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reviewer1252953 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Solutions Architect at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Well-document, easy to deploy, simple to manage and use
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are manageability, scalability, and simplicity."
  • "We have had some problems with the licensing model, and it is something that should be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We are a solution provider and SD-WAN, Cisco's software-defined wide area network, is one of the products that we work with.

At this point, only one of our clients has implemented this solution. They are a bank that has redundant links in their branches.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are manageability, scalability, and simplicity.

What needs improvement?

We have had some problems with the licensing model, and it is something that should be improved. Specifically, Cisco has some bugs regarding licensing that they need to resolve.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco's SD-WAN is a stable product.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable solution. Our financial client has approximately 200 branches.

How are customer service and support?

This was our first implementation of this solution and we didn't need to contact technical support.

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

I have used Citrix SD-WAN as well, although I have very little experience with it.

How was the initial setup?

The process is well documented and the installation is easy. In our team, we have four people on the team to implement SD-WAN.

The length of time required for deployment depends on the environment. For controllers, it takes between two and three days to deploy. For individual branches, it depends on the situation.

What about the implementation team?

We have an in-house team of four people for deployment and maintenance.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, this is a good solution and I recommend it. The only complaint I have is that I would like them to resolve the problems with the licensing model.

I would rate this solution a nine 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
Architect IT-systemen at Cegeka
MSP
Easy to deploy, roll out, and use for failovers and designing solutions
Pros and Cons
  • "It is really easy to deploy and use. It is also easy to use for failovers and designing solutions. The rollout is really quick. It is easy to adjust and roll out."
  • "It is the best solution that I ever had, but there might be something better than this in the future."

What is our primary use case?

We use Cisco SD-WAN for a VPN, and we create the DNS in Fortinet. We have used this solution for data centers and failover tests for disaster recovery.

What is most valuable?

It is really easy to deploy and use. It is also easy to use for failovers and designing solutions.  

The rollout is really quick. It is easy to adjust and roll out.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco SD-WAN for five or six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is as stable as your lines are. We mostly have fiber connections, and it is really stable and performing well. I once had a problem with a power unit, but I have never experienced any downtime.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have contacted them. All engineers were experienced enough to support us. We had a special team from Cisco.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. The design takes longer than the implementation. You have to know your layer 3, but it can also define layer 2 or layer 1. It is really a great tool. 

What about the implementation team?

I used a consultant for the implementation. I am an architect, and I only design the solution. I discuss the solution with the network engineer and then roll it out with the help of the network engineer and the project manager.

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

It is much cheaper than other solutions. Most of our clients are the top 500 companies, and they all have a corporate contract.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. It is a great solution, and it is already defined. It is more suitable for medium and large enterprises operating in lots of regions and countries. For smaller organizations, you can use a normal business DSL solution. 

I would advise doing a VR test to make sure that all settings are correct. We have had issues where the configuration or IP spoofing on the network was not so good. You also need to know the number of tenants that you need. You can set it up on paper, but if you don't test it, you would never know that it is working. 

I would rate Cisco SD-WAN a nine out of ten. It is the best solution that I ever had, but there might be something better than this in the future.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1657632 - PeerSpot reviewer
Vice President Of Services at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Scalable with good visibility but needs native connectivity into the major cloud providers
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution can scale. We haven't had any issues doing so."
  • "Technical support could be more helpful and responsive."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is primarily just for software-defined WAN or WAN edge solutions. We use it to connect to data centers.

What is most valuable?

All the features that they have in there have been great. The solution offers good quality of service, visibility, connectivity, and security. It's all of that stuff that makes it good. That is what's required.

Cisco is finding its footing in that area, and they're getting better.

For our team, the installation is pretty straightforward.

The solution can scale. We haven't had any issues doing so.

What needs improvement?

The quality could always continuously improve. For example, we've had stability concerns in the past.

Native connectivity into the major cloud providers would be ideal.

Often, the solution does require a specialized team to come in and assist with the initial setup.

Technical support could be more helpful and responsive. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been dealing with the solution for three or four years at this point. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution could be more stable. There are issues that they've had to deal with.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution seems to be scalable so far. For all the opportunities we've been involved with, it's been good and we haven't hit a wall.

How are customer service and technical support?

We do deal with technical support from time to time. Their tech support could be better. We are not 100% satisfied with the level of service they offer.

How was the initial setup?

For us, the implementation is easy, as we are trained to handle it. The product usually requires somebody like us to come in there and help customers through this.

Deployment times vary depending on the client and the environment. It depends on how big, the opportunity, how many sites, how many branches, et cetera. All of that stuff comes into play.

What about the implementation team?

We assist our clients with the implementation process.

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

I can't speak to the costs associated with the product. We get involved with just the installations, that's all.

What other advice do I have?

We're a service partner. As implementors, we install all versions. Usually, however, when we get involved, it's always the latest version that we are installing.

