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mx204
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MX204 alternative?

Mon Nov 07, 2022 5:27 pm

Hello,

We are now using 2 Juniper MX204 but as you might know they are EOL and we are looking for a replacement in the long term. What does MikroTik have in their core router shop who has similar price/performance?
 
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BartoszP
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Re: MX204 alternative?

Mon Nov 07, 2022 7:12 pm

 
mx204
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Re: MX204 alternative?

Mon Nov 07, 2022 11:40 pm

I know. But is their flagship model CCR2216 comparable or better versus the MX204? I've haven't seen any ISP or content provider using MikroTik core routers in their datacenters.
 
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Re: MX204 alternative?

Tue Nov 08, 2022 12:08 am

They are generally aimed at entirely different segments. A lot of ISPs use Mikrotik but the big boys rarely will because Mikrotik doesn't have a 'proper' support structure (i.e. paid support, warranty, same/next day replacement etc) that big corporate latch onto.

Each router on mikrotik's site has basic throughput testing results to help you determine which one will match your load. Really depends on what featuresets you are going for as well (basic edge routing, NAT gateway etc), then compare it to MX204's throughput levels.

JunOS to RouterOS will be a big change, so if swapping vendor keep in mind a good amount of effort to figure it out or hiring a consultant to come in and do the initial config + explanation with you.
 
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Re: MX204 alternative?

Tue Nov 08, 2022 2:01 am

There are lots of MikroTiks used in datacenters, cloud, and even larger ISPs, but mostly in supporting roles (acting as things like DNS caches) as they have not had any routers with ports > 10Gbps, and the fact that they did not have hardware offload for routing meant that the CPU could become a bottleneck and an attack vector as a DDoS could take the CPU to 100%. This has all changed with the CCR2xxx series devices on RouterOS v7. RouterOS v7 has only stabilized in the past few months to a point where it is fairly safe to run for larger companies/providers. We are not able to move many devices to it ourselves as we rely on MPLS QoS with EXP bits, which is currently not functioning correctly in v7, and other users are waiting for BFD support, which was present in v6 but has not been implemented yet. So really, MikroTik has only recently become a serious option for these larger core roles.
 
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chechito
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Re: MX204 alternative?

Tue Nov 08, 2022 2:16 am

being optimistic the biggest MikroTik box (ccr2216) has half the potential of a mx204

so i think they are in different tiers

ccr 2116 and 2216 are the first intent of MikroTik trying to use an asic for forwarding/data plane plus a CPU to proccess control plane, something Juniper is doing since 20 years ago

MikroTik make good devices powering a big chunk of internet and in their tier are the best solution, but if your needs are beyond their scope you have to go with big toys

i think mx204 EOL situation must be solved by another vendor in that tier not with MikroTik

I refrain from mentioning other vendor solutions so as not to be censored, scolded or attacked
 
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Re: MX204 alternative?

Tue Nov 08, 2022 3:22 am

I would probably agree, if you are actually using the MX204 to a good portion of its total capacity. The CCR2216 is unlikely to be able to match the same performance, as it is a few thousand dollars instead of $40k. But, a lot of providers and companies sometimes go overboard on the core routers, and buy devices that are more powerful than necessary. If you aren't actually really using the MX204 to its fullest, and they were purchased as a bit of overkill, replacing them with CCR2216's may not be that much of an issue. So, it really depends.

Kevin Myers of IP Architechs puts a lot of MikroTik's in at the core of large companies and ISPs that have traditionally gone with Cisco/Juniper gear. You might ask him for his thoughts on the matter. I know he mentioned in one case, the Cisco ASR's that were ordered for the datacenter of a large company were delayed due to the pandemic, and they had to put in MikroTik routers temporarily (CCR1036 devices). They performed so well that the company wanted to cancel the ASR order but were unable to.
 
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Re: MX204 alternative?

Sat Nov 26, 2022 1:10 pm

Depending on the specific function and workload, Mikrotiks might be able to do the job.

You simply have to buy and test, but it will never "replace" a MX204 or a Cisco ASR as a complete product replacement.

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