Hi there,
I’ve been wondering what exactly the differences between the RB450 and RB750 are.
Almost all specs are the same, except the RB750 is lacking the serial port and has a faster CPU (400 vs 300 MHz).
Also the RouterOS License is the same (L4).
And - a RB750 is almost half the price of a RB450 + Case + Power Supply.
Why on earth would anyone choose a RB450 now? Or did I miss something fundamental?
750 has a switch
So you mean that there are only two ethernet interfaces available for configuration because ether2 - ether5 are permanently switched?
Actually I can’t imagine that, the datasheet does say that the 750 has a switch chip, but the 450 has one as well.
450 can be used as a switch but is not a switch.
Must admit this is something I’ve been wondering about as well.
The 750 seems to have a faster processor – it’s the same architecture as the 450 but is more tightly integrated.
The 450’s only advantage, on the surface, is that it has a console port. Useful, but ultimately not a huge issue – you could simply put one port on the 750 in a separate VRF and use it as a management port, thereby creating much the same thing.
There must be something we’re missing here – is the 7240 processor the same clock-for-clock as a 7130, or is there a performance differential?
Bottom line is this – if we were to deploy the 750 as a CPE, with say either MPLS/OSPF running or a firewall set with two or three internal zones (doesn’t have to be both), would the device be able to achieve near-line speed at the full 100Mbps? I know the 450G can manage it.
I don’t think so. From roc-noc’s site:
All ethernet ports are fully independent and support 802.1q vlans
The fact is that any modern switching fabric supports VLANs – just that most dumb devices don’t implement a control plane. Even some Chinese ADSL routers manage this with modified firmware. The difference between such devices and the RB750, build quality aside, is that Mikrotik have included a good OS over the top.
The existence of a built-in switch isn’t too much of a concern to me – there aren’t enough ports for bridging two or three of them together to make that much of a difference to performance given a half-decent CPU.
The only question in my mind is whether the processor is up to the job. If this one is as powerful as Atheros’s other chips we should be talking about 500 or so MIPS, which is adequate for most purposes. It’s where a typical 800-series Cisco router was maybe 7 or 8 years ago. Which makes this an interesting product given the power of the operating system and the very low price. Unless of course the chip is slower than that – Atheros seem a little coy on that issue!
The box doesn’t say “mikrotik” or “routerboard.”
If you are selling for something for 3x the price you are paying for it, it’s better if the customer doesn’t know 
RB750 has a switch chip that will allow interport
troughput up to the wire speed limit in ports 2-5 if
switching is used.
RB750 has a switch chip that will allow interport
troughput up to the wire speed limit in ports 2-5 if
switching is used.
Yes I realise that, but the question was, does the switch only perform in this mode.
In other words, are you able to set switched or bridged mode.
roc-noc’s site defines that you can do this. Yes you can set it to be in pure switched mode as well, but there is the option not to do so.
I suppose the next question would be, can you arbitrarily set a couple of ports to be in one VLAN and a couple of others in another, (like a Netscreen “Bridge Group”), without the system doing this in software?
because ether2 - ether5 are permanently switched
no they are not, this is optional, switch chip can be turned off and you will have independent ports as usual (functionality of the ports and switch chip are similar as on RB450)
So normis why would anyone buy a 450 now? Just for the serial port?
Or is the CPU in the RB750 slower than the CPU in the RB450?
serial port, different case, different grade of hardware, different build quality.
Interesting.
Thing is, you’re advertising the 750 as, among other things, an MPLS CPE. That’s great, but if the hardware is of a “different” (presumably inferior) quality to the 750, is that wise?
The way I see it, hardware is either reliable or it isn’t. Doesn’t matter how expensive it is.
The case argument is problematic as well, because if my boss is anything to go by I think a lot of companies would rather have a professionally-presented plastic case than a slightly home-made looking metal one, regardless of the relative quality.
Assuming that the speed of the 750 is similar to the 450, that only really leaves the serial port, and as I’ve said that’s no great hardship.
Don’t get me wrong, I can see great opportunities for the 750 (not least of which is for a small “fit-and-forget” managed switch which is far more flexible than something like an HP 1700, we could potentially use hundreds of 750s for this task alone) but I have to say that I am not sure where the 450 fits outside of a very small niche.
I didn’t say it’s unrelieable. they are both very good, and similarly powerful. one of them is in a plastic case, and lacks a serial port. also RB450 now come with Level5 license (!) whereas RB750 comes with Level4
I hear all of that and agree in most cases. However the problem I have is even with a metal case the RB450/G does not look like a professional grade router, even though it has all the features and performance.
I for one would gladly pay extra for a modular 1U rack-mountable casing, possibly one with changeable faceplates for different routers, plus an integrated PSU with IEC style socket (to plug straight into UPS). This would separate the router from the consumer grade hardware that it currently resembles.
Don’t underestimate the power of professional looking equipment; people will pay $50-$100 more just for the fancy case, even if what is inside is no different.
RB1000U ?
That limits you to a single (very expensive) unit for every application. What if you want 9 ports on your router (e.g. 493AH) or even 450G as in previous discussion?
I completly agree with this, I would gladly pay $100 - $200 for a modular 1u enclosure for RB4xx units. Make it with dual power supply…
this guys showed something on MUM
so far, I have not been able to order it
Yes indeed, but to be honest you don’t even necessarily need a 1U device. We install Netscreen SSG5s everywhere and don’t get complaints about them looking unprofessional.
I think the 750 is a step in the right direction quite honestly. My boss’s main objection initially to the Mikrotiks didn’t come from any deficiencies in the hardware, the problem was the casing and the DIY approach.
If the 450G was presented like an SSG5, for example, I’m sure the company would happily pay $200-250 for it. It does 90% of what the Juniper will do for far less money, but it’s presented in such a way that it scares some people off.
It gets worse with the wireless kit. Properly presented a couple of 4x3AH boards would achieve most of what we manage with Trapeze kit (especially for smaller sites), and a whole lot more, but it just doesn’t look pretty. That’s a pity really.
As it is we’re looking now to buy in far less capable cheap APs (Senao etc, decent devices but not in the same league) for small sites where the Mikrotik would have been such a much better fit in most regards.
Bottom line: if you were to put a 433UAH in a plastic case that made it look like a standard access point, with all the branding etc like a 750, we’d probably buy in 200 of them tomorrow. It’d be a much easier sell.
Agreed on almost every point. I would have 2 applications: A “standard” client who would be very happy with a plastic case RB750 style unit, and a “professional” client who would demand the 1U/2U style device in their rack. Both unit styles have their place.
For outdoor applications we have standardized on 2 enclosure types. For integrated units we use a diecast aluminium unit with integrated 23dB flat panel, and for external antenna we have a diecast aluminium box with external connectors (see attached images). We can fortunately purchase these quite cheaply locally (under US$35 for the enclosure and about US$100 for the integrated unit) and I feel these installs look quite professional.
