How to connect to the router if one issue a reset with no default configuration? Winbox 3 rc12 doesn’t have the scan button for the Mac address anymore. Using neighbors, I can see the Mac address…wondering whether that will enable access.
Click on the “Neighbors” tab, next to the “Managed”. It will scan for Mikrotik devices.
Thanks IntrusDave for responding. Yes, I did that and logged in with the Mac address; however, as soon as I make a change, such as assigning ether2 as master port, I am automatically shut out and can’t login again with the Mac address unless I reset the router…frustrating. The sad part is that had happened to my backup; so, if I restore from the backup, all is good but I can’t login via Winbox (getting error) and IP service set to only Winbox.
So, it seems I am in a catch-22.
it may be better to connect to the WAN port, that way you are not modifying the ports that you are working with.
Good idea…if I have no default configuration, there is no firewall on ether1. I will try that in the morning…thanks for sharing.
This is becoming a nightmare…when I reset the router, connect and delete default configuration, I am unable to get back into router. I keep getting error connecting to Mac address. Winbox seems unresponsive…I am using Winbox4mac.
I really would like to restore from my backup; however, after completion, I can’t login via Winbox…will try uninstalling Winbox or use Winbox through Windows via Parallels on Mac.
Same unresponsiveness in Windows 7 that won’t find the Mac address sadly!
So, I enabled the Winbox interface in Mac Server for ether1, removed default configuration, and got out my USB serial cable…it’s a male. 
It’s the first time I ever used it…had the wildest laugh.
Found the right cable, found out that the Mac Server is only to connect two Mikrotik routers.
Well, I figured out if I get kicked out of Winbox after resetting with no default configuration I need to restart the computer…very awkward indeed.
As soon as I connect to the router using the Mac address then go to input setting, I am kicked out, and when I launch Winbox (winbox4mac) again, I get this:
Screen Shot 2015-07-24 at 8.33.51 PM.png
Have been trying to configure the router all day…any suggestion?
So, here the weird part…I reset the router under 6.30.2 and got the default setting (192.168.88.1) then exhausted from monkeying with the router, I decided to watch a movie. I connected my Apple Extreme to which all Apple devices connect including the AppleTV to it’s usual Ether2 port on the Mikrotik…the Apple Extreme got it’s old IP addresses despite there is no such configuration in the Mikrotik and rebooting the Apple Extreme. I guess the old configuration stuck and invisible on the Mikrotik. I’ll contact support on what to do…I may need to reinstall RouterOS I think.
When I locked myself out because I deleted a firewall rule that I should hav ekept, I connected an RS232 cable
and was able to fix it without problem.
However, I had a proper cable (from a cisco router) at hand and my computer has the correct 9-pin serial port.
I always start with an input rule at the top, making sure that my local IP will never be blocked. Then you can configure and not risk locking yourself out.
The router is behaving strangle and really weird. Instead of resetting the router with no default configuration, I decided to keep the default config so I would have three separate networks. The default works without a hitch; however, as soon as I add my former networks, identity, and a user with password, the weird stuff starts. For example, if I add a user or modify default admin, I can’t login with IP address…it has to be the Mac address. Only the default network can access the Internet…I can’t ping the other networks. Also, the other networks assign IP address to devices, then, it either unassigned the IP address afterwards or the device rejects the address. Of course, the router keeps doing this as if it’s looping.
I will sent supout file to Mikrotik support.
Hi,
did you already try to netinstall your device?
The file system may be corrupted.
If this strange behavior continues after netinstall, I would say the device is a candidate for RMA.
Ape
Thank you, Ape for responding. No, I haven’t yet…I am waiting on support finding after they examine the supout file. Also, I am a Mac person and it’s very painful dealing with Windows on such task (Netinstall only works with Windows). However, I will need to reformat Nand disk and be sure the memory cleared…that’s where the pain will be.
Having to reformat the router turned out to be a waste of valuable time…the amount of hours (if calculated at minimum U.S. wage) I have put into diagnosis and attempting to reformat, I could have bought another router. Of course, if it weren’t for the sake of learning, I wouldn’t have tried.
The greatest problem was finding an USB-to-Serial adapter driver that works…I have yet to find one. The ones I have found were not installed correctly, despite the installer saying successfully done. It seems that Mikrotik could provide the necessary drivers. For now, the plan is to just buy another (Mikrotik) router. At least for awhile, I can use the router’s default configuration that has a robust firewall.
What drivers would Mikrotik supply? The routers have an industry standard RS-232 serial port. It is a male connection, as the most common use of the port is for a serial modem for remote management. As for drivers, the manufacture of the USB-to-Serial cable would be responsible for that. Even then, Windows 7+, Linux, and Mac OS X all support most of the USB serial interfaces out there. Personally, I keep one of these (along with a gender changer) in my “go bag” at all times:
I’m sorry that you have had so many issues with the router. Formatting the NAND should have taken no more than 3 or 4 minutes. Then a Netinstall should have been another 5. Getting a box configured when you have no default config can be frustrating the first time you go through it. Once you know and understand the units, you should be able to wipe a router and get it reconfigured in a matter of minutes.
Myself, I have a generic set of “universal” filter and nat rules that I can put on any of the routers I work with that gives me a very good and secure start point. Only thing that I need to do is rename the WAN and LAN interfaces, and set the public and private IP’s… Then they are good to go. From that point I can add/configure any extras that are needed for that network.
Personally, when I first discovered Mikrotik, I was building pfSense based routers. I wanted to see if they would be a good replacement, to save me a LOT of time. I purchased two of the cheaper ($50 USD) units and started playing with them. I broke them several times, locked myself out, corrupted the OS, etc. Mostly to see how hard it is to recover. Once I was comfortable with them, I replaced 14 “pfSense x86” routers and 9 Cisco 29xx routers with CCR1009’s and CCR1016’s. Out of those 23 “CloudCore Routers”, only one has given me a problem. It was NAND corruption. It was corrected by formatting the NAND and installing the latest RouterOS. In addition to those, I manage 4 “personal” RB2011’s for family members. The WiFi was a little complicated at first, but once I understood it, all was good.
Okay, enough of my babbling. I hope this gives you a little inspiration and hope. Worst case, you can always ask for help and let one of us remote into your PC and help you get it configured.
Thanks for responding, IntrusDave. To be clear this was not my first time configuring my RB450G with no default configuration…I have had the router over six years; however, it my first time needing to reformat the nand disk.
When I say Mikrotik should make available a RS-232 driver, I mean have a generic one available on the website to download (as a courtesy) that is well-established to work with widely known cables. In my case, I don’t have the drivers that came with my cable (have misplaced a long the way the CD that came with the cable as I never had to use the cable six years now…made by Foxconn). I searched for online and specifically Foxconn’s website…all referred to Prolific Technology’s PL2303. After installing and checking device manager, no driver there.
I used both MacOS (Yosemite) and Windows 7 via Parallels…Netinstall just would not find the router. Then, I thought I might need a driver…hence the time consuming frustration going that avenue.
Maybe the good thing out of this is the decision to buy the RB850G×2…a little performance upgrade for my home office. 