Linux Plus Infrastructure Engineer at Nampak Ltd
Real User
Has a good spanning tree, with power over the ethernet and RRP, virtual redundant routing and GLBP capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features include the redundancy one and the spanning tree."
  • "I would like for Cisco to come up with an affordable dynamic VLAN solution."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features include the redundancy one and the spanning tree. We also use the power over the ethernet. Moreover, we like the RRP, virtual redundant routing and GLBP, which are primarily on the Cisco Switches.

What needs improvement?

In the future it would be nice to see a dynamic VLAN database that's not managed by another, say, Cisco product.

I would like for Cisco to come up with an affordable dynamic VLAN solution. This would mainly serve the purpose of network access control. My thinking is along the lines of that of my colleagues, that there are non-Cisco infrastructures available which are more affordable. This would give us the option of using Cisco Catalyst or of moving on to the competition. 

Cisco ACI is a feature I would also like to see. When it comes to automation, it would be good to be able to use Ansible or Puppet to run one's network and enforce compliance. Roadmap is the way to go, especially when it comes to network engineers. I would be very pleased if Cisco were to enable its product to work with these automation tools. This is where the challenge lies in deployment for most network engineers. Automation is key. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Cisco Catalyst Switches for around 13 or 14 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable, durable and resilient. We had many issues in regards to other people and products and upgraded these solution so that they would be on par with Cisco.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
April 2024
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How are customer service and support?

I have not had to make use of direct technical support. Mainly I have taken advantage of the one which is online and this works very well for me. There are no issues to report. It has provided me with much assistance, especially the forum, and I would rate it as pretty good. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have worked with switches from other vendors, specifically SP and Ubiquiti. Then we worked with Cisco, as well. However, multiple infrastructure mainly applies to Cisco and this is in accordance with our enterprise standards. This means that we deploy Cisco for all sites that we take over.

When it comes to the access points side, we found Cisco to be a bit pricey and have utilized a different product that we combined with the Cisco switches. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is on the high end. Recently, at the beginning of this year, we actually did a  comparison of Cisco and HP products. As far as I see it, given the same specifications and features, Cisco is comparatively expensive.

What other advice do I have?

Cisco delivers when it comes to business value. So, I would advise others to go for it. But, they should be aware of budgetary considerations vis-a-vis the pricing. This is key. 

The product is one which delivers, especially as concerns large enterprise networks that put an emphasis on visibility and the time it takes for deployment and reaction to situations. Keeping this in mind, I would say that Cisco Analyst is the best for me. 

I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches as an 8.5 out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Head, IT Division at USTTB
Real User
Easy to deploy, stable, and have been running without any problem
Pros and Cons
  • "They are stable. We haven't had any particular problem with them."
  • "Their price should be improved. They are a little bit expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We have the Cisco Catalyst 2940 Series switches. We usually use these switches for connections inside our office. We have a three-story building, so we have quite a number of switches to connect specific departments. These switches are mainly used to share a connection among computers in a specific department. 

What is most valuable?

They are stable. We haven't had any particular problem with them. 

What needs improvement?

Their price should be improved. They are a little bit expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using these switches for around five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

They are stable. We haven't had any problems. There was a time when due to power failures or outages, we lost some switches and had to replace them. Power is very unstable here, and we are experiencing outages due to heat.

In one of the devices that I am using, I notice lights blinking from time to time. I don't know whether it is related to the equipment, but it seems that the connection is not going through. It only occurs from time to time. I am yet to understand the reason behind this. It is not a big problem, and we are able to use it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Our network doesn't grow so much, and it has more or less the same things. We are a public university, and we have three sites. I am at one of the sites. At this site, we have about 60 to 70 people. We also have our campuses where some of these switches are used. All in all, we have about 1,000 people.

We are setting up a national research and education network for which we have acquired some Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series switches, which are new to me. When we start using these, I would have more to say about what they can achieve in terms of scalability.

How are customer service and technical support?

We don't have external technical support. Unfortunately, this is not something that works very well in a country like ours. We have to rely on our own technicians. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have had the opportunity, although not so extensively, to use MikroTik. In my experience, they are easy to use, and they are cheaper. Our financial department opted for Cisco, but we are satisfied with Cisco. 

How was the initial setup?

It is easy. We haven't had much trouble.

What about the implementation team?

I can do it by myself.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

They are a little bit expensive. We are a public institution, so we go through other traders, and sometimes, they put in their own surplus price because it is a government contract. Cisco products are expensive, especially when you compare them to Huawei.

What other advice do I have?

