I have a hex - RB750Gr3 and I love it, no problems at all. Admitedly I have a very simple home setup so it fits my needs and just works fine.
But I have a second location now and I need another router. My first thought was to just get another hex - RB750Gr3 and just set it up the exact same way, but then I figured that there might be a new version of it or something that I should probably get instead, such as perhaps the hEX S (2025).
So I thought I would aske before buying rather than after. Is the hex S (2025) a newer version of the hex RB750Gr3? Would that be a fairly safe simple lateral move or a step up?
It depends on what you need and what speed is your internet connection.
It is not incredibly faster than the old model[1] and it used to have some software issues (solved I believe in later RouterOS releases).
If you happen to have an old hex or can get one used on the cheap, it would be ok, but for only 10 bucks or so difference get the new model, you get an ARM (32) , double the RAM and 8x the storage, besides the SFP.
But it remains a (smart) lateral move, as I see it, not so much a step up.
I would think that the Hex Refresh would be an option as well. Same mem/flash/CPU as the "S", a bit cheaper, none of the "baggage", and unless you need the 2.5g "crippled" SFP, no less port capacity.
I can't honestly say that I was aware of that . . . I ran one as a VPN server before moving to my RB5009, and had no issues (but then again, most of the tunnels in weren't that fast to begin with).
Looks like a 100% hardware spec match to the "S" other than the crippled SFP being added.
I tried a "refresh" months ago (has it been a year yet?) and it was terribly slower than my older hex so I returned it and kept the regular hex actually. I don't know if they ever fixed that but it left a bad taste in my mouth. That's why i was going to try the "S" to see if it is any better.
I have a 1GB connection but obviously I rarely if ever reach that, other than speed tests. I do like a fast upload though because I often upload large files to my website (camera system).
I 9don't think that the SFP is a factor for my purposes. Honestly I don't know what it is and the "description" doesn't mention it for those that don't know what it i assume fiber optic maybe?
SFP is simply a socket that can accept interface modules for copper, and various optical standards. There are SFP, SFP+, QSFP and so forth, at varying speeds . . . The "S" has just SFP (not +) and is limited to 2.5G, SFP+ goes to 10G, and QSFP to 40G (or 4 10G), and there are others up to hundreds of Gig per second.
As shipped, the router has just the socket (IE empty hole) that you would need to populate to use it.
The specs for the two devices are 100% identical as published by Mikrotik . . .
Both are 512MB RAM and 128MB Flash, so a dead push there as well, so no realistic limitations.
The block diagram is pretty much identical as well. ether1 is on the CPU, not the switch chip on both, and the "S" adds the SFP on the CPU as well, so those ports won't L2 switch as fast as the others (but, as a router, that port will typically be L3 anyhow . . . not a bug, but a design choice. Either I am forgetful, or I don't recall you describing your config.)
The biggest disadvantage of the original HEX (RB750Gr3) and HEX S (RB760iGS) compared the refresh models is the very limited Flash/NAND storage (16MB). For a home user, 256 RAM hasn't been a problem for me, although 512 would not hurt, it isn't something that matters that much, unless you plan to run the limited arm32v5 container images since you can't run arm64 containers on the HEX refresh anyway.
Disadvantages of HEX refresh:
ether1 issues
no microSD slot
no beeper
If you want to have spares, then getting 2 RB750Gr3's would provide a single spare for the other two.
I don't know the manufacturing status of the RB750Gr3, i.e. whether they are still being made, or if current sales are from existing stock, but there will be used ones available for quite a while.
I have 300Mb connection, so the MT7621 SoC used in the RB760iGS is sufficient, but that is now in my lab. I bought an RB5009. Yes, it is more expensive, but amortized over it's useful life, it isn't much of a monthly increase. (a small fraction of what my internet fee is). And the RB5009 is a big step up from the HEX. But it does use more power, and if all you need is the HEX, then it may be overkill (as your 1Gb internet connection probably is too). And it does open up the possibility for less limited containers.
If you’re already using a hEX S and it’s working reliably, I’d probably keep it unless you have a specific reason to upgrade.
For a new purchase, though, the hEX S (2025) looks like a better choice for the money. It has newer hardware, ARM architecture, and the SFP port, so it gives you a bit more flexibility for future upgrades. The main thing I’d check is your actual internet speed and whether you need any features that the newer model handles better.
If your current hEX S is becoming a bottleneck, then I’d consider the 2025 model or step up to something like the RB5009 depending on your requirements.
Currently I have a hex RB750Gr3, not the hex S. It was a while back that I tried the refresh and I posted here about it. If I remember correctly it was because of the ether 1 thing that made it slow. At that point I had just gotten the hex and it was fine so I went back to that. Now I have a second location that I need another router for so I was thinking of upgrading but after all your help here I think that maybe the best thing for me to do is to buy another hex - RB750Gr3, at least until I'm ready to upgrade to something more substantial. Sure would be easy to set up. Might even be able to copy my config over to the new unit, right?
You could export on your existing, and then paste into in an empty config, or with care, you could even use a backup (but that's not recommended, you will need to go in and change the mac, or you will have two devices with the same MAC address.
Better would be to just use the default config after updating the the router to a known good version of ROS (not necessarily the latest "stable" version).
If you intend for the two site to be able to communicate with each other, you will want to use a different LAN address range at the two sites, then if you have a site to site VPN, you won't have problems due to overlapping ip addresses. So if you "clone" or use defconf you will still need to modify the ip address associated with the LAN subnet(s).
yes, but since other people may read this forum (now, or in the future), i just wanted to clarify that "The hEX S is just a hEX Refresh with an added SFP port" is not true. i know what you meant, and OP may know what you meant, but when product naming is this confusing, i think some clarification can't hurt :-)
Decided to get another of the exact same old hex. They're still available for a decent price (hopefully brand new) and it'll be easier for me to config and set up exactly the same way. At least a this point it fits my needs and speeds.
Thank you all. As usual you have been a great help and I am grateful.