What are release channels?

They are the “lanes” on which MikroTik publishes RouterOS versions. Each channel offers a different trade-off between new features and stability, and when a router checks for updates, it looks only at the configured channel.

  • long-term: an older branch, maintained long-term with only critical fixes. For production networks that need to change as little as possible.
  • stable: the latest version considered ready, including new features and fixes. For most installations.
  • testing: the release candidates (rc) for the next stable version. For the lab and pre-release testing.
  • development: the beta versions, with the newest and least tested features. Lab use only.

What is the difference between stable and long-term?

Stable includes all the new features of the current version: new functions, support for new devices, and fixes. Long-term stays on a previous branch and receives only security and critical bug fixes, without any changes to behavior. You can see an example of this in the articles under the Firmware category on this blog: the same LTE fix released for both stable and long-term, with two different version numbers.

In practice: long-term for those who do not want surprises, stable for those who need recent features or hardware.

What about testing and development?

Testing contains the release candidates, i.e., the versions that will become the next stable release: they are used to verify in advance that your configuration continues to work. Development contains the beta versions, with newly developed features. Both may have regressions: they should be tested in the lab or on a CHR, never on customer networks.

How do you choose the channel on a MikroTik?

From the terminal, in three commands:

/system package update set channel=long-term
/system package update check-for-updates
/system package update install

Instead of long-term, you write stable, testing, or development. In WinBox, the same option is found in System → Packages → Check For Updates, using the Channel dropdown menu.

After updating RouterOS, you must also update the board firmware (RouterBOOT), requiring a second reboot:

/system routerboard upgrade
/system reboot

How do you manually update a router without internet?

When the router cannot reach the MikroTik servers (isolated network, lab, device just out of the box), the install command cannot download anything: you must transfer the package to the router manually. All you need is a PC with WinBox and five steps.

Step 1: What architecture and packages does the router have?

/system resource print
/system package print

Note the architecture-name line (for example arm64, mmips, tile) and the list of installed packages: in addition to routeros, there may be wifi-qcom, wireless, container, and others. All packages must have the same version, so you will need to download the additional ones as well.

Step 2: How do I download the right files?

From the RouterOS Archive: choose the architecture and version, and the page provides direct links to download.mikrotik.com. The main file is routeros-<versione>-<architettura>.npk; the additional packages are in the all_packages zip file, from which you extract only the ones you have installed.

Step 3: Before touching the router, take a backup

/system backup save name=prima-aggiornamento
/export file=prima-aggiornamento

Copy the two files to your PC (WinBox, Files, by dragging them out). Also check that there is enough space: in /system resource print the free-hdd-space line must exceed the size of the packages. On devices with 16 MB of memory, it is advisable to load only the essential packages.

Step 4: How do I load the packages onto the router?

In WinBox, open Files and drag the .npk files into the window, into the main folder (not into a subfolder). Alternatively, from your PC using scp:

scp routeros-7.23.7-arm64.npk admin@192.168.88.1:/

Replace admin and the address with your router’s username and IP address.

Step 5: Reboot and verification

/system reboot

RouterOS installs the packages during the reboot and then deletes the .npk files. Once it is back up, verify:

/system package print
/log print where topics~"system"

If the version has remained the old one, you will find the reason in the log: usually an additional package with a different version, or insufficient space. Finally, also update the board firmware, with a second reboot:

/system routerboard upgrade
/system reboot

How do I revert to a previous version?

Choosing a more conservative channel does not automatically roll the router back. For a downgrade, you load the .npk packages of the desired version into the router’s memory, taken from the RouterOS Archive, which also contains older versions, following the same steps as a manual upgrade. The only difference is the final command, instead of a simple reboot:

/system package downgrade

The router asks for confirmation, reboots, and installs the loaded version. The backup from Step 3 is even more important here: configurations written with new features may not be understood by an older version.

What if the router no longer boots?

You use Netinstall, the MikroTik program that reinstalls RouterOS from the network: the PC acts as a server, the router boots from the Ethernet port (usually by holding down the reset button while powering on) and receives the system from scratch. Netinstall for Windows and Linux is downloaded, in the same version as the packages, from the RouterOS Archive. Warning: Netinstall deletes the configuration, unless you specify a script to apply.

What is recommended for production?

A simple rule, which I also use:

  • Customer routers and critical networks: long-term, or stable after a few weeks from release;
  • Before upgrading: read the changelog, in particular the lines with introduced in (indicating fixed regressions) and those mentioning your model;
  • First in the lab: the same version on a CHR or an identical device, with your own configuration;
  • Never testing or development outside the lab.

However, when an important security fix is released, do not wait: this is the case where it is advisable to update immediately, on the channel you are already using.

How was it in 2015?

In 2015, with RouterOS 6.31, MikroTik added a third branch to the two existing ones: alongside the current version and the release candidates, a “bugfix only” branch was born, containing only fixes. I wrote about it back then on wirelessguru.it. That branch is the ancestor of the current long-term, and the four-channel scheme has remained the same in RouterOS 7 as well.

Frequently asked questions

Which RouterOS channel should you use in production?

In production, use the long-term channel, or the stable channel a few weeks after a version is released. The testing and development channels are reserved for the lab.

What is the difference between RouterOS stable and long-term?

Stable is the latest ready-to-use version with all new features; long-term is a previous branch that receives only security fixes and fixes for critical issues, without changing behavior.

Does changing the channel roll back the version?

No. To revert to a previous version, load the .npk packages of that version into the router’s memory and use the command /system package downgrade. Packages for older versions are available in the MikroTik download archive.

How do you update a MikroTik without internet?

Download the .npk package for the router’s version and architecture to a PC, upload it to the Files window in WinBox, and reboot: RouterOS installs the package at boot. All installed packages must have the same version.

What should you do after updating RouterOS?

Update the board firmware with /system routerboard upgrade and reboot: RouterBOOT is updated only by that command and a second reboot.