Connecting Hex lite to Starlink

I have a Hex Lite and was using it with Bell Canada's DSL service without issue - I just plugged the output from the modem into Port 1 on the Hexlite and everything worked fine.

Recently I switched to Starlink (Starlink Standard 4 Kit) and it works fine without the Hex lite connected directly via a CAT5 cable to a PC or a switch and then to PCs.

When I connect the same working ethernet cable to the Mikrotik router, the lights on the router turns off and no connection seems to be present.

I have updated the OS on the Hex lite to the latest (7.23.1) and only made the following changes (probably the wrong ones) in QuickSet

  • Mode Router
  • Address Acquisition Automatic
  • Local Network 192.168.88.1

Every other setting is the same as after using Netinstall to start with a fresh configration.

Starlink is not in Bypass mode - I want to get it working with the Hex Lite before doing that, if possible.

Maybe, or maybe not (Quickset can be tricky).

Post your current configuration for review, instructions here:

2026-06-01 09:28:48 by RouterOS 7.23.1

software id = K8Z3-xxxx

model = RB750r2

serial number = xxxx

/interface list
add name=WAN
add name=LAN
/interface list member
add interface=ether1 list=WAN
add interface=ether2 list=LAN
add interface=ether3 list=LAN
add interface=ether4 list=LAN
add interface=ether5 list=LAN
/ip address
add address=192.168.88.1/24 interface=ether2 network=192.168.88.0
/ip dhcp-client

Interface not active

add interface=ether1 name=client1

Your posted configuration is incomplete (and you should first paste the configuration, then select it and press the button with the </> on it, this way it will become "code").
From what you posted ether1 is not active, but it has to be seen why.

This is what was in the rsc file:

2026-06-01 09:28:48 by RouterOS 7.23.1

software id = K8Z3-xxxx



model = RB750r2

serial number = xxxx

/interface list
add name=WAN
add name=LAN
/interface list member
add interface=ether1 list=WAN
add interface=ether2 list=LAN
add interface=ether3 list=LAN
add interface=ether4 list=LAN
add interface=ether5 list=LAN
/ip address
add address=192.168.88.1/24 interface=ether2 network=192.168.88.0
/ip dhcp-client

Interface not active

add interface=ether1 name=client1

Well, then - for whatever reasons - you have a very partial configuration.

You should try resetting the device to default configuration.

Anyway, it should be something like the one here:
https://tangentsoft.com/mikrotik/dir?name=defconf
the file [RB750Pr2.rsc] is for a slightly different model, but configuration for your RB750r2 would be the same.
The configuration on tangentsoft's site is one made with the "terse" option.
I am attaching it below converted as "plain" export format:

