MikroTik switches are LEGIT!

Part of the journey of building out DatacenterDude's Datacenter is centered around modernizing the networking. As a former certified Cisco user and fan, it was hard to let go of Ol' Faithful, but a new hotness found its way into my arms [racks], and their name is MikroTik.
👏 Thanks for Watching and 🔴 Subscribing! New videos coming each week!
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🔨 Gear in Video 🔨 (affiliate links, support the channel)
► Cisco SG300/350 ►►► No Longer Available
► MikroTik 5-port 10GbE Switch ►►► amzn.to/42nDEx1
► MikroTik 8-port 10GbE Switch ►►► amzn.to/3Yc09l0
► MikroTik 16-port 10GbE Switch ►►► amzn.to/3IZ35Nn
► MikroTik 24-port + 2 SFP+ ►►► amzn.to/3IYxg7p
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💬 Social Media 💬
► Nick Howell Twitter ►►► / datacenterdude
► NetApp Discord ►►► netappdiscord.com
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► CHAPTERS ►
0:00 Intro
0:52 History, 10GbE, & MicroTik
5:21 Upgrades!
6:30 Who is MicroTik?
8:20 Switch Swap!
8:47 MicroTik User Interface
13:55 Next Steps
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DISCLOSURE ► The views, beliefs, or opinions expressed during this program are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of NetApp, NetApp employees, NetApp Affiliates or NetApp Clients or Partners. This video is intended for educational purposes only and does not replace independent professional judgment. All Trademarks and Copyrights mentioned in this video remain the property of their respective owners.
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#DCDDC

[@JBNetwork]

The name in Mikrotik says almos everything of the device: CRS = Cloud Router Switch (support RouterOS and SwitchOS Dual boot) 309 = 300 Series --- 0 Wireless interfaces 9 Ethernet ports then you have 1G-8S+IN (1Gb ethernet + 8 SFP+ IN - Indoor. Example RB3011-UiAS-RM RB- RouterBoad 3011 = 3000 series , 0 Wireless Interface , 11 Ethernet U = USB i = 1 PoE out A = AP Licence (level 4) S = 1 SFP - RM = Rackmount.

[@glrfi4eva]

well explained, very helpfull. I always wondered how that worked

[@xuxamelo]

golden!

[@matheus1394]

One thing to mention: They should put a big warning about this RouterOS support on CRS (Mikrotik's Switches). It does have routing capabilities, but with a very bad performance, they don't have as much CPU to handle all the routing, NAT, firewall, DNS, PPPOE, it's too much to proccess, and then you get poor performance, very below gigabit. I'm a Mikrotik user for years and they should be more clear about the limitations of the possibilities they open. But indeed it's great equipment for companies and enthusiasts in general.

[@jasonphilbrook4332]

Mikrotik has been popular in the small ISP world for a very long time. Free software updates, low power consumption (for longer runtime when on battery backup) make them attractive. text config backups, snmp, ssh make it nice to backup and manage.

[@dan__________________]

I am also a CCNP. Cisco is great and I still really like Cisco, but I have been using Mikrotik for 20 years as well and It has its place in my systems.

[@mikrotik-store-eu]

You've been at it for a long time, respect!

[@dan__________________]

@@mikrotik-store-eu Thanks! I still have an original RB532 that I still use to this day.

[@guyboisvert66]

About the same here. I support many vendor hardware on premise (we keep what they have if it's Cisco, HPE, Brocade or EdgeCore). I used to be L3 support engineer for Hydro-Quebec and at that time, we had so many things! Cisco, Alcatel (Sonet), Nortel (ATM / DPN-100), Kalpana, 3COM, Cabletron, Synoptics, etc. But i love Mikrotik's 3way management interface (CLI / WEB / Winbox) and the fact that it's hierarchical. I use CAPsMAN and many other features. Mikrotik is my choice for majority of SMB client i have. It's great they support Hardware L3 Acceleration since ROS7.

[@ussul6524]

Mikrotik just works. Great value as well.

[@jondasek]

It works most of the time, but the RouterOS updates are hit and miss to say the least. They usually fix issues overtime, but very often introduce new ones. Otherwise, it's still an amazing value and great products overall.

[@alex1520]

ZZ Top approves of that beard ;) I was a Cisco loyalist for many years too, I eventually got sick and tired of paying through the teeth for everything Cisco when other vendors were offering the same thing for a fraction of the price, moved over to Unifi and love it

[@chrisumali9841]

thanks for the demo and info, have a great day

[@robodev6033]

I just found this channel and I feel like networkchuck's twin lol.

[@gabrielporto.mikrotik]

MikroTik os awesome. I am a MTCRE guy. I use MikroTik in my apartment and in a lot of customers. I have the same CSS326 in my home and 3 APs. I even use a RB1100ahx4 as my border router and firewall. Could spend a life talking about MikroTik. I even have a review for the CCR1009 8G 1C 1S+ on my channel. Great video btw. You got your self a new sub.

