Mikrotik CCR2004-1G-12S+2XS

The CCR2004 is part of MikroTik's 2000 series and marks the move from the Tilera architecture to a more modern x86-64 platform. This model specifically is designed as a high-density SFP+ switch-router, making it ideal for data center and core network applications where you need many 10G connections.

Key Specifications at a Glance

Note: There's some confusion in the naming. The correct model is CCR2004-1G-12S+2XS, where the "2XS" actually represents one QSFP28 port that can be used as 100G, 40G, or broken out into 4x25G/10G.

Detailed Analysis of Features

1. The Big Change: x86-64 Architecture

This is the most significant aspect of the CCR2004 series:

• Intel Atom C3338: A modern, low-power x86 processor

• Benefits over Tilera:

  • Better support for newer RouterOS v7 features (like containers)

  • Improved single-threaded performance for certain tasks

  • More standardized architecture with better software compatibility

• Considerations: May have different performance characteristics for pure routing compared to the massively parallel Tilera chips

2. Incredible Port Density & Flexibility

This is where the CCR2004 truly shines:

• 12 x SFP+ Ports: Twelve dedicated 10G ports - perfect for connecting servers, storage, and other network equipment

• 1 x QSFP28 Port: A single 100G port that can be used as:

  • 1x 100G connection

  • 1x 40G connection

  • 4x 25G connections (with breakout cable)

  • 4x 10G connections (with breakout cable)

• 1 x Gigabit Management Port: For out-of-band management

3. Hardware Offloading

Like other CRS/CCR devices, it uses Marvell switch chips for hardware offloading:

• Layer 2 Switching: Wire-speed between all ports

• Layer 3 Routing: Hardware-accelerated static routing

• Bridge Filtering: Basic firewall rules in hardware

Performance Expectations

• Simple Routing: Can handle 50+ Gbps with hardware offloading

• Firewall with Rules: 20-40 Gbps (depending on complexity)

• IPsec VPN: 5-10 Gbps (benefits from AES-NI acceleration in the x86 CPU)

• BGP: Can handle large routing tables comfortably

Strengths and Advantages

• Massive 10G Port Density: 12 SFP+ ports in 1U is exceptional value

• 100G Capability: Future-proof with high-speed uplink potential

• Modern x86 Architecture: Better compatibility with new RouterOS features

• Hardware Offloading: Maintains wire-speed performance for switching/routing

• SSD Expansion: M.2 slot for additional storage for logging, containers, etc.

• Excellent for Virtualization: Can run containers in RouterOS v7

Weaknesses and Considerations

• Only 2 CPU Cores: While efficient, it has fewer cores than Tilera-based CCRs, which may impact certain heavily parallelized workloads

• Complex Port Breakout: The QSFP28 port configuration can be confusing for newcomers

• Power Supply: Single internal PSU (no redundancy)

• Fan Noise: Can be loud for office environments

• Learning Curve: Understanding when hardware offloading applies vs. when traffic hits the CPU

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