# 1970-01-01 00:00:00 by RouterOS 7.15.3
#
# model = RB750Pr2
/interface bridge
add admin-mac=**ELIDED** auto-mac=no comment=defconf name=bridge
/interface list
add comment=defconf name=WAN
add comment=defconf name=LAN
/ip pool
add name=default-dhcp ranges=192.168.88.10-192.168.88.254
/disk settings
set auto-media-interface=bridge auto-media-sharing=yes auto-smb-sharing=yes
/interface bridge port
add bridge=bridge comment=defconf interface=ether2
add bridge=bridge comment=defconf interface=ether3
add bridge=bridge comment=defconf interface=ether4
add bridge=bridge comment=defconf interface=ether5
/ip neighbor discovery-settings
set discover-interface-list=LAN
/interface list member
add comment=defconf interface=bridge list=LAN
add comment=defconf interface=ether1 list=WAN
/ip address
add address=192.168.88.1/24 comment=defconf interface=bridge network=192.168.88.0
/ip dhcp-client
add comment=defconf interface=ether1
/ip dhcp-server
add address-pool=default-dhcp interface=bridge name=defconf
/ip dhcp-server network
add address=192.168.88.0/24 comment=defconf dns-server=192.168.88.1 gateway=192.168.88.1
/ip dns
set allow-remote-requests=yes
/ip dns static
add address=192.168.88.1 comment=defconf name=router.lan
/ip firewall filter
add action=accept chain=input comment="defconf: accept established,related,untracked" connection-state=established,related,untracked
add action=drop chain=input comment="defconf: drop invalid" connection-state=invalid
add action=accept chain=input comment="defconf: accept ICMP" protocol=icmp
add action=accept chain=input comment="defconf: accept to local loopback (for CAPsMAN)" dst-address=127.0.0.1
add action=drop chain=input comment="defconf: drop all not coming from LAN" in-interface-list=!LAN
add action=accept chain=forward comment="defconf: accept in ipsec policy" ipsec-policy=in,ipsec
add action=accept chain=forward comment="defconf: accept out ipsec policy" ipsec-policy=out,ipsec
add action=fasttrack-connection chain=forward comment="defconf: fasttrack" connection-state=established,related hw-offload=yes
add action=accept chain=forward comment="defconf: accept established,related, untracked" connection-state=established,related,untracked
add action=drop chain=forward comment="defconf: drop invalid" connection-state=invalid
add action=drop chain=forward comment="defconf: drop all from WAN not DSTNATed" connection-nat-state=!dstnat connection-state=new in-interface-list=WAN
/ip firewall nat
add action=masquerade chain=srcnat comment="defconf: masquerade" ipsec-policy=out,none out-interface-list=WAN
/ipv6 firewall address-list
add address=::/128 comment="defconf: unspecified address" list=bad_ipv6
add address=::1/128 comment="defconf: lo" list=bad_ipv6
add address=fec0::/10 comment="defconf: site-local" list=bad_ipv6
add address=::ffff:0.0.0.0/96 comment="defconf: ipv4-mapped" list=bad_ipv6
add address=::/96 comment="defconf: ipv4 compat" list=bad_ipv6
add address=100::/64 comment="defconf: discard only " list=bad_ipv6
add address=2001:db8::/32 comment="defconf: documentation" list=bad_ipv6
add address=2001:10::/28 comment="defconf: ORCHID" list=bad_ipv6
add address=3ffe::/16 comment="defconf: 6bone" list=bad_ipv6
/ipv6 firewall filter
add action=accept chain=input comment="defconf: accept established,related,untracked" connection-state=established,related,untracked
add action=drop chain=input comment="defconf: drop invalid" connection-state=invalid
add action=accept chain=input comment="defconf: accept ICMPv6" protocol=icmpv6
add action=accept chain=input comment="defconf: accept UDP traceroute" dst-port=33434-33534 protocol=udp
add action=accept chain=input comment="defconf: accept DHCPv6-Client prefix delegation." dst-port=546 protocol=udp src-address=fe80::/10
add action=accept chain=input comment="defconf: accept IKE" dst-port=500,4500 protocol=udp
add action=accept chain=input comment="defconf: accept ipsec AH" protocol=ipsec-ah
add action=accept chain=input comment="defconf: accept ipsec ESP" protocol=ipsec-esp
add action=accept chain=input comment="defconf: accept all that matches ipsec policy" ipsec-policy=in,ipsec
add action=drop chain=input comment="defconf: drop everything else not coming from LAN" in-interface-list=!LAN
add action=accept chain=forward comment="defconf: accept established,related,untracked" connection-state=established,related,untracked
add action=drop chain=forward comment="defconf: drop invalid" connection-state=invalid
add action=drop chain=forward comment="defconf: drop packets with bad src ipv6" src-address-list=bad_ipv6
add action=drop chain=forward comment="defconf: drop packets with bad dst ipv6" dst-address-list=bad_ipv6
add action=drop chain=forward comment="defconf: rfc4890 drop hop-limit=1" hop-limit=equal:1 protocol=icmpv6
add action=accept chain=forward comment="defconf: accept ICMPv6" protocol=icmpv6
add action=accept chain=forward comment="defconf: accept HIP" protocol=139
add action=accept chain=forward comment="defconf: accept IKE" dst-port=500,4500 protocol=udp
add action=accept chain=forward comment="defconf: accept ipsec AH" protocol=ipsec-ah
add action=accept chain=forward comment="defconf: accept ipsec ESP" protocol=ipsec-esp
add action=accept chain=forward comment="defconf: accept all that matches ipsec policy" ipsec-policy=in,ipsec
add action=drop chain=forward comment="defconf: drop everything else not coming from LAN" in-interface-list=!LAN
/tool mac-server
set allowed-interface-list=LAN
/tool mac-server mac-winbox
set allowed-interface-list=LAN

I seem to be going backwards.

I tried to reset to default (power up with reset button held, wait for flashing light). I logged in with Winbox and did another export. Same result as before.

I tried again and now I cannot access it with Winbox - all my passwords including blank do not work. I get wrong password messages or timeouts.

It seems like the device has some issues.

The only thing you can try at this point, if reset doesn't work and you cannot access the device/have a full configuration, is Netinstall.

It is usually a huge PITA, as having it working depends a lot on th eOS and settings you have on your PC.

The only "surely working" way (even if complex) is to use a Virtual Machine, see:
https://tangentsoft.com/mikrotik/wiki?name=Run%20NetInstall%20in%20a%20VM

Netinstall is what I tried initially, which is why it looks like I am not going forward.

When I connect the same working ethernet cable to the Mikrotik router, the lights on the router turns off and no connection seems to be present.

This sounds like a power issue of some kind. Are you using the correct power supply?

As for the password, check on the device, is there a sticker? It should have the password on it. If not, where did you buy it? If you bought it used, it could be preconfigured for some specific use and reset just returned it to that.

Original power supply, new unit.
I have tried the sticker password, blank and the new one I created after running Netinstall.