We use it mainly for access, as an access switch to other PCs.
Project Manager at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Provides us with a robust and scalable access switch solution
Pros and Cons
- "In terms of additional features or improvements, I would like to see more fiber ports, more security features, and perhaps the integration of wireless features into the switch."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The greatest benefit for our organization is that our Cisco Catalysts are quite reliable. We can depend on them.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of this solution are that they are quite robust, they hardly ever fail.
What needs improvement?
In terms of additional features or improvements, I would like to see more fiber ports, more security features, and perhaps the integration of wireless features into the switch.
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Cisco Catalyst Switches
March 2025

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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very scalable, because of the stacking features.
How are customer service and support?
Cisco supports this solution quite well. I like the support from Cisco.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have always used Cisco. I think it is the most reliable solution on the market.
When selecting a vendor, for me the most important criteria are
- the competency of their engineering staff
- their product knowledge.
How was the initial setup?
As I said, I mostly deployed it as an access switch, and at that level, it is not complex. If you are talking about using it as a core switch, that would be much more complex. But we are only using it as an access switch.
What other advice do I have?
Do a comparison with other brands and look at their features. The main Cisco Catalyst features are that it is scalable and reliable. These are two things you should look into when doing your comparison.
I would rate Cisco Catalyst at eight out of 10. It's reliable, the features are quite full-fledged, and it's scalable.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: System Integrator.

Hybrid Cloud & Infrastructure Operations at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
A stable and easy-to-deploy solution with quick support and DHCP feature
Pros and Cons
- "I recently discovered the DHCP feature. There is a feature with which you can make the core act as a DHCP server, and it will distribute the IPs for every device. I discovered this feature recently, and it is very nice."
- "Its price can be improved. Some devices can be very expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We are supporting many clients. Some of them have Cisco switches, and some of them have HPE. We are supporting their network and solving any requests. We are doing troubleshooting for them. For most of the clients, we do full support of the network, but it also depends on the service that they took from our company. Some of them don't give us access to their core switches, which is very rare. Most of the clients give us full access. If they need, for example, a new route, we edit the VLAN port configuration, port channels, etc.
We are also managing the wireless controller for all clients. We are supporting them by creating the wireless connection and changing the password periodically.
What is most valuable?
I recently discovered the DHCP feature. There is a feature with which you can make the core act as a DHCP server, and it will distribute the IPs for every device. I discovered this feature recently, and it is very nice.
What needs improvement?
Its price can be improved. Some devices can be very expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with this solution for around two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
If you follow the recommendation of Cisco, it is scalable. Sometimes, when there is anything wrong with it, we open a ticket with Cisco, and they recommend upgrading the IOS.
We have many clients here. Most of them have Cisco. We have three clients with HPE.
How are customer service and support?
They are very nice and very quick.
How was the initial setup?
Most of them are easy, especially if you have a stack solution. If it is arranged as a stack, it would be very easy to do an installation, and it also takes a shorter time than the standalone. One of the clients I worked with had a stack solution, and it was very easy. We just had to erase everything, put the new switch in there, and connect the stack cables and power cables. That was it. Sometimes, it can take the configuration from the flash.
The number of people required depends on the topology. If it is a big topology, you need two or three people. If it is a small topology, you need less number of people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is overpriced. Some devices can be very expensive.
Most of the clients have a contract with Cisco for two or three years.
What other advice do I have?
There are different categories of switches. There are Layer 2 and Layer 3 switches. In Layer 2 switches, 2650 is nice. It is a good switch. In Layer 3, most of the switches are good.
I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.
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
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
March 2025

Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
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Network Support Engineer at Nigeria LNG Limited
Easy to set up with good support and excellent stability
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to use."
- "The price of the product is very expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for ethernet WAN connectivity, LAN connectivity, wireless, then integration with other third-party solutions. That's all we use it for, for the most part.
What is most valuable?
The solution is easy to use.
