MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+in Managed Gigabit Ethernet Switch

This is a powerful little switch and for the price it is an amazing value for 10 gig networking. I bought this for my home storage network, and while the learning curve is a little steep for the built-in OSes, it’s very much worth it. It does get a little warm but if it’s in a well ventilated area that’s not really a huge concern, mine lives at the top of my rack in a cool room. As far as speeds go, everything is as advertised, though it was a little clunky to give it a static IP, after that was done it was smooth sailing. Currently using SwOS since I don’t need the routing bits, but it’s nice to know it has the capability if needed.

Would recommend to anyone looking to get started in 10 gig networking!

This is a very interesting device. I needed a few 10GbE ports for my VMware and NAS lab at home. This one fit the bill since I could use the existing 1GbE ports as backup.

I powered the device using a PoE injector because I already had one in place to run my WiFi access points and cabled the ports up with twinax SFP+ cabling. The RouterOS interface and options were intimidating, even for someone with 25 years in IT. Documentation is kinda all over the place on MicroTik’s site. This switch looks like more of project kit sometimes especially when reading the docs. I found the place in the UI to boot to SwOS since I only needed Layer 2 and things got going from there.

The switch MTU is set for jumbos and comes that way by default. After poking around in the docs for a while, I finally figured that out. SNMP works fine but doesn’t support v3. There’s no HTTPS on the management web UI. No SSH. All these are a little disappointing but the config is easy and it has been solid so far.

There’s no competition in this price point for 10GbE ports. I’m going to continue powering it from that PoE injector just because it’s cool. It loses a star for documentation.

First off, if you are looking for a router: look elsewhere. While this can run routerOS, consider it an in-extremis stopgap solution. The CPU on this thing is a little single core clocked at 800mhz. for a small 100M router, it would be fine, but you will redline it and get well below 1G speeds. If your actual router gets struck by lightning and blows up, this will make do in a pinch, but its not what it’s designed for.
As a switch however, this thing is fantastic, and the cpu is more than plenty to give you a management interface to configure all the bells and whistles you might expect from a smart switch. For the price(~$150), it can’t be beat. Its so cheap, that it is competitive with simple media converters for the speed (and gives extra ports on either end as well). I had one running as a switch for a while, and recently figured out you can split the ports with the port isolation to turn it into a 2 channel media converter with an extra gigabit side tap. Its just a remarkably versatile and useful little device.

I have a lot of MikroTik devices with larger port count. I purchased this device because it has the exact OS and configuration options as it larger siblings, at a very reasonable cost. I use this device to test configuration before I deploy it in production. For this purpose it is perfect.
It can also be used as an entry level 10G managed switch. The build quality and finish are superb.

I installed this switch almost a year ago to connect my Mac Studio (with an Wiltek SPF+ adapter) and a PC (connected over twinax) to my existing RJ45 gigabit network – it works as advertised! The speeds are quick and it hasn’t failed me yet. The unit does get pretty warm, but it doesn’t seem to be an issue. I’m very impressed with the build quality of this and the included power adapter seems to be doing just fine.

The MikroTik 5-Port Desktop Switch is a compact yet highly effective addition to any network setup, especially when integrated into a Ubiquiti network environment. Despite its small size, this switch offers reliable performance with five Gigabit Ethernet ports, ensuring fast and efficient data transfer for connected devices. Its straightforward design makes it easy to deploy in various settings, from home offices to small businesses. The switch operates quietly and delivers stable connectivity, complementing Ubiquiti’s robust network equipment seamlessly. While it lacks advanced features like VLAN support or PoE, it serves its purpose well by providing reliable network expansion with minimal fuss. For users already invested in a Ubiquiti ecosystem, the MikroTik switch is a practical and cost-effective choice for expanding network ports.