This is the critical part. RouterOS v7 introduced major changes—specifically the new routing protocols (OSPFv3, BGP with VRF) and container support.
: Administrators could connect directly to a router using its MAC address, allowing configuration before an IP address was even assigned. winbox v2.2.18
This version is specifically optimized for older firmware. Modern versions of Winbox (v3.x and above) occasionally struggle with the encryption handshakes required by very old RouterOS versions; v2.2.18 remains the "skeleton key" for these devices. When Should You Use v2.2.18? This is the critical part
: Users reported that on Windows Server and Windows 7 x64 , version 2.2.18 sometimes failed to open the GUI after clicking "connect," dropping the connection without an error message. winbox v2.2.18