Understanding Zyxel Elite Pack License Operation and Priorities

The Elite Pack is an all-in-one license for supported Zyxel security routers managed by Nebula.

It combines advanced security features with Nebula PRO Pack features.

Official Zyxel Elite Pack page

This article explains how Elite Pack licenses are prioritized and what happens when multiple licenses are available.

Important: The license priority rules in this article are based on the latest official Zyxel information.

Understanding Zyxel Elite Pack License Operation & Priorities

What Does the Elite Pack Provide?

The Elite Pack provides:

• Real-time threat intelligence
• Web Filtering (Content Filter)
• SecuReporter Traffic Log Archiving
• Nebula PRO Pack advanced features
• Ransomware / malware prevention
• Intrusion Blocker
• Dark Web Blocker
• Stop mail fraud & phishing
• Ad blocking
• VPN proxy blocking
• Firewall
• Country Restriction (GeoIP)
• Custom allowed / blocked domains
• Traffic Management for applications and clients

The Elite Pack also provides advanced Nebula PRO features such as advanced diagnostic tools, automatic network topology, 30-day log retention, and AI features.

The Elite Pack is available for SCR 50AXE and USG LITE 60AX.

License Priority

Nebula uses a strict priority queue for Elite Pack licensing.

The priority can be summarized as:

Trial → Bundled License → Add-on License

Scenario A: Trial vs. Commercial License

A Bundled License or Add-on License is a real commercial license and has priority over a temporary Trial.

If an organization is using a Nebula PRO Trial or Elite Pack Trial, and a commercial license is registered and activated on the hardware, the Trial is terminated.

The device or organization then moves to the active commercial license.

This applies to:

• a purchased Add-on License;
• a hardware-bundled commercial license, such as the one-year bundled Elite Pack for USG LITE 60AX.

Scenario B: Bundled License vs. Add-on License

A Bundled License must be used first.

If a bundled Elite Pack is active and a customer registers a purchased one-year Elite Pack renewal:

• the Bundled License remains active;
• the purchased license becomes Queued;
• the purchased license waits for the Bundled License to expire;
• the purchased license automatically becomes active on the exact day the Bundled License expires.

The purchased license is therefore not lost. It is waiting in the license queue.

Scenario C: Elite Pack vs. Nebula PRO Pack

The Elite Pack is an all-in-one license.

It includes both:

• premium security features;
• Nebula PRO Pack management features.

Therefore, if an Elite Pack is active on a supported security router, you do not need to purchase a separate Nebula PRO Pack for that device.

The active Elite Pack fulfills the organization-wide PRO requirement for that specific device.

Organization-Wide PRO Requirement

Nebula uses a lowest common denominator rule for organization management.

To run the entire organization at the PRO level, every device in the organization must have a valid PRO-level license.

An active Elite Pack on a supported security router counts as the required PRO license for that device.

Example

An organization contains:

• USG LITE 60AX — active Elite Pack
• Nebula Access Point — no PRO license
• Nebula Switch — PRO license

The USG LITE 60AX meets the PRO requirement because of its Elite Pack.

The Access Point does not.

Therefore, the organization does not meet the PRO license requirement for all devices.

Nebula starts a 15-day Grace Period.

During this period, assign the required PRO license to the device.

If the requirement is not fixed before the Grace Period ends, the organization is downgraded to the free Base tier.

Note: Organization-wide alignment is separate from Elite Pack license priority. License priority determines which Elite Pack license is active on a security router. Organization-wide alignment determines whether the whole Nebula organization can remain at the PRO level.

Bundled Elite Pack

Eligible USG LITE 60AX devices can include a one-year bundled Elite Pack.

For the current promotion, the complimentary one-year Elite Pack applies to new devices registered on or after January 19, 2026. Previously registered devices are not eligible.

The bundled license:

• is activated after the Trial;
• is used before Add-on licenses;
• is tied to the hardware;
• cannot be transferred to another device.

What Does "Queued" Mean?

Queued means that the license is waiting for the currently active license to expire.

For example:

Active:
Bundled Elite Pack — 200 days remaining

Queued:
Purchased Elite Pack — 365 days

The purchased license does not start counting down yet.

When the Bundled License expires, the queued license automatically becomes active.

Example: Complete License Flow

A USG LITE 60AX has:

• Elite Pack Trial
• One-year bundled Elite Pack
• Purchased one-year Elite Pack

The licenses are used in this order:

1. Trial

The Trial is active.

2. Bundled Elite Pack

The commercial Bundled License takes priority over the Trial.

3. Purchased Elite Pack

The purchased license becomes Queued while the Bundled License is active.

4. Bundled License expires

The purchased Elite Pack automatically becomes active.

Final order

Trial → Bundled Elite Pack → Purchased Elite Pack

This is the expected Elite Pack license priority in Nebula.

How to Check the License

To check the license status in Nebula:

1. Log in to Nebula Control Center.
2. Go to Organization-wide.
3. Select License & Inventory.
4. Open Licenses.

Check the active and queued licenses to understand which license is currently being used and which license will be used next.

Content Filter

Content Filter is included with the Elite Pack.

However, having an active Elite Pack does not automatically enable the feature.

To configure Content Filter:

Site-wide → Configure → Security router → Traffic management → Content Filter

Enable the feature and configure the categories that you want to block.

Troubleshooting

• The purchased Elite Pack is Queued

This is normally expected when a Bundled Elite Pack is currently active.

The purchased license will become active after the Bundled License expires.

• The Trial disappeared

This is expected when a commercial license becomes active.

Commercial licenses have priority over Trials.

• The organization is no longer at PRO level

Check all devices in the organization.

Every device must have the required PRO-level license.

If a device does not have one, Nebula starts a 15-day Grace Period.

• Content Filter does not work

Check both:

• the Elite Pack is active;
• Content Filter is enabled in the security router configuration.

Quick Reference