Old routerboard 532A cannot reset to default

Hi!

New to the Microtik hardware and software but been working on router/switch for pleasure since the 90’s

Got this 532A for cheap in a HAMfest power it from the dc barrel seem to work, But the reset switch does not do nothing. It is not a failed switch as I do see a short on press with my multimeter.

With wireshark I found that the wan is at 10.253.253.20 and I can reach
port 21 MikroTik router ftpd 2.9.38,
port 22 OpenSSH 2.3.0 mikrotik 2.9 protocol 1.99
port 2000 MikroTik bandwidth-test server
and port 3986 and 8291

from the lan1 and lan2 I could not find anything as I cannot see much going out of them

Is there a way for me to reset that router so that I could use it?
Will I need a new licence?
Thanks

Pierre
VE2PF

I don’t remember what’s the right way of pressing the reset button for this model, ask Google for some old documentation, I’m sure there’s something. If that doesn’t help, you can connect serial console, let it boot from network and use Netinstall to reinstall system with blank config. License is included. But main problem is that this model has no longer supported architecture, last version is 6.32 or so, which is several years old. I guess it was cheap because it’s currently in that place where it has almost no practical value, but it’s not yet valuable museum piece. :slight_smile:

Probably you can access the device only with WinBox “2.2.18”
http://admin.roset.cz/Mikrotik/winbox/winbox_2_2_18.exe

You can not go directly from 2.x to 6.32.4 (last)!!!
If you do that, you lost the old xxx-xxx license.

Using only winbox 2.2.18 you must first netinstall OS 3.23, then upgrade license key (go to system, license, and click on update/upgrade license key, is free)
http://ixp.mikrotik.co.id/download/archive/3.23/netinstall-3.23.zip
http://ixp.mikrotik.co.id/download/archive/3.23/routeros-mipsle-3.23.npk

then netinstall 4.17, then upgrade license key again,
http://ixp.mikrotik.co.id/download/archive/4.17/netinstall-4.17.zip
http://ixp.mikrotik.co.id/download/archive/4.17/routeros-mipsle-4.17.npk

then netinstall 5.26, then upgrade license key again,
https://download.mikrotik.com/routeros/5.26/netinstall-5.26.zip
https://download.mikrotik.com/routeros/5.26/routeros-mipsle-5.26.npk

finally you can netinstall last long-term supported version 6.32.3
https://download.mikrotik.com/routeros/6.32.3/netinstall-6.32.3.zip
https://download.mikrotik.com/routeros/6.32.3/routeros-mipsle-6.32.3.npk

OR finally you can netinstall last stable supported version 6.33.3
https://download.mikrotik.com/routeros/6.33.3/netinstall-6.33.3.zip
https://download.mikrotik.com/routeros/6.33.3/routeros-mipsle-6.33.3.npk

But after install last 6.32.3 last-long-term (or 6.33.3 stable), you must use the last WinBox 3.35 available on mikrotik download site.
https://mt.lv/winbox