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A10 Networks Thunder CGN vs Juniper MX Series Routers comparison

A10 Networks and Juniper are both solutions in the Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT) category. A10 Networks is ranked #2, while Juniper is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.6. A10 Networks holds a 23.8% mindshare in CGNA, compared to Juniper’s 21.3% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of A10 Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Juniper users who would recommend it.
A10 Networks Thunder CGN
Read 2 A10 Networks Thunder CGN reviews
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  • 276 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
Juniper MX Series Routers
Read 34 Juniper MX Series Routers reviews
  • 1,621 Views
  • 211 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2025

Juniper MX Series Routers and A10 Networks Thunder CGN are competing products in the network infrastructure space. Juniper tends to have the upper hand in scalability and advanced routing capabilities, while A10 Networks is favored for its robust security and efficient handling of network address translation.

Features: Juniper MX Series Routers offer high-performance routing, extensive scalability, and a rich feature set for service providers and enterprises. A10 Networks Thunder CGN provides high-capacity traffic management, advanced security features including DDoS protection, and efficient network address translation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: A10 Networks Thunder CGN provides a streamlined deployment model backed by responsive support services, appealing for businesses prioritizing quick setup. Juniper MX Series Routers have a more involved deployment process, suited for complex networking needs supported by extensive resources.

Pricing and ROI: Juniper MX Series Routers involve higher initial costs, reflecting their advanced feature set and scalability, offering substantial long-term ROI for heavy routing demands. A10 Networks Thunder CGN provides a more cost-effective solution with favorable ROI through efficient network management and security capabilities.

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To learn more, read our detailed A10 Networks Thunder CGN vs. Juniper MX Series Routers Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
A10 Networks Thunder CGN vs. Juniper MX Series Routers
September 2025
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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

A10 Networks Thunder CGN
Ranking in Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT)
2nd
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Juniper MX Series Routers
Ranking in Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT)
1st
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
34
Ranking in other categories
Routers (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT) category, the mindshare of A10 Networks Thunder CGN is 23.8%, down from 35.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper MX Series Routers is 21.3%, down from 37.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Juniper MX Series Routers21.3%
A10 Networks Thunder CGN23.8%
Other54.9%
Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer1336776 - PeerSpot reviewer
Enabled us to collapse hardware- and software-based solutions into one
The scalability is good for us. The 5440 HW is more than capable of handling our current traffic patterns allowing us to grow and not have to do in-place upgrades in the immediate to near term. It's meeting a small portion of our overall network needs, but provides the solution that we sought out. From a hardware standpoint, it makes up a small fraction of our overall deployment, but the usage behind it is very different from what we utilize our production data center hardware for. As I mentioned, it is just providing outbound NAT-ing for us. As we grow our data center space we would expand its usage and footprint. We typically see changes in traffic due to our organic growth and ramp-up of internal services. We plan to implement the following technologies/strategies in the next three years: keeping up with PFS/ECC encryption standards as they evolve. We may or may not move more applications to public cloud. Also, it's possible we could implement cloud repatriation of applications from public cloud to private data centers.
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Patrick Anaku - PeerSpot reviewer
Performance excels with reliable uptime and robust features
The best features of Juniper MX Series Routers include their performance, which is quite good for us in terms of hardware performance. The Junos OS, the software, is stable, and we don't have many issues with the Juniper system itself. They have numerous features that allow us to deliver services, be it Layer 2 connectivity to customers, Layer 3 connectivity, data center connectivity, or even security features. Hardware performance has been a top-notch reason why we chose Juniper in the beginning, especially the MX series, which performs well in terms of network uptime and we don't encounter many failures. We have had a bad experience here and there with the ACX series, and their network performance is not so great compared to MX, so we have mostly done away with the ACX and only use MX at some of the core sites. I have seen a return on investment from the solution. Initially, we deployed MX80s on the network, and since our company has been in operation since 2006, from that point we used MX80s until around 2016 when we upgraded most of them to MX204s. From our experience, once we buy an MX204, we don't have issues with it; we have never had to replace an MX204 on the network. Once we deploy it, it works until we decide to upgrade the capacity. The return on investment is significant, as once we buy it, we have no worries about performance.
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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"It has freed up a lot of our IP space and has been extremely reliable. We have set it up in a high availability scenario, testing it many times. It has been absolutely perfect in terms of failover."
"It is very easy to use. Both the GUI and CLI interface are consistent, which makes the ease of access throughout various constituencies possible. It's also well-documented and logical."
"The most valuable features are its ease of use and deployment, and being able to collapse several solutions into a single solution, all contained within a single bit of hardware and software."
"Juniper's custom Trio chipset drives their MX routers, offering superior performance. Juniper's design separates the control plane and the forwarding plane, which is a key aspect of their architecture. This separation provides high throughput, maintaining line-rate performance across the MX platform."
"It's one of the more stable routers."
"I would say it is very user-friendly."
"The performance is good."
"It offers high protection and I like it."
"I would rate the stability a ten out of ten. We never had any issues."
"I think that the extensions are very valuable. The way you can test the configuration before applying that configuration permanently is very helpful. The rollback configuration is also very useful."
"The most valuable features for us were related to our transition into MPLS technology, specifically for BPN and VPN services."
More Juniper MX Series Routers pros
 

