We employ a self-consistent simulation approach based on mean field theory to investigate the physical properties of both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic nanotubes. At the beginning, dipole-dipole interaction is neglected to facilitate theoretical analysis. Due to the geometric shape of the nanotubes and the magnetic uniaxial anisotropy, the spins are found always ordering parallel to the longitudinal axis of the nanotubes, no matter the external magnetic field is absent or applied along the axis, showing a typical ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic characters. This peculiar feature allows us to build the one-dimensional magnetic chain models. Consequently, the results obtained with our theoretical models and numerical approach are exactly identical, manifesting the correctness of the new simulation approach. Finally, the dipole-dipole interaction is taken into account. It is very interesting to find that a very weak dipole-dipole interaction is able to make the spins align mainly along the longitudinal axis, though they tilt inwards or outwards slightly and symmetrically.