Is there any physical advantage to running SWoS on a CSR-317 switch rather than RouterOS?
Apart from the obvious differences in the management interface, does one or the other utilise the hardware better?
Hi I don’t think so, nowadays there is a new version which allows you to do lots of stuff using hardware (RouterOS 6.42.x) that’s really easy to manage and it allows you to do some stuffs with software too (just keep in mind the CPU limit at really high speeds).
Check this link: https://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:Switch_Chip_Features#Bridge_Hardware_Offloading
Cheers, thanks for the reply, it’s appreciated.
I’m my general opinion, you want a router, buy a router; if you want a switch, buy a switch. In this case, use the OS that applies with the same principle. On my three routers at home, the closest I get to having any of them function as a switch is to use VLANs to get more LANs onto a finite number of Ethernet ports.
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Yep, I did buy a switch .. just wondering if one of the 2 available underlying management sofware applications makes any of the hardware functionality of that switch work better than the other.
I guess there is no big difference in underlying switching functionality.
The device contains switch chip, what has to be programmed and in fact does not matter what OS does it.
It is more likely what the producer implements and to what market is the product focused.
- SwitchOS (I have old 250 version)
- very small image → more likely as firmware
- mainly used to program the switch inside
- on reboot boots in miliseconds → no big interruption in switching
- limited management - just http
- seems as like sdk is used and probably not a space for big changes (as https,ssh etc.)
- RouterOS
- standard mature OS used in router products
- longer time to boot up after reboot → so no switching for 20s ±
- can program the switch chip too
- mature management - ssh, https, certificates etc.
It seems that some features are not the same on SWOS and RouterOS, I do not remember what was missing on RouterOS. But I think it is just SW limitation on purpose,
because the HW is the same. Or maybe Mikrotik does not want to change much default RouterOS image.
So I would do this:
- is there SwitchOS feature what is not available in RouterOS? if yes, then pickup SWOS (some specialty I do not remember)
- does it matter that it boots longer time with RouterOS? If not, I would go with RouterOS for better secure management etc.
Just my opinion as I do not have big experience these boxes. Buh hope it helps.
I don’t think it is different for this particular type of switch. (CRS 300 series)
For other MikroTik switch lines there are things that RouterOS cannot hardware-offload although it would be reasonable to expect it.
Of course when you only want to setup some generic switch features (VLANs and tagged/untagged ports) is is much easier and quicker done with SwOS than with RouterOS.
However, when you don’t mind or you have experience with RouterOS it could be better to use RouterOS in case you some time want to deploy a feature that SwOS doesn’t have.
(as long as that feature isn’t “L3 routing at wirespeed” because those CRS devices simply aren’t able to do that - a bit confusing because competitor’s switches with L3 routing can do it, although usually with limited functionality e.g. small routing table, static routing or RIP only, etc)
Cheers guys, appreciate the input.
I’m comfortable with RoS and have decided to run it on my switches instead of SWoS, the main reason is so I can log into them with Winbox from time to time when I want to check something. 