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Network Engineer at Saudi Customs
Real User
Stable, scalable, and it is easy to install
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to install."
  • "The price could be improved."

What needs improvement?

The price could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for 25 or 30 years,

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We don't have any issues with the stability of Cisco Catalyst Switches.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are scalable.

We have approximately 20,000 people who use this solution.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
April 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
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How are customer service and support?

I have not contacted technical support.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to install. Most of the engineers already know about it.

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

The pricing could be cheaper.

There is a one-time license, but we pay for the smart net license every three years for support.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a ten 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.

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    it_user1456230 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Head Cyber Security at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Straightforward, scalable and stable solution
    Pros and Cons
    • "They are pretty good. They are stable. Cisco has been around in the industry for a long time, so they are reliable, as well."
    • "In terms of what could be improved, more integration is the main thing they should be focused on."

    What is our primary use case?

    Cisco Catalyst Switches are pretty straightforward. They offer LAN and internal networking. They are for network segmentations and LAN and WAN perimeter networks.

    What needs improvement?

    In terms of what could be improved, more integration is the main thing they should be focused on.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I believe the sets of Cisco Catalyst Switches are being used in our company for more than five to seven years.

    I myself have been using this for the last two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    They are pretty good. They are stable. Cisco has been around in the industry for a long time, so they are reliable, as well.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite scalable.

    Our organization strength is around 15,000 using it.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    We are pretty happy with customer service. As far as my experience with Cisco is concerned, they are pretty up-to-date in terms of their responses.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was easy. They are very easy to install.

    What about the implementation team?

    We generally do a first model and we have an execution team. They take care of the implementation and everything.

    What other advice do I have?

    On a scale of one to ten, I would give Cisco Catalyst Switches around an eight.

    I think they're pretty okay. Cisco is pretty straightforward.

    I would absolutely recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches for others.

    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.

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      Buyer's Guide
      Cisco Catalyst Switches
      April 2025
      Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
      845,712 professionals have used our research since 2012.
      reviewer1429659 - PeerSpot reviewer
      facility manager
      Real User
      Easy to configure, stable, and scalable
      Pros and Cons
      • "Configuring the solution is very easy. It's quite a straightforward process, and it's not difficult at all."
      • "Compared to other switches, the Cisco products are expensive."

      What is our primary use case?

      We primarily use the solution for the LAN and WAN.

      What is most valuable?

      Configuring the solution is very easy. It's quite a straightforward process, and it's not difficult at all.

      The solution has proven itself to be very stable.

      We've found the solution to be quite scalable.

      The initial setup is quick and simple. Technical support is very good.

      What needs improvement?

      You need to have dual powers, dual power points for each to take into account the redundancy.

      Compared to other switches, the Cisco products are expensive.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I've been using the solution for a long time now. It's been ten years. It's been at least a decade.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      The solution is quite stable. There are no bugs and glitches. It doesn't crash and freeze. It's reliable and the performance is good.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      The solution scales well. If a company needs to expand it out, it can do so with relative ease.

      Everyone in our company uses the solution. We have about 4,000 employees currently.

      We do plan to continue to use the solution going forward.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      Cisco is available for support. We've been satisfied with them overall. I have no complaints.

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

      When I started with this company, they were using Cisco, and they've used Cisco since then. I do not know if any other solution has ever been used.

      How was the initial setup?

      The solution was not complex to set up. It was very straightforward and simple. It's a hot spot, and therefore everything happened very quickly. The experience was very good.

      It took our IT department about three hours to set everything up for us.

      We have 11 IT personnel in our organization that are capable of handling maintenance and deplyment.

      What about the implementation team?

      I'm just an end-user. Our IT department handled the installation and it was very simple. They didn't need the assistance of consultants or integrators. They handled it in-house themselves.

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

      The price is higher, however, I would argue that with the price you are getting a lot of value for money. That said, compared to other switches, the Cisco switches are expensive.

      We pay a yearly licensing fee to Cisco.

      What other advice do I have?

      We keep changing the version as it comes in. Every time we are going a new installation, we do the new modem.

      Cisco switches are superior. They're a robust product. Therefore, I would rate them at a nine out of ten overall. We are very satisfied with the technology. 

      I'd recommend the solution to other organizations.

      Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

      PeerSpot user
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        Vice President, Technology, Research & Development at Thales
        Real User
        A pretty good scalable and stable product
        Pros and Cons
        • "It is a pretty good product. I don't see a problem with this product. Cisco Catalyst Switches fit the best for the type of systems that we deploy. Our customers usually are happy with Cisco equipment. Many partners and third parties have ordered this solution."
        • "Its initial setup can be simpler, and it would be great if we can work with a reference architecture. Cisco has the capability to provide a very integrated solution. They have DNA Center, Cisco ISE, Cisco Prime, FMC, and AMP. We are looking at all the products, but it is rather complex to pick out the right licenses that you need. The license structure is a bit complex. Sometimes, there is an overlap in products, which does not really make sense. For example, you have DNA Center and Cisco Prime, and it is not really clear what you would use for what exactly. There is a lot of information on the Cisco website, but it takes a while to go through all this and look at the presentations that are available from Cisco Live. These presentations are appreciated, but sometimes, they are a bit too much like bullet points. You don't exactly know what's behind it, so you have to do a second guess. Overall, there is a lot of information but not always to the point."

