Setting up a Metal 5 right out of box by beginner.

RouterOS Beginner Basics
1

Hi Anyone & Everyone.
I am a complete geriatric beginner and need help with real basics. (Stupid Questions, if you already know the answers! )
I have a Metal 5 SHPn and need to know some stupid stuff before I go crazy!
1 - Is Routerboard a program that I have to pay for? (It said so somewhere )
2 - Is Routerboard needed for me to make this unit work?
3 - Is Routerboard part of some kind of software that is built into the unit?
4 - I have purchased an ethernet cable and plugged it into the unit. I have plugged the other end of this into the PoE connector female socket of the little cable (dongle?) thingy provided with the unit. Is this correct?
5 - Am I safe to plug the male ethernet end of the PoE cable thingy into my PC?
6 - If 5 is a YES, am I safe to then plug in the power supply provided with the unit?
7 - Once I do this, if it is safe, What do I do next?
8 - Would I be better off abandoning this unit and getting something with step by step instructions.?

I hope that I can get some help to at the very least get started enough so that I can see window things on a screen like are shown online and on Mikrotik pages.
Thanks in advance for any help

John

2

Are you joking? It’s not 1st April.

3

Routerboard is what the device is called. RouterOS is device’s operating system and it’s included for free. One end of ethernet cable goes in device, other in PoE thingy. Connect the power before connecting the other end to PC and if the device starts (some LED(s) will be on), it’s ok and PoE thingy can be connected to PC/switch.

But I’m affraid that answer to last question might be “yes”. I depends on how hard you want to try. Once you connect it, it’s half done, you can download WinBox and you should be able to connect to device. But the question is what you’ll be able to do with it next.