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Juniper MX240 vs MX480 vs MX960 Routers

The Juniper MX240 is the lowest-tier MX Series router that supports Modular Port Concentrators (MPCs). The Juniper MX480 and Juniper MX960 routers are essentially advanced iterations of the MX240. But when you’re looking to buy used MX Series routers, it’s important you know all the differences between the three devices.

And while it’s important the routers you buy meet your needs from a performance standpoint, it’s also important from a pricing standpoint. BrightStar Systems can supply you with pre-owned routers, line cards and any other parts at great prices. In addition, if you have any MX Series routers or interfaces you’re looking to sell, we’ll purchase them from you at excellent rates.

Keep reading to find out all the key similarities and differences between the Juniper MX240 vs MX480 vs MX960, three of Juniper’s highest-performing modular routers.

MX240, MX480 and MX960 Comparison and Specifications

The MX240, MX480 and MX960 are all MX Series modular router chassis. This means all three can be customized with MPCs, including fixed-configuration and MPCs that require Modular Interface Cards (MICs), which allow you to mix and match different interface types in one MPC.

However, each device supports a different number of MPC slots — more slots means more flexibility in terms of port configurations and a greater number of overall ports.

Although all three of these routers support up to 100G Ethernet, the number of 100G Ethernet slots that are supported varies based on the number of MPC slots on each device.

Another feature the three devices share is Media Access Control Security, or MACsec. The MX240, MX480 and MX960 all support MACsec ports, which means you don’t need any external encryption devices to protect traffic. However, not all MPCs and MICs support the MACsec feature. And in order for the feature to be enabled, the interface must also support it.

Juniper MX240 Router Specs

Although the Juniper MX240 is larger than all fixed-configuration MX Series routers, at only 5 rack units (RUs), it’s more compact than the MX480 and MX960.

The compactness of the MX240 does come at a cost. Due to its small size, the MX240 supports only two MPC slots. Each slot can be equipped with one fixed-configuration MPC or two MICs.

Regardless of which MPCs are equipped, the Juniper MX240 has a maximum port density for 1G, 10G, 40G and 100G Ethernet. The MX240 supports the following port configurations:

  • 120 ports of 1G Ethernet
  • 120 ports of 10G Ethernet
  • 30 ports of 40G Ethernet
  • 30 ports of 100G Etherne

When fully populated, the Juniper MX240 has a maximum capacity of up to 3 Tbps.

To learn more about the Juniper MX240 routers we sell, visit our Juniper MX240 product page.

Juniper MX480 Router Specs

The Juniper MX480 is a step up from the MX240 in almost every way. However, in order to support more advanced specifications, it requires a bigger chassis. At 8 RU, the Juniper MX480 is close to twice the size of the MX240.

The additional rack units provide room for up to six MPC slots, each of which can be equipped with one fixed-configuration module or two MICs. The MX480 supports a total of 12 MICs.

With three times the number of MPCs compared with the MX240, the Juniper MX480 also supports three times as many ports for every supported Ethernet speed.

The densities supported for 1G, 10G, 40G and 100G Ethernet on the MX480 are as follows:

  • 360 ports of 1G Ethernet
  • 360 ports of 10G Ethernet
  • 90 ports of 40G Ethernet
  • 90 ports of 100G Ethernet

The Juniper has a maximum capacity of 9 Tbps when fully populated.

Check out the Juniper MX480 product page to learn more about the MX480 routers we sell.

Juniper MX960 Router Specs

Between the MX240, MX480 and MX960, the Juniper MX960 has the best performance. At 16 RU, its chassis supports more MPCs, and it has a greater port density and maximum capacity.

Due to its size, the MX960 requires significantly more spacethan the MX240 and MX480. But the additional size is why the MX960 has 11 MPC slots, which translates to 22 MIC slots. This makes the Juniper MX960 one of the most flexible MX Series routers available.

Regardless of which MPCs the MX960 is equipped with, it still supports a maximum number of 1G, 10G, 40G and 100G Ethernet ports. The port density for each of those speeds are:

  • 480 ports of 1G Ethernet
  • 480 ports of 10G Ethernet
  • 120 ports of 40G Ethernet
  • 120 ports of 100G Ethernet

When fully populated, the Juniper MX960 has a maximum capacity of 12 Tbps.

Please refer to the Juniper MX960 product page for more in-depth specifications.

MPCs Supported on the MX240, MX480 and MX960

One of the biggest benefits of these MX Series modular chassis is the flexibility they offer. And although a direct comparison of MX240 vs MX480 vs MX960 routers highlights the different levels of specifications offered by each one, all three support the same MPCs and MICs.

Below are all the MPCs supported on the MX240, MX480 and MX960 routers.

Line Cards Requiring MICs

The following are MPCs supported on the MX240, MX480 and MX960 that require MICs.

Juniper MPC1 Line Cards:

Juniper MPC2 Line Cards:

Juniper MPC3 Line Cards:

Check out the full list of MX Series MICs to see which ones are compatible with MX240, MX480 and MX960 routers.

Fixed-configuration Line Cards

Below are all the fixed-configuration Juniper line cards, including specifications.

Juniper MPC4E Line Cards:

Juniper MPC5E Line Cards:

  • MPC5E-40G10G: 6 built-in 40G Ethernet ports and 24 built-in 10G ports
  • MPC5EQ-40G10G: 6 built-in 40G Ethernet ports and 24 built-in 10G ports
  • MPC5E-100G10G: 2 built-in 100G Ethernet ports and 4 built-in 10G ports
  • MPC5EQ-100G10G: 2 built-in100G Ethernet ports and 4 built-in 10G ports

Juniper MPC7E 10G and MPC7E (Multi-rate) Line Cards:

  • MPC7E-10G: 40 built-in SFP+ ports that support 10G Ethernet
  • MPC7E-MRATE: 12 built-in QSFP+ ports that support up to 40G Ethernet (four of the ports support up to 100G Ethernet and are compatible with QSFP28 transceivers)

Juniper MPC10E Line Cards:

  • MPC10E-10C: Eight multi-rate QSFP28 ports that support up to 100G Ethernet and two multi-rate ports that support up to 400G Ethernet
  • MPC10E-15C: 12 multi-rate QSFP28 ports that support up to 100G Ethernet and three multi-rate ports that support up to 400G Ethernet

Buy and Sell Used Juniper MX240, MX480 and MX960 Routers

The biggest factors to consider when you’re looking at the Juniper MX240 vs MX480 vs MX960 modular chassis are the maximum port density and size.

If your network requires hundreds of 100G Ethernet connections and you have a lot of space, buying used Juniper MX960 routers in bulk may be the way to go. But if you require mostly 10G and 40G Ethernet ports and have limited space, the MX240 or MX480 may be a better solution.

Regardless of whether you buy used Juniper MX240, MX480 or MX960 routers, we offer great prices and additional services that add significant value. With BrightStar Systems’ 1-Year, In-House Warranty, you won’t have to worry about repairs or replacement costs for the first year.

We also buy used equipment in bulk if you’re looking to sell your pre-owned MX240, MX480 or MX960 routers. We purchase pre-owned networking equipment from all over the world, and we always pay for the shipping. We also test all the equipment we buy at no cost to sellers.

If you’re interested in other MX Series devices, head to our Juniper product page to see all the routers, switches and optics and cables we stock and resell. For any other questions about pre-owned MX240, MX480 and MX960 routers, or to place an order, please contact us today.