Hello.
I have use case, that in my house (home use/home office use), i am using HEX (RB750Gr3) as "wall" for border between me and ISP.
I have not enough ports on it, so i have another two managable Tplinks one for cameras, one for TVs and other stuff in house, both connected to hex.
I am bored from having unesesary more devices, more management web pages, tplinks not have routeros, so i am looking for some mikrotik with more ports.
Also i am using well the routerOs, for lots of automated stuf, measuring etc, i am fall in love with that os.
Another thing is, i have nas in network, supporting 2,5G, same as my main PC.

I found in local store the cheap Mikrotik CSS318-16G-2S+IN, and also modules S+RJ10 (pages says is able to do 2,5 and is compatible with that router).

Question 1: Can it cover my use case, to connect ISP to one of 1G port, use it as bridge, and rest of home to rest of 1G ports, than use one S+RJ10
for my local PC and one S+RJ10 for NAS to have only between my PC and nas 2,5G speed?

Or i am thinking about it stupidly, and can be somehow cheaper of better how to do it?

Question 2: Can we say that HEX (RB750Gr3), and CSS318-16G-2S+IN are same performance tier or quality,
or i can reach some bottleneck on CSS318-16G-2S+IN, in my i think not high need of performance? Thinking in that home use is maybe only one possible impact maybe if it will be different on latency..
Some members of forums sas that cs is crap, but if is same crap as hex what i am using, i am ok

Question 3: CSS318-16G-2S+IN says use SwOs, so as i am well using router os, can this device run router os (some sas yes), and if yes, is hard to change it from that swos?
Or some guide maybe exist. In case if RoutesOs is able to be used, device contain needed licence?

Thank you in advance

#1 Yes about the LAN, but no replacement of the hex as router with firewall and NAT
#2 No comparison possible, the hex is a router with switching (bridging) capabilities), the CSS318 is ONLY a switch (no routing)
#3 no, it runs swos ONLY. Devices that can run both have it specified on the model page.

The CSS series are switches and only switches, the CRS series are switches with some routing capabilities.

It seems to me like you need a router with more ports, not a switch with more ports that cannot work as router (unless you want to keep the hex as router)..

Since you are OK with the RB750GR3, it means that your internet connection is not very fast, the hex should be good up to around 250-300 Mbps connection.

This one is midway:
https://mikrotik.com/product/crs326_24g_2s_in
is a fast switch, that runs RouterOS (besides SWOS) and that has router capabilities (which are a fraction of the switching speed, but on par of the hex, 269.9 vs. 265.2)

Since it is a good switch, and enough powerful for your current internet speed, it could work as both router and switch, replacing also the hex.

When/if your internet connection will be upgraded, you can get a RB5009 in front of it and keep it as only switch.

#1 Yes about the LAN, but no replacement of the hex as router with firewall and NAT
#2 No comparison possible, the hex is a router with switching (bridging) capabilities), the CSS318 is ONLY a switch (no routing)
#3 no, it runs swos ONLY. Devices that can run both have it specified on the model page.

The CSS series are switches and only switches, the CRS series are switches with some routing capabilities.

It seems to me like you need a router with more ports, not a switch with more ports that cannot work as router (unless you want to keep the hex as router)..

Since you are OK with the RB750GR3, it means that your internet connection is not very fast, the hex should be good up to around 250-300 Mbps connection.

This one is midway:
https://mikrotik.com/product/crs326_24g_2s_in
is a fast switch, that runs RouterOS (besides SWOS) and that has router capabilities (which are a fraction of the switching speed, but on par of the hex, 269.9 vs. 265.2)

Since it is a good switch, and enough powerful for your current internet speed, it could work as both router and switch, replacing also the hex.

When/if your internet connection will be upgraded, you can get a RB5009 in front of it and keep it as only switch.

Thank you for fast reply, and i am sorrry that i was not perfectly explaining use case, and also to wrongly understand the MT portfolio.
I was looking forward to fully replace HEX with something standalone, with silimar features, but with more ports. Benefit can be possibility to have also 2x 2,5G ports,
no matter if rj45 or i need to add modules. Total occupation should be +- 12 ports in total, including that 2x 2,5G ports. .

I found also beside your proposal of CSS326-24G-2S+IN also CSS326-24G-2S+RM, which is for some reason cheaper, i can mount it in rack, and looks exact the same.
There are foto that is on back plate fan hole, hope it is not active one If that can replace hex, i will be happy.

CRS, not CSS..
The naming stand for:
Cloud Router Switch
and
Cloud Smart Switch
(the R stands for Router, the S for Smart, go figure, anyway both are essentially switches, the R have additionally some routing capabilities)

The CRS 326 comes in two versions:
https://mikrotik.com/product/crs326_24g_2s_in
(desktop, RouterOS or Swos, list price $199)
and:
https://mikrotik.com/product/CRS326-24G-2SplusRM
(rack mount,, RouterOS or Swos, list price $209)

CSS models are ONLY switches, they cannot be used as routers.

The CSS326 costs less because it is a switch only:
https://mikrotik.com/product/CSS326-24G-2SplusRM
(rack mount, SwOS ONLY, list price $159)

Using a CRS as a "main" router is possible, though it is slow, but since it is roughly as slow as your current hex, it could replace it (with more ports).
Or you can keep the hex and get a CSS as switch.

A "real" router with the ports you need would be the CCR2004:
https://mikrotik.com/product/ccr2004_16g_2splus
but at $465 list price is far from cheap (though it is some 10x faster than your current hex, it doesn't make much sense to spend that kind of money if the hex is enough for your ISP connection)

CRS, not CSS..
The naming stand for:
Cloud Router Switch
and
Cloud Smart Switch
(the R stands for Router, the S for Smart, go figure, anyway both are essentially switches, the R have additionally some routing capabilities)

The CRS 326 comes in two versions:
https://mikrotik.com/product/crs326_24g_2s_in
(desktop, RouterOS or Swos, list price $199)
and:
https://mikrotik.com/product/CRS326-24G-2SplusRM
(rack mount,, RouterOS or Swos, list price $209)

CSS models are ONLY switches, they cannot be used as routers.

The CSS326 costs less because it is a switch only:
https://mikrotik.com/product/CSS326-24G-2SplusRM
(rack mount, SwOS ONLY, list price $159)

Using a CRS as a "main" router is possible, though it is slow, but since it is roughly as slow as your current hex, it could replace it (with more ports).
Or you can keep the hex and get a CSS as switch.

A "real" router with the ports you need would be the CCR2004:
https://mikrotik.com/product/ccr2004_16g_2splus
but at $465 list price is far from cheap (though it is some 10x faster than your current hex, it doesn't make much sense to spend that kind of money if the hex is enough for your ISP connection)

Thank you for really comprehensive answer, even id*ot must understand it, so even me
You save my life by highlighting i miss one changed word, which is important as hell.

Found in local market difference 4 usd for rack version, so will take one + 2x 10G modules.

Thank you very much, hope your name will be writen on the gold plate, with big Thank you!