It is very stable and the performance has been very reliable.
The installation process is fairly straightforward.
Technical support has been helpful.
What needs improvement?
The solution should work to become more scalable.
The price of the product is very expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for a long time. It's likely been 15 years or more. It's well over a decade at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is very good. The performance is great. It doesn't crash or freeze and there are no bugs or glitches.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable enough. It could be better.
We have around 2,000 users on the switches currently.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support has been good overall. We've been in touch in the past. They were helpful and responsive and we've been satisfied with them in general.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not previously use a different solution. We've been using Cisco switches for a very long time.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is pretty straightforward. If I need to do a new deployment, for example, we just go to the store, get a new one, and install it. We have 40 right now. The installation is very easy.
Due to the fact that we have another of the Cisco products in our environment, Cisco Prime, it helps to deploy switches faster. It's very easy. It doesn't take much time to deploy.
We have five engineers that are able to handle any deployment or maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
I was able to handle the implementation process myself. I did not need the assistance of an integrator or consultant.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We do find the cost to be quite high. They should work to lower it if possible.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the product itself at a nine out of ten. It's been very good so far and we are satisfied with its capabilities. The cost is quite high, however.
I would recommend the solution to other users and organizations.
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.
Network Security Coordinator at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The 802.1X port security works well and helps keep the network secure
Pros and Cons
- "The 802.1X port security and other security features work well and help keep the network secure."
- "The CLI is pretty much the same across all switching and routing platforms from Cisco, making deployment of new switches, replacement of damaged equipment, or upgrades to newer platforms very easy."
What is our primary use case?
Access layer Switches. VLAN Segmentation, Inter-VLAN and LAN Routing. 802.1X network access device.
How has it helped my organization?
This platform has enabled reliable connectivity across the entire campus network. Great performance and stability ensure that the network is available where you need it. The 802.1X port security and other security features work well and help keep the network secure. PoE helped us deploy WLAN APs, security cameras, and IP phones with minimal cabling.
What is most valuable?
- Very stable and dependable switches.
- The wide range of features will be enough for almost any LAN environment.
- The CLI is pretty much the same across all switching and routing platforms from Cisco, making deployment of new switches, replacement of damaged equipment, or upgrades to newer platforms very easy.
What needs improvement?
I have found no major drawbacks in the Catalyst platforms. The price is high, but for seemingly the best LAN switching platform available, coupled with Cisco's excellent support, the price doesn't seem to be too much.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
No issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
No issues with scalability.
How is customer service and technical support?
Technical support is the best I have worked with.
How was the initial setup?
Basic switching functionality works out-of-the-box, as with any other switch. Complexity will depend on the task at hand, but if you're familiar with the Cisco CLI you should have no problem finding your way.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing of Cisco equipment is high, but I think these switches are worth the price.
What other advice do I have?
I have been working with Catalyst switches for 10 years. Cisco support is among the best there is. Use it.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Technical Specialist at Wipro Technologies
A robust solution and it enables us to bring the network up in a very short time
Pros and Cons
- "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."
- "One feature that I would like to add is for the following: At times, when I add an access-list for a hostname, it doesn't actually add the hostname, it adds the IP address. So in the back-end, if my server changes the IP address I have to go in manually and change the IP address. If the capability was there in Cisco to add a hostname instead of the IP address that would be really good."
What is our primary use case?
We use it for connecting the users on the network. The performance has been good.
How has it helped my organization?
I've used other switches as well but, when configuring Catalyst, we are able to bring the network up in a very short time. If the company wants to extend the network or wants to get some new users on board, the usage is pretty fast and, in no time, it gets moving. For other switches, it might take some time for us to do research and get the system online. So it provides business benefits. The users don't have to wait to get on the network.
What is most valuable?
Cisco is one of the most robust switches, it is easy to configure, and the documentation is pretty good. Once you install it, you never face an issue with that switch.
What needs improvement?
