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MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN vs Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN scores 7.8/10 overall, ahead of the Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE at 5.9/10.

The MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN leads on port speeds, management, port count and uplinks and firmware and support.

The Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE leads on noise and efficiency.

They score the same on poE.

The biggest difference is port speeds, where the MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN scores 9/10 to the Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE's 4/10.

MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN

MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN

7.8/10verdict: buy

The MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN is for homelabbers and sysadmins who need a few 10G SFP+ links on a small, silent switch. It suits anyone who wants to link a server, NAS or workstation at 10G and is happy to configure RouterOS or SwitchOS. It is not aimed at buyers who need many ports, PoE output or fast routing for a gigabit internet connection.

Typically about £121.19 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE

5.9/10verdict: good, not the best

The UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE is for people already running, or planning, a UniFi setup who want a small, silent managed switch. It suits a desk, small office or home network with a few PoE devices such as access points or cameras. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs faster than gigabit speeds, fibre uplinks or lots of PoE power.

Typically about £111 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightMikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+INUbiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE
Port speeds30%9/104/10
Management20%9/108/10
Port count and uplinks15%6/105/10
Noise and efficiency15%8/109/10
PoE10%5/105/10
Firmware and support10%7/105/10
Overall7.8/105.9/10

Specifications

SpecMikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+INUbiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE
PortsFour SFP+ ports plus one 10/100/1000 Ethernet port8 RJ45 ports in total, of which 4 are PoE+
Port speedsGigabit copper port; SFP+ cages support up to 10 Gbit per port; 1.25 Gbit SFP modules also supported10/100/1000 Mbps on all ports
ManagementRouterOS or SwitchOS selectable via dual boot; configurable through WebFig or WinBoxLayer 2 managed, configured through the UniFi Network Controller, in-band Ethernet management
PoE budgetNo published PoE output budget; accepts PoE (802.3af/at) input on its Gigabit port with 12–57 V input; maximum consumption 18 W, or 10 W without attachments52 W total PoE budget; up to 30 W per PoE+ port (802.3at)
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)Four SFP+ cages; modules not includedNo SFP or SFP+ port; RJ45 networking ports only
Switching capacity82 Gbps switching capacity; 41 Gbps non-blocking throughput16 Gbps switching capacity; 8 Gbps non-blocking line rate
CoolingPassive, fanless, metal caseFanless; heat dissipation 27.3 BTU/hr excluding PoE output

Strengths and weaknesses

MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN

  • + Four SFP+ cages with up to 10 Gbit per port
  • + Fanless metal case; owners praise silent, low-power running
  • + Choice of RouterOS or SwitchOS via dual boot
  • − Only five ports, and SFP+ modules are not included
  • − Owners report weak routing for gigabit internet
  • − Copper SFP+ modules reportedly run hot in the fanless case

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need PoE output to power cameras or access points
  • Anyone who wants to route a gigabit internet connection
  • Buyers who need many ports or copper multi-gig without SFP+ modules
Read the full MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN review ›

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE

  • + Fanless and quiet, praised by owners
  • + Layer 2 management with VLANs through UniFi Network Controller
  • + Easy setup and quick provisioning, per owners
  • − Only four of eight ports supply PoE
  • − Gigabit only, with no SFP or SFP+ uplink
  • − 52 W PoE budget may strain demanding devices

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need 2.5GbE, 10GbE or SFP+ uplinks
  • Anyone powering many or high-demand PoE devices
  • People who want L3 routing on the switch itself
Read the full Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE review ›

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