Mikrotik routeros update. Firmware update for Mikrotik hap lite (instructions are suitable for all Mikrotik routers)
Many novice users, working with Mikrotik devices for the first time, often face the question of how to properly update devices running ?
There are 2 main update methods. The first is through the browser in the WebFig control panel, the second is through software Winbox. Both of these methods do not differ in terms of menu section names, options, etc., so we will not separate them into separate instructions.
There is also a third option - using NetInstall. Netinstall is used in cases where it is necessary to restore the functionality of a device after a failed or incorrect update, as well as in cases where it is not possible to access the device in the first two ways.
As an example, we used the popular Mikrotik hAP lite (RB941-2n) router. By the way, we supplied power to the router directly from the laptop using a USB-to-microUSB cable.
In the RouterOS section, make sure that the “Current” channel is selected in the “Please select version” section. Using other channels for working system Not recommended.
Below you will have to select the platform that is used on your device:
1. mipsbe– designed for BaseBox, SXT, OmniTik, cAP, mAP, hEX, DynaDish, Groove, NetBox, NetMetal, PowerBox, QRT, Metal and Sextant devices, as well as the CRS, RB4xx, RB7xx, RB9xx, RB2011 line. For example, for RB951G-2HnD.
2. ppc – special version for the RB3xx, RB600, RB800 line and RB1000/RB1100 devices.
3. x86– version for PC and RB230.
4. mipsle– RB1xx, RB5xx and Crossroads line.
5. tile– version for devices of the CCR family.
6. smips– special version for hAP lite.
To update the bootloader, you must click “Upgrade” and confirm the update. After that, go to “System” => “Reboot” and reboot the device. After the reboot, go back to the Routerboard menu and check the version.
Offline update (offline)
So, you have already downloaded the necessary files. Open Explorer, select our file routeros-smips-6.31.npk (where 6.31 is the version) and copy it. Now the file needs to be downloaded to the device. To do this, go to the “File” section and click the “Paste” button. You can also use the key combinations Ctrl+C (Copy) and Ctrl+V (Paste), but this does not work on some configurations.
After downloading the firmware file to the device, it must be rebooted. After the reboot, we check the RouterBOOT version as described earlier and, if necessary, update it.
Before updating to a working configuration
If you are updating an already running configuration, it is recommended to save the settings. This can be done either using Terminal (a more complex and advanced method), or using the same “File” section. The process of saving (backup) is reduced to pressing just 1 button, so it does not take time. To save, click “Backup”; if desired, you can specify your file name, set a password and file encryption.
To restore the settings, just click the “Restore” button, after selecting required file With backup copy settings. In most cases, or rather, almost always, the update occurs with full preservation of the previous settings. Although, there are still isolated cases when the settings are reset.
As a preamble (introduction), I note that already more than three For years at home I have been using the MikroTik 951-2n router as a gateway to access the Internet. Moreover, the reason for its use was the need to control from home the operation of the 1C8 software installed in the company, which, according to the law of “meanness,” tended to “freeze” in the morning hours.
A number of company employees had the habit of coming to work an hour earlier than the start of working hours and then, if it was impossible to fully work with 1C8, periodically making complaints.
Therefore, after setting up MikroTik, the ability to connect to local network company using the L2tp IpSec protocol, it became possible to restart a “frozen” server before the “early bird” category of workers appears at the workplace.
MikroTik's work has always received the highest rating from me. If you also update its firmware (installed software version) in a timely manner, then you can be absolutely calm about the security of your home local network (if, of course, it is configured correctly firewall router).
Used at home MikroTik RB951-2n
This year at the MikroTik MUM event, participants were given a gift MikroTik RB931-2nD, which is a hAP mini class device.
Gift MikroTik RB931-2nD
After turning it on for the purpose of checking and reconfiguring it to use the needs home network it was discovered that the installed version 6.40.4 was outdated and it was decided to update it to the then current version 6.42.7
Since there were no clearly defined intentions for using the RB931-2nD, it was packed back into the box. After updating the RB951-2n firmware to the current 6.43.4, it was decided to update the RB931-2nD firmware.
There is not enough package on the router to download free space
But it was not there. When I tried to download a new version of the software through the Winbox menu “System – Packages – Check For Updates”, a message appeared that there was not enough free space on the device. Indeed, when comparing devices, it was found that for the RB951-2n the Storage size is 64 MB and for the RB931-2nD it is 16 MB. At the same time, the RB931-2nD required approximately 10.1 MB, and only 7.6-7.9 MB of free space was available disk space. Attempts to clear everything Log files did not bring the desired result.
But my request to Support MikroTik about the possibility of updating the firmware of this model received a response that this operation can be done via netinstall.