Cons

"There are a couple of features that they could look to implement, versus the workarounds that they have in place. Regarding IPv4 and IPv6, there are a couple of opportunities in there that they are working on, as well."
"They don't track concurrent port usage. We have to do that in another way and it's not a very clean way. That is something that I know they could do, but they don't."
"We'd appreciate it if they had a better GUI. It would be more flexible for the customers that way."
"Currently, I don't have specific concerns or ideas for improvement. Regarding functionalities, I appreciate the user interface of Juniper Elite. Additionally, I'm exploring the use of Juniper Routers in a Parliament environment, particularly with Baragon, and so far, I find it to be a valuable feature. We're currently facing an issue as we're in the process of building and dealing with the software, specifically transitioning from R2 to RC. It's like when there is an update in the routers, and in the process, there are chances to end up losing some of your settings. The challenge arises because the recommended configurations for RC do not align with our features, necessitating a reevaluation of many features. It would have been more efficient if the initial recommendation had been for RC, avoiding the need to redo our research. This has resulted in a loss of time for us, and we've encountered this situation multiple times."
"The third-level customer support coming from Juniper itself could be much better. To get assistance from Juniper, we sometimes have to wait for weeks and months. I don't really appreciate that. Their support should be faster."
"In terms of improvement, I would like for it to effectively protect against the broadcast storms, multicast storms, and DDoS attacks."
"The pricing is a bit too high."
"If you are setting up a site-to-site VPN between a Juniper and Cisco device then you may encounter some issues."
"The solution could improve reliability and it needs more functions."
"Automation can also be improved."
More Juniper MX Series Routers cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The FlexPool consumption-based licensing model has the ability to spin up VMs as needed for NAT, as well as their ADC, which is their load balancing stuff. We are considering that, as that is a pretty attractive feature."
"The cost to buy it initially was a single purchase price. This was a cost for the hardware and software, but we got a year of service with it. Annually, we pay them a service fee, but it's not much money."
"We have to pay for the device and licensing. The support service requires additional costs."
"I would rate it around a three. While I'm not deeply involved in pricing discussions, I believe it is comparatively more affordable than Cisco."
"$300 to $400 is the hardware cost and for licensing cost, it may be around, for support and all, $100 per year."
"There is a license for this solution and the price is very competitive. The cost is less expensive than some competitors, such as Cisco. There are additional costs for support licenses."
"The price of this solution is better than other competitors, such as Cisco. We receive a lot of discounts which make the price less expensive and attractive."
"I would rate the pricing model a seven out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive. It is not cheap."
"An additional license can be purchased for support of a next-generation firewall."
"The prices for Juniper MX Series Routers are reasonable."
More Juniper MX Series Routers pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
University
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise8
 

Questions from the Community

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What do you like most about Juniper MX Series Routers?
For the Juniper MX Series Routers, it plays a crucial role in our network. They offer numerous features, enabling multiple connections and handling various reports. The routers efficiently manage ...
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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper MX Series Routers?
I would rate it around a three. While I'm not deeply involved in pricing discussions, I believe it is comparatively more affordable than Cisco.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Juniper MX Series Routers?
The areas of Juniper MX Series Routers that have room for improvement include the port count; for instance, the MX204 has only four 40G or 100G ports, which is quite limited. While I know there are...
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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
A10 Networks Thunder CGN vs. Juniper MX Series Routers
September 2025
A10 Networks Thunder CGN reportDownload A10 Networks Thunder CGN product report
Buyer's Guide
Juniper MX Series Routers
September 2025
Juniper MX Series Routers reportDownload Juniper MX Series Routers product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
Juniper Enterprise Routers, MX Series, Junos Address Aware
 

Overview

Extend IPv4 Connectivity
Solve IPv4 address exhaustion and extend the life of an IPv4 network infrastructure with carrier-grade NAT to ensure critical applications and services are always available and reliable.

Manage IPv6 Migration
Enable a smooth transition to IPv6 by supporting translation and tunneling between IPv4 and IPv6 networks.

Reduce TCO
High performance in a compact form factor results in lower OPEX and CAPEX through efficient rack space usage, lower power consumption and reduced cooling requirements.

A10 Networks

Juniper MX Series Routers are designed for high throughput with flexible MPLS configuration and robust policy management, offering reliability and scalability for enterprise needs. They feature seamless Cisco integration, strong performance driven by the Trio chipset, and user-friendly management.

Known for their exceptional performance, Juniper MX Series Routers enable enterprises and ISPs to expand network connectivity and efficiency. Their reliable hardware supports tasks like border routing and internet connectivity, catering to high-performance networking and automation. Trio chipset technology ensures stability, while interchangeable line cards maintain top-level performance. These routers are favored for their easy configuration and robust support, though improvements in pricing, VPN compatibility, and stronger DDoS protection are needed. Users seek additional cloud integration, enhanced security features, and expanded port options on models like the MX204.

What are the key features of Juniper MX Series Routers?
  • High Throughput: Ensures fast and efficient network data transfer.
  • Flexible MPLS Configuration: Adapts seamlessly to varied network environments.
  • Robust Policy Management: Provides extensive control over network traffic policies.
  • Seamless Cisco Integration: Simplifies operations for mixed equipment environments.
  • Trio Chipset Technology: Boosts performance and ensures network stability.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Facilitates easy configuration and management.
What benefits should users evaluate?
  • Scalability: Supports growing network needs without compromising performance.
  • Reliability: Offers consistent and dependable network operations.
  • Support and Documentation: Access to comprehensive resources for efficient management.
  • Performance: Maintains high levels of throughput and stability for enterprise needs.
  • Automation Support: Streamlines network operations for greater efficiency.

In industries like telecommunications and data centers, Juniper MX Series Routers are widely implemented to manage complex networking tasks such as VPNs, MPLS, and BGP deployments. Service providers often rely on these routers for backbone roles, benefitting from their performance and scalability to maintain robust and efficient network infrastructures.

Juniper
 

Sample Customers

Leucom Group
AARNet Pty Ltd, Allegro Networks, Atlantech Online, Availity, Baloise Insurance, Black Lotus, CATV, Blue Box
Buyer's Guide
A10 Networks Thunder CGN vs. Juniper MX Series Routers
September 2025
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