OK, so I recently acquired a Hex-s router. From the beginning, the router kept losing configuration settings. So, I decided to reload the routerOS onto the router using netinstall and was unable to. I found a post this morning by Nathans I think it was, but anyway I could not get the netinstall to work with win10. I fired up my latop with win7 and still could not get it to work. Then I changed to net cable from crossover to straight though and it worked. Went through the whole process and everything looked great but, I still cannot login to the router. Should the default IP address still be 192.168.88.1? I have tried other combinations and even tried the last IP it was configured to before the problems began and nothing. Anyone have a clue what I could try next?

Here are the instructions I used from Nathan for netinstall:

Fairly sure that all of the following information is present in available official documentation. However, for the sake of those here having trouble, I'll try to summarize:

On the computer you are going to use for Netinstall, disable ALL network interfaces (including Wi-Fi) EXCEPT for the ethernet port that you plan to use
On the remaining interface/port, disable DHCP client and manually set IP address to whatever (pick something, anything; it really doesn't matter)
Start Netinstall.exe as Administrator (right-click > "Run As Administrator...")
Click "Net booting" button, make sure "Boot Server enabled" is checked, type in a "Client IP address" that is within the same subnet as what you set the computer'e ethernet interface to, and click OK
Without applying power to the RB first, connect RB750 ethernet port 1 to computer's ethernet port with any ethernet cable (RB750 and/or most modern computer ethernet interfaces should auto-MDIX even if you aren't using a cross-over patch cable...but if you want some additional "insurance", you could put a dumb switch in between)
Using a pen/unwound paperclip/nail/tack/other thin object, press and hold the "RESET" button on the back of the RB, and while continuing to hold the button down, apply power to the RB
Continue to hold the "RESET" button while observing the ACT or USR LED; upon powerup, it will begin with solid illumination, and then as you hold the button, it will start to blink...keep holding the "RESET" button until the blinking STOPS (could take 20-30 seconds!!!) and the LED goes dark for a few seconds, then release the "RESET" button
After several seconds, you should see the RB's MAC address show up in the Netinstall window's "Routers/Drives" list: click on it to highlight it
Under "Packages", "Browse" to the location of your "routeros-mipsbe-6.xx.npk" file, select it in the list below that, and click the "Install" button
Once it is finished, "Install" button will change to "Reboot"...click that, or simply powercycle the 750, and close the Netinstall application

If that doesn't work, then try all of the steps again, but uncheck the "Keep old configuration" checkbox...this will not only format and reinstall RouterOS, but will throw out the old config and reset the router to factory defaults. You will have to reconfigure from scratch, but at least the router will be back from the dead! And if you never see the router show up in step 8, then try Netinstall from a completely different computer.

In the end, it really isn't that hard...and it turns out that it is extremely difficult to permanently brick a RouterBOARD, so kudos to MikroTik for that!

-- Nathan

EDIT: Oh, also: make sure you aren't running Windows Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) at all on the machine you are running Netinstall from, and if you are, turn it the @%@#$ off. Netinstall needs to run a BOOTP server to properly chain the install application to the RouterBOARD. ICS runs a separate DHCP server, which could conflict.

Winbox should show you what IP address the router has, does it not? Or are you trying to get to the web interface and taking stabs in the dark about its IP address? If so, why not use Winbox instead?

Did you Netinstall with "Keep old configuration" unchecked?

There are two types of "default" configs: one with some basic settings in place, and a completely "blank" one. After Netinstall, you may be faced with a router that has "blank" settings. If so, it won't have a default IP of any sort, and the ONLY way to get into it is going to be with Winbox (via MAC address).

If it has the out-of-the-box default config on it, port 1 is going to be configured to act as a "WAN" interface, and it is going to have a bunch of things firewalled off on it by default...including web and Winbox access. It also will not have an IP configured on it, but will be set up to grab one via DHCP. If you want to access the router via its default 192.168.88.1, then you have to be plugged in to ports 2-5. So if you are still plugged into port 1 after finishing the Netinstall, and the router doesn't have a "blank" config, you will need to change which port you are connected to.

Also, I would think this would be fairly obvious, but..after running Netinstall, don't forget to reconfigure your computer's ethernet port's IPv4 configuration and set it back to DHCP client. If you picked an IP other than 192.168.88.x/255.255.255.0 for the Netinstall, then you're not going to be able to access the router at 88.1 until you change the computer config back...

-- Nathan