Ubiquiti or Mikrotik router
Ubiquiti or Mikrotik router
You're exploring options for managing your internet connection priorities. It sounds like you're interested in balancing bandwidth allocation between VLANs. While some routers allow setting limits per VLAN, achieving a 50/50 split without one being idle while the other is overused isn't straightforward. Both Ubiquiti and Mikrotik offer features for traffic shaping and QoS, but their implementations differ. Since you're new to this, consider testing with a model that supports flexible bandwidth control and consult their documentation for guidance.
Using a Mikrotik router allows setting up Queues that offer various methods for Quality of Service (QOS). Per Connection Queues (PCQ) can help manage all active connections to ensure fairness. This approach doesn’t restrict any two VLANs to equal shares automatically, but you could achieve that with more complex queue configurations—perhaps by creating separate queues for each VLAN before merging them into a main queue. I’m not sure about the full capabilities of Ubiquiti devices in this area, aside from understanding that the EdgeRouter line offers greater routing power than the Unifi Security Gateway. The latter is designed more for UTM functions and managed through Unifi software rather than direct CLI commands. Mikrotik devices run in two modes: FastTrack or standard operation. FastTrack skips advanced features like Queues, allowing it to handle high traffic volumes with less CPU demand. For your needs, check the product pages at https://mikrotik.com/products/group/ethernet-routers and review the "Test Results" section. Look for entries like “Routing - 25 simple queues” under the 512 byte category to assess performance. The hEX RB750Gr3 is a solid choice unless your connection speed is below 50Mbps (opt for the Lite model) or above 500Mbps (choose the RB3011). If you also need wireless capabilities, explore the wireless options at https://mikrotik.com/products/group/wire...and-office. Feel free to ask for more suggestions if needed.
Mikrotik is probably going to handle things as you expect. Your ERLite might seem simple, but it should work for your needs. Check out the guide here: https://blog.gruby.com/2015/08/25/settin...uter-lite/
The CRS326-24G-2S+RM is the sole option available locally. It meets your requirements but doesn’t offer alternatives. It now supports SwitchOS or RouterOS. Decide whether to run it as a switch using RB750Gr3 or configure it as a router with RouterOS—what’s better for your setup? Thank you.
The CRS326-24G-2S+RM functions well as a router, though the RB750Gr3 or Hex offers greater power for queueing tasks. I’d suggest running the Hex as the router and using the CRS as a switch. Mikrotik’s equipment handles many advanced features via software rather than hardware, which means more CPU is preferable. The CRS manages switching operations in hardware, which explains the cost and performance differences. Regarding queuing, the earlier mention of PCQ is a solid concept but would require several queues to be effective.