MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM 24-Port Managed Switch vs Synology DiskStation DS923+ 4-Bay NAS
Head-to-head spec comparison to help you pick the right device for your needs.
MikroTik
$219
Synology
$599
Spec-by-Spec Comparison
| Spec | MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM 24-Port Managed Switch | Synology DiskStation DS923+ 4-Bay NAS |
|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | 1U Rack | Desktop |
| Ports | 24 | 2 |
| Port Speed | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps |
| Switching Capacity | 28 Gbps | 2 Gbps |
| Managed | Yes | No |
| PoE Budget | 0 W | 0 W |
| SFP+ Uplinks | 2 | 0 |
| VLAN Support | Yes | No |
| Rack Units | 1 U | 0 U |
| Power Draw | 18 W | 40 W |
| Noise Level | 35 dB | 20 dB |
| Warranty | 1 yr | 3 yr |
| Price | $219 | $599 |
| Rating | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Buy on Amazon | Buy on Amazon |
Pros & Cons
MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM 24-Port Managed Switch
Pros
- 24 gigabit ports + 2 SFP+ 10G uplinks in 1U — exceptional density for the price
- RouterOS or SwOS selectable — use SwOS for simple managed switching, RouterOS for full routing
- Best price-per-port in the managed switch category: ~$9/port
- VLAN, QoS, STP, RSTP, IGMP snooping — full managed feature set
- Fanless operation available in low-traffic mode — nearly silent for home labs
Cons
- RouterOS has a steep learning curve — Winbox/CLI takes time vs UniFi's GUI
- No PoE — needs a separate PoE switch or injectors for APs
- Web interface is functional but not polished compared to UniFi or Netgear Insight
- Community support is excellent but not as beginner-friendly as Ubiquiti forums
- Switching in SwOS mode loses routing capability
Synology DiskStation DS923+ 4-Bay NAS
Pros
- DSM 7.2 is the best NAS OS on the market — Plex, Docker, Surveillance Station, CloudSync all work flawlessly
- 4-bay + 2 NVMe SSD cache slots — fast cache tier for media streaming and random I/O
- 10GbE upgrade path via optional PCIe NIC slot — future-proofs for multi-gig LAN
- AMD Ryzen R1600 dual-core CPU handles transcoding, Docker containers, and Surveillance simultaneously
- Synology's backup ecosystem (Hyper Backup, Active Backup) is best-in-class for self-hosted backup
Cons
- No drives included — add $200–$400 for IronWolf/WD Red drives
- $599 before drives is a significant investment vs entry-level 2-bay options
- Plex hardware transcoding requires a Plex Pass subscription
- Synology restricts non-Synology drives in DSM 7 — some 3rd-party drives show health warnings
- PCIe slot is proprietary — only Synology's own 10GbE card supported officially
Our Verdicts
MikroTik CRS326-24G-2S+RM 24-Port Managed Switch
The best value managed switch for a home lab rack. 24 ports + dual 10G SFP+ at $219 is impossible to beat on a per-port basis. Start with SwOS if you just want VLANs without complexity.
Synology DiskStation DS923+ 4-Bay NAS
The DS923+ is the best all-around NAS for a serious home lab. DSM 7.2, expandable RAM, NVMe cache, and the PCIe 10GbE upgrade path make it the right platform to grow into.
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