I just was informed by distributor that RB260GS is EOL, and that they can not deliver it. Is that correct?

I have no replacement for small switches, and need info. Thanks.

Probably correct, local shops here still have inventory but they offer it at a special reduced price.
That likely means they want to sell-out their stock before a new device appears that would make it an unattractive choice.

So likely there will be an announcement of a new model. If not, you could consider one of the hEX models.

Probably correct, local shops here still have inventory but they offer it at a special reduced price.
That likely means they want to sell-out their stock before a new device appears that would make it an unattractive choice.

So likely there will be an announcement of a new model. If not, you could consider one of the hEX models.

Still, I find it weird that they do this dance for a simple cheap switch. We would really not care about it, as it just needs to work. - These switches are bought because they are cheap and reliable. What should I get now? A crappy Planet sw? I don't need ROS on it, but plug and play (hex are ROS based, i think.)

Well I think a lot of 1Gb 5-port switches already are on the market and the RB260GS was not entirely troublefree (I had experience with two of them but admittedly they were the first hardware version, the second could be better).
I don't want to force you into using a hEX, only to offer an alternative which indeed is overkill when you just want a switch.

When you are not in a hurry, want a month and hope for a new model to appear in the MikroTik line.
When you are in a hurry, consider ordering abroad on the internet at the reduced price... while it lasts.

Why,,,,,,,, they are the plain jane 5 port switch.....??

Are you saying that the CSS610-8G-2S+IN is now their low ball switch??

Why,,,,,,,, they are the plain jane 5 port switch.....??

Are you saying that the CSS610-8G-2S+IN is now their low ball switch??

Thats 8P 10G sw that costs 100 USD.

Managed switch 1SFP + 5 1G ports with POE in for $ 40? I don't know any alternative. It is very convenient to use for connecting a small number of clients. Our first such switch has been successfully working for over 10 years

Managed switch 1SFP + 5 1G ports with POE in for $ 40? I don't know any alternative. It is very convenient to use for connecting a small number of clients. Our first such switch has been successfully working for over 10 years

That is exactly my point. I have loads of those, and the all work fine.

The next best alternative is a cheap TP-Link managed switch, but those aren't even close to Mikrotik's quality.

The next best alternative is a cheap TP-Link managed switch, but those aren't even close to Mikrotik's quality.

Yah, I know.

It is kind of weird that they allow such situations. The only explanations that I can think of is that they have very low margins.

Or COVID constrained chips supply to the new model, and they where caught between a rock and a hard place.

Or COVID constrained chips supply to the new model, and they where caught between a rock and a hard place.

That is a possibility, but in that case it is strange that the local distributors offer them at a discount. You would expect a markup in that case.

Not if they too want to get rid of it...

Yeah, but as I mentioned above the most plausible reason why they would want to get rid of it is that a new model will appear soon that will make this model unattractive.
(either because it will have a lower price, or because it will have more features for the same price)
Distributors likely get announcements about such changes long before we see them in the newsletter, on the product page, or even leaking at other places on the web.

When a model can not be produced because of part shortages and will run out soon, that is not really a reason to expedite that.
But maybe you are right, and maybe MikroTik will move out of small gigabit switches. They have a different view on networking than is realistic in some other parts of the world, and in this case it could be "everyone is going to 10Gbit anyway".
(in another case I requested them to support VDSL lines by supporting or even re-selling a VDSL SFP module, but they declined to do that claiming that everyone is going to use fiber anyway. that may be true in the Baltic countries, and I heard it is also true in Scandinavian countries, but over here VDSL still has at least half of the market)

But maybe you are right, and maybe MikroTik will move out of small gigabit switches. They have a different view on networking than is realistic in some other parts of the world, and in this case it could be "everyone is going to 10Gbit anyway".
(in another case I requested them to support VDSL lines by supporting or even re-selling a VDSL SFP module, but they declined to do that claiming that everyone is going to use fiber anyway. that may be true in the Baltic countries, and I heard it is also true in Scandinavian countries, but over here VDSL still has at least half of the market)

I was thinking more on the lines of "RB260GS is EOL and we didn't made a last batch because it would clash with its successor. And, now, we can't finish the successor due to parts shortage."

Maybe it will be an RB260GSv2, maybe it will be something like RB5009 vs RB4011 - I can't really see the point in getting an RB4011 (without wireless) when I can pay a little more and get an RB5009. In this case a distributor may very well want to empty the stock, because he knows it won't sell later.

Here in Brazil the xDSL is dying. At least where I take notice. Everything is FTTP, FTTH, FTTC or just plain old CAT5 on the streets. We have cable modem too. The xDSL still is a huge part of market - but it's getting smaller everyday - even in small towns.