Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
it_user683439 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Vendor
I can dissect my network based on the users within a particular location.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features, to me, are CDP, VTP, ACLs, and routing.

How has it helped my organization?

These products help me dissect my network based on the users within a particular location. They've also provided me the capability to separate network traffic as necessary.

What needs improvement?

As a user, I would like to see the Layer 2 Switches to have NBAR capabilities as well. It would be nice if the new ISRs have firewall capabilities as well.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using these products since 2008. I have a Cisco ISR 2821 and 2911, Cisco Catalyst 4500, 2960 and 3750 Series Switches.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No stability issues were experienced.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It would be nice to see these products have built-in wireless access points like MikroTik.

How are customer service and support?

I am sorry, but I always go to the forums and not to technical support. I like understanding the system myself. That way it is easier for me to fix issues in the future.

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

I previously used D-Link Switches (which was a pain) due to the budget constraints. I switched because Cisco was the best option at the time compared to D-Link.

How was the initial setup?

The setup was not complex. I already knew what I wanted and what I needed to do.

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

Get the best that your money can buy.

Don't ever sacrifice performance, it will stab you in the back if you do.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Cisco was the best and only option that I considered.

What other advice do I have?

Real-world scenarios will always surprise you.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Director at REDCO
Reseller
Excellent technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "The best feature is the technical support."
  • "An area for improvement would be the high price."

What is most valuable?

The best feature is the technical support.

What needs improvement?

An area for improvement would be the high price.

How was the initial setup?

The setup was complex, as we had some issues with the new SMARTnet and DNA.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this product as ten 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
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1715952 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Consultant
Consultant
Useful analytics, stable, and highly scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution works well with analytics."
  • "Cisco Catalyst Switches could improve by having more integration with third-party products."

What is our primary use case?

I use Cisco Catalyst Switches for an SD-Access solution.

What is most valuable?

The solution works well with analytics.

What needs improvement?

Cisco Catalyst Switches could improve by having more integration with third-party products.

In the next release, I would like the solution to be able to integrate easily with third-party WFi products.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for approximately five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco Catalyst Switches have very good performance and are reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

I have been satisfied with the technical support. They are very good.

How was the initial setup?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are complex to implement, it takes a lot of time. You need to take a lot of time to learn out to configure the solution.

What about the implementation team?

Cisco does the maintenance of the solution for us.

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

The price of the solution is expensive compared to other products from America or Europe. They should have more competitive pricing.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I 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: Partner
PeerSpot user
Region Head - S1@Dimension Data India at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Excellent technical support, stable, simple to install, and scales well
Pros and Cons
  • "The performance of Cisco Catalyst Switches is good."
  • "The only improvement I would like to see with Cisco Catalyst Switches is the pricing."

What is our primary use case?

We use Cisco Catalyst Switches for network connectivity.

What is most valuable?

The performance of Cisco Catalyst Switches is good.

What needs improvement?

The only improvement I would like to see with Cisco Catalyst Switches is the pricing.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for five years.

We use Cisco Catalyst, 9000 series.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Cisco Catalyst Switches is good.

In our organization, we have more than 7,000 users.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite scalable.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is excellent.

If there is one area where Cisco excels, it is in technical support.

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

We use Dropbox occasionally. OneDrive is mainly what we use. We also, use Teams.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is straightforward. It's plug-and-play.

To deploy and maintain Cisco Catalyst Switches, we have a team of four people, which includes one manager and three administrators.

What about the implementation team?

You can install Cisco Catalyst Switches yourself.

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

We pay the licensing fees annually because we have an enterprise license agreement.

What other advice do I have?

There are other products that I personally prefer, but from an organization's perspective, I would recommend this solution.

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 MANGER PAN-INDIA at Escon Elevator Private Limited
Real User
Flexible, easy to use, and offers good performance
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is very robust."
  • "The price is something we would definitely like improved. It would be nice if it was more economical."

What is most valuable?

The solution is very easy to use. We've found that it isn't overly technical and is, in fact, quite user-friendly.

The product is extremely flexible.

The stability of the solution has been very good. We've found the performance to be very reliable. 

The initial setup is mostly pretty straightforward. It's not overly complex.

The product is very robust.

What needs improvement?

The configuration setup is a little more complex if you go into detail.

The price is something we would definitely like improved. It would be nice if it was more economical.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for about four years or so. It's been a while. I've had some time with the technology and am pretty comfortable with it.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. We like the performance. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have about 50 people using the solution currently.

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

I previously Juniper switches. I am not using them anymore. I was using them about three years ago.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is okay. It's not overly difficult. The configuration can be a bit tricky, however, depending on the complexity involved.

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

The pricing could be improved.  It's a bit high right now. 

What other advice do I have?

A lot of my colleagues are using Cisco switches. I often touch base with them to share know-how on the technology.

I'm not using the latest version of the solution. I'm using an older version right now.

On a scale from one to ten, I'd rate the solution at a nine. We've been quite pleased with the solution overall.

I would recommend the solution to other users, companies, and organizations. It's quite robust and flexible.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Managing Director at Aster Networks
Real User
Stable, very reliable, and easily scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The configuration is easy."
  • "The solution is quite expensive for our clients. It's a pain point for some companies. They should work to reduce the price."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for networking and the UCS.

