CRS520-4XS-16XQ-RM

The MikroTik CRS520-4XS-16XQ-RM is a groundbreaking high-density, ultra-fast Cloud Router Switch designed to make 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100GbE) connectivity highly accessible and affordable for demanding network environments like data centers, large enterprises, and internet service providers.

It distinguishes itself by combining a massive amount of high-speed fiber ports with powerful internal processing for intelligent switching and hardware-accelerated routing.

Key Capabilities & Features

🚀 Extreme High-Speed Connectivity

• 16x 100 Gigabit QSFP28 Ports: This is the flagship feature.3 These ports are capable of delivering 100 Gbps each, providing an immense amount of bandwidth for core network links, inter-data center connections, or high-speed server uplinks. They are also highly versatile, supporting various breakout configurations (e.g., 4x 25G, 4x 10G, 4x 1G, 2x 50G, or 1x 40G) depending on the module used.

• 4x 25 Gigabit SFP28 Ports: Offers additional high-speed connectivity at 25 Gbps, ideal for connecting high-performance servers, storage, or aggregation from other 25GbE devices. These are also multi-rate, supporting 1G, 2.5G, 10G, and 25G SFP/SFP+ modules.

• 2x 10 Gigabit Ethernet Ports (RJ45): These are versatile copper ports that support 10M, 100M, 1G, and 10G speeds. They are often used for management or connecting to existing copper 10GbE infrastructure.

• Massive Switching Capacity: With a non-blocking throughput of 1.2 Tbps and a switching capacity of 3.2 Tbps, the CRS520 can handle immense traffic loads at wire speed. Its forwarding rate exceeds 2.3 Bpps (billion packets per second).

• Powerful Marvell 98CX8410 Switch Chip: This dedicated hardware offloads Layer 2 and Layer 3 functions, ensuring that the vast majority of traffic is processed at line rate without taxing the CPU.

🧠 Intelligent Network Management & Routing

• Quad-Core ARM 64-bit AL52400 CPU (2 GHz):7 While the primary function is switching, the CRS520 includes a powerful CPU, similar to those found in MikroTik's CCR series. This enables it to perform more advanced networking tasks that go beyond typical Layer 2 switching.

• RouterOS v7 (License Level 5): The switch runs the full RouterOS v7 This allows for:

  • Hardware Offloaded Layer 3 Routing: Crucially, it can perform common routing protocols like OSPF/BGP, inter-VLAN routing, and static routing directly in hardware. This means routing packets between different networks (VLANs or subnets) is done at line rate, offloading the CPU.

  • Advanced Firewalling (ACLs): Implement Access Control Lists for granular traffic filtering and security, with rules often being hardware offloaded for performance.

  • VPN Support: Run various VPN protocols for secure remote access or site-to-site connections.11

  • Jumbo Frames: Support for larger Ethernet frames for improved efficiency.

  • MPLS: For service provider environments.

  • Future-proofing: MikroTik emphasizes that the powerful CPU is also for future software updates that will enable even more hardware-offloaded features.

• 4 GB DDR4 RAM & 128 MB NAND Storage: Ample memory for large routing tables, complex configurations, and smooth operation.13

🛡️ High Reliability & Redundancy

• Dual Hot-Swappable Redundant Power Supplies: Essential for critical infrastructure, ensuring continuous operation even if one power supply fails or needs replacement.14

• Four Hot-Swappable Cooling Fans: Maintain optimal operating temperatures for stable performance under heavy loads.15 These can be replaced without downtime.

• Rackmount Design: Standard 1U rackmount form factor for seamless integration into data center racks.

• Wide Operating Temperature Range: Designed to operate reliably in environments from -20°C to +50°C.17

• Dedicated Console Port: For out-of-band management and initial configuration.

Common Use Cases

• Data Center Core/Spine/Leaf Switch: The CRS520 is perfectly suited for building high-bandwidth, low-latency data center networks. It can serve as a spine switch, connecting multiple leaf switches, or as a high-density leaf switch for racks with many 25GbE servers and 100GbE uplinks to the spine layer.

• Large Enterprise Network Backbone/Aggregation: For organizations that require massive internal bandwidth, it can act as the core switch for a campus network or as an aggregation switch for various departments or buildings, connecting them with 25G and 100G links.

• Internet Service Provider (ISP) / Telecom Network Core: ISPs can use the CRS520 in their core or peering points to handle extremely high volumes of traffic, connecting to other networks with 100GbE uplinks and distributing traffic via 25GbE.

• Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): For points of presence (PoPs) where high-speed content delivery is critical, the CRS520 can serve as a high-capacity switch.

• Multimedia Studios / Post-Production Houses: Environments dealing with large uncompressed video files and massive data sets will benefit from the 100GbE and 25GbE connectivity for fast data transfer between workstations, storage, and rendering farms.

• High-Performance Computing (HPC): Providing the necessary low-latency and high-bandwidth interconnects for HPC clusters.

In essence, the MikroTik CRS520 is a game-changer for high-end networking, offering an unprecedented combination of 100 Gigabit and 25 Gigabit port density, a powerful hardware-accelerated switching fabric, and enterprise-grade reliability (redundant power and cooling) at a cost-effective price point, making it an excellent choice for scaling modern, demanding networks.