I've been using the hAP lite for quite a while, and I was under the impression that RouterOS 7 wasn't recommended for this device. However, I just logged into a new hAP lite unit I purchased months ago and noticed it's running RouterOS 7.13.4. When I checked for updates, it showed that 7.20.1 is available.
Is this accurate?
If so, can I safely upgrade all my hAP lite units to this version?
Are there any potential issues or limitations I should be aware of before proceeding?
Thanks in advance!
Befor doing an upgrade, just check the dedicated release topic:
Not specific to 7.20.1 (which however I would personally not upgrade to yet), there is a generic issue with wireless devices with only 16 Mb storage, where - depending on a number of factors - instead of a normal upgrade it might be needed a netinstall one because there is not enough space (it seems that after a device has been having lots of changes/upgrades, some remnants accumulate and use some amount of memory that makes the remaing storage amount not enough for a direct upgrade).
7.13.4 is reportedly one of the "good" versions, so, unless you have some reasons to do the update now, you'd (IMHO) better wait until the "rough edges" of 7.20.x are better rounded in a new (so called "stable") version.
@jaclaz
isn't that more directed to arm devices having 16Mb ánd using wifi-qcom-ac package ?
With wireless I don't see much space constraints (yet) on those 16Mb devices.
Example cap
And why 7.13.4 ?
I don't know, someone on this thread:
hap lite, not enough disk space.
even remarked that hap lites are better on 6.x:
hap lite, not enough disk space. - #45 by holvoetn
Because it's the one OP already has. (if it ain't broken don't fix it)
LOL 
But that has nothing to do with storage space.
Simply that there were in that specific case no arguments to move to ROS7.
My first Tik was mAP. Afterwards I got Hex, SXT LTE6, cap AC and cap.
All of them pretty soon moved to ROS7 when it came out since I needed Wireguard (most other VPN solutions I tried were way too chatty over an LTE connection).
Thank you. I’ll wait for the next update.
I recently tested out my hAP Lite on RouterOS 7.20.1. Very basic subnet connected to an RB5009 as the WAN router. Tested my tablet via Ethernet and my iPhone via WiFi. I originally acquired the hAP Lite for an online training course which the instructor used the hAP Lite so being under £20 in the UK this felt like a sensible starting point.
As mentioned upgrading the device by uploading the packages for RouterOS and Wireless via the file browser in WinBox is a pain. It often fails to complete, especially if connecting via a MAC address for initial setup, and will also often report being full if reattempting straight after a failed upload. That being said 7.20 has slightly improved on this by making hotspot a separate package shaving off about 120KB. If upgrading I would found using the system > packages method worked more reliably although as others have said netinstall would be safest.
You can also get this device to goto 100% CPU and therefore briefly unresponsive very easily in Winbox on various settings. Particularly seems to be worse when navigating the Wireless settings and doing a scan for example. I felt that was the device showing its limitations on an OS it wasn’t designed for although for most part it copes OK.
Other than that using hAP Lite as a very basic network seemed to work well with 7.20.1. I configured IPv4 and IPv6, DNS, DHCP client for the WAN, a bridge with ports 2-4 + Wireless, firewall but not much else. As I’m learning MikroTik I set myself the challenge of configuring the device, testing a new RouterOS, and finally resetting to default. For that purpose I quite like the hAP Lite.
Hope that helps.
Thanks for the input. For now, I’ll stick with version 7.13.4—the factory default on the hAP lite I purchased—unless I find a compelling reason to upgrade. I’m not looking to venture into something without a clear need.
That said, I’m sure others may be interested in moving to 7.20.x, so I appreciate you sharing your experience!
