# Before you install > Prepare the router, a backup, the cabling and the login details before you run the installer. Source: https://joinnasnet.com/en/guides/nasnet-panel/install/before-you-install/ Last updated: 2026-10-15 --- ## Overview Nasnet Panel runs on your MikroTik router and lets you manage it from a browser: WiFi, VPN, router status and the rest of the network. Once it is installed, the panel lives on the router itself, so your computer does not need to stay on. To open it, connect a phone or computer to the router's network and open the panel address in a browser. This page covers what to prepare before you run the [graphical installer](/en/guides/nasnet-panel/install/graphical-installer/): the requirements, a backup of the current configuration, the cabling and the router's login details. ## What you need - **A Windows or macOS computer** to run the installer. - **A compatible MikroTik router.** It must support containers, have a supported architecture, at least 30 MB of free RAM and about 31 MB of free storage. We recommend the hAP ax2 or hAP ax3. - **RouterOS 7.** The installer checks the current version and updates it if needed. - **A stable internet connection.** The installer downloads the panel during the install. Starlink is recommended where it is available. - **The router's login details:** its current IP address, and the username and password of a user with full rights. - **Physical access to the router.** You may need to press a button on the device to confirm a Device Mode change. - **A network cable** to connect your computer to the router. WiFi also works, but a cable keeps the connection stable during the install. RAM is what the panel runs in, and storage is where its files are kept. Check the two separately. To see the router model, RouterOS version and free RAM, open **System → Resources** in WinBox. The full compatibility details are in [System requirements](/en/guides/nasnet-panel/system-requirements/). The installer prepares the router's software for you. If you install without it, you need to install the `container` package and enable container in Device Mode yourself. Choosing the **Advanced** mode alone does not enable container. See MikroTik's [Device Mode guide](https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/spaces/ROS/pages/93749258/Device-mode) and the [command line](/en/guides/nasnet-panel/install/cli/) install. ## Back up the current configuration The install and the setup that follows erase or replace the router's current configuration. If the router has settings you need, back them up first and keep the file on your computer. If the router is in use, continue only when losing the current configuration is acceptable. The network and internet may also drop for a while during the install. To make a backup in WinBox: 1. Connect to the router and open **Files**. 2. Click **Backup**. 3. Enter a name such as `before-nasnet-panel`. 4. Set a password for the backup and keep it somewhere safe. 5. Click **Backup** to create the file. 6. Download the `.backup` file from **Files** to your computer. Make sure the file is on your computer before you continue. A backup that exists only on the router is not enough. See MikroTik's [Backup guide](https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/spaces/ROS/pages/40992852/Backup) for details. ## Connect the devices How you connect depends on the router's current state. Follow the case that matches yours. ### New router with default settings 1. Power on the MikroTik and the Starlink. 2. Connect the Starlink cable to port 1 of the MikroTik. 3. Connect your computer to port 3 of the MikroTik with a network cable. 4. Do not connect your Iranian ISP router yet. You connect it when you set up WAN in the [Easy Config wizard](/en/guides/nasnet-panel/easy-config/). These port numbers are for the setup this guide describes. If your router has different ports, check the right connections for your model before you continue. ### Router with a NasNet Connect configuration 1. Keep the Starlink connected to its current port. 2. Connect your computer to a LAN port on the MikroTik that has network and internet access. 3. Note the number of the port the Starlink is connected to. You need it during the panel's initial setup. ### Connect the router to Starlink over WiFi If you cannot connect the MikroTik to the Starlink with a cable, use **Use WiFi as uplink** in the installer, if your router supports it. Have the Starlink WiFi name and password ready. This option only connects the MikroTik to the internet during the install and for the RouterOS update. A cable is still recommended between your computer and the MikroTik. ## Find the router's address and login The installer needs the MikroTik's current IP address. This is not the Starlink's address, and not your public internet IP. If you do not know the address: 1. Connect your computer to the MikroTik. 2. Open WinBox. If you do not have it, download it from [MikroTik's website](https://mikrotik.com/download). 3. Find the router under **Neighbors** and note its IP address. A router with default settings uses `192.168.88.1`. A router that has already been configured may use another address, so enter its current one. See MikroTik's [WinBox guide](https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/spaces/ROS/pages/328129/WinBox). The username is usually `admin`. If you changed it, use the current username and that user's password. On some newer models the initial password is printed on the device label. Before you start the install, make sure you can sign in to the router with these details in WinBox. If you cannot, fix that first. ## Related - [Graphical installer](/en/guides/nasnet-panel/install/graphical-installer/) - [System requirements](/en/guides/nasnet-panel/system-requirements/) - [Installation](/en/guides/nasnet-panel/install/)