When I need a router for a separate virtual environment, I use VyOS.
The product is free, and the initial setup is easy, but it is missing some features, and it is not stable
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
I don't have to purchase anything. I don't have to request a license or anything. I make a new virtual machine, install it, and use the router. Sometimes, the virtual environment is decommissioned, and sometimes, it is used for years. The solution is very practical for my use case.
What needs improvement?
The product is missing some features. Some features are not implemented the way we expect them to be. The tool doesn’t have the same quality as other commercial vendors like Cisco. There were some problems with IPsec. For a long time, the tool did not support VTI tunnels. I also faced some problems with some specific networking solutions. I couldn’t set the source IP. I would like to have a hardware solution in the future.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for four to five years.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We had a lot of MikroTik routers. They were very cheap. We still have some, but we are not very happy with them.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. It was very fast. The syntax is very similar to Junos. It’s pretty intuitive. None of the solutions we implemented were hard or complex.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is an open-source product. The free version is not stable. We can have a stable and supported version with a licensing agreement and subscription.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Currently, we have no plans to migrate to another platform. I am researching the options available. I really liked the products offered by Huawei and Fortinet. I might buy Fortinet to try it out.
What other advice do I have?
I never had to use the technical support. I usually just searched for solutions on Google. The solution is good and cheap. A lot of people can do some interesting things with it. However, I do not know whether I will recommend it for mission-critical solutions. Ubiquiti used to make some cheap routers that are very similar. Overall, I rate the tool a six out of ten.