        What is our primary use case?

        I am a solution architect and design authority. I define what we need and in which direction we are going to look. We then do some detailed investigation, get reports back, and make a decision. We are working on air traffic control systems. We use this solution for data centers and remote clients.

        What is most valuable?

        It is a pretty good product. I don't see a problem with this product. Cisco Catalyst Switches fit the best for the type of systems that we deploy. Our customers usually are happy with Cisco equipment. Many partners and third parties have ordered this solution.

        What needs improvement?

        Its initial setup can be simpler, and it would be great if we can work with a reference architecture.

        Cisco has the capability to provide a very integrated solution. They have DNA Center, Cisco ISE, Cisco Prime, FMC, and AMP. We are looking at all the products, but it is rather complex to pick out the right licenses that you need. The license structure is a bit complex. Sometimes, there is an overlap in products, which does not really make sense. For example, you have DNA Center and Cisco Prime, and it is not really clear what you would use for what exactly.

        There is a lot of information on the Cisco website, but it takes a while to go through all this and look at the presentations that are available from Cisco Live. These presentations are appreciated, but sometimes, they are a bit too much like bullet points. You don't exactly know what's behind it, so you have to do a second guess. Overall, there is a lot of information but not always to the point.

        For how long have I used the solution?

        I have been working with Cisco switches for 30 years.

        What do I think about the stability of the solution?

        It has pretty good stability.

        What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

        Scalability is pretty good.

        How are customer service and technical support?

        We have experience with professional services. If we do a design, usually we can get some support. After we deploy a new network, we can get professional services from Cisco to help us. I think that is fine. I had an experience with Cisco last week, where they wanted to sell professional services to help us in the early design phase, where things are more conceptual. They shouldn't do that. 

        Cisco should help based on the reference architecture. They should help the potential customer to get started without asking for money. I think Cisco equipment is expensive enough for that. I have no problem paying for professional services after we deploy it or when we do a detailed design. When it is early in a project's phase, we should get help from them to go in the right direction. It should be part of the normal business to work with an initial customer.

        How was the initial setup?

        The initial setup works well if you can build on earlier projects, but if you really have to make a completely new design, you will struggle a bit. We are working on a project now, and we have our experienced network engineers on this project, and they are struggling. The initial setup could be simpler.

        It would be great if we can work with reference architectures. I have also seen something like this with other suppliers, and I really liked it. I have seen some of the ideas in the Cisco Live presentations, but I'm not sure if it is really complete and clear enough. It should be worked out a bit further so that we can work with reference architectures, and then let's say base it on multiple products that you would apply in the reference architecture. 

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

        Cisco products are not that cheap.

        What other advice do I have?

        I would definitely recommend this solution. I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches 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: Reseller

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          reviewer1042635 - PeerSpot reviewer
          Science Technician at a government with 201-500 employees
          Real User
          Is easy to configure and resolves our internal problems
          Pros and Cons
          • "The most valuable feature is the interface, it's easy to configure. The command line uses a switch that gives us security."
          • "They should also have a graphic interface for the switches too without the command line."

          What is our primary use case?

          We have an Academy, we know how to manage it. We have the knowledge to manage it and it gives us security. We can configure the switch to resolve our internal problems. We can use one switch for five to six years.

          It's used for our processor, a small data center, and we have our network with at least 500 users.

          What is most valuable?

          The most valuable feature is the interface, it's easy to configure. The command line uses a switch that gives us security.

          What needs improvement?

          In the next release, they should lower the price. It's too expensive. 

          They should also have a graphic interface for the switches too without the command line. 

          For how long have I used the solution?

          I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for ten years. 

          What do I think about the stability of the solution?

          The stability is good. 

          What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

          We have 500 users. 

          It requires us to have at least 10 technicians. Five technicians and other administrative staff.

          In the future, we need to do disaster recovery in the cloud. We are working on-premise and our future is to use it on the cloud for our disaster recovery.

          How are customer service and technical support?

          We have a contract with a company that gives us support.

          How was the initial setup?

          The initial setup was not very complex. 

          What about the implementation team?

          We used a consultant for the implementation. 

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

          Licensing is on a yearly basis. We usually spend up to $20,000.

          What other advice do I have?

          I would recommend it because it's a good solution that gives you security and is easy to use.

          I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches an eight out of ten. They respond to all of our needs. 

          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.

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            Works at Thomson DeRienzo Engineering
            User
            Stable and have a long service life, but they are expensive and should be more cost-effective
            Pros and Cons
            • "They don't ever fail and they have a long service life."
            • "The price is high and it should be improved."

