Netinstall Recovery Guide

Recover RouterOS using Netinstall when the device is unresponsive or needs reflashing.

Prerequisite: For static IP assignment (Step F), ensure you understand IP Addressing & Subnets.

Prerequisites

• RouterOS: any version (recovery overwrites). Image must match device architecture (e.g., arm, mipsbe, x86).
• Hardware: RouterOS-based device with Ethernet port (RB, CCR, CHR, etc.).
• Access: Netinstall client (Windows, macOS, or Linux). Direct Ethernet connection to device or same L2 segment.
• Host IP: Assign 192.168.88.2/24 to the interface connected to the device.

Recovery Flow

Static IP Assignment (Host)

Step F requires assigning 192.168.88.2 to your host. See IP Addressing & Subnets for subnet notation.

Linux example:

ip addr add 192.168.88.2/24 dev eth0
# Or with nmcli:
nmcli con mod <connection> ipv4.addresses 192.168.88.2/24

Post-Recovery

After flashing: apply Firewall Best Practices; for network segmentation see VLAN Configuration.

Common Pitfalls

• Boot mode: Device must be in Netinstall mode (reset button hold or boot-mode selection). LED blinking indicates ready state.
• Wrong IP: Host must be 192.168.88.2. Netinstall listens on 192.168.88.1 by default. Verify with ip addr or ifconfig.
• Firewall: Host firewall may block Netinstall. Temporarily allow UDP 5678 or disable firewall on the host interface.
• Driver: Some USB-Ethernet adapters fail. Use onboard NIC or known-good adapter.