So we're building out a office space for cowork space. I've used MikroTik products in the past but mostly for larger scale stuff used the Ubiquiti Networks.

So I'm looking for recommendations from you guys who are more familiar with the hardware comparison.

I'd like to be able to configure a baseline speed package that's included with the cowork space. Then have the option of either provisioning faster speeds for a paid service or assigning static IP addresses to certain offices where they might have their own router or a piece of hardware that needs its own public IP. Through vlan configuration each user would be isolated to their own segment. However be able to access shared office resources such as printers.

The connection coming in will be a Fiber service most likely symmetrical 500/500 however expandable to gig over gig. So I feel this is going to be one of the big determining factors in choosing the router hardware. This router will serve as the core router and from there be distributed into the cowork vlans, corporate management, etc...


I'm not really sure on the router selection as there seems to be a plethora of options on the router end.
I'd like a router that if needed we could end up having additional ISPs feed into. With options of either fiber or ethernet.
Keeping in mind that I want to be able to also route / limit traffic to specific speeds and between vlans.

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From the core router I'm thinking of going into some type of fiber switch to feed the different IDF closets throughout the facilities. So looking for a recommendation if Mikrotik has an option. (1gig? 10gig?)

I'm thinking a CRS317-1G-16S+RM which is the 16 port SFP+ Router/Switch OS or its 8 port counterpart thats a desktop version

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Then in the closets we would need 24 port switches possibly doing a singular 24 port PoE then 2 or 3, 24 port non PoE.

So I'm thinking CRS328-24P-4S+RM which is the POE version or the CRS326-24G-2S+RM which is the Non POE Version
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So as far as the wanting the ability to pass along public IP addresses to the field port for a router, will we need layer 3? It seems that The switches I'm looking at support both SwitchOS and the RouterOS?
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Ubiquiti has its CRM and Management software does Mikrotik have anything comparative?

Anyone? Recommendations based on the hardware I've listed?

Estimated users 25+
Trying to best determine the router range, assuming 25+ users we will be doing SIP Phone traffic. Will the router be handling the bandwidth limiting etc... is this an ability of any of the hardware and configuration? Ubiquiti for example you can setup policy's for limiting speed.

This router will be used in the setup of a co-work office space so I will want to be doing policies to limit traffic between devices, speed, vlan routing for printers etc.., traffic throttling.

The RB4011 non-wifi version is a beast with one SFP+ port for 10gig passthrough............ Not sure if that is something that appeals?
Check out the specs compared to the other devices........

CRS are switches not routers. Thay can do routing but they are not designed for routing/natting/mangling heavy traffic.
You should look for CCR devices if you want to mostly route or start with AH1100x4 ones.
I have installation with AH1100x4 for 50+ users, VPN+IPSec used to access main office shares for CAD files and this AH1100 seems to be mostly bored

The RB4011 is better bang for the buck bartoz............. same engine better test results and a 10gig port (SFP+) which the 1100 doesnt have and its cheaper.

Frankly speaking: Bartosz ... "sz" pronounced as "sh" in "wash"

Frankly speaking: Bartosz ... "sz" pronounced as "sh" in "wash"

no problemo Bart for short, no chance for error LOL

Keeping up with the Simpsons ... let me decide

Hmmm I think I prefer Bert, or perhaps Ernie LOL. Do you play with a little yellow rubber ducky in the tub??

The RB4011 is better bang for the buck bartoz............. same engine better test results and a 10gig port (SFP+) which the 1100 doesnt have and its cheaper.

Take a look at the block diagram. Yes, there is one SFP+ cage - but its 10Gb ethernet ports are connected in two groups of five - and each group has one 2,5Gb/s link with the CPU. You will not route more than 2,5Gb/s at each switch, and no way to route more than 5Gb/s total.

True, quite a lot more than the actual 500Mb/s he is (will be) getting. But something to keep in mind, upgrade wise.

Paternot, interesting however, the diagram distinctly shows a 10gb link direct to the SFP+ port.
Perhaps it would be fair to say that if no other etheports are used (other than WAN) then the SFP+ port may see traffic close to 10Mgb?
In other words the router could use that sfp link to another managed switch which then cascades to other switches as was described by the OP.

As long as you have router to
Main switch via 10GB link
Main Switch other ports to switch 1 to switch 2 s to switch 3 to switch 4 to switch 5 (all trunk ports to Main switch on 10gb ports) etc........

The the router should do okay with respect to any needed routing involved. I'm no networking guru but if there was L2 traffic
Same vlans across switch 1 - 5, there would be no need to engage the router etc in that the traffic - switch one would handle all vlanxx traffic to its ports it would then pass same vlan traffic up to main switch, main switch would share vlan traffic with other 4 switches if they also had vlans..............

Would suspect the router is only involved in vlan to internet traffic or vlanx to vlanY allowed traffic.

Paternot, interesting however, the diagram distinctly shows a 10gb link direct to the SFP+ port.
Perhaps it would be fair to say that if no other etheports are used (other than WAN) then the SFP+ port may see traffic close to 10Mgb?
In other words the router could use that sfp link to another managed switch which then cascades to other switches as was described by the OP.

As long as you have router to
Main switch via 10GB link
Main Switch other ports to switch 1 to switch 2 s to switch 3 to switch 4 to switch 5 (all trunk ports to Main switch on 10gb ports) etc........

The the router should do okay with respect to any needed routing involved. I'm no networking guru but if there was L2 traffic
Same vlans across switch 1 - 5, there would be no need to engage the router etc in that the traffic - switch one would handle all vlanxx traffic to its ports it would then pass same vlan traffic up to main switch, main switch would share vlan traffic with other 4 switches if they also had vlans..............

Would suspect the router is only involved in vlan to internet traffic or vlanx to vlanY allowed traffic.

The SFP+ has a direct link to the CPU. But a router needs, at least, two interfaces: one goes in, another goes out. We have one 10Gb interface - that covers half the problem (forget about "router on a stick" - it maxes at 5Gb too, since the traffic goes twice through the SFP+ port).
Now, to cover the rest of the problem, we have two RTL8367 switches. Each of them with a 2,5Gb connection to the CPU. So we can say for sure that one cannot exceed 5Gbps (10Gbps total, since the links are full duplex) - since it is the hard limit of the 2,5Gbps duplex of each switch.

And that is what the network result shows us: a theoretical limit of 9,792.9 Mbps.

Got it thanks! I dont think I was saying 20gigs at any time but I was not thinking that there would be two way flow at all times and plus there will be wan in and out that may also detract from that total. In any case the 10+ sft port is the fattest pipe to use to a main switch.

So I'm a bit confused on the router selection;

According to the main product page it says the CCR1009-7G-1C-1S+ supports a SFP+ module however when looking at the actual product page it only mentions SFP for 1gbit.

So what router options do I have for a 10gbit SFP+?

I'd like to provide a 10gbit link from the router to our core switch the CRS317-1G-16S+RM

So the design consists so far of;

CCR1009-7G-1C-1S which has a SFP+ port (10gbps), SFP (1gbps) and 8x 1gig ethernet.

This will take the 500/500mbit service in over copper, a redundant 200mbit service from a cable provider over copper and allow in the future if for some reason we needed a 1gig fiber in.

Then we will feed the CRS317-1G-16S+RM which has 16x 10gbps SFP+ as our internal fiber switch.

Then that will feed CRS328-24P-4S+RM to its SFP+ ports in the different data closets.

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Ideally I'd end up configuring this distribution structure to support some LAN traffic and routed traffic so I can install Mikrotik routers in some endpoint cases where a client wants their own public IP or internet service in their suite.