We would like to have a desktop learning machine with no router board for our company to experiment on.

This test machine would let us look at and experiment with the router board configurations and settings and not create an traffic problems.

How can we setup an IBM desktop computer to let us look at the Router Board software configurations?

Thank you

Buy a RouterOS license and install it on the PC.

It will be keyed to the hard drive of the PC.

You can also buy a license pre-installed on a flash drive from some vendors and that allows you to easily move the flash drive to different hardware. Then the license is keyed to the flash drive.

Tom

Install in VMware. The 24hour demo is good for lab work. When done with lab revert to fresh install snapshot. Is not good for routing traffic but is good for learning and testing. I prototype setup all the time in VMware before move to real hardware then is easy setup.

Can we purchase a version 4.9 licence to use on the testing desktop machine and than use it live on our router board?

No. Read the wiki on licensing - licenses are tied to the physical hard drive (not the image of data on a given drive), and you can't transfer the virtual disk to the RouterBoard. Additionally, RouterBoards come licensed.

no.

Hello, I would like to know the cost of Tom's suggestion below for (a license pre-installed on a flash drive) ?

We would like to test some router board software configurations on our desktop computer, before actually buying new router boards and upgrading our existing router board software.

Can we transfer the licence on the flash drive to our purchased router board after testing?

Thank you

We would like to test some router board software configurations on our desktop computer

again, you may use 24h demo license for free w/o any limitations. just install RouterOS - and you will have fully-functional router for 24h uptime