I'd advise users to understand what they're getting. It's a good idea to probably do a POC to see it and make sure it meets all the requirements that the company is looking for before buying in completely.

I'd rate the solution at a six out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1420671 - PeerSpot reviewer
Pre-sales Engineer at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Good security, easy to deploy, and integrates well with other Cisco products
Pros and Cons
  • "You get security, all of the service you need, and it's easy to deploy."
  • "Cisco products are a little bit complicated, so making them a little bit easier would be an improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We are a solution provider and Cisco SD-WAN is one of the products that we implement for our customers. I am a pre-sales engineer and help with the consultancy.


What is most valuable?

The idea of SD-WAN is very good and it's efficient.

You get security, all of the service you need, and it's easy to deploy.

It is a feature-rich product with a lot of components.

What needs improvement?

Cisco products are a little bit complicated, so making them a little bit easier would be an improvement. The installation is easy but having many components, and the integration with other components, is a little bit complex compared to other products and other vendors.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Cisco SD-WAN for one or two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is definitely a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable product and it can also be integrated with other Cisco products such as NSO (Network Services Orchestrator) and the virtual CPE. The customers for this product are enterprise-level companies.

How are customer service and technical support?

The Cisco technical support is excellent.

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

Prior to this solution, we used Cisco iWAN.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy to do. I'm not sure of how long it takes to deploy, but it is not very complex and if all of the requirements are met then it should be straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

We deploy this product for our clients.

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

Cisco is more expensive than some competing products.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have compared Cisco with all of the vendors such as Fortinet and Talari. I believe that Cisco is the best, overall. It is not the cheapest, but it is the best both technically and support-wise.

With respect to other vendors, they have different strengths. For example, Fortinet is coming from a security background so they have quite a good product with a secure firewall on it. However, they lack some of the SD-WAN functionalities. I believe the routing part is still being done on the CPE, whereas with Cisco, it's done on the orchestrator.

Overall, I don't know how other vendors can compete with Cisco, and that is partly because of the integration that Cisco has with all of its products. It gives them a big edge.

What other advice do I have?

Cisco is a company that has been in this market for quite a long time. They have a stable office, stable software, and all of the features are there. Having the SD-WAN on top of the routers they have has given them an advantage. Plus, they have a wide range of products and there is integration between all of them and SD-WAN.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Solution Architect at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Reseller
Good application-level routing and easy to manage with a single dashboard, but it should include a complete firewall
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the application-level routing."
  • "This solution should include a fully functional firewall at no extra charge."

What is our primary use case?

We are a solution provider and this is one of the products that we implement for our clients.

One of our customers has approximately 100 branches that were linked together using Cisco SD-WAN in multiple phases. In the first phase, they started with 40 branches. In the head office, they have two MPLS links and two internet links. In each branch, they have one of each. Before implementing this solution, they could not do both things at the same time.

How has it helped my organization?

With Cisco, you can optimize and design the solution in the way you want. For example, you can have 1,000 branches with three or four data centers, and if you can reroute the traffic from one branch to the nearest data center in order to inspect the traffic.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the application-level routing. One of our clients used this solution to route VOIP and video calls using MPLS.

The single dashboard makes the management very easy.

What needs improvement?

This solution has a built-in firewall that handles URL filtering and functionality, but you have to buy other cisco services like, Umbrella. Some of the customers would rather just use Fortinet or Palo Alto. This solution should include a fully functional firewall at no extra charge. At this time it supports layers three, four, and five, but it needs support for a level seven firewall.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco SD-WAN is stable. There might be minor bugs in a few of the features, but overall, the product is stable and the customers are happy with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is highly scalable. We have heard that you can have 10,000 or 20,000 servers.

Our clients are medium-scale customers, as opposed to really large enterprises. They are retail stores, organizations in the hospitality industry, and pharmaceutical companies.

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

We have also worked with Meraki SD-WAN, but the choice of solution depends on the customer's size and requirements. Meraki is for smaller clients. For example, Meraki only supports two landings, whereas Cisco supports more than that.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not that easy, although there is training that is available for it. It will take time to create templates and the other configuration that needs to be done.

it will take between five and ten days to complete the basic, initial setup, which includes changing the IP addresses. After that, you can migrate two or three branches a day if you have the devices.

What other advice do I have?

My advice for anybody who is researching this solution is to consider the size of the environment. If they have 100 to 150 branches, then they should also look into other solutions such as VeloCloud by VMware.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Sales Engineer at Logicom
Reseller
Easy to manage and monitor the network's health but requires more security features
Pros and Cons
  • "It's very easy to manage and monitor the network's health and security using the solution."
  • "Since most user-data is going through the solution, we are concerned about security, as all the information is in the cloud and not on-premises. The user data authentification should be higher to better prevent malicious attacks."

What is our primary use case?

The solution allows us to manage a network or manage policies and goals from the cloud. 

What is most valuable?

The solution has a high trust-level with clients.

