MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM vs Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

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 Flex Mini 2.5G at 6.3/10.

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

They score the same on port speeds and poE.

The biggest difference is port count and uplinks, where the MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM scores 8/10 to the Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G'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

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Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

6.3/10verdict: good, not the best

The UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G is for people who run UniFi gear and want multi-gig speeds on a small five-port switch. It suits a home office or homelab that needs a few 2.5GbE devices linked and managed from the UniFi Network application. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs PoE output, more than five ports or fibre uplinks.

Typically about £52.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at 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 Flex Mini 2.5G
Port speeds	30%	7/10	7/10
Management	20%	8/10	7/10
Port count and uplinks	15%	8/10	4/10
Noise and efficiency	15%	9/10	8/10
PoE	10%	5/10	5/10
Firmware and support	10%	6/10	5/10
Overall		7.4/10	6.3/10

Specifications

Spec	MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM	Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G
Ports	24 x 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports, 2 x SFP+ ports, serial console RJ45	5 x 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports
Port speeds	Copper ports 1 GbE; SFP cages support 1.25 Gb SFP and 10 Gb SFP+ modules	2.5G/1G/100M/10M per port
Management	Dual-boot SwOS/RouterOS; configurable VLANs, port mirroring, MAC filter, bandwidth limitation	not listed
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)	2 x SFP+	None; no SFP/SFP+ uplink ports
Switching capacity	Non-blocking Layer 2 capacity 86,855.7 Mbps at 1518-byte packets; 88,000 Mbps at Layer 1	25 Gbps switching capacity, 12.5 Gbps non-blocking throughput, 19 Mpps forwarding rate, 256 VLANs, 4,000 MAC addresses
Cooling	Passive	Fanless (retailer listing; not on manufacturer spec page)

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 Flex Mini 2.5G

+ All five ports run 2.5GbE
+ Managed through UniFi Network, with 256 VLANs
− Only five ports
− No PoE output
− No SFP or SFP+ uplink

Skip it if:

Buyers who need PoE output for access points or cameras
Anyone who needs more than five ports or SFP/SFP+ uplinks
Users who want advanced layer 2 or layer 3 switching features

Read the full Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G review ›

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