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.
"Catalyst switches are easy to use and simple to work with."
"The Cisco Catalyst is very stable and it can last for many years."
"It's got one feature, and that's handling extreme temperatures."
"Its implementation is quite simple as there's good documentation you can reference."
"We have to use the QoS (CBWFQ) function... and it is easy to use."
"It helps keep our network connections in a healthy state."
"The tool's administration is easy."
"The solution is stable."
"Dell PowerConnect Switches are easy to configure."
"The most valuable feature of Dell PowerConnect Switches for me is the throughput. I also like that the product has more compatibility with Dell infrastructure, especially with EMC and new generation Dell servers. Dell PowerConnect Switches can also easily integrate with Dell servers, and this is another pro."
"When the price is competitive the customers tend to choose the cheaper brand and then look at the features. So having a competitive price is a plus."
"Their support has been excellent, and it has been quite stable and easy to set up."
"It's easy to set up. We can put it in production in a couple of minutes."
"The product is cheap."
"There is high reliability since we have used them for close to twenty years and only had possibly one failure."
"The solution’s technical support is good."
"Reducing the price would be an improvement."
"An area for improvement would be the documentation and training on configuring this product."
"Dell switching is coming up with a solution where you can put your own OS inside their switching infra. That is where they are talking about open networking. We can show that our Cisco is also an open-source. We are open to different switching operating systems if the customer is willing to put it in. We can support multiple operating systems inside the switching infrastructure. It removes the hardware and software dependency on each other. That is where I think there can be room for improvement. Then we can talk about open networking and that is where Cisco can also come up with open networking access."
"Its price should be improved. It is very pricey."
"The switches could be improved."
"They should make so that they let users know five to ten minutes before productivity is restored in the case of power loss."
"Any improvements that they make should be in the wireless area of the product."
"Pricing for this product is on the higher end, and is something that could be improved. Security could also be increased."
"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."
"The CLI for Dell PowerConnect Switches is sometimes confusing, especially with the LAN, but for the GUI it is simple."
"A user can take care of the product's installation part, but it may not seem to be an easy process."
"The configuration should be improved."
"The one issue you face in the industry there is always some planned obsolescence in these switches."
"The IOS software that is used on the switches could be improved."
"More stable firmware releases would be an improvement because we have had them randomly power on and off."
"The solution's ROI for generic networking is not extraordinary."
Cisco Catalyst Switches is ranked 1st in LAN Switching with 166 reviews while Dell PowerConnect Switches is ranked 3rd in LAN Switching with 29 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, HPE ProCurve, Cisco Nexus, 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.
See our list of best LAN Switching vendors and best Data Center Networking vendors.
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.