MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM 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 CRS326-24G-2S+RM scores 7.4/10 overall, ahead of the Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE at 5.9/10.

The MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM leads on port speeds, port count and uplinks and firmware and support.

They score the same on management, noise and efficiency and poE.

The biggest difference is port speeds, where the MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM scores 7/10 to the Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE's 4/10.

MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM

7.4/10verdict: buy

This is for sysadmins and homelabbers who want a managed 24-port gigabit switch with two 10Gb SFP+ uplinks for a rack. It suits anyone who wants VLANs and a silent, passively cooled switch. It is a poor fit for buyers who need PoE or who plan to use it as a busy router.

Typically about £175.32 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK

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

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

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

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM	Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE
Port speeds	30%	7/10	4/10
Management	20%	8/10	8/10
Port count and uplinks	15%	8/10	5/10
Noise and efficiency	15%	9/10	9/10
PoE	10%	5/10	5/10
Firmware and support	10%	6/10	5/10
Overall		7.4/10	5.9/10

Specifications

Spec	MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM	Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE
Ports	24 x 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports, 2 x SFP+ ports, serial console RJ45	8 RJ45 ports in total, of which 4 are PoE+
Port speeds	Copper ports 1 GbE; SFP cages support 1.25 Gb SFP and 10 Gb SFP+ modules	10/100/1000 Mbps on all ports
Management	Dual-boot SwOS/RouterOS; configurable VLANs, port mirroring, MAC filter, bandwidth limitation	Layer 2 managed, configured through the UniFi Network Controller, in-band Ethernet management
PoE budget	not listed	52 W total PoE budget; up to 30 W per PoE+ port (802.3at)
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)	2 x SFP+	No SFP or SFP+ port; RJ45 networking ports only
Switching capacity	Non-blocking Layer 2 capacity 86,855.7 Mbps at 1518-byte packets; 88,000 Mbps at Layer 1	16 Gbps switching capacity; 8 Gbps non-blocking line rate
Cooling	Passive	Fanless; heat dissipation 27.3 BTU/hr excluding PoE output

Strengths and weaknesses

MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM

+ Passive cooling, praised by owners as quiet and fanless
+ Two SFP+ cages for 1.25Gb and 10Gb modules
+ Dual-boot SwOS/RouterOS with VLANs and port mirroring
− Routing is slow, according to owners
− No PoE listed in the specifications
− Warranty is only 1 year

Skip it if:

Buyers who need PoE ports to power access points or cameras
Anyone wanting 2.5GbE or 10GbE copper ports on every port
People planning to use the switch as their main router

Read the full MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM 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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