Manual Chapter : Getting started with F5 rSeries

Applies To:

  • F5OS-A

    1.8.4, 1.8.3, 1.8.0, 1.7.0, 1.5.4, 1.5.3, 1.5.2, 1.5.0, 1.3.0, 1.2.0

back-action F5 rSeries Systems: Getting Started

Updated Date: 04/27/2026

Getting started with F5 rSeries

F5 rSeries platforms are powerful systems that are designed specifically for application delivery performance and scalability.

This guide walks you through getting started with a new installation of an rSeries platform, including essential steps like configuring DHCP, network settings, and tenants. After you complete these procedures, your system will be running a basic configuration that includes a tenant.

Before you begin, be sure that you have this information:

  • Proposed new passwords for rSeries admin and root accounts
  • Proposed management IP addresses for the system (if not using DHCP)
  • Proposed static management IP addresses for tenants (if not using DHCP)
  • IP address of DHCP server running in network (if using DHCP)
  • IP address of NTP server
  • IP address of DNS server
  • BIG-IP base registration key

For additional information on installing and configuring F5OS on rSeries systems, see the documentation on the F5OS Knowledge Center at techdocs.f5.com. For information about F5OS software, see K03278510: F5OS-A and F5OS-C software for F5 hardware platforms.

Important: F5 strongly recommends that you upgrade to the latest F5OS-A software version after you complete initial configuration. For more information, see F5 rSeries Systems: Software Installation and Upgrade on the Documentation - F5OS-A and F5 rSeries.

For detailed information about installing your platform, see the document titled Setting Up the F5 r2000/r4000 rSeries Platform or Setting Up the F5 r5000/r10000/r12000 rSeries Platform that is included with the chassis.

At a high level, to install the chassis into your data center, you perform these tasks:

  1. Rack the chassis using the rack mount kit provided.
  2. Connect the power cables to the power supply units (PSUs) and apply power to the chassis.
  3. Connect the serial console cables, management interfaces, and networking cables.

The rSeries system uses an internal platform network for control plane and management plane communication. Traffic on this internal network is firewall-protected and is not exposed to a customer’s management network. The internal network uses a predefined range of IP addresses, using 100.64.0.0/12 addressing, by default.

IP addresses in the predefined range are reserved for internal networking and cannot be used for any of the following:

  • Management IP addresses for the system and tenants
  • Any external service configured on the rSeries system, such as a DNS server and NTP server
  • Source IP addresses of any device used to communicate with the rSeries system (such as a laptop, workstation, or other device that connects)

If your network uses addresses in the predefined range for any of the above, you will not be able to access the rSeries system from the management interfaces (including the CLI, webUI, or RESTCONF APIs). This is only an issue if using 100.64.0.0/12 addresses for management IP addresses, external servers, or source IP addresses described here. This does not affect data plane/in-band interfaces.

To prevent this issue, F5 provides a procedure that enables you to select a different internal IP address range during initial provisioning of a system, as an alternative to using the default range. For more information on how to change the internal network IP address range, see F5 rSeries Systems: Administration and Configuration on Documentation - F5OS-A and F5 rSeries.