Hey guys, I think I've managed to develop a procedure that would allow a dual-core RB1100-based board (RB1100AHx2, RB1100Hx2) to run MetaROUTERs, as long as you are willing to sacrifice a CPU core to do so (this software-based procedure would effectively disable the second core). Unfortunately, I can't test it myself because all of our AHx2s are in production. So I was hoping that I might be able to find somebody that had a spare Hx2 or AHx2 kicking around doing nothing that they would be willing to attempt this procedure on. (Although in theory this modification would be reversable simply by re-Netinstalling and should not cause any permanent hardware damage, just as a "CYA" thing I have to disclaim any responsibility should you manage to break your RouterBOARD in the process.)
Why would you want to do this, you ask? Well, the single-core RB1100AH at the $395 price point was recently retired and replaced with the RB1100Hx2 at the exact same price. Although this sounds like a good thing (an extra core at no extra price!), the unfortunate reality is that none of the multicore PowerPC RouterBOARDs support MetaROUTER at this time (you'll see the menu option, but if you try to create a guest, you'll get an error), and the 1100AH was the last remaining 1000-series-class RouterBOARD in production that supported MetaROUTER before its untimely demise, leaving a notable vacuum in the RouterBOARD line-up. Although MikroTik has committed to eventually supporting MetaROUTER on multicore RouterBOARDs (including the new Tile-based CCR series), we all know that this may take some time to materialize, and in the meantime those of us who actually make use of MetaROUTER only have the much weaker 400, 700, and 900 series to turn to (that, or build an x86 box and run KVM). It would be nice to buy Hx2s and be able to use them as if they were AHs (which both were/are the same MSRP anyway). If you're game, drop me a line, and I'll hook you up. Thanks a bunch, -- Nathan Anderson First Step Internet, LLC [email protected] _______________________________________________ Mikrotik mailing list [email protected] http://mail.butchevans.com/mailman/listinfo/mikrotik Visit http://blog.butchevans.com/ for tutorials related to Mikrotik RouterOS
