We use the solution for its switches. It's very similar to Dell or HPE - only much stronger.
Network System Specialist at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Great technical support with very good scalability capabilities and good stability overall
Pros and Cons
- "Technical support is always very helpful and fast to respond."
- "The product should work on its pricepoints. It's an expensive solution."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The product is very strong. It's much stronger than other options on the market, for example, Dell and HPE.
The software is excellent.
Overall, the solution works very well and we don't have any real complaints in terms of its capabilities.
The product has been very stable and extremely reliable over the years.
You can scale the product quite well.
Technical support is always very helpful and fast to respond.
The stability has been great over the years.
What needs improvement?
The product should work on its pricepoints. It's an expensive solution. It's the main complaint I hear from people.
For how long have I used the solution?
At this point, I've been working with the solution for seven or eight years. It's been quite a while.
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Cisco Catalyst Switches
November 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's very reliable. We've been happy with its performance and its stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product can scale very well. When it comes to doing something like stacking - for example, stacking switches, of course, it is very simple to accomplish. It's very easy to stack two or more switches in order to expand the solution out. A company shouldn't have any issues with doing so.
We have a client that has 800 users and up on the solution.
We do plan to continue to use the solution into the future.
How are customer service and support?
Technial support responds quickly. They're very good at being timely. They also have a very good forum where you can ask your questions if you want to.
Overall, it's very easy to get in touch with them and to find the answers you need to resolve issues. We're quite satisfied with eh level of support they provide to us.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Veeam Backup and Replication High-Rated Course
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not too complex. It's pretty straightforward. For setting up the access layer, it takes about half an hour, which isn't that long. However, for the correlator - and that includes designing and drawing the map of the network and tasks such as that, it takes a few days.
What about the implementation team?
We're actually consulting and doing a project for a state company in Tehran, for more than 800 switches. We can assist clients in the implementation process if they would like s to.
What was our ROI?
Veeam Backup and Replication High-Rated Course
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is quite expensive. There are less expensive options on the market. The pricing can be a pain point for some companies.
What other advice do I have?
I work often with the 3,000 and 4,000 series versions. It's not necessarily the latest version all the time.
I'd recommend this solution to other organizations.
Overall, we've been quite satisfied with their level of service. I would rate them ten out of ten. They've worked perfectly over the years.
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.
Branch Manager / Team Leader at Bank Al Habib Limited
High performance, durable, and good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features are performance, speed, and durability."
- "In an upcoming release, adding SD-WAN capabilities would be a big advantage for our company."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution as a network switch in banking and financial environments.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are performance, speed, and durability.
What needs improvement?
In an upcoming release, adding SD-WAN capabilities would be a big advantage for our company.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for approximately 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have found the stability very good in this solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is good.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have licenses to have 24/7 technical support from Cisco directly. We have been satisfied with the support we have been receiving.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of this solution is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
In the future, we are going to implement the 2960-X next-generation version instead of this legacy solution we are using now which will have some added benefits.
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches an eight 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.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Owner & General Manager at a media company with 1-10 employees
Advanced customization and manageability
Pros and Cons
- "The operating system is great."
- "They need to implement sFlow."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for a full range of layer two and only limited set of layer three services.
We are a backbone company and we provide a public service. The traffic of millions of users traverse Cisco switches, but they are not within our company. It's a public service.
We plan to increase our usage of this solution.
What is most valuable?
The operating system is great.
What needs improvement?
They need to implement sFlow, other than that, I can't think of anything else that needs to be improved — I am happy.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for roughly 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches are very stable. We've been using them for 10 years without any issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We use an old model, they're not designed to be scalable. But in general, the Catalyst networking suite is scalable.
How are customer service and technical support?
For our application which is rather simple, we are using only 5% of the features that Cisco Catalyst switches offer. We haven't encountered any problems and therefore, we have not had to call technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used to use other products, but our CTO loves Cisco.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and very fast. In total, the whole installation process took two days.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed this solution by ourselves.
What was our ROI?
3-years
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price could always be lower.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Arista, Fiber Store, Dell, Extreme Networks
What other advice do I have?
I would absolutely recommend this solution to others. Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give Cisco Catalyst Switches a rating of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Manager, Information Technology at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Strong features, easy to manage, and excellent support
Pros and Cons
- "All features are very strong. It is very easy to manage. It is also certified and popular. Cisco has come up with a new management console to manage the switches. I still haven't tried it, but in my opinion, this is the best way forward. You can use software to manage the switches instead of the common line configuration. You can manage it through software, which is very easy."
- "It can have more security features to secure the access layer."
What is our primary use case?
We use it to connect our end users. It is used for DMZ connections behind the firewalls and campus network.
What is most valuable?
All features are very strong. It is very easy to manage. It is also certified and popular.
Cisco has come up with a new management console to manage the switches. I still haven't tried it, but in my opinion, this is the best way forward. You can use software to manage the switches instead of the common line configuration. You can manage it through software, which is very easy.
What needs improvement?
