MikroTik

Got to start by saying I'm a huge fan of the CCR2004-1G-2XS-PCIe. When I've only got a single 1U space in colo, I can still rely on the confidence of a hardware firewall embedded into the server. It also gives the ability to ship a server out to a small remote office that automatically connects back home with a VPN tunnel for remote admin. So much power and flexibility!

Two things I would request on the next version of this router if possible:

First, it would be great if there were a way to power up the router outside a computer. Possibly header pins or a 12v Molex that accepts power input? I understand there may be issues with applying power on the header while also accepting power on from the bus, but if video cards can do it, surely there's a way. This would make its functionality independent from the host being able to POST (maybe I also want access to out-of-band management while the system is powered off). Additionally, it would facilitate the ability configure the router before inserting it into the server and loading an operating system.

Second, while I'm asking... A USB header on the board would be a very versatile feature. It could be used in host mode to connect a USB storage device (either internally mounted or extended for external connectivity on a separate PCI slot), or used in device mode as a serial console to a USB header on the motherboard.

+1

I ship hex’s with every workstation primarily for vpn access to oobm. If there was an always-on pcie MikroTik I could put in them instead I would have bought sooooo many. In fact I looked into getting a plain routerboard to somehow mount inside the systems, possibly onto a pcie bracket, but it was too much r&d for just myself to invest in.

While we are here wishing:

What about the promised at launch FreeBSD support?
Still on the very top of my feature request list!

What about the promised at launch FreeBSD support?

Yes I second that! I´m missing it very much too. I also like the ideas from @brad0x52 very much. The current card feels very much half baked, but with a little love this could be made into a super connectivity wonder.

What about adding a header to connect this beast to a reset or power switch of the host computer?
Adding WoL capability?

Ps. I did not try this w. FreeBSD 14.1 and a recent ROS yet, but I will.

@brad0x52
I think you can ab-use or mis-use a Usb-pcie riser to simply power a Pcie card.
Example:
https://www.delock.com/produkt/41423/merkmale.html

Of course you need only the card with the female card connector and the sata power port connector.

For this use ( just powering the card outside the PC, and since the actual power involved should be a fraction of what a graphic card used for mining consumes) you can use *any* el-cheapo card of this kind.
As a bonus you get a spare shortish USB 3.0 cable (though the ports are not USB - they only use the same connectors - the cable Is a standard one).

It is possible that such a thingy could work also actually connected to the Pcie bus, but, if you want to power the Nic (through the sata power connector) It should be done by the same PSU that powers the PC, as there could be ground differentials if two separate PSU's are used concurrently, or anyway grounding should be checked thoroughfully, the risk of frying accidentally a piece of expensive equipment is there.

Does Mikrotik read the post here? I hope so!
What I relly miss is an way to plug more Ethernet things into the Card like an Switch. Why? Simple because there are some interresting Cards who can be use inside the Server like a Pi KVM who works independently or some other Micro Pc who use an spare PCI-E Place in an Server Case.
If there is not enough space on the Card it could be maybe done by an seperated Board for the Full Hight PCI-E Slot like other Manufactures does who use an Board to Board connector.

I guess some of your Ideas here could be build into an "small" Revision of the Product without redesign erything.

Maybe someone know how long the Card will be in production before the get replaced?

By the way such Card is DAMN interesting for everyone who want give an Customer an Box who does something and the Customer dont Care "how" is done like when the "Box" (= Industrial Pc) should output Video (ads), will use for Streaming local Recorded Video to the Broadcasting Agency or what ever where the Customer only need to plug them into an Public Internet Network and the Card does the VPN, Compression at there own.

Maybe it can be used for an spiced up NAS where the NAS Software Automatic Sync with an counterpart when the VPN Tunnel is UP.

Another idea is the could use the idea for an Board to Board connetor to connect 1 (short Slot), 2 (Full hight PCI-E Slot) Mini PCI-E Cards to make a "fat" 2 Slot wide Variant to handle all the 4G, 5G Connection!

Well, at some point I would have been very interested when this router provided:
- running independently from the host box (i.e. RouterOS can be rebooted without host reboot, host can be rebooted and even shut down without effect on CCR)
- support for VMware ESXi.
At that time the intention was to plug it in colocated 1U servers, run an RJ45 from the ethernet port to the ILO port of the server, and feed internet via the SFP.

But I quickly learned that this all would not really work, and now I do not really have this use case myself anymore.
Still I would guess there would be some demand for such functionality...

While we are here wishing:

What about the promised at launch FreeBSD support?
Still on the very top of my feature request list!

This is the reason why I didn't buy this device (and probably never will).