I discovered recently that using backup and restore to copy router configurations between devices is not a good idea. It works, but having twin devices in a subnet that differ only in identity name causes issues. I recently had reason to expand wireless access points. I used backup and restore to c…

Generally the binary backup/restore is not meant for this. However it does work - sort of. If you decide to use it, only do so between the exact same devices in terms of hardware and the same software version. People then generally have a small script to set up what should be different between devi…

Indeed it is really sad that after over 25 years of development, RouterOS still does not offer a mechanism to clone a configuration to a different hardware device. Not only to setup a different device with similar parameters as another one you have in the same network, but also to transfer working …

Thanks for the posts so far. I was expecting for someone to chastise me for the newbie mistake. I'm in the lab trying your recommendation to see how that fares out. I haven't heard a cease and desist on such a move. I just realize the device serial number is another value I will need to change. Tha…

In most situations you need only two commands: /interface ethernet reset-mac-address [ find ] /interface wifi reset-mac-address [ find ] If you have statically set ip addresses (not via dhcp), those have to be updated. The device serial number is not user configurable and it's stored separately f…

good, but use { } because when the mac you use is changed, you loss the connection and the operation can be incomplete { /interface ethernet reset-mac-address [find] wifi reset-mac-address [find] } An not all RouterOS v7 versions support reset-mac-address of the wifi. Only the lasts. (v6 not) But…

[image] colporteur: I discovered recently that using backup and restore to copy router configurations between devices is not a good idea. It works, but having twin devices in a subnet that differ only in identity name causes issues. You weren't paying attention. [image] …

[image] colporteur: I discovered recently that using backup and restore to copy router configurations between devices is not a good idea. It works, but having twin devices in a subnet that differ only in identity name causes issues. The question is (it's common question, not personeal one) wh…

It does work OK on some other manufacturer's home routers and access points... I guess it isn't impossible. At least. when a plain backup/restore would not work, a simple mechanism to transfer configuration from one device to another could be added, e.g. as parameters to export and import.

[image] pe1chl: It does work OK on some other manufacturer's home routers and access points So it means that on MANY it does not work too :slight_smile: They are simplified HOME dedicated devices with not to many knobs to be changed so it's possible but RouterOS is one for all. maybe SohoRou…

[image] pe1chl: like LED settings etc But at that point, clearly, it's no longer the same model... There are obviously tools (/export & co.) to configure another device in the same way, but if the device isn't identical, it's too much to imagine that for each device, the internal software …

How to recover from the misuse of backup and restore?

RouterOS Beginner Basics

jaclaz June 21, 2026, 2:32pm 8

You weren't paying attention.