I will not describe this operation, since there is enough information on this issue and, if desired, it can be found without problems (example). Let me just note that netinstall can only be done on a node with wired connection(that is, there must be a network card, and not just WiFi). Wire from network card must be connected to the ether1 interface of Mikrotik, and the addresses of the host network card and Client IP of Mikrotik must be set from the network 192.168.88.0 with a mask of 255.255.255.0. You should also pay attention to the fact that for RB931-2nD you need an npk package under the name routeros-smips, which is taken from the second section of MikroTik software downloads.
Another remark is related to Reset button, which according to the instructions must be clamped. The buttons on the RB931-2nD are made in the form of protruding keys on the bottom of the device. In order to examine the inscriptions on them I had to take a magnifying glass. Required button located closer to the wide part of the body. Next to it there is some kind of rectangular hole, the purpose of which I could not figure out. The second button, which is located closer to the narrow part of the case, has the inscription MODE.
Surprise
After updating the firmware and then rebooting the device, a connection could not be established. The flashing was repeated 5 times! Until I had the “bright” thought of trying to connect using the MAC address.
After this, it was found out that my MikroTik is the cleanest MikroTik in the world. Not a single active interface, not a single active service... nothing at all. I had to enter all the settings manually. Then “a good thought came as a surprise”, that, probably, it was necessary to check the “Keep old Configuration” field in the netinstall settings.
Update via package placed on MikroTik
As an experiment, the firmware was updated to version 6.42.10 (Long-term). When viewing the properties of the routeros-smips-6.42.10.npk package, it is found that it has a size of 7.5 MB. The most latest version routeros-smips-6.43.4.npk – 7.6 MB.
Since “bullying” of the device had already taken place, it was decided to try to update the firmware through the premises on MikroTik in the Files of the routeros-smips-6.43.4.npk package and give the device the Reboot command.
The jester knows him, maybe it helped save some space, but a number of software features were deactivated:
Since access via Winbox was carried out from the upstream MikroTik, then firewall rules The ability to access via Winbox and ftp from a higher-level home network was added:
192.168.237.128/29 – RB931-2nD network;
192.168.224.80/28 – RB951-2n network (superior).
The routeros-smips-6.43.4.npk package was successfully downloaded via ftp:
After rebooting it appears that a new version Software installed successfully:
And as a final step, you can also update the Firmware (go to System – Routerboard in Winbox). After updating the firmware, Upgrade Firmware will show the version of the installed firmware.
To update the Firmware, click on the "Upgrade" button:
After rebooting MikroTik, the software version and the Firmware version will be the same.
In order not to make unnecessary “movements” during the next software update, you can check the box to update the Firmware automatically.
After all the operations performed, the available resources of the RB931-2nD were:
Since when searching for information on the device I had to deal with inaccuracies that occur on some sites, below are the characteristics from the manufacturer:
Product codeRB931-2nD
10/100 Ethernet ports3
Antenna gain1.5
CPUQCA9533
CPU core count1
CPU nominal frequency650 MHz
Dimensions48 x 78 x 81mm
License level4
Max Power consumption3.5W
Number of chains2
Operating SystemRouterOS
Power Jack1
Size of RAM32 MB
Storage size16 MB
Storage typeFLASH
Supported input voltage5 V - 5 V
Wireless chip modelQCA9533
Wireless standards802.11b/g/n
By the way, in the subsequent firmware update in a standard way(via System – Packages) happened without problems. At the time of editing this note, the latest installed firmware on the RB931-2nD is 6.43.8
After purchasing any network device The first thing I recommend doing is updating the firmware. Because firmware updates improve the security and resiliency of your router, new features and functions are sometimes added. In this article, I will describe step by step the process of updating the firmware on the Mikotik RB951G 2HnD router (all Mikotik RB7xx series, RB9xx series routers are flashed in a similar way).
You can connect to the Mikotik interface different ways, the most visual and convenient - using the Winbox utility. Winbox- free utility does not require installation, with which you can configure the Mikotik router. Here is the link to download this utility from the official website http://www.mikrotik.com/download . After you have downloaded the utility, configure it on your computer/laptop automatic retrieval of network settings . After that, connect the router using network cable to any port except the first. Run the downloaded utility. Enter the Mikrotik IP address (192.168.88.1 by default), Login - admin by default, Password - none by default (leave this field empty) in the "Connect To" field. Click " Connect".
In addition to updating all firmware on Mikrotik routers, you can update individual components, To see installed versions For component firmware, you need to go to the "System" - "Packages" menu.
Now that you know what firmware version is installed on your Mikotik, you need to find out the latest current firmware, to do this, go to the manufacturer’s website, select the version of your equipment and download the latest version .
