Valuable Features:
Few pros on the Cisco ethernet switches are:
1 )Power saving design architecture
2) CDP, Cisco network discovery protocol, Smartports which make management and port configuration extremely easy and efficient
3) Increased confidentiality with MACSec layer-2 encryption
4) StackPower which helps in increasing power availability
5) Efficient QoS with priority for critical cooling
6) Added on support with hot swap, redundant power supplies and cooling
Room for Improvement:
Few cons on the cisco switches are
1) Pricing strategies
2) Gigabit EtherChannel
3) Port based ACL
4) Ingress and Egress filtering not present in all
5) IGMP snooping and ISL trunking feature not present in few good series switches
Other Advice:
Cisco has built upon its reputation in delivering high quality ethernet switches for small scale to enterprise level needs. Whether it be the Cisco 100/200 series, a few things which standout are the energy efficient technology for Gigabit ethernet, network performance through QoS, silent operation through fan less design, IPv6 support, and the green technology approach.