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Best Mikrotik Switches for Powerful Business Networks and offices Leave a comment
Introduction
The best MikroTik switches provide small businesses in Kenya with fast, dependable, and economical network connections. As your team grows, so does your business and network. Nevertheless, most entrepreneurs think good networking gear means over-expending. However, MikroTik challenges that belief. The purpose of this article is to explain the best switches for small offices, what you should be looking for, and how and where to buy the switches in Kenya.
Why MikroTik is Ideal for Small Offices
MikroTik switches house enterprise-level tools at a budget. In contrast to some big-name competitors, MikroTik does not charge for features such as VLANs, QoS, or even port mirroring. Therefore, small businesses and large corporations have the same networking control. RouterOS, the software that runs behind the units, gives the IT team software with ample amount of control and customization at zero extra cost.
Best MikroTik Switches for Growing Offices
These switches help offices handle more desks, devices, and departments as they grow. As the network expands, a scalable switch helps businesses avoid large upgrade costs later. The switches below offer a good balance of price and performance, making them ideal for East African businesses.
MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM
Switch has 24 Gigabit ports and 2 SFP+ ports for fiber uplinks. It also has Layer 3 capability for routing between VLANs and eliminates the need for an additional router. As a result, the switch is ideal for 20-50 workstation offices.
MikroTik CSS610-8G-2S+IN
For smaller teams, this compact 8-port switch offers an excellent value with solid Gigabit speeds. The switch even includes two SFP+ ports which allows connection to your network with speeds up to 10Gigabit Because of that, it’s the best.
MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN
This model is focused more on port speed than port count. This unit has four SFP+ ports that can all be configured for 10Gigabit speeds. This model is a good choice for business for a fast backbone between servers, switches, or storage devices.
Features to check before purchasing a switch
Be sure to review the number of available ports, PoE (Power over Ethernet) support, and management capabilities. Count the number of devices that you currently connect to the network, to leave room for future growth. Next, be sure to check if you need PoE for any devices such as phones, cameras, or access points. Confirm that the switch supports RouterOS or SwOS (depending on the level of control your IT team is responsible for).
Best MikroTik Switches for Budget-Conscious Businesses
Businesses on a tight budget can find great options from MikroTik. Just because you are on a budget does not mean you have to sacrifice features. These models are a great fit for new businesses and small retail stores.
MikroTik CSS326-24G-2S+RM
This unit has 24 Gigabit ports with two SFP+ ports and is housed in a compact rack-mount frame. This unit is great for beginners and advanced users, since it supports both RouterOS and SwOS. This unit is a great fit for a standard 19 inch rack found in most offices in Kenya.
Best MikroTik Switches for hEX Series
Though primarily a router, the hEX includes switch ports for even the smallest business needs. One compact unit can easily support five network users. This makes it ideal for home businesses and small professional services businesses
Best MikroTik Switches for High-Traffic Networks
Switches for busy networks must manage high volumes of data without losing performance. All-day video conferencing, cloud applications, and file transfers place additional demands on a network. Below, we highlight switches that can handle this level of demand
MikroTik CRS328-24P-4S+RM
This switch delivers 24 Gigabit PoE+ ports alongside four SFP+ uplinks. Therefore, it powers IP phones, cameras, and access points directly, cutting down on extra cabling. It suits medium-sized offices running VoIP and CCTV together.
MikroTik CRS317-1G-16S+RM
Built for serious throughput, this switch offers 16 SFP+ ports at 10 Gigabit speeds each. Consequently, it works best as a core switch linking multiple departments or server rooms. Larger SMBs planning future growth benefit most from this model.
MikroTik vs Other Small Business Switch Brands
MikroTik’s main competitors in this space are TP-Link, Ubiquiti, and Cisco. However, at that point in the market top competitors either prevent access to advanced features by placing them behind subscription models or expensive offerings that include basic Layer 3 support. MikroTik has both of these included in their pricing at the next level of value, which is ideal for small businesses.
Final Thoughts on Selecting Best MikroTik Switches
The most important consideration regarding the switch you select is your present and future business needs. Generally, MikroTik has great technology that is advanced and suitable for a business environment at prices that are more budget-friendly for small businesses. Either you need an 8-port unit or a 24-port PoE switch, there are models appropriately constructed for your office. Your best bet to avoid costly mistakes is to work with officeiptelephony. We help you decide on what will be most practical for your office.
