Summary
The CSS610-8P-2S+IN is a compact, fanless MikroTik PoE switch with two 10G SFP+ uplinks. This guide explains what it does well (wire-speed L2, strong PoE budget) and where it needs planning (SwOS limits, LLDP gaps, and cloud-management expectations).

MikroTik CSS610-8P-2S+IN: Deep-Dive Guide

What this switch is (and what it isn’t)

The MikroTik CSS610-8P-2S+IN is designed as an access/edge switch: 8× Gigabit Ethernet ports with PoE-out plus 2× 10GbE SFP+ uplinks, all in a fanless metal chassis. Internally it relies on a single switching ASIC and a very lightweight operating system, SwOS Lite. That simplicity is the whole point.

What you get is a solid Layer‑2 “traffic mover” that can forward at line rate, power common devices, and keep noise at zero. What you don’t get is RouterOS, advanced automation, or deep remote programmability. If you approach it like a compact L2 PoE switch (not a “small router that happens to have many ports”), your expectations will line up with reality.

Hardware highlights that actually matter in the field

On paper, the CSS610 checks the boxes most SMB environments care about:

• 140 W total PoE budget across 8 ports (802.3af/at + passive modes).
• Dual 10G SFP+ uplinks for aggregation, servers, or a faster core.
• Passive cooling: the case acts as a heatsink, so it’s quiet and simple.
• Dual power inputs (AC + 48–57 V DC) for flexibility and basic redundancy.

In practical deployments, this is a sweet spot for offices, clinics, small ISPs, and surveillance networks that need a lot of powered endpoints but also want a small footprint.

VLANs and segmentation on SwOS Lite

SwOS Lite supports IEEE 802.1Q VLANs, trunks, and port isolation features typical of a “smart switch.” The key is to configure it deliberately, because VLAN behavior depends on how you set PVIDs and filtering.

A practical approach is:

1. Create the VLAN IDs you need (for example: 10 for office, 20 for cameras, 30 for guest).
2. Mark access ports as untagged members of exactly one VLAN.
3. Mark uplink ports (often SFP+) as tagged members of the VLANs you want to carry.
4. Enable VLAN filtering and verify isolation.

Tip: In mixed environments, keep a dedicated “management VLAN” and avoid managing switches from user VLANs. It makes troubleshooting easier and reduces risk.

If your upstream device is a MikroTik router (RouterOS), you can verify tagged VLANs quickly:

/interface bridge vlan
print where bridge=bridge1

And you can confirm that clients land in the correct subnet:

/ip dhcp-server lease
print where active=yes

PoE performance and the one gotcha people trip on

The CSS610’s PoE budget is one of its strongest selling points. Powering a combination of access points, cameras, and phones is usually straightforward, and SwOS provides per‑port visibility for PoE state and draw.

The main “gotcha” is LLDP-based negotiation. SwOS Lite does not implement LLDP, and a small set of devices (notably some Cisco access points) may rely on LLDP or vendor discovery to request full PoE+ power. In those cases, the device may fall back to a lower power mode even if the switch hardware could supply more.

What to do about it:

• If you’re deploying mixed-vendor PoE endpoints, test one unit early.
• Keep your firmware current and document which endpoints need special handling.
• For a handful of “needy” endpoints, a compatible injector can be a pragmatic workaround.

10G SFP+ uplinks: fast, but watch the thermals

Those two SFP+ ports are what make the CSS610 feel “bigger” than it looks. They enable 10G uplinks to a core switch, NAS, or router without turning your access layer into a bottleneck.

The trade-off is typical of compact, fanless hardware: module heat. Optical modules and DAC cables usually behave well. 10GBASE‑T copper SFP+ modules often run very hot, and in a fanless chassis they can push temperatures into uncomfortable territory.

A simple rule of thumb:

• Prefer DAC for short rack links.
• Prefer fiber for longer runs.
• Use copper SFP+ modules only when you truly must, and give the switch airflow.

Remote management and cloud expectations

This is the part where many buyers need a quick reality check. The CSS610 is managed primarily through its local web interface. It does not offer RouterOS API/CLI, and it won’t behave like a “cloud-first” switch by itself.

That said, you can still manage it responsibly across sites by combining it with a RouterOS gateway and a cloud controller:

• Use a MikroTik router as the site’s secure entry point.
• Reach the CSS610 web UI through a VPN or controlled remote-access path.
• Use SNMP for monitoring (links, traffic counters, basic health), even if config changes remain manual.

This is where MKController’s cloud controller fits naturally. MKController centralizes RouterOS device management and can act as the operational “hub” for multi-site networks. The CSS610 remains a dependable access switch behind that hub, while your router becomes the managed control plane.

If you want to see how MKController approaches remote access and governance in NAT/CGNAT scenarios, start here: https://mkcontroller.com (internal) and also explore the NatCloud docs at /docs (internal).

When the CSS610 is the right choice

Choose the CSS610-8P-2S+IN when you need:

• A silent, compact PoE switch with a real PoE budget.
• VLAN segmentation for cameras, VoIP, office, and guest networks.
• 10G uplinks without paying “enterprise switch” pricing.
• A stable access layer that doesn’t depend on a vendor cloud account.

If you need full cloud provisioning, templating, CLI automation, or L3 features on the switch itself, look at RouterOS-based CRS options instead.

For further reading on SwOS concepts and device capabilities, MikroTik’s official documentation is a useful baseline: https://help.mikrotik.com/docs/display/ROS/SwOS (external).

About MKController

Hope the insights above helped you plan your access layer with fewer surprises (and fewer “why is this AP underpowered?” moments).
If you’re managing multiple sites, the real win comes from having a reliable edge switch and a predictable control plane in the cloud.

With MKController’s cloud controller, you can centralize RouterOS monitoring and operations while keeping switches like the CSS610 simple, stable, and easy to reach when needed.

👉 Start your free 7-day trial now at mkcontroller.com — and see what effortless network control really looks like.