Blog, Networking Device, Optical Transceiver
Compatible SFP+ Module and DAC Cable for MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN 10G Ethernet Switch
Jun
MikroTik officially launched the CRS305-1G-4S+IN 10G Ethernet switch in November 2018. The switch has a compact size, with four 10G SFP+ ports and only one Gigabit Ethernet port. Its dual boot OS and fanless design make it ideal for offices, home labs, and small network setups. Compared to Ubiquiti UniFi Flex XG, the CRS305 switch costs much less. Generally, $229.00 is enough to buy MiroTik CRS305, but the UniFi Flex costs $299.99.
To better show the performance of this switch, it is vital to find compatible SFP+ modules and DAC cables. This blog aims to introduce key modules and cable solutions for the MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN switch from OPTCORE.
Table of contents
MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN 10G Ethernet Switch Overview
This switch has many key features, and they are as follows. To make it simple, this article uses the short form of CRS305-1G-4S+IN: CRS305.
10G Fiber Connectivity: 4 x SFP+ cages for ultra-fast data transmission.
Flexible Placement: 1 x Gigabit LAN port for additional connectivity.
Dual Boot OS Support: Select RouterOS L5 or SwitchOS to improve performance.
Silent and Efficient: Fanless, compact metal case for noise-free operation.
Decent Performance: 800 MHz CPU & 512MB RAM to manage traffic efficiently.
Compact and Durable: Small form factor with a solid metallic desktop case.
Advantages of MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN
Affordable Price
CRS305 is a cost-effective switch for customers with limited budget plans. However, other switches have higher prices, including Cisco CBS350-8X-2Q and MikroTik CRS309-1G-8S+IN. Compare CRS305 with Cisco CBS350, and you can find that the former is nearly half the price of the latter (U$600). If 4 SFP+ ports suit your needs, then the former is an optimal option.
Fanless Design
One of my friends bought the CRS305 switch two years ago for home lab use. He was quite happy with its fanless design. This feature helps him with many operations without noise. Other switches, such as the Catalyst 9300, have noisy fans.
Flexible Deployment
The switch has a small size and is easy to install. One organization adds SFP+ network ports almost anywhere. This is because the deployment of CRS305 is very flexible.
Disadvantages of MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN
The CRS305 switch offers several benefits, including reduced power consumption and fewer cables. However, it has several disadvantages. These include the heat problem, issues with connectivity, limited port density, etc.
Heat Problem: Using passive cooling, CRS305 runs very silently without fans. This issue is more common on 4-port or 8-port switches. The burning heat can lower the switch’s performance, making its life shorter. Be careful not to drop liquids on its surface.
Connectivity Issue: Some users describe their true feelings about using CRS305. They say that it has some connectivity issues when connecting the SFP+ modules. This needs them to reboot or restart the switch to solve such problems.
Performance Issue: When using RouterOS, some users find that MikroTik CRS305 has a heavy load of CPU and high packet loss. This happens even when traffic loads are relatively low. If you want to buy a switch with higher performance, consider CRS309 or Cisco Meraki MS420-24. Make sure that you have enough budget for your selection.
Setup Difficulty: Although buying a CRS305 switch is a bargain, it doesn’t mean that the setup process is quite easy. A friend of mine once took a lot of time to deploy this switch finally. For example, running RouterOS is challenging for someone like him who is new to the task. This makes his initial installation very difficult.
Compatible SFP+ Module and Patch Cable for MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN
The CRS305 switch does not have high-end, enterprise-level features, but it is useful for home labs and smaller environments. To show the decent performance of CRS305, OPTCORE offers a range of compatible 10G SFP+ modules and patch cable solutions for CRS305.