[@garbageOnline]

Mtiks do 95% of what cisco does (excluding the proprietary protocols ofc) at a very low cost. RouterOS offers unimaginable capabilities and tools that no other brand has. On top of that you have a powerfull scripting language that actual renders possible, everything you can imagine. I can talk for hours about mtiks but i suggest you go check the manual to see what is really capable of.

[@oOignignoktOo1]

I used a 8port mikrotik cloud router switch I bought back in 2016 It was a nice piece of kit that I used as a standard home router for 7 years before I upgraded to a hAP ax3. The thing still ran great as a wired router but I needed something that supported 802.11ax to support newer wireless devices on my network.

[@JasonsLabVideos]

Hell yeah man !! Good video !!

[@datacntrdude]

Thank you! 🤘

[@Darkk6969]

I have several MikroTik CRS series switches at home. They're great for 10 gig networking. The 24 port CRS switch I have is similar to CSS switch except it doesn't have a fan at all. There is a cut out for it but no fan. It went through three hot summers without an issue.

[@nikitakipriyanov7260]

This CSS can use both PoE and DC in the back simultaneously and this way it got dual PSU. (the little 509 should be able to do this too). It will use whichever voltage is higher, and if you make PoE and back-connected PSUs of different voltage, by monitoring voltage you can detect if your primary PSU is disconnected or broken. (I was actually doing that with Mikrotiks.)

[@sidewinder7602]

Great home DC and fantastic footage - I've just subscribed! Regarding the technical aspects of the CRS309, the Ethernet port serves as an Out-of-Band (OOB) management interface rather than an uplink. This is because the CRS series isn't tailored for Layer 3 (L3) forwarding. While the CRS3xx models do support hardware offloading for some basic L3 features, enabling their use in top-of-rack (TOR) setups for elementary inter-VLAN routing and dynamic route offloading (like with OSPF), they have limitations. Complex configurations, such as specific routing rules, mangle, or firewall settings, are still processed by the CPU. Even though it's a newer ARM model (98DX8208), it lacks sufficient power for more demanding tasks. As for the model names, their length is justified by their descriptiveness. They effectively communicate the main features of each model, streamlining the process of understanding model capabilities without delving into extensive documentation.

[@sidewinder7602]

Additionally, I recommend transitioning from SwOS to RouterOS for your CRS devices. This suggestion is based on two key reasons. Firstly, RouterOS offers a wide array of features that are not available in SwOS. Secondly, MikroTik developers have shifted their focus away from SwOS, particularly since the integration of switching chip features and hardware offloading into the bridge configuration of RouterOS in version 6.42.

[@conraadvandenberg]

The CSS326-24G-2S+RM is actually fanless. It has a fan cutout but no fan

[@sarhtaq]

We run the 317 10gig as core at my work, with a mix of 16, 8 and 5 port Mikrotik as "spine" around the campus, and Cisco SG300/SG350/CBS350 in the access layer. Works great and as one using the SG300 since 2010 I have yet to have any major issues with either brand. (2 SG's dead due to lightning strikes in 12+ years is just stuff happening)

[@hookenz]

I worked for a wisp for a while and that's where I first was introduced to microtik gear. Its robust and reliable. Best of all, insanely cheap.

[@houndsol]

crs317 1g 16s+ is absolutely fantastic. the fans do not spin up if it's not hot

[@xuxamelo]

Mikrotik powers up small ISPs such as Vodafone Portugal ;). Actually, CRS3xx, CRS5xx, and some CCR support L3 hardware acceleration almost at wirespeed making CRS317 a beast of a router by a fraction of the price when compared to CISCO, NEC, HP, etc. You can actually spread the entire BGP table by four CRS317 ASIC Switch because their TCAM can handle it! It would be stupid to say that they have their limitations because let's face it They Do! But, so do others. I'm amazed by the route path Mikrotik has taken into the Switch World. Hope they keep adding futures to the Marvel ASIC chips.

[@sagetechnology4913]

I am pursuing a CCNP, but I put 2 10gb mikrotik switches in my network (CRS305 and CSS326) long before I even got my network plus. (btw the CSS326 IS fanless, it just has an unused cutout in the chassis)

[@dennis8858]

Hi, Great video. Of these two switches, which one is unmanaged; CRS326 and CRS328. Thank you i'll really appreciate.

[@mwirigidennis2010]

Mikrotik is compatible with most networking devices .when employed in radius saver its smother and a monster in networking ,from rb 3011,rb 4011 ,crs series and above shall never disappoint

[@aperson1181]

which router would you recommend for home use? What is a good authorized seller in the USA? My ER-X stopped working

[@pbrigham]

They just work.

[@SiBex_ovh]

Try routers on ARM !. I use MikroTik from 2010 and it's great.

[@Max78224]

The CRS326 is a fanless switch, but you can install one if you need.

