Which Router Board to choose from

RouterOS Beginner Basics
1

Hello everyone,

I want to get a routerBoard but I can’t find one to suit my needs. I looked on the Mikrotik site and there wasn’t a RB that suited my needs. The funny thing is that I saw some other web page where they were selling mikrotik stuff that I hadn’t seen on the Mtik site.

http://www.roc-noc.com/product.php?productid=74

Mind you they still didn’t have what I was looking for.

I need a small router with 8+ gigabit ports that can run OpenWRT or some such linux distro, no wireless required. Is there anything that would work for me or is there no such thing? Otherwise I will have to buy a SRW2008 from Cisco/Linksys but I don’t really want to do that.

2

why would you put an inferior operating system over the one that’s provided for free? The mentioned product is also listed on the mikrotik site, look again:

http://www.routerboard.com/comparison.html

Also look at these:

http://www.routerboard.com/pdf/RouterBOARD_Selection_Guide.pdf
http://www.routerboard.com/pdf/RouterBOARD_Price_Performance_Comparison.pdf
http://www.routerboard.com/pdf/tests_april_2009.pdf

3

Well now I see the products I mentioned, but it’s funny you DIDN’T mention the product I wanted is not there.

Like I said I need:

  • a router
  • 8 gigabit ports

From what I can tell it’s either a 600A which has only a few gig ports (not 8+) and the 1000 which still only has 4 gigabit ports. I need a RB493/AH with gigabit instead. Then again it looks like RB would make that 800$ or something compared the 200$ from the typical vendors (surely I agree they don’t do the same thing). Either way that product doesn’t even exist. It looks like it’s only possible to get a linksys/cisco/netgear etc switch and a separate router. This is a fairly common product on the market so I’m surprised that it does not exist here. Unfortunate.

Also I’m not arguing that the routerOS is not as good as OpenWRT, if it’s better fine, I’d surely tinker with it before considering reflashing.

Edit: Correction, it would probably be 2500$

4

what do you want? Buy your stuff, leave us, thanks.

5

That might be a future product from Mikrotik. RB493G. But that is just a guess. They recently went from RB450 to RB450G, so why not RB493 to RB493G?

Tom

6

And don’t forget the RB450G which is amazing with 5Gbit ports, lots of RAM, lots of flash, small size and small price.

http://www.roc-noc.com/product.php?productid=177&cat=4&page=1

Tom

7

I do really like the looks of the RB450G and the RB493, but I just need them together! I currently have a Linksys WRT600n but I ran out of ports, and PPPOE doesn’t work on it which requires me to keep a WRT54G just for routing and a few extra ports. What I really need is to have more than 4 ports on gigabit.

Considering there are no product announcements for the RB493G I am not sure I can wait for vapor. And yes, the 450G is quite a good price, hopefully when it is extended to 8 ports it will be < 200$.

8

Maybe 450G + Gigabit switch?

9

Yes, a gigabit switch, but which one? I don’t see any smart useful one on the market. The bet I see is a SRW2008 which is 230$. I’d love to pay the same something that also does routing, and maybe doesn’t force me to use a stinky web-interface and especially has package management and useful functions.

I don’t need a routerboard in my setup, so much that I need something with 8 gigabit ports. I was hoping that I could consolidate some of my equipment by getting one but in your solution it’s a swap that doesn’t actually change my situation.