This is a story about the “little router that DOES” !!
So…
We had no choice, the users were revolting…
We upgraded our old dual T1s for a 20Mb metro ethernet handoff (currently NOT trottled, so getting 40 Mbit)..
So.. Yesterday, I start getting thousands of recieve errors “from” the Cisco metro switch.. (go figure… 
)
As a result the connection went to pot… I did some fiddleing, and got the recieve errors to settle down…
Wait for it…
Then while working on the router, the WAN interface took a dump.. the port went inactive and would NOT come back online..
I had provisioned some extra ports into the router… ( a Xeon based super micro )… so I just re-dirrected the WAN to another interface.. so with the imediate crys of “the net is down !!!” silanced, I went looking for a replacement box..
( when an onboard interface dies, it sometimes turns into a silicon bake and the whole system dies. )
I grabbed a RB450G ( I keep at least one arround).. and restored the main firewall config into it and adjusted to fit..
I figured this will keep the net online overnite while the load is almost nill.. (just spam incomming in on the WAN)
I left the failed device in place durring the day, as not to disturb the users untill the end ogf the day…
I went looking for a 1100, Yeh right… End of September…
End of day comes.. I install the 450G and it seems fine..
I go home and prep a “Blackbird” with the same config as the RB450G to install in the morning when I expected the 450G to get swamped… I set the Blackbird, powered it and was “READY” to go when the 450G could not keep up..
Office back ground: Aprox 100 users, 60 are sales and are the WORST internet users I have EVER seen.. Youtube, IM, email by the boat loads (Microsoft doesnt know how the current echange server keep running) and a new 40 Mbit internet pipe… Oh and did I forget to mention the VPN from my logistics center…
Remember the little RB450G… It is still there !!! it never did swamp…
That little box is just crusing along like a little champ…
I showed one to the boss this afternoon and told him that one just like it was running as the main firewall, and he gave me a look of “RIGHT…” then he asked how it was doing… and I replied the little $109.00 router as doing just fine..
$109? he asked… Yep… $109…
He then asked, “You are going to replace it with something, arrent you”?
I replied, “Why”? … I got another look… this one a bit different..
Yeh I am going to replace it with a 1U intel or a RB1000, but I am not nessisaraly in a hurry now… as the 450G is doing just fine..
You have to let the boss sleep at night after all… “little black boxes” the size of a pack of cards running your internet connection, makes for a bad nite’s sleep for the COO..
Impressive… Thanks MikroTik..
