MikroTik is no longer an insider tip in the network scene. The Latvian manufacturer’s routers are known for their flexibility, performance and excellent price-performance ratio. The hEX series – a family of compact, wired routers for professional home and company networks – is particularly popular.
In this article, we will introduce you to the current models in the hEX series – including the new hEX 2024 version (E50UG) – and show you which model is suitable for whom.
What is the MikroTik hEX series?
The hEX series (“Home Ethernet eXchange”) consists of pure wired routers without integrated WLAN. The focus is on high performance, professional routing functions and minimal energy consumption. If you need WLAN, it makes sense to supplement the router with access points such as the MikroTik cAP or hAP series.
All devices run under RouterOS, MikroTik’s operating system, which goes far beyond classic consumer routers: VLANs, OSPF, BGP, firewall, bandwidth management, VPN (incl. IPsec, WireGuard, OpenVPN) and much more are on board.
Models at a glance (incl. 2024 variant)
hEX(RB750Gr3) – The smart entry
- CPU: 880 MHz Quad-Core
- RAM: 256 MB
- Ports: 5x Gigabit Ethernet
- USB: Yes
- IPsec hardware acceleration: Yes
Use: Home networks with VPN, small companies, firewall/VLAN setups. Inexpensive, energy-saving and powerful for typical SOHO scenarios.
hEX S(RB760iGS) – With fiber optics & PoE
- Like RB750GR3, but in addition:
- + 1x SFP port (for fiber optics)
- + Passive PoE-Out (Port 5)
- Metal housing
Application: When fiber optics come into play or a PoE-capable device is to be supplied directly with power.
hEX PoE(RB960PGS) – The power supplier
- CPU: 800 MHz
- RAM: 128 MB
- 5x Gigabit ports, 4x of which with PoE-Out
- 1x SFP port
Application: For installations with several access points, cameras or VoIP telephones. Important: Only supports passive PoE. You can find out more about the RB960PGS in an earlier article in our blog.
hEX E(E50UG) – The new generation (2024)
With the new 2024 version, MikroTik is taking the hEX series to a new level. The E50UG not only offers a modern design, but also massively increased performance and significantly expands the areas of application towards small data centers, VPN gateways or advanced routing setups.
- CPU: Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A53, 1.4 GHz
- RAM: 1 GB DDR4
- Ports:
- 7x Gigabit Ethernet
- 1x 2.5G Ethernet port
- 1x SFP+ (10G!)
- PoE-In (802.3af/at), USB 3.0
Performance: Up to 7 Gbps routing throughput, supports multiple IPsec/WireGuard tunnels simultaneously, ideal for multi-WAN, data center edge, demanding firewall setups.
Use: Perfect for:
- Fiber optic connections with 10G backbone
- Virtualized networks (e.g. with VLANs & VRFs)
- High-performance VPN gateways
- Networks with increasing bandwidth requirements
Note: The hEX E is often equated with the RB5009 model – they share the hardware basis, but the hEX E explicitly positions itself as a modern, powerful successor to the classic hEX series.
RouterOS – The heart of all models
Regardless of the model, with RouterOS you get a professional, fully-fledged operating system with features that normally only enterprise routers offer:
- VPN: IPsec (with hardware acceleration), WireGuard, OpenVPN, L2TP/SSTP
- Firewall: Stateful Inspection, Layer 7 Filter, NAT, Port Forwarding
- Routing: OSPF, BGP, MPLS, VRF, Policy Routing
- VLANs & Bridges: Flexible Layer 2/3 switching
- Monitoring: SNMP, NetFlow, Packet Capture, Logging, Graphing
- Automation: Scripting, API, Scheduled Tasks
For tech-savvy users, there are almost unlimited possibilities – from micro-segmentation and zero-trust networks to multi-site VPN solutions.
Our conclusion: The right hEX model for every requirement
The MikroTik hEX series offers a wide range of high-performance routers – from beginners to professionals with the highest demands:
- The RB750Gr3 is ideal for anyone looking for an affordable, reliable router for smaller networks – e.g. for home networks or small offices. With IPsec support and RouterOS, it already offers all professional functions.
- The RB760iGS is aimed at users with a fiber optic connection or the desire for PoE out. Thanks to its SFP port and more robust hardware, it is ideal as a gateway for modern network infrastructures.
- The RB960PGS is the right choice if you want to supply multiple devices such as access points or IP cameras with power via PoE – perfect for smaller installations with little cabling effort.
- The E50UG takes the series to a whole new level of performance: with 2.5G and 10G connectivity, a powerful quad-core processor and 1 GB RAM, it is ideal for advanced users who require complex setups such as multi-WAN, VLAN segmentation, high-performance VPNs or gigabit-level routing.
Whether you need a compact VPN gateway, a powerful router firewall or want to set up a multi-gigabit backbone – you will find exactly the right tool in the hEX series.
