Today, Juniper announced (well, finally made a public announcement anyway) a new entry-level access switch. A few select groups, including the Juniper MistFits, were able to get a sneak peek at the EX4000. The datasheet was also available for folks working on E-Rate deals (this is a great switch for those projects), and pricing has been available to select partners, so the secret has been somewhat out of the bag, for those in the know. So why is it a big deal? Read on!

Current switch lineup

Before we jump into specifics, let’s take a quick look at the current Juniper access switch lineup. I’m not going to talk distribution/core targeted switch since the EX4000 isn’t meant to be in that position. I’m also setting aside the EX4100-H for now, because while it is an access switch, it’s a special case one that doesn’t fit for many use cases.

• EX4400 – this is the top end of the access switch line, with 5 different flavors. There are new models with higher PoE budgets just released, multigigabit (802.11bz) models, fiber-only models (one of which is distribution/smaller core targeted but worth the mention), and even a plain old no-PoE “T” flavor. This switch has 100Gbps uplinks available, 802.11bt PoE++ (at 90W per port), EVPN-VXLAN support, supports micro-segmentation via group-based policies (GBP), flow-based telemetry, and so much more. This really is the flagship product. But with that comes a price tag to match (to be clear, they’re competitive with comparable switches, but that doesn’t make them inexpensive).
• EX4100 – this mid-tier access switch line is a small step down from the EX4400. Like the top end line, there are multiple flavors available, though there are fewer of them. There are Mgig (802.11bz) models, PoE+ models, and T models. Where the 4100 differentiates itself is in the uplink ports. Instead of the modular uplink and 100Gbps virtual chassis (VC) ports like its big sibling, the 4100 has eight fixed SFP+ slots for uplink and VC. 4 of those are 1Gbps/10Gbps designed for uplink, and the other 4 are 10Gbps/25Gbps SFP28 slots designed for VC support. But you can use those VC slots for uplinks with a config change (caveats, *’s, etc). For features the EX4100 is very comparable to the EX4400 line, it’s kind of just the ports (and backplane) where you’re stepping “down”.
• EX4100-F – this access switch family gets a bit more simple. No Mgig models, just straight PoE+ (P) and T models. It does, however, offer a 12-port model. Something that the higher 2 lines do not. This is important because some deployments may not need 24 or 48 ports. Use cases such as remote small closet, mini-IDF, IDF “extension” (you know when it’s too expensive to pull all the cables back to the IDF, or someone screwed up and cut cables from the plan), WAN edge (not an access use case, but whatever it’s my blog) is where this 12-port model is helpful. It can even take PoE to power itself. The PoE models cap out at 802.11at (30W), and the uplinks are 10Gbps. There are 4x1Gbps/10Gbps VC SFP+ slots and either 2 copper (12 port models) or 4 SFP+ slots capable of 10Gbps for uplink. They support EVPN-VXLAN, GBPs, and VC up to 10 members. While the EX4100-F is not my first choice for an access switch, it is a solid access switch and fits the lower cost required for many projects.
• “Legacy” models – “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated” (Mark Twain). The EX4300-MP, EX3400, and EX2300 switches are still on the market. These switches are from “the before times.” Meaning they are not “cloud native” (or AI native as the current marketing reads) switches that were designed for management with Juniper Mist. The EX4300 and EX3400 have what I’d call “worthy successors” in the EX4400 and EX4100, respectively. However, the EX2300 (especially the 12-port model) was missing. While the 4100-F-12s were there, the cost was a bit too high to be directly comparable. In most discussions I had with clients, the way I described it was the EX4400 = EX4300, EX4100 = EX3400, and the EX4100-F was a step between the EX2300 and the EX4100. So, while they weren’t “current gen,” they definitely still fit a need.

Enter the EX4000

So why do we need a new switch? The EX2300. As I said above, I don’t think a “proper” replacement for this powerhouse of a low-cost access switch exists. While the EX4100-F tried, the cost parity wasn’t there. The EX4100-F also didn’t support 802.3bt power or Mgig interfaces, which we all know is what we NEED for Wi-Fi 7. And Juniper delivered. In spades. The new EX4000 is an awesome line of switches. In this line, we get a good number of options. We have Mgig models that also come with PoE++ (though capped at 60W per port), P models with PoE+ support, and T models without PoE. Plus, the hard-working 12-port models come in all three flavors! And a new 8-port model! So let’s talk about why I’m excited about this new line of switches when I have so many great ones already available.

TL; DR

Cost for performance.

Oh, you want more? Well, the line above really is the key for me. If you didn’t gather it above, the EX4100-F was a good switch but didn’t offer the features to make it “fit” for a lot of use cases. The EX4000 line really comes through for these use cases. I’m not saying it *will* happen, but I could see the EX4100-F slowly sliding to the side, somewhat out of view.

