Netinstall is a MikroTik tool for reinstalling RouterOS on RouterBOARD devices. It uses the RARP (Reverse ARP) protocol during the boot phase to obtain the host from which to download the OS. It does not rely on DHCP, ARP, or BOOTP in standard Netinstall scenarios.
A.✘arp – Not used by Netinstall for initial boot communication
B.✘bootp – Not used in Netinstall process
C.✘dhcp – Not used for booting RouterBOARD into Netinstall
D.✔rarp – Used by Netinstall to allow the RouterBOARD to request an address and boot image
Extract from MTCNA Course Material – Netinstall Boot Process:
“Netinstall uses RARP to discover the Netinstall server when booting into Ethernet mode.”
Extract from MikroTik Wiki – Netinstall:
“Netinstall communicates with the device via RARP protocol when loading RouterOS over Ethernet.”
Extract from René Meneses MTCNA Study Guide – Netinstall Chapter:
“RARP is used for booting during Netinstall. DHCP is not required for this operation.”
