Mikrotik RouterBoard and Ubiquiti Networks Routing and Switching Solutions

Tue Aug 12 01:05:41 UTC 2014

Personally I have a simple matrix for routing and switching, if the customer can afford it I use Juniper, if they can afford it and really want Cisco then I will use Cisco. If the customer wants to put something in that will "just work" for years to come I use Juniper. If they want the cheapest routing solution that will do the job I will use MikroTik. If I was building a service provider that was not huge out of my own money then I would use Juniper switches and MikroTik routing/BNG. I have actually found MikroTik to be very stable and scalable over the years and I have had great support from them. In the early years (10 years ago) I saw some BGP instability under load, but not for several years.  MikroTik's also make a great CPE device (Ethernet only). I have not used MikroTik switches so can't comment on them.

cheers

> I am interested to hear opinions on Mikrotik and Ubiquiti Networks 
> routing and switching products. I know both hardware providers are 
> widely deployed in WISP networks, but I am less interested in their 
> wireless solutions and more in their wired products.
>
> I know most of their switches and routers are software based, but that 
> might not necessarily be a bad thing since everyone is going to SDN 
> anyways. Their products are 1/10th or less of the cost of the 
> equivalent Cisco/Juniper products.
>

Ubiquiti routers use Cavium chips so they are not 100% software solutions, having a bit of programmable hardware support.
Although most Mikrotik products are 100% software-based, their flagship router nowadays, CCR, also has similar hardware acceleration from Tilera.