[@ahmedifhaam7266]

mikrotiks SWOS and ROS is also really great. I am a software developer professionally but my love for networking is so big that i spend equal amount of time studying both haha. Could you do like a comparision video between one of these 24 port 1Gig with 2 port sfp+ mikrotik switches against something like Aruba S2500 or something similar and maybe even a comparision between, using 10Gig iSCSI between servers and storage array vs the real world advantage of getting an extra fiber channel switch to use fiber channel. Right now, like you, I have been using Cisco for both access and core switch, the old catalyst ones so I could learn more for my CCNP, but im about to make a switch (Because now I can learn virtually using simulator like GNS3 or EVE-NG) to either mikrotik or used enterprise switches like Aruba. So Im wondering what will be better choice. Just you know basically a big comparision video when it comes to SANs, and advantages of using modern switches like mikrotiks etc, idk what I am even asking because im still a begginer at networking but haha, all in all, really really appreciate your video :).

[@datacntrdude]

I’ve got an older Cisco Nexus 5548 and 2232TM FEX I’ll be doing some comparisons against.

[@ahmedifhaam7266]

@@datacntrdude woah that's awesome! personally I'm sticking to brocade for FC because it's cheaper, well as far as I know, in cisco, for FC you need the nexus 5000 series and the network extender module both. OR you can get the 5500 or 5600 series FCoE switch which is also expensive ig, well I may be wrong but that's what I know. So, it would be nice to have a comparison especially for a home lab, to invest and upgrade to a FC SAN or stick to 10Gbe (or 25Gbe now). Would really appreciate a comparison video, and thanks for the reply, have a lovely day.

[@Der089User]

Changing a whole network device setup with VLANs and without SDN functionality in just one hour!? Never!

[@waralo191]

Their Routers are nice too! Their AP's suck though, way too convoluted config, and they lack kinda essential features like band-steering.

[@gamingforlive2150]

I actually aquired the 16port modell last week still gotta get some sfp stuf fbut already am working with mikrotik and i preffer switchos over router os tbh

[@FinlayDaG33k]

I have 2 MT switches, 1 router and 3 APs at home. Price-performance wise, they are are really nice. Although the SwOS management is kind of a pain. Can't access it via the IP? Too bad, you're gonna have to reset it... If you have a CRS switch, you can use RouterOS but that makes configuration a lot more complicated which also isn't ideal. Their WiFi is just a pain and even more so when you have to manage "old" wifi and Wave2 seperately... All in all, good stuff but their management stuff needs a bunch of work.

[@spade_013]

Looks like the prices went up on the switches.

[@dandraeg3679]

Is the alienware running proxmox?

[@mikrotik-store-eu]

Ester praised you a little, I hope? Here we would say "nothing said is praise enough". :D Keep up the good work!

[@datacntrdude]

She never knew anything happened! Best kind of result!

[@blazingmatty123]

175lbs up the stairs twice, could just stack one on top of the other and strongarm it up ;P

[@dawidlelito]

Do you use winbox for setup mikrotic devices? Is more convinien way

[@datacntrdude]

I’ve only ever used the browser UI, personally. I’ve found that once I get it to a steady state, it’s very rare that I even need to access it again. On my L2 10GbE switches, I even completely disconnect the uplink for an extra hardening step and to avoid broadcast. Soon, I’ll be flipping everything to structured VLANs with a dedicated mgmt network, so it will clean this up a bit.

[@RichardFermion]

I went from MikroTik to Unifi mostly because the UDM pro camera/cctv capabilities. MiktoTik certainly makes some cost effective TOR stuff though

[@Lann91]

Pretty sure that the css326 is fanless.

[@kwinzman]

Where do you live / work that you think Mikrotik is not well known?

[@klingoncowboy4]

Hmmm first time seeing SwitchOS... I have only used RouterOS lol

[@babbjos]

Been using Mikrotik switches for years love them.. would not recommend their access points they are terrible.

[@datacntrdude]

I haven’t tried one of those. I’ve had eero’s since they were a kickstarter. Once I get pfSense up and running, they’ll be full time mesh APs.

[@babbjos]

Never tried them, I use Pfsene with the mikrotiks as switches and I am using ubiquity wifi6 pro APs for the last year and they have been solid. No compatability issues. I even have a Mikrotik POE switch powering the APs.

[@samuelfuenmayor9124]

@@babbjos Hey one qq, by any chance do you need to have an additional controller for the APs? or at least when you are doing the setup?

[@babbjos]

@Samuel Fuenmayor no you don't, but you also don't really need one for ubiquity either you can use their phone app to set it up.

[@samuelfuenmayor9124]

@@babbjos Thanks a lot for that one Joshua, greetings from Venezuela

[@mehdimj_ir]

Just came here to say I am stupid. I bought Mikrotik hap ac^3 instead of Mikrotik hap ax^3

[@gunchag]

Mikrotik switches are good especially for their price but you must know about their port flapping and buffer overflow issues. P. S. Mikrotik are located in northern part of europe not eastern part.