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.
"There is a lot of improvement in the network segment after replacing the older switches. I have not seen any kind of issue with these switches since deployment. They are pretty much stable."
"The most important features are that Cisco is one of the most robust switches, it is easy to configure, and the documentation is pretty good."
"The pricing is quite good."
"Catalyst Switches are easy to install."
"The most valuable features of the solution are BGP, VPN, and spine-leaf architecture."
"This is a feature-rich product and the newer models have improved features that allow for many new possibilities."
"The product offers very good routing and ranking capabilities."
"It has become easier for us to troubleshoot and find issues faster in the management software for the switches. It saves us troubleshooting time because if the network is down it has a big impact on production."
"This is a very reliable solution."
"The features I've found most valuable are that the product is very easy to configure and inexpensive."
"The setup is straightforward. It takes minimum time for deployment."
"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."
"The functionality is very good."
"Dell offers very good support."
"PowerConnect Switches' stability is satisfactory."
"The technology is good and the interface is simple. We haven't had any bugs, disconnections or delays."
"They need to implement sFlow."
"Its price can be improved. It is currently expensive."
"The customer service and support need a bit more improvement and a faster response. So, there is an area of improvement."
"With most of the Cisco devices and models, we faced a slight decrease in speed during the initial setup and while restarting the system"
"In terms of what could be improved, more integration is the main thing they should be focused on."
"I would like to see support for one-touch provisioning."
"Cisco is weird about their pricing models, so that's one problem. Their operating system is also a little outdated."
"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."
"Not a ten because I have to do a lot of testing on it. The correlation is okay."
"Because of the stackings you lose some boards and switches."
"The configuration should be improved."
"Their hardware is not reliable, it's faulty."
"The network features are not good."
"The pricing could always be a bit lower."
"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."
"There should be more port options in this switch. Currently, it has 24 or 48 ports. However, some of our customers require only 8 ports, but I have to put a switch with 24 ports. They should provide smaller solutions and complimentary access point for companies like ours with a low quantity of work. The main issue with this product is branding. They should improve their branding and promote their brand more in Mexico. Customers are more aware of brands like Cisco as compared to Dell."
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.
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.
