We performed a comparison between Cisco Catalyst Switches and Dell PowerConnect Switches based on our users’ reviews in four categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.
Comparison Results: Users feel Cisco Catalyst Switches provide great stability, intuitive reliable analytics, seamless scalability, excellent PoE capabilities, and solid robust security. However, users are happier with the pricing of Dell PowerConnect Switches.
"The solution is stable."
"I have found this solution to be extremely stable."
"One main feature with Cisco is you know you are going to get a very good switching infrastructure that is secure."
"The main valuable features for me are the ease of configuration, the CLI, and the GUI."
"The installation process is very straightforward."
"The solution has high performance and we do not have to troubleshoot the network."
"These switches are stable. They work well and are easy to use."
"The tool's administration is easy."
"Dell PowerConnect Switches have a VTL feature similar to Cisco's VSS. With VTL, using this technology, you can cluster two switches together to increase redundancy in the environment."
"Its throughout and compatibility are the most valuable."
"The setup is straightforward. It takes minimum time for deployment."
"This solution comes with a lifetime warranty."
"The functionality is very good."
"The product is cheap."
"It's easy to set up. We can put it in production in a couple of minutes."
"The most valuable features are the jumbo frames and the stacking."
"Their centralized management could be better. There should be some kind of software for centralized management so that I don't need somebody else to manage it."
"In terms of what could be improved, more integration is the main thing they should be focused on."
"The solution could be cheaper."
"The solution could be easy to use, you need a certificate to use it."
"The pricing could be better. Cisco is quite expensive."
"An area for improvement would be the documentation and training on configuring this product."
"Cisco switches are expensive."
"An area for improvement would be the high price."
"The solution's ROI for generic networking is not extraordinary."
"The CLI for Dell PowerConnect Switches is sometimes confusing, especially with the LAN, but for the GUI it is simple."
"Dell is sometimes slow to provide updates to firmware."
"Scalability, especially with the power connect series is something that you have to take into account before starting the project because any changes to an ongoing project can be difficult."
"I expect it to be a zero-touch or a plug-and-play device. To some extent, it is, but we need to know the architecture, and we need to know what exactly we are doing. It is not so easy to implement. It depends on what exactly we are doing and it is still not a plug-and-play or zero-touch device. In the upcoming version, they can make it zero-touch, where we can just power it on and start using it. They can have some templates for different scenarios, such as when you are using it for the data center or adding it to your existing infrastructure."
"More stable firmware releases would be an improvement because we have had them randomly power on and off."
"An area for improvement would be that it's very hard to configure if you're not familiar with the UI or CLI of the product. The UI itself could also be improved."
"We've only been using the solution for half a year. We haven't run into any issues, but maybe over time, that may change. It's too soon to tell. Offhand, there aren't any features that are lacking."
Cisco Catalyst Switches is ranked 1st in LAN Switching with 171 reviews while Dell PowerConnect Switches is ranked 3rd in LAN Switching with 30 reviews. Cisco Catalyst Switches is rated 8.6, while Dell PowerConnect Switches is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Cisco Catalyst Switches writes "Reliable and stable catalyst switch; can be easily installed". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Dell PowerConnect Switches writes "Excellent support, good pricing, and easy setup". Cisco Catalyst Switches is most compared with Arista Networks Platform, Cisco Nexus, HPE ProCurve, ExtremeSwitching and Aruba Instant On Switches, whereas Dell PowerConnect Switches is most compared with Cisco Nexus, HPE ProCurve, NETGEAR Switches, Arista Networks Platform and Dell PowerSwitch N-Series. See our Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Dell PowerConnect Switches report.
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We monitor all LAN Switching reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.