First Connection do Mikrotik router / RouterOS administration

Author: Vladimír Nepor
Published on

How to connect to the RouterOS operating system of MikroTik routers and modems for the first time so you can configure it?

URL Address

By default, MikroTik router administration is accessible via the URL http://192.168.88.1/. If you are connected via cable or Wi-Fi to the MikroTik router, you should see the RouterOS login screen at this address, requesting a username and password. For the initial login, if the default credentials are not printed on your MikroTik device label, try the following combination:

  • Login: admin
  • Password: (Leave blank)

If the password is invalid and you need to access the admin interface, you can reset the router to factory settings and try again.

If the login screen doesn't appear at the specified address, check whether your computer indicates a network connection.

  • If your computer shows it's connected without issues, try another IP range (e.g., http://192.168.X.X/), or reset the router again to ensure it's restored to its default network settings.
  • If your computer cannot connect at all—for example, it shows a "self-assigned IP address"—the router likely has the DHCP server disabled. In this case, you need to connect to the router via its MAC address using the WinBox tool and enable the DHCP server manually.

WinBox Tool

WinBox is a graphical configuration utility by MikroTik that allows fast and advanced router setup through a simple interface, even via MAC address. It is available as a lightweight tool without installation for Windows and also as a mobile app for iOS (Apple) and Android devices.

Download: https://mikrotik.com/download

The tool is available only for the Windows operating system.

Connection Steps:

  1. Connect your Windows PC to the MikroTik router via LAN cable.
  2. Launch WinBox and switch to the Neighbors tab.
  3. Select your router by MAC address, enter your Login and Password credentials (see login via URL), and click the Connect button.
  4. In Quick Set, enable the DHCP server.

After restarting the router, you should be able to connect via URL. This connection should also remain available even after resetting the router to factory settings.