For example, for all versions of Mikrotik RB751XX and Mikrotik RB951XX, you must select Top Menu"mipsbe CRS series, RB4xx series, RB7xx series, RB9xx series, RB2011 series, SXT, OmniTik, Groove, METAL, SEXTANT" and download latest version firmware.
In the Winbox utility, select "Files". Next to the utility, open the folder with the downloaded firmware (file with the extension .npk) and drag updated version firmware in the file field. Within a few minutes the file will be copied to the router.
Many novice users, working with Mikrotik devices for the first time, often face the question of how to properly update devices running ?
There are 2 main update methods. The first is through the browser in the WebFig control panel, the second is through the Winbox software. Both of these methods do not differ in terms of menu section names, options, etc., so we will not separate them into separate instructions.
There is also a third option - using NetInstall. Netinstall is used in cases where it is necessary to restore the functionality of a device after an unsuccessful or incorrect update, as well as in cases where it is not possible to access the device using the first two methods.
As an example, we used the popular Mikrotik hAP lite (RB941-2n) router. By the way, we supplied power to the router directly from the laptop using a USB-to-microUSB cable.
In the RouterOS section, make sure that the “Current” channel is selected in the “Please select version” section. Using other channels for a production system is not recommended.
Below you will have to select the platform that is used on your device:
1. mipsbe– designed for BaseBox, SXT, OmniTik, cAP, mAP, hEX, DynaDish, Groove, NetBox, NetMetal, PowerBox, QRT, Metal and Sextant devices, as well as the CRS, RB4xx, RB7xx, RB9xx, RB2011 line. For example, for RB951G-2HnD.
2. ppc– special version for the RB3xx, RB600, RB800 line and RB1000/RB1100 devices.
3. x86– version for PC and RB230.
4. mipsle– RB1xx, RB5xx and Crossroads line.
5. tile– version for devices of the CCR family.
6. smips– special version for hAP lite.
To update the bootloader, you must click “Upgrade” and confirm the update. After that, go to “System” => “Reboot” and reboot the device. After the reboot, go back to the Routerboard menu and check the version.
Offline update (offline)
So, you have already downloaded the necessary files. Open Explorer, select our file routeros-smips-6.31.npk (where 6.31 is the version) and copy it. Now the file needs to be downloaded to the device. To do this, go to the “File” section and click the “Paste” button. You can also use the key combinations Ctrl+C (Copy) and Ctrl+V (Paste), but this does not work on some configurations.
After downloading the firmware file to the device, it must be rebooted. After the reboot, we check the RouterBOOT version as described earlier and, if necessary, update it.
Before updating to a working configuration
If you are updating an already running configuration, it is recommended to save the settings. This can be done either using Terminal (a more complex and advanced method), or using the same “File” section. The process of saving (backup) is reduced to pressing just 1 button, so it does not take time. To save, click “Backup”; if desired, you can specify your file name, set a password and file encryption.
To restore the settings, just click the “Restore” button after selecting the required file with a backup copy of the settings. In most cases, or rather, almost always, the update occurs with full preservation of the previous settings. Although, there are still isolated cases when the settings are reset.
Updating the MikroTik firmware is a regulatory and voluntary procedure. And I recommend not to neglect it, because... Updates usually contain many bugfixes that can make life much easier. This assumes that your router is alive, healthy and accessible.
If access to the router is lost, you can update or reset it using the Netinstall utility. The process of restoring a router using this program is described in the article.
Starting this year, the company has somewhat changed its approach to releasing firmware updates - they current updates into two branches: bugfix and current. Bugfix is the last one stable version, which includes only fixes for found bugs. The current branch is bugfixes plus some innovations. Now, having gone to the download page www.mikrotik.com/download, in the drop-down list we see 4 download options and select the one we need. The choice of firmware version will determine the way we will update.
MikroTik firmware via WinBox
The first way to update the firmware
Open System -> Packages
Here you can not only update, but also enable or disable packages and downgrade. But now we are interested in the “Check For Updates” button. Click.
We see that there is a new release and then you can choose to simply download (Download) or download and immediately update (Download & Upgrade). Mikrotik will update the next time you reboot and the only difference is when this reboot occurs. When you click “Download & Upgrade,” MikroTik will go into reboot immediately after downloading the files.
The second way to update the firmware
If you noticed, then when automatic update Through System->Packages we were offered only the Current version (6.32.3). If we want a Bugfix, Legacy or Release candidate, then we will do it a little differently:
- Download the required firmware from the site
- Upload the firmware file to the root file system MikroTik. This can be done either via FTP/SFTP or via Winbox.
- We reboot the router.
Copying a file via WinBox:
As you can see for yourself, nothing complicated. And if everything goes as normal. then after a reboot your MikroTik will work on the new firmware.