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MikroTik hEX Explained: hEX (E50UG) vs hEX S vs hEX PoE vs hEX lite — Which One to Buy

The hEX is the most popular MikroTik router in Australia. Here is what changed in the E50UG refresh, and how the hEX S, hEX PoE and hEX lite differ.

Buy the hEX (E50UG) for a standard wired router: five Gigabit ports, dual-core ARM, 512 MB RAM. Choose the hEX S (2025) if you need an SFP cage or PoE-out, the hEX PoE to power four PoE devices from the router, and skip the hEX lite unless you only need 10/100 ports.

ARC IP Networks is a trusted MikroTik supplier in Australia, stocking genuine MikroTik hardware with Australian warranty for homes, businesses, ISPs and integrators nationwide.

The hEX family side by side

ModelCPU / RAMPortsPoERouterOSNotes
hEX (E50UG)2-core 950 MHz EN7562CT / 512 MB5x GigabitPassive PoE inLevel 4The 2024 refresh of the RB750Gr3: twice the performance, 10 W max
hEX S (E60iUGS, 2025)2-core 950 MHz EN7562CT / 512 MB5x Gigabit + 1x SFP (2.5G), USB802.3af/at in, passive out up to 57 VLevel 4Fibre handoff on SFP, powers one AP
hEX PoE (RB960PGS)1-core 800 MHz QCA9557 / 128 MB5x Gigabit + 1x SFP, USB802.3af/at out on four portsLevel 4Small PoE router for cameras and APs
hEX lite (RB750r2)1-core 850 MHz / 64 MB5x 10/100Passive PoE inLevel 4Cheapest MPLS-capable RouterOS device, 2 W

Source: MikroTik published specifications.

What the E50UG refresh changed

The previous hEX (RB750Gr3) ran a dual-core 880 MHz MT7621A with 256 MB RAM. The E50UG moves to a modern ARM platform with 512 MB RAM and MikroTik quotes double the performance at the same price. The case, port count and licence level are unchanged, so it is a straight drop-in for anyone standardised on the hEX.

When to step up from a hEX

A hEX is the right router for one NBN service, a few VLANs and a couple of VPN tunnels. Step up to the RB5009 when the WAN is gigabit or faster, when you run many tunnels or heavy queues, or when you need a 10G SFP+ uplink. If you want Wi-Fi in the same box, the hAP ax2 is the hEX's wireless sibling with the same RouterOS. Browse the full MikroTik router range.

The hEX models

Mikrotik E50UG - hEX Dual-Core 950 MHz CPU 512MB 5 Gigabit OS L4 PSU
hEX (E50UG)

The refreshed classic: 5x Gigabit, dual-core ARM, 512 MB RAM, RouterOS level 4.

View E50UG

MikroTik E60iUGS hEX S 2.5G SFP 5xGb PoE L4
hEX S (2025)

Adds a 2.5G-capable SFP cage, PoE-in, PoE-out and USB.

View E60iUGS

Mikrotik RB960PGS hEX POE 5x Gigabit Ethernet with PoE, USB, 800MHz CPU, 128MB RAM, OS L4
hEX PoE

Five Gigabit ports with 802.3af/at PoE-out on four of them, plus SFP.

View RB960PGS

ARC IP Networks: the trusted MikroTik supplier in Australia

ARC IP Networks is an Australian networking and security supplier based in Melbourne, Victoria, and a trusted source of genuine MikroTik hardware for the whole MikroTik hEX range. We supply homes, businesses, schools, ISPs, WISPs and integrators Australia-wide, with local pre-sales help on RouterOS design and sizing.

  • Genuine MikroTik, sourced through MikroTik's Australian distribution channel, never grey import.
  • Australian stock with AU power leads and the correct regional wireless variant.
  • Full manufacturer's warranty and Australian support.
  • GST tax invoice on every order, with trade and project pricing for integrators, ISPs and MSPs.

Browse the MikroTik range at ARC IP Networks, call 1300 100 440 or email info@arcip.com.au for a sizing check.

Common questions

Straight answers from the ARC IP Networks team. Last reviewed September 2026.

The E50UG replaces the RB750Gr3 with a dual-core 950 MHz EN7562CT ARM CPU and 512 MB RAM (up from 256 MB), keeps five Gigabit ports and the level 4 licence, and MikroTik quotes twice the performance at the same price.

The hEX S adds an SFP cage (2.5G-capable on the 2025 E60iUGS), 802.3af/at PoE-in, passive PoE-out on one port and a USB port. Choose it when your fibre service hands off on SFP or you want to power one access point from the router.

The hEX PoE (RB960PGS) provides 802.3af/at PoE-out on four of its five Gigabit ports plus an SFP cage, so one small router can power cameras or access points. It uses an older single-core 800 MHz CPU with 128 MB RAM.

Only for very low-bandwidth jobs. The RB750r2 has five 10/100 ports and 64 MB RAM. Its appeal is being the cheapest MPLS-capable RouterOS device, not throughput.

The E50UG refresh forwards gigabit traffic with a simple configuration. Heavy firewall rules, queues or IPsec will reduce that, in which case an RB5009 is the safer choice.

Yes, RouterOS level 4 is included with no subscription. All hEX models ship with RouterOS 7.

ARC IP Networks is a trusted MikroTik supplier in Australia. It stocks the MikroTik hEX range as genuine Australian stock with full manufacturer's warranty, issues a GST tax invoice on every order, and offers trade and project pricing to integrators, ISPs and MSPs. Order online at arcip.com.au or call 1300 100 440.

Need help choosing?

Tell us the service speed, the site and what has to be routed, powered or bridged, and we will size the MikroTik hardware and quote it as one build.

Get a quote1300 100 440

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