Your MikroTik License: How to Activate It & Attain the Speed Included In the Plan?

Published August 26, 2022June 23, 2023 by Kristen Nash

Accessibility, reliability, and speed – these 3 things seem to be the key requirements for pretty much anything on the Internet. And especially for cloud-hosted routers. In fact, according to the 2021 Cloud Managed Services Market Size And Forecast, the cloud-managed market that reached $39.83 billion in 2020 will grow to more than $117.65 billion by 2028. What sustains this growth, then, and why cloud-hosted routers like MikroTik keep gaining traction like never before?

To cast more light on CHR (cloud-hosted routers + MikroTik in particular) and show you why they are worth it when creating, routing and securing your very own virtual network, we will look at:

What is a cloud router
What is MikroTik CHR and how does it work
What is BGOcloud’s Mikrotik VPS and why do you need it
How to activate your licensed plan

What Is a Cloud-Hosted Router & Can They Wire the Entire World?

In essence, a cloud-hosted router can keep your organization up and running, with all the data and programs uploaded and secured to the cloud. It lets you exchange routes between a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) and peer networks and has all the RouterOS features, including:

VPN server
Routing
Firewall
Bandwidth management
Wireless access point
Backhaul link
Hotspot gateway

One of the biggest advantages here is that you get the flexibility to manage any router remotely without having to deal with some common issues that traditional routers bring on like:

Must connect to local networks
Only functioning within physically allocated spaces and cannot operate outside these areas
Being isolated from each other when there are several traditional routers in use
Spreading out over different locations
Must use multiple networks in order for multiple routers to be able to operate

MikroTik Cloud-Hosted Routers & Why They Work Like Magic

Here’s a little background – MikroTik is a popular hardware company established in 1996 in Latvia, that makes and delivers wired and wireless modems, routers, other service devices like network switches, and, of course, their operating system – RouterOS.

What makes MikroTik and their OS so great is its ability to transform any computer system into a MikroTik router device, providing users with the easy access, usability, functionalities, speed, and security they seek.

There is also another version of the operation system called MikroTik Cloud-Hosted Router (CHR) which runs on virtual machines, Virtual Private Servers (VPS) and the Cloud, adding just a little more to the flexibility clients can get depending on their needs.

What Is a MikroTik CHR Used For?

To turn remote server into a router.
To create powerful VPN servers.
To load balancers.
To simulate networks using GNS3.

And What About the Advantages?

Perhaps the biggest benefit and value of MikroTik Cloud-Hosted Routers is in the functionalities and out-of-the-box features even when we talk about low-end routers. Users get VPN clients and servers, hotspot creation options, OSPF and BGP routing, network discovery protocols and support for all of them. Everything is super configurable and easy to monitor.

There are also great learning resources for free and a forum that provides plenty of information to help you across different processes in case it’s the first time you decide to utilize one such router.

What is BGOcloud’s Mikrotik VPS and why do you need it, then?

Mikrotik VPS is our solution that enables you to quickly and easily use our fully-fledged MikroTik cloud-based routers for a VPN concentrator with just one click. You can set up your own Virtual Private Network (VPN), link any other servers into one, or build an advanced firewall. Lastly, with the help of our professional technical support team, you get the right assistance whenever you need it.

There are several BGOcloud MikroTik CHR plans you can choose from:

Basic that gets you 100GB bandwidth
Standard with unlimited traffic
Licensed which is our Best Value Option
MikroTik Dedicated Server x86 usable on PC hardware

And they have an automatic setup process to set off everything in less than a minute.

HANDS-ON: Getting Started with BGOcloud MikroYik Licensed Plan

Keep in mind that you won’t need to purchase a MikroTik CHR license as long as you are our customer. In order to use the license in this package and attain the speed that is part of the plan, our support team must log in to the MikroTik and set up the license that we provide during the service time.

To provide access:

Log in to your new router
Click System, then Users
Click Plus -> New User

On “Name” type: bgocloud

Then on “Group” select: full

After that type the “Password” of your choice and “Confirm Password”.

Click OK

In case you prefer SSH, do the following:

[admin@BGOcloud-CHR] > user add group=full name=bgocloud password=p@ssw0rd

Next, open New Ticket and send us the password that you set in the previous steps. Once your request is processed, we will write back to you to confirm the activation of your license.

We’ve also added a short video to our YouTube channel to show you the steps in action –> Providing access to your MikroTik Cloud Hosted Router for support

Other useful how-to videos you may want to watch:

Ways to secure your Mikrotik Cloud Hosted Router with basic firewall

Setting up PPTP VPN server on Mikrotik Router

How to upgrade your Mikrotik Router to the latest RouterOS v7