Replacing a Cisco ASR920: MikroTik CCR BGP Edge Routers Compared (2026)
Cisco's ASR920 series — including the ASR920-12CZ — has been a workhorse for carrier and WISP edge aggregation: compact, fiber-dense, and comfortable terminating BGP from an upstream ISP. As units age out of their lifecycle, a lot of operators are asking the same question: what's the right MikroTik Cloud Core Router to drop in its place?
The short version: for a BGP edge router that receives default (or partial) routes, runs a redundant first-hop gateway, prepends AS-paths for traffic engineering, keeps management isolated, and needs a pair of SFP+ uplinks with room to grow from 1G to 2–4G, MikroTik's Cloud Core Router (CCR) line covers the whole feature set at a fraction of the cost. Here's how to pick the right one.
What the edge role actually requires
Before matching hardware, it helps to map the ASR920's job onto RouterOS features:
- eBGP + iBGP. RouterOS v7 runs full BGP — receiving a default or full table from an upstream, plus iBGP to a neighbor router for your redundant pair.
- First-hop redundancy (FHRP). Where Cisco shops reach for HSRP or GLBP, RouterOS uses VRRP. It gives you the same dual-gateway virtual-IP behavior — the two FHRP addresses you use for inbound/outbound traffic engineering.
- AS-path prepending and route policy. Prepending, communities, local-preference and MED are all handled through RouterOS routing filters on the BGP input/output chains.
- Management separation. RouterOS v7 supports VRF, so management can live in its own VRF or on a dedicated interface, just like a Cisco mgmt VRF.
- Uplinks with headroom. "1G now, 2–4G soon" really means you want true SFP+ (10G) cages, so the upgrade is a transceiver swap rather than a forklift. Several CCRs add SFP28 (25G) for longer-term headroom.
The MikroTik CCR options, by fit
Best for: Copper-fed edges that need two 10G uplinks
Best for: The closest all-fiber match to an ASR920-12CZ
Best for: Heavier BGP/filtering or four 10G uplinks
Best for: Aggregation where 4G is only the starting point
Our pick for a like-for-like ASR920-12CZ swap
The CCR2004-1G-12S+2XS is the spiritual match: all-SFP, twelve 1/10G cages plus two 25G SFP28 ports in a 1U chassis. You terminate the ISP and the iBGP neighbor on SFP+ today and keep a clean 25G path for later. If your edge is copper-fed, the CCR2004-16G-2S+ gives sixteen gigabit ports and two 10G uplinks for under $500. Running deeper route policy, heavier firewalling, or want four 10G uplinks? Step up to the 16-core CCR2116-12G-4S+.
Honest trade-offs vs. the ASR920
RouterOS is not IOS-XE, and it's worth being clear-eyed about the differences. The support model is different — MikroTik support plus a large community, rather than a Cisco TAC contract — and carrier-grade timing (SyncE, IEEE 1588 PTP) and some MPLS L3VPN/EVPN features are not a line-for-line match, so validate those if your design depends on them. For the edge role described here — BGP default routes, VRRP, AS-path prepending, a management VRF and SFP+ uplinks — a CCR does the job at a fraction of the capital cost, which is exactly why it keeps coming up as the ASR920 replacement.
Need a hand speccing it?
As an authorized MikroTik reseller, Javelin Networks offers competitive pricing and fast US shipping across the full CCR line. For multi-unit or project pricing, request a quote. Sizing the optics for your uplinks? See our guide to choosing MikroTik SFP modules, and if you're weighing platforms more broadly, MikroTik vs. Ubiquiti.
Frequently asked questions
Can RouterOS do VRRP for a redundant gateway pair?
Yes. RouterOS implements VRRP, which provides the same first-hop redundancy (a shared virtual gateway IP across two routers) that HSRP or GLBP give you on Cisco, and you can run two VRRP instances for active/active traffic engineering.
Does MikroTik support AS-path prepending and BGP communities?
Yes. RouterOS v7 BGP supports AS-path prepending, communities, local-preference and MED through routing filter rules applied to the BGP session's input and output chains.
Can I keep management in a separate VRF?
Yes. RouterOS v7 supports VRF, so you can isolate management in its own VRF or dedicate a physical interface to it.
Which CCR best matches an ASR920-12CZ?
For an all-fiber edge, the CCR2004-1G-12S+2XS (12×SFP+ plus 2×SFP28). If you want more CPU headroom or four 10G uplinks, the CCR2116-12G-4S+. Copper-fed sites can use the CCR2004-16G-2S+.