Re: Mikrotik RouterBoard and Ubiquiti Networks Routing and Switching Solutions

[Warren Kumari <warren () kumari net>]

On Mon, Aug 11, 2014 at 8:22 PM, Colton Conor <colton.conor () gmail com> wrote:
> I am interested to hear opinions on Mikrotik and Ubiquiti Networks routing
> and switching products. I know both hardware providers are widely deployed
> in WISP networks, but I am less interested in their wireless solutions and
> more in their wired products.

Probably not the experiences you are looking for, but I replaced my
home CPE (a Netscreen SSG) with a Ubiquiti Edge Router -- there was a
very small learning curve (their CLI is different -- feels like
somewhat less polished JunOS to me, some simply things like completion
don't work), but after 15 minutes or so was all set. Sine then it has
remained perfectly stable, has a pretty GUI in case you want a quick
graph of bandwith, etc.


We have also used them when building the IETF network to start
pre-announcing the space (we go to the location a few weeks early,
test the circuits and BGP peerings, and then start announcing the
space - this helps some with some geo-location systems). We have also
used them when cutting over the guest rooms (when we cut over hotel
guest rooms to the IETF infrastructure and space, we sometimes
continue to route and NAT the hotels (RFC1918) space for a while so
that folk who still have a DHCP address can continue to work until
their lease expires).


W

> I know most of their switches and routers are software based, but that
> might not necessarily be a bad thing since everyone is going to SDN
> anyways. Their products are 1/10th or less of the cost of
> the equivalent Cisco/Juniper products.
>
> How stable and feature rich are both of their platforms? How do both of
> their command line interfaces compare to Cisco or Juniper? Is it easy to
> train a Cisco tech how to use a Mikrotik or Ubiquiti Networks product?
>
>
> *Ubiquiti Networks software is based on a version of Vyatta I believe. As
> many of you know Vyatta was bought by Brocade. I have heard that Vyatta is
> very Juniper OS like. *Ubiquiti just release a line of switches that have
> an amazing price and seem to support wire speed switching. Their EdgeRouter
> is supposedly faster than Mikrotiks solutions. They are also traded on the
> stock market, and seem to be doing well as a company.
> http://www.ubnt.com/products/
>
> Mikrotik also seems to make routers and switches. I am not sure what their
> software is based on, but it does support advanced features such as MPLS.
> Not sure about their switches, but they seem to be dirt cheap! What is
> their command line interface like? I couldn't find any financial
> information on this company, but they seem to be located in Latvia?
> http://routerboard.com/
>
> Does anyone have any meaningful insight to both companies? Why haven't they
> made a dent in the switching and router market with their amazing price
> points? Am I missing something here?