We primarily use the solution specifically for our internal network - for our users and some servers. We also have servers on the cloud as well, although largely we are on-premise.
Senior Project Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Stable with good routing capabilities and a fairly easy setup
Pros and Cons
- "The product offers very good routing and ranking capabilities."
- "The product could offer more integrations with other solutions."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The VLANs portion of the solution is very good.
The product offers very good routing and ranking capabilities. It allows for better channels.
The initial setup is very simple. An organization shouldn't have too much trouble setting everything up.
We've found the solution to be rather stable. It offers good performance.
What needs improvement?
There aren't any features that are lacking from my perspective. It's pretty complete.
The solution itself is quite expensive. It would be ideal if they could lower the pricing a bit.
The product could offer more integrations with other solutions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have had experience with the solution since around 2000. In 2010 I began on the sales-side of the product. Therefore, I have many, many years of experience with the product at this point.
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Cisco Catalyst Switches
March 2025

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution offers very good stability. We've found it to be reliable. It doesn't crash or freeze. It also doesn't seem to have bugs or glitches that affect its performance.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability depends on the layer you are talking about. Layer 2 is not scalable, however, Layer 3 switches offer very good scalability.
We have about 50 people currently using the solution.
How was the initial setup?
We found the implementation to be very simple, and straightforward. It was easy. There weren't any complexities, therefore, we didn't face any difficulty when setting everything up.
Deployment takes a few hours.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of the product is quite high. It's not the cheapest option on the market.
What other advice do I have?
We're Cisco partners. We have a business relationship with the company.
I'd recommend this solution to other organizations. Over the years, I've found that it works very well.
In general, on a scale from one to ten, I would rate it at a nine.
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

Administrator at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
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.
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.
841,152 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Consultant at L&M Alpha Solutions
Ease of configuration, the CLI, and the GUI are the key features for us
Pros and Cons
- "The main valuable features for me are the ease of configuration, the CLI, and the GUI."
What is our primary use case?
The use case is for user access. It's good, it's performing very well.
How has it helped my organization?
Catalyst functions as a core and the main benefit for us is the performance, having multiple users.
What is most valuable?
The main valuable features for me are
- the ease of configuration
- CLI
- GUI.
What needs improvement?
My dream is to have the netflow in the port, for the administration and the utilization of user traffic, similar to the Meraki.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's very scalable. It's very easy to cover all the services.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We chose Catalyst because we are looking to the future.
When selecting a vendor, the most important criteria for me are the post-sale support as well as the price.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Catalyst is very expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
For our company, Cisco's competition was Aruba.
What other advice do I have?
The configuration is simple and the support is good. The equipment for networking is the best for an organization. It's working very well.
I rate Catalyst at 10 out of 10 because of the performance and support.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Team Leader Presales at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Easy to use with good pricing and a simple installation process
Pros and Cons
- "The pricing is quite good."
- "The delivery dates need to be more expedient."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for the virtualization infrastructure and for bare metal platforms.
What is most valuable?
We are satisfied with the solution's performance so far.
The stability has been perfect.
The solution can scale.
It is a very easy solution to use.
We have found the installation process to be very simple.
The pricing is quite good.
What needs improvement?
The delivery dates need to be more expedient. This could be improved. Right now, when we need to buy a new Cisco Switch, we may have to wait a few months. It could be as much as six months sometimes. It's far too long of a wait.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for a few years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
So far, the solution has been very stable. The performance is excellent. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the solution is quite good. If a company needs to expand, it can do so.
We have hundreds of users that are leveraging this product.
At the moment, we do not have plans to increase usage.
How are customer service and support?
We've never contacted technical support in the past. I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they are.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
A very, very long time ago we used HP Brocade Switches. W removed over to Cisco mostly due to the fact that there is a very rich knowledge base over the internet. Also, the implementation is pretty straightforward and the commands are pretty easy to follow.
How was the initial setup?
When it comes to the initial setup, the solution is very simple and straightforward. It's not overly complex or difficult.
How much time it takes depends on the configuration, specifically the complexity of the configuration for the Cisco Switch. Most of the time, a few days are enough for any configuration.
Two engineers are enough in terms of handling the initial setup.
What about the implementation team?
We were able to set up the solution ourselves, in-house. It's not a complex process, and therefore, we did not need outside help from integrators or consultants.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a license that is paid with the Switch when you are buying the Switch.
It's reasonably priced.
What other advice do I have?
I'm not sure if we are using the latest version of the solution, although we are often handling product updates.
I'd rate the solution at 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.
User-friendly commands and configuration, good support, and feature-rich
Pros and Cons
- "The configuration and command set are user-friendly."
- "The initial setup can be easier in cases where the policy and ruleset are complex."
What is our primary use case?
These switches make up part of our network infrastructure.
What is most valuable?
The configuration and command set are user-friendly.
Cisco switches are feature-rich compared to other vendors.
Technical support is good, as they resolve any issues that we have.
What needs improvement?
The initial setup can be easier in cases where the policy and ruleset are complex.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for between five and six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This product is stable and our switches have been working fine. These switches are used extensively.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a scalable solution. We have 5,000 or more users.
We have several Catalyst switches in our environment. Most of them are running version 15.x of the operating system, although some of them are version 12.x and older. These may be upgraded in the future.
We may increase our usage although I don't know at present.
How are customer service and support?
We are not the team that is responsible for contacting support. However, the support from Cisco is good. They easily resolve any issues that we have.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have only worked with Cisco solutions.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup can be complex, depending on the policy and the rules.
Only a small staff is required for deployment and maintenance.
What other advice do I have?
Cisco is regularly updating this product.
I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Coordinator of IT infrastructures at UMC Electronics Mexico
Stable and scalable product
Pros and Cons
- "I've had no problems with the stability of this solution."
- "An area for improvement would be the documentation and training on configuring this product."
What is our primary use case?
My primary use case is to assign VLAN or a port for VLAN on the main network.
What needs improvement?
An area for improvement would be the documentation and training on configuring this product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for four or five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I've had no problems with the stability of this solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is fine.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was complex because it was a common line.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licenses are available on a three-yearly basis.
What other advice do I have?
I would give this solution a score of nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Consultant at a comms service provider with 501-1,000 employees
Easy to scale, efficient technical support, and affordably priced
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco Catalyst Switches are very stable."
- "I would like to see the integration of the 2960 SX switched."
What is our primary use case?
We are implementors. We implement this solution for our customers as access switches. They connect the users to the network and identify them.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is network access.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see the integration of the 2960 SX switches. I would also like to see more information about them.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for six months.
We are using Catalyst 2960-SX and Catalyst 3560.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches are very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a very scalable solution. They are very easy to scale.
We have approximately 40 users in our organization who are using it.
How are customer service and technical support?
Cisco technical support is very efficient.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was simple and straightforward.
Our administrators maintain this solution.
What about the implementation team?
We had some help from Cisco it implement these switches.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't know a lot about the price, but they are affordable compared with other solutions.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution a nine 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
Head of Corporate Security at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Good communication features, scalable, stable, and has good support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of this solution is communication."
- "When you compare it with HPE and Aruba, it should be fancier."
What is our primary use case?
We use Cisco Catalyst Switches for the LAN connection.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of this solution is communication.
What needs improvement?
When you compare it with HPE and Aruba, it should be fancier.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for three years.
We are using version 2950.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is great! We have not had any issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable product. It's very good.
We have approximately 200 users in our company.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is very good. I would rate them a nine to ten out of ten.
We did not have any issues with technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. It's easy.
It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to deploy.
What other advice do I have?
Plan well before implementing this solution.
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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Updated: March 2025
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