RB 951G won't start. Can this router be made working again?

RouterOS Beginner Basics
1

Hello community. I am new to MikroTik although I have experince with many simpler routers. I configured RB 951G 2HnD (level 4) successfully, then everything went wrong after System > Routerboard upgrade attempt. Router cannot boot. It doesn’t even beep. Please what can be done about that?

  1. I connected and started new router and using WinBox I configured all neccesary networking. During this action I went through all screens, comparing them with settings of the same router in another similar network. (I wanted not to forget something and also wanted to learn about MikroTik capabilities.)
    Status: router and all network traffic worked as expected.

  2. I made backup of current configuration.
    Status: New file was added to folder which is visible through Files menu.

  3. I displayed Routerboard window and saw Current Firmware = 3.08, Upgrade Firmware = 3.12. On the other router, both versions were 3.12 and some windows contained new features, so I understood my router needs upgrade from 3.08 to 3.12. So I pressed Upgrade button and confirmed.
    Status: After UI got responding again, there was no change in versions.

  4. I selected menu System > Reboot and confirmed.
    Status: Router was not beeping after reboot, no progress even after 8 hours (overnight).

  5. I was holding hardware Reset button during connecting the power supply.
    Status: router started and was back at original blank configuration, working normally.

  6. I disconnected/reconnedcted power supply without holding Reset button (in hope the upgrade problem is corrected now).
    Status: router was unable to start (the same as after step 4), not beeping. So I understood the unsuccessful upgrade is still in the way.

  7. I was holding hardware Reset button during connecting the power supply (went to blank configuration). Then I selected System > Reset configuration and for Run After Reset I selected the backup file. (Mistake)
    Status:
    On start with Reset pressed, router beeps once and is unable to start.
    On start without Reset pressed, router doesn’t beep and is unable to start (as in steps 4 and 6).

Question 1: Please help me, can I revive the router?
Question 2: Why after standard upgrade through RouterBoard window (3.08->3.12) router stopped responding after reboot?

2

Progress: I found I can achieve successful blank config boot if I release Reset button when Activity light is unlit second time.
But how to make the router work after normal start (without holding Reset)?

3

Answer 1: Yes.
Answer 2: This is “just” the BIOS of the router. You need to upddate the operating system as well.
Once it is back live you can simply navigate to System → Packages and click “check for updates”.
The rest is self-explaining. Most likely thereafter, you can update the BIOS again (I think it’s 3.18 actually for the 951).

For Answer 1:
Get NetInstall from mikrotik.com and the appropriate 6.19 package (mipsbe, download the “upgrade package”).
Open NetInstall and enable the Boot Server (get more info here in the manual).

Connect your router to the computer running NetInstall.
Press and hold the reset button.
Power your router.
Wait until the LED stops flashing.
release the reset button.
Within some seconds, the router’s MAC address should show up in NetInstall.
Select it, select the 6.19 upgrade package and click install.

Your router will automatically reboot after the successful install.
Now it’s back.

-Chris

4

Here a step by step netinstall procedure

http://www.wirelessinfo.be/index.php/mikrotik/pages/netinstalle

5

RESOLVED.
Thank you both very much, the steps worked like a charm.

What exactly I did (for readers with similar problem)

  1. Updated Router OS to 6.19 as cdiedrich wrote with help of Picture tutorial plisken has posted.
    Status: Update was successful (see last screen of tutorial). After this step it looked to me the router still cannot boot normally.

  2. I booted router back to blank configuration by holding Reset during power on. Connected to Winbox and performed System > Routerboard update (not from UI, but using console commands “system routerboard print” → “system routerboard update” → “system reboot” so I could see a feedback of each). This time version transition 3.08 → 3.18 was offered and accepted.
    Status: Update was successful. After reboot, router booted first time normally, without need of holding Reset button. New OS features appeared.

Thank you again! I hope not only your virtual karma, but your real “karma” will increase, too! :slight_smile: Anyway, your help was extremely useful.