Difference between hAP ac2 RBD52G-5HacD2HnD-TC and RBD52G-5HacD2HnD

RouterOS General
1

Hi,

can somebody please explain me what is the difference between this two Routerboard models? Both are hap ac2 devices.

RBD52G-5HacD2HnD-TC and RBD52G-5HacD2HnD

I have both models, and as far as I can see, the one without -TC suffix has only 128 MB of RAM. The one with -TC suffix is from an early batch and it has 256 MB of RAM. Is there any other differences?

Thanks.

2

Hi,

That’s a neat observation. I have both, but never noticed.

The -TC was used by Mikrotik to mean “Tower Case” in the “hAP ac lite”, which is released as both RB952Ui-5ac2nD-TC and RB952Ui-5ac2nD. (The former having the case style of the hap ac2) I’m not aware of the hap ac2 ever being shipped with the older case style. (Maybe it was initially planned?)

The early versions had 256MB RAM and this was communicated as being due to some part availability/stocking artifact. My 256MB devices show up as “-TC”, and the 128MB ones without the suffix. Other than the amount of RAM, I don’t think there’s any difference.

To be honest, other than having a bit of a more fuzzy/warm feeling with the 256MB ones, I use them interchangeably. For the normal use-cases for this device it doesn’t matter, and as far as I know since those initial batches, none were shipped with 256MB.

EDIT:
And just to mess with you, there’s also an “r3” revision floating around:
http://forum.mikrotik.com/t/hap-ac2-revisions/182983/1
I haven’t had the pleasure of encountering one yet. Or just didn’t notice. :slight_smile:

3

Thanks for your answer. Interestingly on the box ID: RBD52G-5HacD2HnD-TC is printed. Anyway, I could not see any other difference, other than the memory. Thanks for your feedback and information about revision 3. Interesting.

4

You’re pretty attentive! All of my ac2 devices have stickers with “-TC” on the boxes and on the units themselves. The 256MB report themselves as “-TC”, the 128MB ones not. :slight_smile:

5

I have one 256MB unit and it identifies itself as model: RBD52G-5HacD2HnD (no -TC) … that’s in /system/routerboard and in output of /export … is there any other location where device identifies itself? It does have -TC on device sticker though.

I also have a pair of hAP ac lites … one in tower case and one in brick case. ROS in -TC doesn’t say so, they both identify themselves as model: RouterBOARD 952Ui-5ac2nD.

6

Yes, I’m looking at /system/routerboard. Keep in mind that all of my 256MB devices were purchased at the same time, and so were the 128MB ones (at a later date), so I probably only have devices from two production runs.

My older 256MB devices have 6.40.5 (2017-10-31) as the factory version, the relatively newer 128MB ones have 6.44 (2019-02-25).

EDIT: “default version” → “factory version”

7

So it seems like there were multiple (at least two) batches of 256MB RAM hAP ac2 … my device has factory firmware 6.42.3 (ROS changelog says it’s release time was 2018-May-24 09:20).

8

I also have a 256MB unit where /system/routerboard reports as “-TC” at the end of the model#. It also reports the same in its MNDP broadcasts (IP > Neighbor table entries on neighboring routers, and also in Winbox Neighbors tab).

I had never noticed the -TC before! We have hundreds and hundreds of these things deployed, though, and I can confirm that none of them have the -TC suffix burned into their flash memory.


Nifty! Mine, too, shipped with 6.40.5 and that is what it still displays as its “factory firmware”, so this sounds like a likely theory. For the record, mine with 256MB and -TC was basically a “release-day” hAP ac2 as I had pre-ordered one.