            What is our primary use case?

            We use this solution for networks linking SMB Offices and remote access VPN.

            What is most valuable?

            They don't ever fail and they have a long service life.

            What needs improvement?

            The price is high and it should be improved.

            For how long have I used the solution?

            I have been using this solution for twenty-five years.

            How are customer service and technical support?

            The service is good.

            What other advice do I have?

            Overall, I'm satisfied with this solution.

            Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Certified partner agreements

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              reviewer2332008 - PeerSpot reviewer
              Co- Founder at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
              Real User
              Top 20
              The online support available for the tool is good, but it can be difficult to understand the functioning of the solution
              Pros and Cons
              • "The benefit of the tool is that it is a stable product."
              • "There are multiple operating systems across Cisco's portfolio, which is problematic."

              What is our primary use case?

              I use the tool in my company for spine and leaf architectures and to deploy new data centers.

              How has it helped my organization?

              The benefit of the tool is that it is a stable product. You can find enough expertise in the market to hire someone for help if required. Cisco's technical support is great.

              What is most valuable?

              Cisco Catalyst Switches offer familiarity with operating systems. The operational knowledge that I have gained after working with Cisco for around ten to twelve years is the sole reason I prefer it. The stability in the operations that I get with Cisco Catalyst Switches, the support it offers to users through the articles available over the internet, and the expertise related to the tool available in the market are good.

              What needs improvement?

              There are multiple operating systems across Cisco's portfolio, which is problematic. Cisco's firewall has some different operating systems, while Cisco's routers have a different operating system, so you might need to have people with different expertise, and the learning curve might be a little high as compared to other network providers, which might have common operating systems across different types of devices.

              For how long have I used the solution?

              I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for ten to twelve years. Currently, I'm not working with Cisco. I have my own startup organization where I provide services related to networking devices.

              What do I think about the stability of the solution?

              It is a stable solution. I have no complaints about the tool's stability.

              What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

              It is a scalable solution.

              Around 100 people in my company use the tool.

              How are customer service and support?

              I have experience with the solution's technical support. I found Cisco's support team to be one of the best in the industry.

              I rate the overall tool a seven and a half out of ten.

              How would you rate customer service and support?

              Neutral

              How was the initial setup?

              It doesn't take much time to set up any Cisco device, but again, it depends on how comfortable you are with the tool. From my personal viewpoint, Cisco Catalyst Switches are pretty much easy to set up.

              The product's deployment phase initially starts with a discovery and a design workshop. After that, our company mostly automates a lot of stuff based on the design and discovery workshop, where we come up with some artifacts with respect to configuration, and then we leverage some automation tools to deploy it.

              The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.

              Depending on the size of the deployment, around eight to ten people are required from an operation standpoint, and not more than two people are required to manage the deployment process.

              What about the implementation team?

              The solution can be deployed with help from an in-house team.

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

              The licenses are definitely expensive. There is a need to make annual payments towards the subscription or licensing costs attached to the solution.

              What other advice do I have?

              Before a user picks up any product or solution, due diligence should be followed. Though Cisco offers many services, features, and functionalities, better solutions might be available in the market. If users need only ten features, it is better to choose a solution that offers only ten features rather than opting for something like Cisco, which offers over a hundred features, making it an expensive product.

              I rate the overall tool a seven and a half out of ten.

              Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

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                Senior Network Administrator at Calm blue ambassador - abcallcenter
                Real User
                Straightforward to upgrade, simple to configure, and good online community support
                Pros and Cons
                • "Cisco Catalyst Switches are easy to use, simple to configure, and straightforward to upgrade. Additionally, CDN has been very helpful for separation."
                • "The solution could improve by adding a user-friendly GUI. We use third-party applications for log monitoring that are expensive and if Cisco could provide log monitoring as part of this solution it would be beneficial."

                What is our primary use case?

                We are using this solution as a switch for networks.

                What is most valuable?

                Cisco Catalyst Switches are easy to use, simple to configure, and straightforward to upgrade. Additionally, CDN has been very helpful for separation.

                What needs improvement?

                The solution could improve by adding a user-friendly GUI. We use third-party applications for log monitoring that are expensive and if Cisco could provide log monitoring as part of this solution it would be beneficial.

                For how long have I used the solution?

                I have been using this solution for approximately six years.

                What do I think about the stability of the solution?

                The solution is stable.

                What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

                We have approximately 200 users using this solution in my organization.

                How are customer service and technical support?

                We have not used the technical support from Cisco. However, we have used Cisco Forums where we can write a question and one of the technical engineers will respond.

                How was the initial setup?

                The installation is not difficult, it comes with good documentation that can be followed.

                What about the implementation team?

                We did the implementation of the solutions.

                What other advice do I have?

                I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches 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
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                  Buyer's Guide
                  Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
                  Updated: April 2025
                  Buyer's Guide
                  Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.