Description

Overview

The CCR2116 is part of the newer generation of Cloud Core Routers, moving from the Tilera architecture to a more modern Marvell ARMADA system-on-a-chip (SoC). This brings improved single-core performance, support for higher-speed interfaces (100G), and better efficiency.

Key Features & Highlights

1. The NFP-4000 “Secret Weapon”: This is the biggest differentiator. MikroTik added a dedicated Networking Flow Processor from Netronome. This ASIC is designed to offload demanding tasks like:
   • IPsec VPN Encryption/Decryption
   • Stateful Firewall connection tracking
   • NAT
   • QoS (Simple Queues, Queue Trees)
     This allows the router to perform these CPU-intensive tasks at incredible speeds without loading the main CPU cores.
2. 100G Capability: The single QSFP28 port is a massive leap, future-proofing the device for high-speed uplinks to other core switches/routers or for high-capacity internet circuits.
3. Excellent Port Mix: It offers a very practical combination of:
   • 12x 1G copper ports for connecting access switches, servers, or management devices.
   • 4x 10G SFP+ ports for high-speed links to servers or aggregation switches.
   • 1x 100G QSFP28 port for an ultra-high-speed backbone or uplink.
4. Redundant Power Input: Dual DC jacks allow for connection to two separate power sources for increased reliability.
5. Level 6 License: As with all CCRs, it includes the unlimited license.

Performance Expectations (The NFP Advantage)

This is where the CCR2116 truly shines compared to its predecessors.

• IPsec VPN: Groundbreaking performance for a device in this class. It can achieve over 20 Gbps of IPsec throughput (AES-256-GCM), making it one of the fastest VPN routers MikroTik has ever made.
• Stateful Firewall: Can handle multi-gigabit stateful filtering with large rule sets much more efficiently than a CCR2004.
• Routing: As expected, it will handle 10G/40G/100G line-speed routing with ease.
• NAT & QoS: Similarly, the NFP offloads these tasks, enabling high-speed performance.

Ideal Use Cases

1. High-Speed Internet Gateway / BGP Edge Router: Perfect for an ISP or large business with a multi-gigabit or future 10G+ internet connection. The 100G port is ideal for large uplinks.
2. IPsec VPN Concentrator / Endpoint: Its #1 best-use case. It is built to terminate a huge number of high-speed site-to-site VPN tunnels.
3. Enterprise Core Router: Routing between multiple VLANs and departments connected via 1G and 10G links, with a 100G backbone.
4. Data Center Gateway: Connecting a data center network to the internet or other sites with high security (firewalling) and encryption.