I would surely recommend this solution. We plan to keep using these switches. 

I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
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PeerSpot user
IT Admin at UT Austin Office of Technology Commercialization
Real User
Streamlines operations and maintenance and reduces end-user downtime
Pros and Cons
    • "It would be helpful to have the ability to load new IOS software without performing a reboot or to be able to perform the reboot without disrupting end-users."

    What is our primary use case?

    LAN switch for both core and access layers. It has performed very well in this area.

    How has it helped my organization?

    The ease of deployment and the support are associated with a reduction in end-user downtime as well as in the operations and maintenance efforts required.

    What is most valuable?

    Among the most valuable features are the support and the ecosystem. There is a lot of documentation and information, and many support resources are available.

    What needs improvement?

    It would be helpful to have the ability to load new IOS software without performing a reboot, or to be able to perform the reboot without disrupting end-users.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    This is a very stable and mature platform with a proven record of reliability.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Catalyst is very a very scalable solution thanks to its Stack mechanism, as well as the modular functionalities of some models.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Cisco TAC support is very reliable and responsive. It has always been considered an industry benchmark among all IT support organizations.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    Business requirements were the driver for our switch to Catalyst. We needed an increase in port density and an increase in port speed, among other things.

    The most important criterion when selecting a vendor is the quality of the support team for technical issues.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup of Catalyst, in general, is straightforward and easily done by following the documentation.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    Extreme Networks, Juniper Networks, Dell.

    What other advice do I have?

    Consider your business requirements and only select the needed functions/features, to avoid over-complex solutions.

    I rate Catalyst a nine out of 10 because the product is extremely mature and reliable.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Sales project manager at Saraha
    Real User
    Works well, easy to use, and stable
    Pros and Cons
    • "These switches are stable. They work well and are easy to use."
    • "Cisco switches are expensive."

    What is our primary use case?

    We work on level 2 and level 3 switches to connect many branches.

    What is most valuable?

    These switches are stable. They work well and are easy to use.

    What needs improvement?

    Cisco switches are expensive.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been selling this solution for about 10 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    They are stable.

    How are customer service and support?

    I have not contacted their support. Another engineer has contacted them. We have our own two people for support.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We also deal with the HP ProCurve switch, but it is not as good in Libya.

    How was the initial setup?

    It is not complex now because we have CCNA and CCNP engineers. We have two engineers who are certified with Cisco. Overall, we have three people who work with this solution.

    What about the implementation team?

    We implemented and finished a big project for a company. The company is still working with the same components that we installed. For deployment, I have two people with me, but in our company, we have a big team of 20 people.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    They are expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend these switches to others. Cisco is a good company.

    I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a nine out of ten. 

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    IT Infrastructure Manager at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Easy to set up, good support, and interchangeable with other switches
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature of Cisco equipment is reliability."
    • "These switches should have better compatibility with software-defined technology."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use Cisco switches as part of our network infrastructure. We have a LAN and we will be implementing an SD-WAN in the future.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature of Cisco equipment is reliability.

    As we are a Cisco-based company, the interchangeability with other switches is something that is valuable for us.

    What needs improvement?

    These switches should have better compatibility with software-defined technology.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with Cisco Catalyst Switches for approximately 25 years. Our current Cisco equipment is about five years old.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    This is a stable product, which is why we use it. The majority of our equipment is more than five years old.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Cisco switches are very scalable.

    We have two organic employees and we outsource between six and ten.

    How are customer service and support?

    The technical support that we get is great. We have another partner for support, rather than contact Cisco directly.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I have been working with similar products from Dell EMC for approximately 15 years. Our most recent Dell product is about five years old. There have been improvements made with some of the newer products that have been released since then.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was easy. We do have experience with Cisco products and also, our setup is not very difficult or complex. It's just a simple setup.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I cannot say that the pricing is reasonable because it's a little above our expectations. If we consider the recent price increases, it is not acceptable anymore. They are trying to price us out of our budget.

    What other advice do I have?

    We want to adopt SD-WAN technology at the switch level. We will be expanding the software-defined capabilities of Cisco equipment to the LAN side of our network. We expect that Cisco will be the primary vendor for the equipment we use to initiate that move. This is not just for the wide-area network, but also the local area network.

    In summary, Cisco is a good vendor but they're quite pricey at the moment.

    I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Senior Network Engineer at a marketing services firm with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Good VLAN capabilities and technical support, but the pricing is too high
    Pros and Cons
    • "The Cisco Catalyst is very stable and it can last for many years."
    • "Cisco has to lower the price of its products to make them more cost-effective."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our network infrastructure uses Cisco devices, including Cisco Catalyst Switches. 

