Hi. I'm considering the routeros x86 as an option for my home router on a mini pc and currently testing it on a Free Demo (level 1) license, before committing to purchase a full one. I plan to run a few containers on it, like OpenThread Border Router (OTBR) and a Matter server.
While exploring the apps and containers, I've stumbled on this limit, which I assume is due to the Demo license:
current license allows only 1 veth interfaces
I couldn't find anywhere in the docs or old wiki references to it though. The license levels table mentions only the various tunnels and user number. What are the exact limits for VETH on higher licenses?
I have not see that error with a trial or free license. But... you can run into apps that don't start if you use use-https=yes - which is the default for a /app. This is because there is no /ip/cloud including the free nor trial licenses. Also, IDK for sure, but I'm not sure the WinBox UI also works correctly in all cases. So if you have trouble, you can bring up terminal and use
It could also be the /app/setup since if you do not have a LAN bridge setup, some of the networking options get weird for some /app's. And on CHR, there is no default bridge... you typically need to add a bridge and add the "LAN" (or whatever interface you want the /app container to setup port forwarding on).
Now that being said... you're quoting a message I have not seen... that seem pretty specific about licensing but AFAIK I have not see that message ever, and tested multiple /app at same time on CHR plenty of times. Both with free and trial-enabled ones too. I just tried 7.24.1 just to be sure, it all works as expect for me (although WebFig seems to have some "update issues" where the settings auto-detect LAN IP is wrong while CLI is right).
and tested multiple /app at same time on CHR plenty of times
This is not on CHR, but on bare metal x86. And I don't think this is tied to apps/containers specifically, but any time i try to add more than one veth interface, even manually - the error message is returned.
Ah.... Never tested bare-metal X86. You might file a ticket with MikroTik. The docs don't list VETH as restricted, but yeah all the ethernet-like interface are limited to 1. But you're correct this does limit testing of /app in trial on native X86. But at least this makes more sense since I was very confused since I'd never see the VETH limited to 1 message EVER.
Thanks. And do you know this empirically? Or you’re affiliated with mikrotik? I’ve sent a support ticket to clarify that, but didn’t get conclusive answer yet.
It take a day or two to get a response, sometimes a bit longer.
But @rextended is right, the docs imply that list of limits is complete & VETH is not one of the listed restrictions... Now your result indicate it being considered one...
So either a doc bug ("we forgot to add VETH to list in docs"), or bug in routeros that is unreasonably restricting VETH. Only MikroTik knows their intent.
I've got response from mikrotik support. They've updated the x86 license docs:
The demo license limits the router to a single interface. This restriction applies to multiple interface types (veth, vlan, vxlan, etc.), not only those listed in the table
Regarding the suggested limit on higher licenses above (20/50/unlimited) - this is also not true: support stated there are no such limits on the paid licenses. I've just tried myself, and on L4 was able to create 50+ VETH interfaces without hitting this error again, thus I believe that it is unlimited.
Good, they at least updated the docs. And your right, while new warning text cover the one-interface-per-class restriction... on:
docs it does go on the say explicitly:
All Licenses
[...]
Support an unlimited number of interfaces.
While I suppose if you don't have enough physical RAM for "unlimited", and bad things might happen if you overwhelm a host... that ain't a licensing. And same be true of ANY RouterOS device.
I don't use X86 "bare" so I cannot say for sure. But AFAIK X86 on bare-metal has a radically different licensing that CHR... e.g. free CHR allows unlimited VETH but 1Mb/s...while X86-bare-metal gets only 1 VETH but unlimited speed.
You'll note there is level and nlevel in /system/licensing, and the doc show "L4/P1"... so my reading is share a price but have different limitations. I could be wrong but nothing says ANYTHING about speed limits in the X86 "bare" docs.
warning text cover the one-interface-per-class restriction... on: