x86 Installation

USB

Step-by-step guide

1. Download the x86 CD image file from the download page: https://mikrotik.com/download

   • On Windows systems:

     • Download Rufus: https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/releases/download/v3.18/rufus-3.18.exe
     • Connect your USB drive and open Rufus
     • Select the downloaded ISO image and click START

   • On Linux, FreeBSD, or macOS systems:

     danger

     Warning! Double-check the correct device address — dd can destroy data irreversibly.

     • Connect the USB drive and identify its device address

       macOS:

       diskutil list

       Linux / FreeBSD:

       fdisk -l

     • Ensure that the USB drive is formatted and all old data is erased before using the dd command

   Write the image to disk using dd:

   dd if=<your_downloaded_routeros_ISO> of=<disk_address> bs=1M status=progress oflag=sync

   After the process completes, connect the USB drive to your x86 system and boot from it.

   Proceed with the installation by pressing "i" on your keyboard.

   After reboot, RouterOS will be installed.

Boot priority should be adjusted in BIOS settings. If RouterOS is installed on an NVMe drive, the USB must be booted in UEFI mode.

Make sure that CSM (Compatibility Support Module) is disabled in the BIOS boot settings.

Install the x86 system using Netinstall

1. Download the Netinstall utility for your system and run it on your PC
2. Download the x86 CD image file from the download page: https://mikrotik.com/download
3. Set the PC BIOS boot option to PXE
4. Save changes and reboot
5. Proceed following the Netinstall utility steps