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MikroTik Cloud Router Switch vs. Plixer Scrutinizer

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    MikroTik CRS Series

    Score9 out of 10
    N/AMikroTik offers a series of Cloud Router Switches (or their CRS series), their flagship products.N/A

    Plixer Scrutinizer

    Score6 out of 10
    N/APlixer is a developer of network management software with a focus on network traffic analysis, network security, threat detection and network optimization, headquartered in Kennebunk, Maine. Plixer Scrutinizer collects, analyzes, visualizes, and reports on data from every network conversation and digital transaction to deliver security and network intelligence.N/A
    Pricing
    MikroTik CRS SeriesPlixer Scrutinizer
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
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    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    MikroTik CRS SeriesPlixer Scrutinizer
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Best Alternatives
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    Enterprises
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    User Ratings
    MikroTik CRS SeriesPlixer Scrutinizer
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    MikroTik CRS SeriesPlixer Scrutinizer
    Likelihood to Recommend
    MikroTik
    MikroTik Cloud Router Switch work very well as layer2/3 switches in enterprise environments, aggregation or distribution layers. Example: in our case (ISP) we use CRS326 and CRS317 at multi-dwelling units to finish the customer lines, manage vlans of service and apply basic qos. They offer a good variety of ports 1/10G, which is perfect for connecting other ISPs or connecting corporate end users. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch would work fine in low-traffic Routing and Switching, you could configure L3 Hardware offloading and serve some significant traffic, but you may missing some features like, mangle, nat, firewall or other things that may be solved with other device in an upper layer of infrastructure. Based on our experience MikroTik Cloud Router Switch is not good for high performance traffic, they are not optimized for heavy L3 routing task. Example: if you use a CRS as core or router in a small DC or IX the result is traduced on high cpu usage and load performance. If you are looking for special works, MikroTik Cloud Router Switch in this aspect is out.
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    Plixer International
    If you need a network security forensic tool, this is a great fit. Scrutinizer collects everything you have configured as a target without losing data. If you need an in-depth analysis of your network flows, as in who is doing what with what this is a good fit. Scrutinizer translates a massive about of data into readable tables and reports.
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    Pros
    MikroTik
    • L3 Hardware Offloading
    • Vlan segmentation
    • Traffic troughput
    • Port density
    • Cost effective
    • Port Isolation
    • Trunk, access and hybrid configurations
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    Plixer International
    • Once configured, Scrutinizer gives an accurate overview of network activity.
    • Scrutinizer is able to collect flows from a variety of devices, you are not limited to Cisco.
    • DSCP based reporting, which is helpful when attempting to determine how good your wireless network is from a QoS perspective.
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    Cons
    MikroTik
    • L3 features like firewall IPsec NAT
    • LACP with more than 4 interfaces
    • Centralized Management platflorm
    • Limited Hardware offloading insight
    • Outdated web interface
    • CLI usability
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    Plixer International
    • The free version has some limitations that make an accurate evaluation difficult, every day at midnight the data is flushed and you start over.
    • If you are purchasing the appliance, you won't have admin access to it.
    • Reporting could use some polished graphics and advance filtering features.
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    Usability
    MikroTik
    Powerful features at a low price: MikroTik Cloud Router Switch provides a good variety of features that are not present on more expensive brands. Flexible deployment options: SwOS for simple switching use cases and RouterOS for more advanced configurations. Winbox is a fast and responsive tool for configuring, maintain and monitoring the traffic or other variable. Why it doesn't score higher, we think that the learning curve for new users could be hard. Sometimes the logic configuration can be unintuitive example: bridge filtering, vlan interfaces. Inconsistent UX Across RouterOS versions, some features may change without clear documentation causing confusion missconfig or incompatibility between versions. Documentation and support are poor, official documentation is fragmented and depht in some cases, the active community should be your best friend.
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    Plixer International
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    MikroTik
    No answers on this topic
    Plixer International
    Support is support, they are either there or they are not. Scrutinizer support has been there every time I've needed them. They rely a bit too much on email correspondence, sometimes I want a voice to tell me what to do, and fast
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    Alternatives Considered
    MikroTik
    We chose MikroTik Cloud Router Switch because it met our technical requirements without significantly affecting our budget. MikroTik Cloud Router Switch offers a performance reliable and scalable for access and aggregation roles and is easy to integrate with our existing infrastructure (Mikrotik CCR). While it doesn't offer enterprise-class UX, or automation frameworks out the box, its disruptive focus, control and granular configuration convert it in an attractive option for ISP operations.
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    Plixer International
    Scrutinizer is a faster and simpler deployment while still delivering the tools and reports needed to gain accurate view traffic and network usage. Its cheaper than most alternatives and daily use is focused on understanding data, not making config changes so you can understand data. Risk reduction and elimination is the primary focus, Scrutinizer helps you do that.
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    Return on Investment
    MikroTik
    • Significant Cost Savings
    • Rapid deployment and flexibility
    • Bottlenecks in wrong scenario of use
    • Manual configuration overhead
    • Perception and vendor approval barriers
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    Plixer International
    • Scrutinizer is a great tool, extremely easy to implement, it lets you see your NetFlow without a large outlay.
    • WAN traffic monitoring gives you the ability to accurately predict the necessary bandwidth volume, you can now stop over buying.
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