MikroTik CRS518-16XS-2XQ-RM 16×25G SFP28 2×100G Switch

The CRS518-16XS-2XQ-RM is MikroTik's serious enterprise-tier switch in the 100 Gigabit product family, designed for data centres and large enterprise networks where port density, throughput, and resilience are non-negotiable. The heart of the switch is the Marvell Prestera Aldrin2 (98DX8525) switch chip, which provides full non-blocking Layer 2 switching at wire rate across all ports simultaneously — handling up to 600 Gbps of Layer 1 throughput in one direction (1.2 Tbps bidirectional capacity) at all tested frame sizes from 64 to 1518 bytes.

The port configuration consists of 16× SFP28 slots supporting 25G, 10G, and 1G speeds, and 2× QSFP28 slots supporting 100G and 40G. This mix-and-match capability makes the CRS518-16XS-2XQ-RM an ideal aggregation point in tiered architectures: 25G SFP28 ports can connect to servers, top-of-rack switches, or 10G/1G access layer devices, while the QSFP28 uplinks connect to 100G core routers such as MikroTik's CCR2216-1G-12XS-2XQ. In a typical MikroTik data centre deployment, a pair of CCR2216 routers sits above the CRS518 to handle routing, with the switch providing L3 hardware-offloaded routing and high-density port aggregation beneath.

The management plane runs on a single-core MIPS QCA9531 CPU at 650 MHz with 64 MB of RAM and 16 MB of FLASH, supplemented by RouterOS v7 at Level 6 — the highest RouterOS licence tier, enabling full feature access for enterprise routing and switching configurations. A 10/100 Mbps Ethernet management port, RJ45 serial console, and one USB Type-A port (1 A max) are provided for out-of-band management and storage.

Power resilience is built in from the factory: two hot-swap PSU slots accept standard 100–240 V AC input at 47–63 Hz, allowing either PSU to be replaced under load without downtime. This, combined with the MT-HotSwapFan (available separately), gives the CRS518-16XS-2XQ-RM a fully redundant and field-serviceable hardware platform. Maximum power consumption is 95 W under full load, and 45 W without attached transceivers. Cooling is handled by four active fans. PCB temperature and voltage monitors are included for health monitoring. The unit is rated for -40 °C to 70 °C operating temperatures and carries an MTBF of approximately 200,000 hours at 25 °C.

Supported network features include VLAN (802.1Q and 802.1ad QinQ), ACL, LACP, MLAG, Jumbo frames, IGMP snooping, and L3 hardware offloaded routing. The switch ships with rack ears, two IEC power cords, and a K-54 kit. Certifications include CE, EAC, and RoHS.

Key Specifications at a Glance

• Product Code: CRS518-16XS-2XQ-RM
• Architecture: MIPSBE
• CPU: QCA9531, Single-Core @ 650 MHz
• Switch Chip: Marvell Prestera Aldrin2 (98DX8525)
• RouterOS Licence: Level 6
• Operating System: RouterOS v7
• RAM: 64 MB
• Storage: 16 MB FLASH
• SFP28 Ports (25G/10G/1G): 16×
• QSFP28 Ports (100G/40G): 2×
• Management Ethernet Port: 1× 10/100 Mbps
• Serial Console Port: RJ45
• USB Port: 1× USB Type-A (1 A max)
• Power Inputs: 2× AC (100–240 V, 47–63 Hz), hot-swap PSU slots
• Max Power Consumption: 95 W (45 W without attachments)
• Cooling: 4 active fans
• Operating Temperature: -40 °C to 70 °C
• MTBF: ~200,000 hours at 25 °C
• Certifications: CE, EAC, RoHS
• Included: Rack ears, 2× IEC power cords, K-54 kit