Installing MikroTik RouterOS CHR on VPS

This guide explains how to install MikroTik RouterOS Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) on a VPS running Ubuntu. The process completely replaces the existing system with RouterOS.

If you don’t yet have a compatible server, you can order a ready-to-use VPS optimized for MikroTik RouterOS (CHR) with instant deployment and full KVM virtualization support.

What You Will Need

VPS with Ubuntu 20.04 (recommended)
Root or sudo access
Provider network data: IP/prefix and default gateway
Access to the emergency console (VNC/Serial)

Important: Save Network Settings Before Reinstalling

After writing the CHR RAW image, Ubuntu will be permanently removed and SSH access will stop working. You will need to configure the network manually via the emergency console.

Save the following data:

IP address with prefix (example: 203.0.113.10/24)
Default gateway (example: 203.0.113.1)
Whether the network uses /32 addressing

sudo -i
ip -c a
ip -c r

Prepare Ubuntu

sudo -i
apt update && apt -y install unzip
ip -c a
ip -c r

Download MikroTik CHR Image

cd /tmp
wget https://download.mikrotik.com/routeros/<VER>/chr-<VER>.img.zip
unzip chr-<VER>.img.zip

Replace <VER> with the latest stable version. If needed, use 6.49.10 first and upgrade later.

Identify Target Disk

fdisk -l

Warning: Writing will completely erase the disk.

Switch Filesystem to Read-Only

echo u > /proc/sysrq-trigger
sync

Write CHR Image to Disk

dd if=chr-<VER>.img of=/dev/sda bs=4M oflag=sync status=progress

Reboot into CHR

echo 1 > /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq
echo b > /proc/sysrq-trigger

First Login via Emergency Console

Login: admin
Password: blank (first login only)
Set a new strong password immediately

Check Interface Name

/interface print

Most VPS providers use ether1 as WAN, but verify before assigning IP.

Configure IP Address

/ip address add address=203.0.113.10/24 interface=ether1
/ip route add gateway=203.0.113.1

Case: /32 Network

/ip address add address=85.85.85.85/32 interface=ether1 network=10.0.0.1
/ip route add gateway=10.0.0.1

Test Connectivity

/ping 8.8.8.8

Basic Security Hardening

/ip service set telnet disabled=yes
/ip service set ftp disabled=yes
/ip service set www disabled=yes
/ip service set www-ssl disabled=no
/ip service set api disabled=yes
/ip service set api-ssl disabled=yes

Deploy MikroTik CHR in Minutes

Launch your own high-performance MikroTik instance on a KVM server. Order a ready-to-use VPS for MikroTik RouterOS (CHR) and start routing immediately.