We inventorying 127 RB1200 Routers. Exporting config, backing up, basically getting as much info on each one.
Example, Machine Type, Display Name, Model, Manufactured Date, Serial number, Current Running Config, and so on.
The client has asked us to find out how old each router is. In the Cisco world, you can do that by the serial number. How can you figure out the date the router was manufactured?
We would like to replace any router over 5 years old with the newest MikroTik. thanx!
The estimated date will work.
system, routerboard, print
factory-firmware 3.41
https://mikrotik.com/download/changelogs
3.41 estimated date 2011
Good enough for us.
You link a wrong page…
3.41 is the BIOS not the OS…
RB1200 work only with RouterOS 5.x and up
Easiest may be to go by the ‘Declaration of conformity’ on the product page.
Test report dated 2011-07-25 for the RB1200 so mass production would have started say 6 months after that date. Gives you at least when they roughly started production. Even if they were still making it 4 years later, at that time it’s an older design. And if not meeting requirements time to upgrade, no matter how old they are. I don’t know any other accurate way to determine manufacture date. I think the serial number format has changed over the years a bit so don’t think there is a reliable way. Maybe email support and see what they would recommend.
The thing is that most of hardware lasts a very long time. Once in a while I have had to replace some capacitors or more often change a power supply. But most of the ones that have failed for me, have been due to lightning surges. I think I have had 5 radio amplifiers die in the last 15 years, but they were all over 5 years old in continuous use. I have a bunch of older working boards over 15 years old, but in general for today’s requirements are useless. (Was playing with a RB532 from 2004 i think, just for fun a few weeks ago, still working fine.)