What is most valuable?

The solution is extremely reliable as a product. The clients very much appreciate that.

The configuration is easy.

The solution is customizable.

We've found the solution to be stable.

A company can scale a solution easily.

Technical support has been very helpful.

What needs improvement?

The solution is quite expensive for our clients. It's a pain point for some companies. They should work to reduce the price.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for a long while. I've used the solution basically since its inception.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We haven't had any issues with the stability of the solution. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We typically deploy the solution to medium to large-scale enterprises.

The solution scales well. It's not hard for a company to expand it as they need to.

How are customer service and technical support?

We've been in touch with technical support in the past. We've found them to be helpful and responsive. They are quite helpful and very polite. We're very satisfied with the level of support we receive.

How was the initial setup?

I'm not a technical person. I didn't actually handle the initial installation for our organization.

There is little to no ongoing maintenance required once it is implemented. I'd say you have 1% to 2% of effort going into maintenance. 

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

We've found the solution to be quite expensive. 

What other advice do I have?

We are a premium partner with Cisco.

We use various versions of the solution. It depends on the client. We have multiple clients and each instance is unique.

It's deployed both on-premises and on the cloud.

I'd recommend the solution to other organizations. We've mostly been quite happy with the product.

I'd rate the solution 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
reviewer1471347 - PeerSpot reviewer
Administrator at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Stable and easy to install
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a stable and good product. It is also easy to install."
  • "Its price can be improved. It is currently expensive."

What is our primary use case?

I am a student as well as a researcher at a university. I use this solution for various simulations. I am using the latest version of this solution. We have 10 to 15 technical people in our team. 

What is most valuable?

It is a stable and good product. It is also easy to install.

What needs improvement?

Its price can be improved. It is currently expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for two to three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable.

How are customer service and technical support?

I didn't use any technical support.

How was the initial setup?

It was easy to install. It wasn't complex. It took about 10 to 20 minutes.

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

It is expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. It is a good product. There are a lot of users of Cisco solutions in Pakistan. 

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.
PeerSpot user
Network & Security Specialist at Fonicom
Real User
Extremely reliable and high quality technology with easy maintenance
Pros and Cons
  • "In terms of technology, Cisco is the leader in everything. I'd rather buy a second-hand Cisco switch than a brand new switch from a competitor. They're that reliable and resilient."
  • "Out of the competition, Cisco switches are easily the most expensive."

What is most valuable?

The switches are the easiest to deploy and maintain out of other competitors.

In terms of technology, Cisco is the leader in everything. I'd rather buy a second-hand Cisco switch than a brand new switch from a competitor. They're that reliable and resilient.

Cisco offers many ranges of switches and you'd know exactly if you were buying an access switch or a core switch distribution. They are definitely among the top companies. They just know how to predict things and what will evolve in the following years.

What needs improvement?

Out of the competition, Cisco switches are easily the most expensive.

There's something at Cisco called a console that is used for basic configuration and everything and I think that they excluded a normal USB. Instead of that micro USB they should put in the normal one. It would make things a bit easier.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've had experience dealing with the solution since 2010. It's been about ten years now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Cisco is unmatched. We don't experience bugs or glitches or have any issues. There's been no worry of crashing. The technology is impeccable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is quite good. We've never had any issues with scaling if necessary.

How are customer service and technical support?

If the company pays for a given device's Smart Net - that's Cisco's official name for support -  then the support provided is huge. It could be challenging for people that want to fix an old switch or a router but do not have paid support anymore. That's not the case for us. I do think Cisco could be a bit better at assisting in those instances instead of just putting customers in a position where they have to buy a new device where an old one just needs a repair. Beyond that, we have no complaints and have been satisfied with the level of service they provide.

How was the initial setup?

For me personally, the initial setup was very straightforward. I have experience with the product so it helps. if you are a user who has the experience, it shouldn't be too difficult to implement. Otherwise, you will have to spend some time learning about it and how it works.

What about the implementation team?

Everything depends on the size of the network that you want to design and implement. Of course, you need a consultant if you need something with 200 users or so. Or if you don't have any expertise in IT. The question is, is Cisco switch easier or harder to configure than some other brand or our vendor? And the answer is that, in my opinion, Cisco switches are not among the easiest ones to deploy, however, they are definitely the most reliable switches. 

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

Cisco is easily one of the most expensive on the market, but users are buying quality and reliability.

What other advice do I have?

The company I work with is a Premium Cisco partner. I've even based my career around Cisco vendors.

The solution is on a Private Cloud that we are renting (including equipment and the data center space and the LANs). We have obtained everything from Alban India, and our customers are mostly on our product site with the cloud. The customers include various financial companies, payment providers, etc. We're a systems integrator.

I would easily rate the solution ten out of ten. It's really great.

In terms of advice for other companies, I'd say that whether Cisco would work for them or not depends on the size of the network they want to cover. The small and midsize network users just really don't need to spend that amount of money on Cisco equipment, but the larger organizations and mission-critical environments definitely require Cisco.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
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 Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: December 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.