Manual:License
License Levels
What Levels are there ?
You can purchase a Level 4,5 and 6. Level 1 is the demo license.
What are the Level 2 and 3 ?
Level 2 was a transitional license from old legacy license format. These licenses are not available anymore, if you have this kind of license, it will work, but to upgrade it - you will have to purchase a new license.
Level 3 was the basic license without wireless features, which now has been replaced with Level 4 as the lowest level. Now Level 3 is not available on the account server. Upgrading of this Level is not possible, a new purchase is necessary if you wish to get a higher level with wireless AP. Since the policy change we have removed Level3 from the account server, and it is available as a bulk-only purchase. It does have wireless client now if you happen to have it.
Level 3 can only be obtained in large quantities. If you need a wireless-client-only license, you can get these if you need more than 100 at once.
Level differences
What is the difference between Level4 and Level5 ?
In version 2.9 the difference is that Level5 comes with 3 years of upgrade time, and 30 days of support. Level4 comes with 1 year of upgrade time and 15 days of support. Level4 also has a limit of 200 Active Hotspot users. Complete table of Levels and prices is available on the price page
What is the difference between Level5 and Level6 ?
Level 5 has limitation of 500 PPPoE users and 500 Active Hotspot users, also the new User Manager is limited to 10 active sessions. Level6 does not have any limits.
Why is there no Level3 anymore?
We significantly lowered the Software prices, and the Wireless-AP enabled license now costs 45$ list price. It replaces the Level3 as the cheapest available license. Level3 is not available on the account server now (except for special request bulk purchase, contact sales for this). See above for description of the Level3
Extending License upgrade time
Can I extend the upgrade time before it has ended, or can I get Level 3 with bigger upgrade time ?
For License Levels 4-6 upgrade time extension costs 40% cheaper than a new license. You can extend the upgrade time in the account server. For Level3 this costs 15$ per year, but is possible only at the time of purchase, or before the upgrade time ends. After the upgrade time is over, upgrade time can not be extended neither for L3 nor for other license levels.
Also Level3 is not upgradable to higher levels as it is a bulk-only license.
What happens when the license upgrade time runs out ?
upgrade time means both - upgrade of RouterOS software versions and upgrade of the license. If the upgrade time has run out - you cannot upgrade the RouterOS to higher versions, and you can neither upgrade the license nor extend it's upgrade time. You will have to buy a new license. This applies to all licenses.
Important! The RouterOS software continues working as it did before. If your software runs fine, and you do not need the new features/improvements of newer versions - you do not need to upgrade your license/software.
Do I need to get a new SoftID (reinstall) to get that new license after the upgrade time is over?
Of course not! Your router will remain operational after the upgrade time runs out. If you decide that you need a higher level license, or need to upgrade the software - simply use the current SoftID to get a new license with your desired features.
Can I downgrade to older RouterOS version even after upgrade time is over?
Yes, if you have older RouterOS NPK packages, you can downgrade and upgrade back to any version that was available before your upgrade time ended. The Router's clock does not matter, the package contains the dates, as does the license code.
Why cannot I upgrade/extend my license?
If the account server does not let you upgrade or extend your license upgrade time, it means that your license upgrade time has ended - this means that your software can no longer be upgraded to higher versions, and the key can not be ugraded to higher levels. In this case a new key is needed.
Upgrading Licenses
How much does it cost to upgrade from one License Level to another?
You will have to pay the price difference between these levels. For example If Level4 costs 45$ and Level5 costs 95$, the upgrade will cost 50$ and you will receive a new Level5 license, with 3 year upgrade time (from this day).
Why cannot I upgrade my Level 3 license to Level 4,5 or 6?
Level 3 is a bulk-only license, therefore we do not offer it on the account server. If you need a higher level license, please purchase it on the account server. You will have the choice between Levels 4,5 and 6.
Why is the upgrade / extension not available after the upgrade time ends?
We have introduced new, very low prices for Software, which now compensates for the lack of upgrade/extension after the upgrade deadline. Buying a new AP license is now a lot cheaper than an upgrade was before the new prices.