These products have guaranteed quality and outstanding durability. The list below is for your quick reference so that you can choose the right modules and cables.
| Part Number | Description |
| 1G SFP Module | |
| S-RJ01 | MikroTik S-RJ01 Compatible RJ45 SFP 10/100/1000M Copper Module |
| S-85DLC05D | MikroTik S-85DLC05D Compatible 1.25G Multimode 550m DDM SFP Transceiver |
| S-31DLC20D | MikroTik S-31DLC20D Compatible 1.25G Single Mode 20km DDM SFP Transceiver |
| S-31DLC40D | MikroTik S-31DLC40D Compatible 1.25G Single Mode 40km DDM SFP Transceiver |
| S-55DLC80D | MikroTik S-55DLC80D Compatible 1.25G Single Mode 80km DDM SFP Transceiver |
| S-3553LC20D | A Pair of MikroTik S-35LC20D/S-53LC20D Compatible 1.25G Single Mode 20km DDM BiDi SFP Transceiver |
| S-35LC20D | MikroTik S-35LC20D Compatible 1G BiDi SFP 1310nm-TX/1550nm-RX 20km Transceiver |
| S-53LC20D | MikroTik S-53LC20D Compatible 1G BiDi SFP 1550nm-TX/1310nm-RX 20km Transceiver |
| S-35LC40D | MikroTik S-35LC40D Compatible 1G BiDi SFP 1310nm-TX/1550nm-RX 40km Transceiver |
| S-53LC40D | MikroTik S-53LC40D Compatible 1G BiDi SFP 1550nm-TX/1310nm-RX 40km Transceiver |
| S-45LC80D | MikroTik S-45LC80D Compatible 1G BiDi SFP 1490nm-TX/1550nm-RX 80km Transceiver |
| S-54LC80D | MikroTik S-54LC80D Compatible 1G BiDi SFP 1550nm-TX/1490nm-RX 80km Transceiver |
| 10G SFP+ Module | |
| S+RJ10 | MikroTik S+RJ10 Compatible 10GBASE-T SFP+ RJ45 30m Transceiver Module |
| S+85DLC03D | MikroTik S+85DLC03D Compatible 10G SFP+ SR Transceiver Module |
| S+31DLC10D | MikroTik S+31DLC10D Compatible 10G SFP+ LR Transceiver Module |
| S+55DLC40D | MikroTik S+55DLC40D Compatible 10G SFP+ ER Transceiver Module |
| S+55DLC80D | MikroTik S+55DLC80D Compatible 10G SFP+ ZR Transceiver Module |
| S+2332LC10D | MikroTik S+2332LC10D Compatible 10G BiDi SFP+ LR Transceiver Module kit |
| S+23LC10D | MikroTik S+23LC10D Compatible 10GBASE-BX10-U BiDi SFP+ 10km Transceiver Module |
| S+32LC10D | MikroTik S+32LC10D Compatible 10GBASE-BX10-D BiDi SFP+ 10km Transceiver Module |
| S+23LC40D | MikroTik S+23LC40D Compatible 10GBASE-BX40-U BiDi SFP+ 40km Transceiver Module |
| S+32LC40D | MikroTik S+32LC40D Compatible 10GBASE-BX40-D BiDi SFP+ 40km Transceiver Module |
| S+23LC60D | MikroTik S+23LC60D Compatible 10GBASE-BX60-U BiDi SFP+ 60km Transceiver Module |
| S+32LC60D | MikroTik S+32LC60D Compatible 10GBASE-BX60-D BiDi SFP+ 60km Transceiver Module |
| 10G SFP+ DAC Cable | |
| S+DA0001 | MikroTik S+DA0001 Compatible 1m 10G SFP+ Direct Attach Cable |
| S+DA0002 | MikroTik S+DA0002 Compatible 2m 10G SFP+ Direct Attach Cable |
| S+DA0003 | MikroTik S+DA0003 Compatible 3m 10G SFP+ Direct Attach Cable |
| S+DA0005 | MikroTik S+DA0005 Compatible 5m 10G SFP+ Direct Attach Cable |