One feature that I would like to add is for the following: At times, when I add an access list for a hostname, it doesn't actually add the hostname, it adds the IP address. So in the back-end, if my server changes the IP address, I have to go in manually and change the IP address. If the capability was there in Cisco to add a hostname instead of the IP address that would be really good.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a pretty stable product. Once you install it in the network, it keeps running without any issues. You just install it and forget it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable. If you want to install more switches it's pretty easy to pull up a wire, configure the new switch, and connect it to the network. It starts and you won't have to worry if the other switches will be compatible with it or not. In a multi-vendor environment as well, if you want to more switches, it works pretty well.
How is customer service and technical support?
Tech support is good. The response has been good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is pretty straightforward. There is a guide, as well as support, on the internet. We just follow it. A person who is doing it for the first time can just follow it and get it installed.
What other advice do I have?
I would definitely have colleagues go for Cisco Catalyst. It's a pretty good product, stable, and reliable.
Most important when selecting a vendor are that the connection should be stable, it should have good support, and it should not be really complex to configure.
I would rate Cisco Catalyst at nine out of 10. The one point I'm leaving is for the improvement I spoke about. There is always room for improvement. Cisco Catalyst is pretty good. I have never faced any issues or challenges with it.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Service integrator.
Director of Product Management at a engineering company with 11-50 employees
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.
Telecommunication Department Head at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Reasonably priced with good routing capabilities but needs to be more stable
Pros and Cons
- "The installation process is very straightforward."
- "We would like the solution to be more stable."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is primarily used for getting network switching and routing for the telephone exchange here.
What is most valuable?
The solution is rather inexpensive.
The product has very good routing capabilities.
The installation process is very straightforward.
What needs improvement?
We would like the solution to be more stable.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about five years or so. It's been a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution's stability is questionable. It's something they could work on. It would be ideal if it had better performance and reliability.
How are customer service and technical support?
I've bever dealt directly with technical support as everything so far has been fine. We haven't had any issues or required any assistance so far.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Huawei switches, however, we do not use them anymore. We have completely moved away from them.
How was the initial setup?
We have found that the installation process isn't overly complex or difficult. It was pretty straightforward and simple for us. We didn't face any complexity issues.
For every switch, it took a few hours to be adjusted and managed.
We only needed one technical person for deployment and maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
We had a manager that was able to handle the initial setup. We didn't hire any consultants or integrators.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We found the product to be reasonably priced. It's not too expensive.
We do not pay a licensing fee to use the product.
What other advice do I have?
We use various versions of the solutions, including versions 12 and 15X.
I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten. We're mostly happy with the product.
I'd recommend the solution to other users and companies.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
System Administrator at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Helps us connect drivers and desktops, the expandability provides flexibility
Pros and Cons
- "A very expandable solution."
- "The switches could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
My primary use case of this solution is for connecting up drivers and desktops. I'm a system administrator and we're a customer of Cisco.
What is most valuable?
I like the expandability of the solution. I have a pair of 6509 catalyst switches and they use the add on boards. I also like the dual power supplies.
What needs improvement?
We are not working off the latest version so the switches on the product are very old and that could be improved. The one gig boards are strictly one gig and not backward compatible. This switch also does not have power over ethernet, so that's old.
I'd like to see a better web interface. I can't tell you what the existing generations have so I'm sure there have been improvements. These are so old and I'm sure modern switches now have much better tools to interface with them.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for over 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's clearly very stable, otherwise we wouldn't be using it anymore. The fact that we still use it shows how stable it is.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
That switch was very scalable because itwas one of the ones that had nine slots in it. So it could have additional boards within.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was fairly straightforward but we're not doing anything fancy with it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We're not paying maintenance - these switches were end of life years ago. Maintenance is separate from licensing. Now there is no additional monthly recurring cost on the Cisco switches that we are running.
What other advice do I have?
This solution has been good to us, it's very solid.
I would rate this solution a nine out of 10.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

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Updated: March 2025
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