A Little Deeper

So let’s get a little more in-depth. What features do I think set this apart, and why do I think it will finally allow Juniper to sunset the legacy switches? Let me start with this graphic:

But I want you to focus on the bottom right. I love the other three pieces, but I don’t think that’s what differentiates this from its other EX4X00 series siblings. So, let’s look at what I think are the top 3 features.

PoE

If you notice in the section above, I talk about PoE a lot. Why? These days (in my opinion), one of the key things a switch is used for is to provide PoE to other devices. We all know we live in a wireless world these days. People keep saying access switches are dead, offices are “wireless only”, and we don’t need no stinkin’ wires (ok maybe not this, but you know, they infer it)! More and more devices are being powered by PoE. From Wireless APs (WAP, WAP, WAP, WAP, WAP for my WLPC Slack friends!!) to phones to cameras to SFF computers to displays to lights to IoT devices. PoE drives switch choice. And with the newest devices needing more and more power, 802.3bt is crucial. While I would have loved to see full 90W support on these, it doesn’t make sense. If you need full 90W, you can jump to the EX4100. And by supporting bt, even at the 60W marker you’re allowing support for almost all of the Wi-Fi 7 APs.

In addition to bt power, we’re getting fast and perpetual PoE. This means the switch will keep providing power to devices or will at the least provide it much faster when it has to reboot. So this means your APs can be up and running (well, assuming you’re using Mist APs because why wouldn’t you?!) if they go down at all when the switch reboots.

11bz Mgig

While in higher-end switches, this can be because we may be connecting user desktops (yes, they still exist) that want/need higher port speed, in these lower-end switches, I stay with it being all for the APs. There’s lots of silly marketing out there about how fast Wi-Fi is, but the reality is a 1Gbps connection was perfectly sufficient in almost all scenarios up until Wi-Fi 6. 6e brought *more* of a chance you’d need more bandwidth, but 1Gbps still covered *most* of the uses. Along with power, Wi-Fi 7 APs are where Mgig will finally become a requirement. So, by adding some Mgig ports to these switches, you can support the higher throughput at a more cost-sensitive price point. It's a good inclusion, even if it’s not ALL of the ports (we can discuss some of my frustrations with Juniper’s Mgig choices over a drink). It also sets you up for NOT making the choice to put all of the pretty new APs on a single switch (please don’t do this, no really. Please don’t.)

It’s FAST

With boot times under/around 2 minutes (I’ve heard from trusted sources outside of Juniper who have beta units), this thing takes the boot time meme from the EX2300 and sets it on fire. One of the biggest reasons for some long maintenance windows is the time it takes for the lower-end switches to boot. This, of course, then affects the APs connected to the switch. And when we combine this fast boot time with perpetual/fast PoE, we’re talking about an outage of just a couple of minutes for a full switch reboot. That is awesome.

Included in this is upgrade time. The firmware size for these models has been reduced to make the actual upgrade (before the reboot) faster. One of the biggest reasons some folks I know haven’t upgraded their switches is the time it takes. We will ignore all the “insufficient memory” shenanigans in the EX3400s. I was reassured that these switches will NOT have this issue.

And finally, Dynamic Port Profiles get a speed boost. While I’m still not *completely* sold on this as a widespread use case (it has its place; I just prefer to hard code things like this on the network when possible), making that faster gives it more applicability.

Wrap it up, buddy

If we go back to the graphic above, you can see I haven't covered everything. And that’s because, in my mind, the other three quadrants are “table stakes” for Juniper Mist-controlled switches. I’ve just gotten so used to having these fantastic features I forget that not everyone does. If your network doesn’t offer you those features, you really need to get in touch and let me show you WHY Juniper Mist is my choice (it’s really not just because they are awesome people, even though that’s true!). Seriously, being able to quickly get pcaps (many of them dynamically done already, you don’t have to ask for them!) from a site across the world is awesome. And while the current models from Juniper do that, this new line really drops the barrier to entry, supports the cost-sensitive missions of a lot of organizations, and finally may mean my beloved EX2300s can be put to pasture (well, once I can get my hands on some of these EX4000s anyways).

There’s a lot of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) about Juniper being put out there these days. However, despite what their competitor’s marketing and disinformation departments are trying to spread, Juniper isn’t slowing down. Am I invested in their success? Yup. However, the benefit I have of working for a reseller is that I can pivot as needed to the best technology. Hands down, Juniper has it right now. This new switch adds to that. Hit me up on the socials if you want to chat about it or tell me how wrong I am.