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.
"One main feature with Cisco is you know you are going to get a very good switching infrastructure that is secure."
"Their technical support is good, one of the best in the industry."
"If we are providing a switching solution, it's not just switching, it's a whole solution with DNA. That is where the whole concept of Network Management and Network Assurance comes in. So Catalyst plays a big role in putting everything together and providing a whole solution to the customer."
"The solution works well with analytics."
"The most valuable features of Cisco Catalyst Switches are that they are very common. If you talk to someone most likely they will have a Cisco Catalyst Switch, they will not mention other names, such as Juniper, ProCurve, Dell, or anything else. The most common product in networking in my country is Cisco. Everywhere you go they talk about Cisco."
"We have dealt with Cisco's technical support in the past. They were especially helpful and very polite. They are always there if we need them and their insights are always excellent. I would say that we have been satisfied with the level of support we've gotten so far."
"The best feature is the technical support."
"It is a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"Their support has been excellent, and it has been quite stable and easy to set up."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is simplicity."
"We have these switches installed in an environment with hardware from many other vendors, and so far, so good."
"Dell offers very good support."
"The setup is straightforward. It takes minimum time for deployment."
"The most valuable features are the jumbo frames and the stacking."
"The most valuable feature is its ability to multitask."
"The product is reliable."
"I would like to see support for one-touch provisioning."
"It should have better security and the prices can always be lower. The cheaper the price, the better but if the quality is good, it's worth it. They also have to improve the firewalling."
"Cisco can definitely improve the training part. They can provide more training related to configuration."
"Soon, we plan to migrate to the cloud infrastructure. It would be good if the Cisco switches worked quickly in the cloud, like their hardware devices. Ideally, they would be like OVS-DPDK, but they would work out-of-the-box."
"The product should work on its pricepoints. It's an expensive solution."
"Reporting could be improved as well as integration possibilities with other platforms."
"Pricing for this product is on the higher end, and is something that could be improved. Security could also be increased."
"They should make so that they let users know five to ten minutes before productivity is restored in the case of power loss."
"Accessibility and management could be improved."
"When it comes to the configuration, there should be documentation and interactive help available to assist people who have experience with products from other vendors."
"The product needs to improve in terms of reports and backups."
"What's lacking in Dell PowerConnect Switches is SD-WAN integration, and this is what needs to be improved in it. All enterprises now move towards SD-WAN infrastructure, and because Dell PowerConnect Switches don't currently support SD-WAN, the product would be replaced, considered a secondary switch, or linked up to a different switch. Integration or support for SD-WAN is what I'd like to see in the next version of Dell PowerConnect Switches."
"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."
"I can't think of what we would want in the next release."
"It would be great to have modules that integrate with SDN solutions such as Cisco ACI, Arista SDN, Huawei Agile, and IBM."
"A user can take care of the product's installation part, but it may not seem to be an easy process."
Cisco Catalyst Switches is ranked 1st in LAN Switching with 170 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.