| 10G SFP+ AOC Cable | |
| S+AO0001 | MikroTik S+AO0001 SFP+ Active Optical Cable, 1m |
| S+AO0003 | MikroTik S+AO0003 SFP+ Active Optical Cable, 3m |
| S+AO0005 | MikroTik S+AO0005 SFP+ Active Optical Cable, 5m |
| S+AO0010 | MikroTik S+AO0010 SFP+ Active Optical Cable, 10m |
| 10G SFP+ CWDM Module | |
| S+C47DLC10D | MikroTik S+C47DLC10D Compatible SFP+ CWDM Module 10G SM 10km 1470nm DDM |
| S+C49DLC10D | MikroTik S+C47DLC10D Compatible SFP+ CWDM Module 10G SM 10km 1490nm DDM |
| S+C51DLC10D | MikroTik S+C47DLC10D Compatible SFP+ CWDM Module 10G SM 10km 1510nm DDM |
| S+C53DLC10D | MikroTik S+C47DLC10D Compatible SFP+ CWDM Module 10G SM 10km 1530nm DDM |
| S+C55DLC10D | MikroTik S+C47DLC10D Compatible SFP+ CWDM Module 10G SM 10km 1550nm DDM |
| S+C57DLC10D | MikroTik S+C47DLC10D Compatible SFP+ CWDM Module 10G SM 10km 1570nm DDM |
| S+C59DLC10D | MikroTik S+C47DLC10D Compatible SFP+ CWDM Module 10G SM 10km 1590nm DDM |
| S+C61DLC10D | MikroTik S+C47DLC10D Compatible SFP+ CWDM Module 10G SM 10km 1610nm DDM |
| 1G SFP CWDM Module | |
| S-C47DLC10D | MikroTik S-C47DLC10D Compatible SFP CWDM Module 1.25G SM 10km 1470nm DDM |
| S-C49DLC10D | MikroTik S-C47DLC10D Compatible SFP CWDM Module 1.25G SM 10km 1490nm DDM |
| S-C51DLC10D | MikroTik S-C47DLC10D Compatible SFP CWDM Module 1.25G SM 10km 1510nm DDM |
| S-C53DLC10D | MikroTik S-C47DLC10D Compatible SFP CWDM Module 1.25G SM 10km 1530nm DDM |
| S-C55DLC10D | MikroTik S-C47DLC10D Compatible SFP CWDM Module 1.25G SM 10km 1550nm DDM |
| S-C57DLC10D | MikroTik S-C47DLC10D Compatible SFP CWDM Module 1.25G SM 10km 1570nm DDM |
| S-C59DLC10D | MikroTik S-C47DLC10D Compatible SFP CWDM Module 1.25G SM 10km 1590nm DDM |
| S-C61DLC10D | MikroTik S-C47DLC10D Compatible SFP CWDM Module 1.25G SM 10km 1610nm DDM |
| Fiber Patch Cable | |
| LC-LC-OM2-DxM | LC/LC Duplex 50/125μm OM2 Multimode Fiber Optic Cable (1m-50m or Custom Length) |
| LC-LC-OM3-DxM | LC/LC Duplex 50/125μm 10G OM3 Multimode Fiber Optic Cable (1m-50m or Custom Length) |
| LC-LC-OM4-DxM | LC/LC Duplex 50/125μm 40G OM4 Multimode Fiber Optic Cable (1m-50m or Custom Length) |
| LC-LC-SM-DxM | LC/LC Duplex 9/125μm OS2 Singlemode Fiber Optic Cable (1m-50m or Custom Length) |
| MC-LC-LC-OM2-DxM | LC/LC Duplex 50/125μm Mode Conditioning Fiber Optic Cable (MCP, 1m-50m or Custom Length) |
Conclusion
Unlike its counterparts (e.g., MikroTik CRS309), the CRS305-1G-4S+IN 10G Ethernet switch is more budget-friendly. This switch, however, is famous for its fanless design and dual boot OS support. You can consider it if you’re eager to save money but need a relatively fast speed.
As an experienced supplier, OPTCORE is happy to provide you with various compatible SFP+ modules and DAC cable solutions for CRS305-1G-4S+IN.