The solution offers the customer good cost savings.

Our organization has found that the solution has helped us increase our levels of security for client networks.

It's very easy to manage and monitor the network's health and security using the solution.

The solution is east to upgrade as necessary.

What needs improvement?

Since most user-data is going through the solution, we are concerned about security, as all the information is in the cloud and not on-premises. The user data authentification should be higher to better prevent malicious attacks.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've only been working with the solution for about three or four months, so I am not what I would call an expert on the solution.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is extremely stable. It's not something that has a lot of bigs and glitches. It's reliable. It doesn't crash.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is easily scalable. A company would have no trouble expanding.

How are customer service and technical support?

We've found the technical support to be quite helpful. We've used it both on desktop and in front of clients and we've been satisfied with their level of support. You can also go online and view solutions to queries.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was not complex. It was straightforward. If we couldn't handle a technical aspect, we had technical people on hand who could assist us. The cloud version is easy to operate and manage. We didn't have any issues.

How long it takes to deploy depends on the size of the network, as well as the policies and how much there is to manage. It does take some time.

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

The pricing of the solution is okay. Previously we used Cisco Prime and found we were wasting a lot. This is much better for us and our clients. However, it's still expensive.

What other advice do I have?

We're a Cisco partner.

I would recommend the solution. I'd rate it six out of ten. If it could guarantee better security, we would rate it higher. The cost could also be less.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Sr. Network Engineer Consulting Services at a consumer goods company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Cloud base integrations and low operational overheads
Pros and Cons
  • "There is minimum blind space in this solution."
  • "The main issue is that not in the technology, but it comes back comparison. When we do a comparison with other SD WAN solutions, they are priced better."

What is our primary use case?

Here in Pakistan, there are few deployments of Cisco SD-WAN. We are trying to push Cisco to our clients. But the issue is that the prices of the competitors are too high. So it's very difficult to capture the market here in Pakistan. As you know, practice in Pakistan, the market is under development and Pakistan is a developing country and they are looking for a cheap solution at a price to achieve in terms of price comparison with other windows.

How has it helped my organization?

Cisco SD-WAN improved the productivity of our organization, in terms of ROI and in terms of the resources they require.

What is most valuable?

Good for cloud bases integrations and operational overheads. There is minimum blind space in this solution.

What needs improvement?

The main issue is that not in the technology, but it comes back comparison. When we do a comparison with other SD-WAN solutions, they are priced better. Then on that basis, they conclude to use the other solution. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco SD-WAN is stable. It's scalable and reliable, and robust.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco SD-WAN is scalable. It's scalable and reliable, and robust.

How are customer service and technical support?

I believe the Cisco technical support as compared to other principles is some of the best support we've ever seen.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is the most straightforward part. It takes some time. But then you want to add the other branches, it takes only three to four minutes.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Cisco SD-WAN at an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
it_user1232472 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Security Associate at VPS
Real User
Good solution for centralized management, but needs an option to have more SD-WAN ports
Pros and Cons
  • "The centralized management is the most important feature. We can monitor what is going on at every location in our network with just one center."
  • "I would like them to add some more SD-WAN ports. We have seen one implementation where there were four ISPs. Currently, we have a maximum of two ports for ISP in this device. Therefore, we cannot connect directly, and we need other switches. There should be some option to have more than two ports for SD-WAN."

What is our primary use case?

We have deployed Cisco Meraki devices at 107 locations to connect with the cloud for centralized management. We are using MX68, MS120, and MR33.

We are currently also considering Cisco Meraki for another project for implementation at 28 locations. We have a team of three members looking into different solutions and vendors. We're looking into the firewall, SD-WAN, and email certificate.

What is most valuable?

The centralized management is the most important feature. We can monitor what is going on at every location in our network through just one center.

What needs improvement?

I would like them to add some more SD-WAN ports. We have seen one implementation where there were four ISPs. Currently, we have a maximum of two ports for ISP in this device. Therefore, we cannot connect directly, and we need other switches. There should be some option to have more than two ports for SD-WAN. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for seven to eight months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have faced issues with one or two boxes. We replaced those boxes.

How are customer service and technical support?

Cisco provides the best support among all the vendors. It's the best in terms of technical support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward. For one location, it would take around two days: one day for the configuration and connecting to the cloud and one day to go to the client location and deploy it.

What other advice do I have?

Cisco Meraki dashboard is very good. It's simple, and you can enable and implement everything using this dashboard. Cisco Meraki is for large enterprises.

I recommend Cisco Meraki to all my clients who have different locations and want to have a centralized location. Every architecture is moving towards the cloud. Centralized management makes accessibility easier for one person. We can know what is going on at a location and what is going into the devices. Whatever configuration changes are required, we can do them from one place. We don't have to go to the client's location. We also don't have to log in to different devices to do configuration or something like that. We can do it from one centralized management.

I would rate Cisco SD-WAN a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: January 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.