    The primary use case is routing traffic between the various sites that we are connected to. We have leased lines connected all over the country for use cases in revenue, immigration, and other government services.

    What is most valuable?

    You can easily set up and configure VLANs.

    It is easy to set up connections between devices.

    What needs improvement?

    Cisco has to lower the price of its products to make them more cost-effective.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The Cisco Catalyst is very stable and it can last for many years. Some of our switches ran up until end-of-life and we are still using them now. We know that it's end-of-life but they still do the job.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We use a lot of products from Cisco.

    How are customer service and support?

    The Cisco technical support is fine and we are satisfied with it. However, at this time, we are getting our support from another company and there are some issues with our subscription. As such, we are not getting all of our services.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We use Ubiquiti devices for our wireless LAN, and in addition to Cisco, we have routers from MikroTik. Within the last month, we used some Ruckus devices. These were connected to our MikroTik and Cisco devices.

    We also bought a Cisco Nexus, but it is not yet configured.

    How was the initial setup?

    The deployment was done before I joined the company.

    What about the implementation team?

    I am responsible for network maintenance. It includes updating the routers and adding new devices. I will deploy the Nexus switch that we bought recently.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The prices of Cisco devices are too high.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We currently have the Catalyst 2960 and it is going end-of-life, so I am considering a replacement. They suggested replacing it with the 9200 but I'm currently comparing Cisco and Meraki devices.

    In the market, some people are moving away from Cisco and using MikroTik devices because the price of Cisco products is too high. MikroTik products are cheaper and the gap in prices is too big. This is something that Cisco needs to consider.

    What other advice do I have?

    I am looking forward to learning more about the Nexus that we bought because we are using old technology. There are a lot of new features.

    I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Director of Product Management at a engineering company with 11-50 employees
    Real User
    Reliable, good scalability, and easy to configure through the command-line interface
    Pros and Cons
    • "One of the most valuable features is the MatchBox Switch."
    • "They need to simplify the Web GUI and make it easier to use, and more intuitive for the users."

    What is our primary use case?

    I use this solution for AV, Audio-Video applications, over IP solutions. It's to forward Audio-Video IP packets based on the ITMP protocol. I also needed a POE port to power the transmitters and receivers.

    What is most valuable?

    One of the most valuable features is the MatchBox Switch.

    What needs improvement?

    I used to use the CLI, the command line, but some users may want to use the Web GUI.

    They need to simplify the Cisco 2960 Web GUI control, but not the entire version or the functionality for the Web GUI control.

    IT people will most often use the CLI to configure the Cisco Switch.

    They need to simplify the Web GUI and make it easier to use, and more intuitive for the users.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have more than ten years of experience working with Cisco Switches.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's stable. The Catalyst Switches are reliable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability is good.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    I have not contacted Cisco technical support.

    There are several training videos available on YouTube. 

    If you Google, you can very easily gather material or training videos on how to configure the Cisco switch. 

    The Cisco website itself is too complicated for the user and there are too many things on it. If the users are not familiar with Cisco, it's very difficult to find useful information on the Cisco website. 

    In general, I don't use the Cisco website. I just Google the Cisco user manual or training video on YouTube to learn how to configure some features. 

    How was the initial setup?

    If you are familiar with the Cisco Switch, it is pretty straightforward to configure it using the CLI.

    If you are not familiar, in general, you will use the Web GUI.

    What other advice do I have?

    There are several YouTube videos available to help configure the Cisco switches. It is very easy to configure them.

    I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches and eight out of ten. It's a pretty good switch.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Victor Arceo - PeerSpot reviewer
    IT Operations Section Head at Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation
    Real User
    Enterprise-grade networking switches that are stable and scalable
    Pros and Cons
    • "I like everything about Cisco Catalyst Switches. It's both stable and scalable."
    • "The price could be better. For Cisco, there is no need for improvement except for the price. It's expensive."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use Cisco Catalyst Switches for the local area network.

    What is most valuable?

    I like everything about Cisco Catalyst Switches. It's both stable and scalable.

    What needs improvement?

    The price could be better. For Cisco, there is no need for improvement except for the price. It's expensive.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for about ten years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's a stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Cisco Catalyst Switches are scalable. We have about 1,300 users.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Technical support was okay.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup and installation were straightforward. For configuration, it took around ten minutes. For the maintenance, we have two network administrators—just two personnel.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    It's expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend this solution to new users.

    On a scale from one to ten, I would give Cisco Catalyst Switches a ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: April 2024
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.