MikroTik CRS320-8P-8B-4S+RM PoE++ 802.3bt 1U Switch

The MikroTik CRS320-8P-8B-4S+RM is MikroTik's first full 802.3bt PoE++ implementation in a rackmount switch — a product that addresses a specific deployment gap in MikroTik's PoE switch portfolio: the need for up to 90W per port in a managed 1U rackmount form factor with 10G SFP+ uplinks, dual-boot RouterOS/SwitchOS management, and a dual PSU slot for power redundancy and expansion.

The port architecture divides the 16 PoE-out ports into two distinct power tiers:

- **Ether1–Ether8 (802.3af/at):** Eight ports delivering up to 30W per port — the standard 802.3at PoE+ tier for standard IP cameras, access points, VoIP phones, and standard-power PoE devices. These ports operate at the 802.3at high-voltage current limit of 560 mA.

- **Ether9–Ether16 (802.3bt PoE++):** Eight ports delivering up to 90W per port — the 802.3bt PoE++ tier for high-power devices: 4K cameras with integrated winter heating elements, LED advertising screens, PoE-powered LED light fixtures, PoE-powered PTZ cameras, high-power outdoor APs, and any device requiring more than 30W from a single Ethernet cable. These ports operate at the 802.3bt high-voltage current limit of 1,667 mA.

- **Ether17:** One dedicated management Gigabit Ethernet port — no PoE-out, used for out-of-band management network access.

The 963W total PoE output power figure requires the second PSU slot to be populated — the included 600W hot-swap PSU provides 600W total PoE budget in single-PSU configuration. With a second PSU installed (the additional PSU raises total system power to 1,150W), the full 963W PoE output budget is available. For deployments where the full 963W PoE budget is required — all 8× 802.3bt ports loaded at 90W simultaneously — the second PSU must be installed. For deployments where total PoE load does not exceed the 600W single-PSU budget, the second PSU slot can be left empty with the option to install later as PoE load grows.

The hot-swap PSU architecture is operationally significant. The included 600W PSU is hot-swappable — it can be removed and replaced without powering down the switch or interrupting PoE delivery to connected devices (subject to the second PSU being installed and active during the swap). For a production deployment where the CRS320 powers critical infrastructure — PoE lighting, security cameras, or access points in a hotel or conference facility — hot-swap PSU replacement means a failed PSU does not create a maintenance window or service interruption.

The 98DX226S is the same Marvell switch chip used in the netPower 16P and netFiber 9 — MikroTik's own product description calls this out explicitly as a validation of the chip's ISP-grade performance credentials. Hardware-offloaded Layer-3 routing and VLAN filtering at line rate across all 16 PoE ports and 4 SFP+ uplinks are handled by the 98DX226S without CPU involvement. For a hotel or office deployment where VLAN segmentation (guest VLAN, staff VLAN, security camera VLAN, building management VLAN) is required across a large number of PoE devices, hardware-offloaded VLAN processing means the switching performance is not degraded by VLAN complexity.

The dual-boot RouterOS v7 License 5 / SwitchOS architecture gives the operator a choice of management paradigm. SwitchOS provides the same managed switch interface as the CSS318 and FTC21 — VLAN, traffic shaping, port monitoring, SNMP, and the standard MikroTik switch management feature set. RouterOS v7 License 5 provides the full RouterOS routing, firewall, VPN, and scripting feature set — for deployments where the CRS320 needs to perform Layer-3 inter-VLAN routing, scripted PoE port management (scheduled reboot of PoE devices, power budget monitoring), or integration with RouterOS-managed network infrastructure. License 5 sits between License 4 (standard home/office devices) and License 6 (Chateau PRO ax, CRS304) — it provides unlimited hotspot users and advanced routing features without the full License 6 feature ceiling.

The 802.3bt standard compliance note on the product page must be reproduced clearly on the listing: the CRS320 supports only fully compliant 802.3af/at/bt Powered Devices. It can also power "802.3af/at/bt-compatible" (but not fully standards-compliant) devices, but specific grounding scenarios must be avoided — operators deploying non-fully-compliant PoE devices must review MikroTik's official Help page on this topic before deployment. This is a meaningful operational note for integrators who may be deploying third-party 802.3bt-compatible (but not fully certified) devices.

The 4× SFP+ 10G uplinks connect the CRS320 to the upstream 10G switching layer — a CRS354-48P, a CSS610, or any 10G-capable upstream switch or router. For a hotel or high-rise deployment where the CRS320 is deployed as a floor switch or zone switch, the 4× SFP+ uplinks provide the high-bandwidth connection to the building's distribution layer.

Active cooling via 3 fans reflects the thermal requirements of a switch delivering up to 963W of PoE output. The -10°C to +50°C tested ambient temperature range is the same as the G1070 PSU and more restrictive than MikroTik's passive outdoor devices — the CRS320 must be installed in a temperature-controlled equipment room or communications cabinet that does not exceed +50°C ambient.

**Canadian market note:** Certifications are CE, EAC, and RoHS — no FCC or IC. The CRS320 is a wired Ethernet switch with no wireless transmitter. Confirm Canadian regulatory compliance with your distributor before listing. No wireless advisory applies.

Key specifications:

- **Architecture:** ARM 32-bit

- **CPU:** 98DX226S, dual-core, 800 MHz

- **Switch chip:** 98DX226S (Marvell)

- **RAM:** 256 MB

- **Storage:** 32 MB FLASH

- **OS:** RouterOS v7 License 5 / SwitchOS (dual-boot)

- **Ethernet:** 17× 10/100/1000 Mbps (Ether1–16: PoE-out; Ether17: management)

- **PoE-out Ether1–8:** 802.3af/at, up to 30W per port, 560 mA HV current limit

- **PoE-out Ether9–16:** 802.3bt, up to 90W per port, 1,667 mA HV current limit

- **Total PoE output current:** 17.82 A

- **Total PoE output power:** 963W (dual-PSU configuration)

- **SFP+ ports:** 4× 10G

- **Serial console:** RJ45

- **PSU slots:** 2 (1× 600W hot-swap included; second slot for expansion)

- **AC input:** 100–240Vac, 50–60 Hz

- **Max power consumption:** 600W single-PSU / 1,150W dual-PSU

- **Max power without attachments:** 36W

- **Cooling:** 3 fans (active)

- **IP rating:** IP20

- **Operating temperature:** -10°C to +50°C

- **MTBF:** ~200,000 hours at 25°C

- **Monitors:** CPU temperature, PCB temperature, voltage

- **Certifications:** CE, EAC, RoHS — no FCC, no IC published

- **Included:** IEC cord, rackmount ears (CRS), cable management brackets, K-57 kit

- **Product code:** CRS320-8P-8B-4S+RM

- **Suggested price:** USD 489.00

Note: Full 963W PoE output requires second PSU (not included — purchase separately). Single-PSU configuration limited to 600W total PoE budget. 802.3bt fully compliant PDs only — review MikroTik Help page for grounding requirements when using 802.3bt-compatible (non-fully-compliant) devices. Tested ambient temperature -10°C to +50°C — active cooling required; install in temperature-controlled environment.