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IronmanSubie
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Guidance Needed

Tue Feb 07, 2023 3:04 pm

Hopefully my topic is appropriate for this forum. I have a task at work to revamp our network and optimize a typical flat network that has grown over many years of cascading switches. With the company growth network demands are taking a toll on network performance. We have a typical network of switches throughout the building within a domain environment and one firewall/gateway. After alot of research and going back and forth, although unexperienced with the products themselves Mikrotik seems to offer the best performance for the money. Currently I am building out a new server room that is going to house all new infrastructure in the future and simply connect the old rack to the new rack. I want to get away from our flat network of connected switches and start creating a more hybrid setup where the switches will tie back to a core/aggregation switch and allow for better distribution. I am starting to get really confused with which product will suit our needs but yet allow someone inexperienced with the product to get up and running quickly with a base setup. For joining the old and new rack I have decided on the CRS354-48G-4S+2Q+RM on each end and connecting them their QSFP+ ports, this should accomplish extending the netowrk into the new location. Where I am getting a bit confused is what product could be used as an aggregegation switch ( I am trying to not require a core to keep costs down) I have 2 porducts in my mind the CRS518-16XS-2XQ or the CRS326-24S+2Q+RM, which the the 518 can only run RouterOS. The goal is to have any new and possibly some existing old switches all tie back into the new server location and instead of cascading the switched they will connect direcly into this (aggregation) switch. I really hope my explantion is making sense, all these upgrades are too eventually seperate the departments into VLANS but offer the best overall network performance by optimzing the network paths. Any suggestions or if you think I am way off track, please let me know, I don't know where else to turn to get some real help in this task. Thank you.
 
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jp
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Re: Guidance Needed

Tue Feb 07, 2023 5:39 pm

We recently setup as a "core" the MikroTik CRS317-1G-16S+RM Cloud Router Switch 16xSFP+ and at each work area the MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM The core is split into multiple networks for different needs. We used premade SFP+ fiber cables to interconnect.
You could for example setup wifi, IOT, credit card processing networks seperate from your windows domain network to keep your Windows network more simple and safe.
 
IronmanSubie
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Re: Guidance Needed

Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:20 pm

Thank you JP, sorry for my delayed response. I really appreciate you information especially providing some model number insight. Excuse me ignorance so with the core setup , is is using SWOS or RouterOS to accomplish? I am just unsure how I can implement a similar system as I already have a dedicated gateway/firewall.

Do you think the CR326-24S+2Q+RM could possibly be an alternative to the CR317-1G-16S+RM? It seems to have a faster fabric but not sure if it offers the same Layer3 capability as the one you implemented.

Appreciate your input.
 
ConradPino
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Re: Guidance Needed

Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:35 am

I use CR326-24S+2Q+RM and CRS309-1G-8S+IN. While similar, they are not identical. MT switch chips vary by model.
See CRS3xx, CRS5xx, CCR2116, CCR2216 switch chip features and L3 Hardware Offloading is affected.
 
IronmanSubie
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Re: Guidance Needed

Fri Feb 10, 2023 8:42 pm

Thank you, appreciate that information. I actually did decide on the CR326 with the 354's but not available till June/July this year so our infrastructure update and extension is on hold, the room is already prepped with fiber, rack, ac unit etc. so just a waiting game.
 
ConradPino
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Re: Guidance Needed

Fri Feb 10, 2023 11:52 pm

The CRS3xx line are good switches; none are good routers outside their respective Layer 3 Hardware Offloading envelopes.

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