Just wondering if any of you out there are using Mikrotik routers? What do you think of them and RouterOS?
6 and half years old post, but yes I'm using them.
I first came across them last year when removing a RB951UI-2HND from a customer's premises.
600mhz AR9344 cpu, 128mb RAM, 128mb Storage, 1000mw WiFI4, Passive PoE in, Passive PoE out.
https://mikrotik.com/product/RB951Ui-2HnDPretty nice, flashed it with OpenWRT immediately, as I was overwhelmed by RouterOS.
But, RouterOS on reading up seems better, so a quick netinstall recovery back and it runs quite well.
Sadly I live in a block of 24 apartments, and with 15 visible WiFi4 networks in the area, WiFi4 really does not do what I need it to, regardless of how high power 1000mw is.
Looking at Amazon, there are plenty of Mikrotik Devices, the cheapest ones are sold as other things but you can netinstall back to RouterOS.
Case in point, the LibertyShield Lite is a Mikrotik hAP Lite TC, it's on Amazon for £17.99 and not even Mikrotik distributors will sell it at that low a price, that's even cheaper than the HAP Mini, which is the device below the hAP Lite:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/LibertyShield-Lite-Configured-Country-Router/dp/B017W43M4MhAP Lite TC specs:
https://mikrotik.com/product/RB941-2nD-TCI ordered 2, just in case I broke one, they arrived in Mikrotik branded boxes, and the only branding is an OpenVPN sticker you can peel off
Reinstalling RouterOS using NetInstall was simple, the Mikrotik Wiki really helps:
https://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:NetinstallUsing the QuickSet interface, I had the hAP Lite setup as as Home AP, with PPPoE connecting to my VDSL Modem, throughput over wired Ethernet was superb, and the RouterOS Interface showed excellent information on how my FTTC connection was performing.
But the WiFi4 was not cutting it in my location.
So I tried OpenWRT on it, just in case it was driver issue, same problem, competing with 15 wireless networks is an problem, does not matter how good the hardware is.
LibertyShield sell a Pro VPN Router, it's a Mikrotik hAP ac2:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pre-Configured-Multi-Country-Router/dp/B00O173RH6/hAP ac2 specs:
https://mikrotik.com/product/hap_ac2£60 is expensive, but it's still cheaper than buying from Mikrotik dealers.
I did consider the hAP ac Lite at one point, but it only has a single 5ghz stream and 100 mb Fast Ethernet Ports, it's real purpose seems to be a wireless repeater.
I'm quite happy with them, I get a chance to lock a device down to how I want it to be without having to flash OpenWRT on to it.