  1. Check container is running:

    /container print

    Should show: smokeping:latest with status running

  2. Verify mounts exist:

    /container mounts print

  3. Check veth interface:

    /interface veth print
    /ip address print where interface=veth-smokeping

  4. Test container shell access:

    /container shell [find name="smokeping:latest"]

  5. Check container logs:

    /log print where topics~"container"

  6. Verify bridge connectivity:

    ping 172.17.0.3

  7. Test web UI access:

    • Open browser: http://10.15.0.165 (or your router IP)
    • Should show Smokeping dashboard with graphs
    • Check categories: Local, DNS, HTTP, CDN, Cloud

  8. Verify targets are being monitored:

    • In web UI, click on target categories
    • Graphs should show latency data (wait 5-10 minutes for initial data)

  9. Check NAT rules active:

    /ip firewall nat print stats

  10. Verify container can access internet:

    /container shell [find name="smokeping:latest"]
    # Inside container:
    ping 8.8.8.8

Troubleshooting​

IssueCauseSolution
Container won't startInsufficient RouterOS versionUpgrade to RouterOS v7.4+: /system package update check-for-updates
Image pull failsNo internet or registry unreachableCheck internet: /ping 8.8.8.8 and verify registry URL
Disk full errorContainer storage on main diskUse separate disk: /disk print and adjust root-dir= path
Container starts then stopsMount directories don't existCreate manually: /file print and mkdir on disk
Can't access web UIPort forwarding misconfiguredVerify NAT rule destination matches router IP
Web UI shows 404Container still startingWait 2-3 minutes, check: /container print for stor remove unused targets
Image won't downloadRegistry URL wrongSet correctly: /container config set registry-url="https://registry-1.docker.io"
No graphs showingTargets file missing or wrong formatVerify: /file print shows Targets file, check syntax
Smokeping won't reloadContainer shell not accessibleRestart container: /container stop [find name="smokeping:latest"] then start
Container has no internetNAT masquerade missingAdd: /ip firewall nat add action=masquerade chain=srcnat src-address=172.17.0.0/24
Timezone wrong in graphsTZ environment variable incorrectUpdate: /container envs set [find key=TZ] value=Your/Timezone
Data not persistingMounts not attached to containerVerify mounts in container config: /container print detail
Container CPU highToo many targets configuredEdit Smokeping config, reduce ping frequency
Image won't downloadRegistry URL wrongSet correctly: /container config set registry-url="https://registry-1.docker.io"

Advanced Options​

Add more containers on same bridge:​

/interface veth add address=172.17.0.4/24 gateway=172.17.0.1 name=veth-container2
/interface bridge port add bridge=containers interface=veth-container2

Change Smokeping web UI port to 8080:​

/ip firewall nat remove [find dst-port=80 to-ports=80]
/ip firewall nat add action=dst-nat chain=dstnat dst-address=10.15.0.165 \
    dst-port=8080 protocol=tcp to-addresses=172.17.0.3 to-ports=80

Enable HTTPS access (if Smokeping configured):​

Add custom target to existing Targets file

/container shell number=1
# Inside container:
echo "++ MyISP" >> /config/Targets
echo "title = My ISP Gateway" >> /config/Targets
echo "host = your-gateway-ip" >> /config/Targets
smokeping --reload
exit

Reload Smokeping after configuration changes:​

/container shell number=1
smokeping --reload
exit
# Edit config on router's disk
/file edit /smokeping/config/Targets
# Add targets like:
# + target1
# menu = Target 1
# title = Ping to 8.8.8.8
# host = 8.8.8.8

Backup Smokeping data:​

/file print
/tool fetch url="http://172.17.0.3/smokeping/data.tar.gz" dst-path="/backup/smokeping-data.tar.gz"

Set container resource limits:​

/container set [find name="smokeping:latest"] cpu=1 memory-limit=256M

Auto-start container on boot:​

/container set [find name="smokeping:latest"] start-on-boot=yes

Mount additional targets file:​

/container mounts add dst="/config/Targets.custom" name=MOUNT_TARGETS src="/smokeping/targets-custom"
/container set [find name="smokeping:latest"] mounts=MOUNT_SMOKE_CONFIG,MOUNT_SMOKE_DATA,MOUNT_TARGETS

Monitor container stats:​

/container print stats

Update Smokeping image:​

/container stop [find name="smokeping:latest"]
/container remove [find name="smokeping:latest"]
# Re-add container (pulls latest image)
/container add envlist=ENV_SMOK(see "Configuring Monitoring Targets" section)
- Wait 10-15 minutes for initial graph data
- Add custom targets for your ISP, servers, or critical servicesveth-smokeping ...

Completion​

✅ Smokeping Docker container deployed!

Next steps:

  • Access web UI: http://your-router-ip
  • Configure monitoring targets in Smokeping
  • Set alert thresholds for latency spikes
  • Monitor graphs for network performance patterns
  • Schedule regular backups of Smokeping data
  • Integrate with alerting systems (Telegram, email)
  • Back up configuration: /system backup save