Replace FLASH on HAP & HEX with larger capacity

Other topics MikroTik hardware questions
1

Hi, i have many HAP & HEX in my office after replacing router on our client. Most client required quite lot service where HAP/HEX didn’t have enough space to accomodate all required extra packages we need. So, we replaced them with old RB951 or even upgrade them to 2011/3011 series.
Then, i’m thinking about replacing the FLASH inside HAP/HEX series, because it seems MT using regular SPI Flash like Winbond W25Q128JVSM inside HAP AC2. What happen if i replace the Flash memory with Winbond W25Q256 or equal Flash? I know i will lose the license, but will it work? I can purchase another Level 4 License if it work and increase Flash capacity from 16MB to 32MB will make HAP series more powerfull router. For example, HAP AC2 is a good Router for me except it always run out of storage.

Thanks

2

Take a look at hAP AC3. More storage, more RAM and can be bolted to the wall. It’s an internal unit, though.
https://mikrotik.com/product/hap_ac3

3

HAP AC3 currently out of stock at Indonesia when i bought AC2, until today only Pre-Ordered is available to purchase AC3 from local distributor. I looking for cheap solution for upgrading Flash on HEX or HAP series router i have in my office. Maybe i can make them useful by upgrading the Flash memory.

4

The license cost is bigger than the unit itself. Makes no sense upgrading the flash chip. It’s cheaper just to resell the unit and buy another one.

5

Hi,

where does your stament that you loose the license from?

i’m planning to do just the same as you are planning.
just haven’t received the parts i ordered in china yet.

i’m planning to first read out the flash chip, then flash the result in a new (bigger) chip, and then solder it to the board.

it’s a shame MT didn’t do this in the first place.

Edit: result: you can replace the flash chip with a bigger one. More space, is visible in winbox, but… the software ID changes, and because of this the licence is t valid any more, So, this is not working.

6

The license key is kept on the flash. If You loose it, the license is gone. I don’t know how easy, or hard, would be to transfer this to another flash - but I would ask support first.

7

you can boot openwrt and dump the flash beforehand. or use a SOP8 adaptor and dump the flash once it’s desoldered.
can you please drop here the part# you used to replace the original flash?

8

From W25Q128JV datasheet:
Advanced Security Features
– 64-Bit Unique ID for each device
– 3X256-Bytes Security Registers with OTP locks

So it’s likely these features are used for soft-id. Even if you dump and clone regular flash contents, you can’t clone chip Unique ID.

9

Did anybody succeed with this, for example replacing the factory 128 Mbit chip W25Q256JV with 256 Mbit one - W25Q256JV?
If so, can you share more details about the process?

10

With a hotgun soldering station, it can be easy to replace the chip

11

Like the guys said - you’ll loose license. I was replacing flash on CRS326 with dead flash and lost license as well. Even though I dumped and copied old flash contents to new one. MikroTik support refused to give me replacement license key. (Though I had few spare L4 licenses received for MikroTik certifications so used one of those)

12

Exactly what chip did you use as the replacement?
Was the board hAP ac2?

I guess chip+L4 license together will still be cheaper (and in my case also more interesting :smiley:) than buying a new hAP ac3…

Has anybody else upgraded the flash storage on any of RouterBOARD devices? Were there any problems (in addition to the cost of a new license)?

P.S. As the size of RouterOS is growing with each release and MikroTik hasn’t split it in more separate packages, likely flash upgrade on 16 MB devices is becoming more and more relevant for many of the users.

13

If you put this command into cli you get the license file into your device flash.

[admin@MikroTik] > /system/license/output

[admin@MikroTik] > /file/print 
 # NAME                              TYPE             SIZE LAST-MODIFIED       
 0 XXXX-XXXX.key                     .key file         204 2025-03-17 18:27:51

Then you can import that file.

14

http://forum.mikrotik.com/t/replacing-a-flash-drive-problem-with-the-software-id/181645/1

@patrikg
Are you sure sure that it works if the chip (and its “unique” ID) is changed?

15

@jaclaz No, I don’t know.
I just know that’s the command for getting the license file from the device.
And that file can be used with netinstall-cli to flash the device.

16

… but seemingly only the same device, with the same flash chip (and same unique ID) …

17

Thank you very much!