Juniper Hardware
I’ve been asked a few times recently about what the key differences are between the various Juniper hardware lineups. I figured a short blog post outlining each of the more common lines and what they are typically used for would be handy.
Please note that this is not intended to be a comprehensive list, nor a detailed one. It’s simply a general overview for somebody who may not be familiar with Juniper’s lineup.
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SRX SeriesThe SRX series is Juniper’s “all-in-one” device. It combines routing features with security features (taken from the SSG Netscreen line). It can also do things like IDP, Anitvirus, etc. |
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J SeriesThe J series is Juniper’s former “low-end” model, and one of the few lines in this blog post that actually has some EOL hardware (the old J2300s). This line could handle various interface types – Ethernet, DS3, T1, etc. They are still often deployed, but with the release of security-based code (aka “flow-mode”), the J has largely been replaced by the SRX. Both the J Series and the SRX platforms can still be configured to run in “packet-mode” aka routing with no security. |
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M/T SeriesThe M/T series are Juniper’s flagship platform. They are big, beefy routers designed for large WAN and service provider deployments. They offer a huge range of interface types, and have redundant routing engines (REs). |
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MX SeriesThe MX series is Juniper’s ethernet platform. They are powerful routing and switching devices that are the preferred choice if the only media in use is Ethernet. They are best known for their 10GigE capacity. The larger MX series also have redundant REs. |
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EX SeriesThe EX series is Juniper’s primary switching platform. With switches ranging from the 1U 24 port to the 16-slot chassis, there is a model for just about any use case. All of the fixed form factor non-PoE EX series have 8 ports of PoE, perfect for powering a couple wireless APs. All EX series are gigabit or better. The 4200 and 4500 series switches can be stacked in a “virtual-chassis” configuration. Similar to other vendor’s stacking, except the EX can be stacked using either VC cables or fiber, allowing for a great deal of flexibility of deployment. |
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SA SeriesThe SA series is Juniper’s SSL VPN appliance platform. These can be deployed using the Network Connect client, or clientless. The SA series also handles Secure Meeting, a “webex-like” collaboration software. The SA is being replaced by the MAG series, which handle either SSL VPN or UAC (Juniper’s NAC appliance) functionality, or both, depending on the model. |
Nice overview. Thanks.
Hi,
Thank you for this overview of Juniper products :)
Best regards,