If you manage your network from a Mac, connecting to routers, switches and firewalls quickly and securely is at the center of your daily work. This guide walks you through connecting to devices like MikroTik, Cisco and FortiGate from macOS — both over SSH and with a serial (console) cable. If you also manage these devices on the guest-WiFi side, see our firewall & guest WiFi integrations.

Connecting over SSH

If SSH is enabled on the device, you can connect straight from the built-in macOS Terminal without installing anything. Example commands:

MikroTik (default IP):

ssh admin@192.168.88.1

Cisco (with a username):

ssh -l admin 192.168.1.1

Once connected, type enable to switch to privileged mode.

FortiGate:

ssh admin@192.168.1.99

Tip: Save the devices you connect to often in your ~/.ssh/config file so you don't have to type the IP and username every time. For example:

Host mikrotik
    HostName 192.168.88.1
    User admin

Then a simple ssh mikrotik is all you need.

Connecting over serial console

During a device's initial setup, or when there is no network access, you connect with a USB-to-serial (console) cable. First find which port the cable is attached to:

ls /dev/tty.usbserial-*

Then connect at the correct baud rate. The baud rate depends on the device: MikroTik usually uses 115200, while Cisco and FortiGate typically use 9600.

screen /dev/tty.usbserial-XXXX 115200

To exit the session, press Ctrl-A followed by K and confirm.

Bringing it all into one window

When you manage several devices at once, opening a separate terminal, a separate file-transfer window and a separate remote-desktop window for each one gets tiring fast. At Useroam Technology we built a native macOS tool for exactly this need: Noden.

Noden brings SSH, SFTP, RDP and the serial console together in a single window, side by side in a grid. It ships with ready-made serial console presets for MikroTik, Cisco, FortiGate, Sophos and Ubiquiti, so you never have to hunt for the right baud rate. Your passwords and SSH keys live in a Touch ID–protected vault, stored only in your Mac's Keychain. You can start for free on macOS 13 and later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need extra software for SSH on a Mac?

No. The built-in macOS Terminal ships with OpenSSH, so you can run the ssh command directly. A dedicated client is only needed for convenience features such as managing many sessions in one window.

Which baud rate should I use?

It depends on the device. MikroTik typically uses 115200, while Cisco and FortiGate usually use 9600 baud. If you are unsure, check the label on the device's console port or its documentation.