It can have more security features to secure the access layer.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Catalyst 9300 Series for the last two years. It is a new model. I have been using previous models, such as Catalyst 3750, 3560, and 2960, for maybe more than 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable. You just install it and forget about it for years. I had a switch that was running for more than 11 years without a singular restart. That switch had a running time of more than 11 years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. We have 400 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is great. I was talking to one of my colleagues just two hours back about Cisco technical support. They are brilliant and excellent. If we have any hardware failure, we get it fixed the second day. We get multiple engineers working on the case if it is a critical issue. They are really supportive.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have been using only Cisco solutions from the beginning. It has been more than 20 years now.
We plan to keep using this solution. We are going to refresh it with the latest model. We are in the process of acquiring the new model and replacing all obsolete switches with the new Catalyst 9K series. The order will be placed maybe next week.
How was the initial setup?
Its setup was easy. It took an hour to configure each switch.
What about the implementation team?
I deployed it myself. We have three network engineers to manage the entire network.
What other advice do I have?
I would definitely recommend this product to other users. 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.
facility manager
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.
CEO at a construction company with 11-50 employees
Flexible, user-friendly, stable, and easily set up with the proper training
Pros and Cons
- "These switches are flexible and user-friendly."
- "Installing and configuring these switches requires the proper training."
What is our primary use case?
We are a solution provider and Cisco switches are one of the products that we provide to our customers. It is primarily used for datacenter networking.
What is most valuable?
These switches are flexible and user-friendly.
What needs improvement?
Installing and configuring these switches requires the proper training.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been selling Cisco Catalyst Switches for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This product has very good stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability depends on the design, not the product.
Based on our demand, we will continue supplying these switches to both new and existing clients.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also work with Cisco Nexus switches.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is straightforward for somebody who has been trained. Somebody has to have the training to properly configure and work with it. It cannot be used out of the box by somebody who is unfamiliar with the technology.
The length of time required for deployment depends on the size of the environment and the number of switches.
What about the implementation team?
We deploy and maintain this solution for our clients. We have a team of between 12 and 15 engineers.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This is an expensive product.
There are different versions of these switches, where some of them have licenses and some do not. The subscription is often renewed every three years.
What other advice do I have?
In summary, this is a good product and I recommend it.
I would rate this solution 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
Information Security Officer at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Useful for core switching, very stable, and quick to deploy
Pros and Cons
- "These switches are very stable. We haven't had any problems. We also have some old switches that are working for almost ten years."
- "Their price should be cheaper. We lose a lot of work because of the price that they have."
What is our primary use case?
Cisco Catalyst Switches are more for core switching because they are enterprise solutions. We mostly use Cisco for all of our infrastructure, so these switches are used everywhere as core switches.
What is most valuable?
These switches are very stable. We haven't had any problems. We also have some old switches that are working for almost ten years.
What needs improvement?
Their price should be cheaper. We lose a lot of work because of the price that they have.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for more than 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
They are very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have a hundred users and maybe a hundred other ports for connecting servers with each other.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have opened a case with them for the FirePOWER Services, not Cisco Catalyst Switches, and it is the first time that I haven't got a response. It has been a week since I've sent the request, which was just a question, but I don't have any response so far. For the previous cases that I had with tech support, they were very quick.
How was the initial setup?
If you have experience in working with Cisco solutions, the initial setup is easy. Otherwise, it may be complicated.
The deployment doesn't take a long time. We already have the guidelines, and we have been doing it and using Cisco for a long time. It usually takes a maximum of one hour to configure the switches. Two people will be enough for deploying these switches.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
These switches are expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend these switches to others. We plan to keep using them.
I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a ten out of ten. We are happy with them.
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.
It's useful for connecting everything into one big domain, but we've had problems since we upgraded
Pros and Cons
- "Catalyst switches are our dedicated solution for connecting everything into one big domain."
- "We have configurations for port channels between two facilities, and we cannot communicate between these two buildings. An SFP configuration uses one wire to send and receive the signal. It's opt-in. We cannot use it after the upgrade. What can we do in this situation? We already bought it."
What is our primary use case?
Catalyst switches are our dedicated solution for connecting everything into one big domain.
What needs improvement?
We have configurations for port channels between two facilities, and we cannot communicate between these two buildings. An SFP configuration uses one wire to send and receive the signal. It's opt-in. We cannot use it after the upgrade. What can we do in this situation? We already bought it.
We have a lease between these buildings, so it's important for us. There are some other SFPs, but we cannot order them at the moment. It's a very slow project. We will order those and receive them after two or three months.
Cisco devices should support Cisco SFPs. Right now, I'm testing it on Cisco and some small devices, like Planets, and it worked. It has changed, but it's working. But it doesn't work using the original Cisco because inside of a Cisco Data Sheet it says they do not support this product on the device.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I thought Catalyst switches were stable, but now I'm not so sure.
How was the initial setup?
Deploying Catalyst switches is complex. We had to add a second one for high availability.
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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Updated: November 2024
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