We primarily use the solution for the virtualization infrastructure and for bare metal platforms.
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?
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.
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Cisco Catalyst Switches
February 2025
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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.
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Cisco Catalyst Switches
February 2025
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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.
Founder and Lead Network Consultant at Airowire Networks
Supports our entire line infrastructure and is easy to use
Pros and Cons
- "Their technical support is good, one of the best in the industry."
- "To make it a ten they should simplify the licensing, add the cloud-managed feature, and it should be more cost-effective."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for the campus network.
How has it helped my organization?
It supports our entire line infrastructure. It runs from the line under the entire campus and is the backbone of the network. The entire business runs from this product.
What is most valuable?
The ease of use is the most valuable feature.
What needs improvement?
They should make it more affordable, improve the cost, manageability, and central management.
I would like to see a cloud-managed feature.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The catalyst switches are stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
They are scalable. We have are around 2,000 users. We use it quite extensively and we require at least two to three people for maintenance.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their technical support is good, one of the best in the industry.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. The deployment depends on the scale of the network, because all of these devices, they don't work in silo, they work in tandem with each other. So it depends on the scale and size of the network.
What about the implementation team?
We used an integrator for the deployment. We had a good experience with them.
What was our ROI?
We have absolutely seen ROI. You will see ROI if you use this solution for a longer duration.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is on the higher side. Licensing is also complicated. Simply, there are multiple licenses required.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution a nine out of ten. To make it a ten they should simplify the licensing, add the cloud-managed feature, and it should be more cost-effective.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
User at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
VLAN provides us with segregation, but I would like to see ongoing software improvement
Pros and Cons
- "VLAN gives us segregation."
- "Cisco should focus more on this type of product instead of on data center switches. They stopped improving the software of these switches and they are focusing on the data center. They should focus on this type of product, more than any other thing."
What is our primary use case?
We use Catalyst for campus switches.
How has it helped my organization?
As an access switch, it really hasn't made an improvement in our organization. Access switches are similar, in most cases. It's just and end-user switch, so it doesn't really differ if it's Cisco or any other device.
Perhaps the reliability is an improvement.
What is most valuable?
VLAN gives us segregation.
What needs improvement?
Cisco should focus more on this type of product instead of on data center switches. They stopped improving the software of these switches and they are focusing on the data center. They should focus on this type of product, more than any other thing.
It might also help if they integrated their security products with the switches.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I had some hardware failure, a defect, on arrival.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are no issues with scalability.
How is customer service and technical support?
I would evaluate the tech support as "fair". They have multi-tiered support and especially the level-one and two don't know what they are doing. They collect a lot of information, wasting your time, and then they keep moving the tickets from level one to level two and level three, and when the issue is solved, usually level-three are the ones who solve it. They're not good at the lower levels of support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
What was our ROI?
The ROI for this product is three to five years.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I would rate the features-to-pricing ratio at six out of 10.
My advice about licensing is that you should have a perpetual license, not one that is subscription-based.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I use a lot of switches on the campus: Juniper, Extreme, etc. I use multiple vendors. However, Cisco and Juniper are my preferred vendors.
What other advice do I have?
The most important thing I can say is that Cisco is using a proprietary protocol, so you should design your network accordingly so that you don't get vendor lock.
I would rate Cisco Catalyst a seven out of 10 because of the pros and the cons I have noted.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Solutions Architect at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees
Helpful support, reliable, and simple implementation
Pros and Cons
- "I have found that the protocols that Cisco Catalyst Switches support are beneficial for my customers."
What is our primary use case?
I use Cisco Catalyst Switches for the connectivity of my client's local area network.
What is most valuable?
I have found that the protocols that Cisco Catalyst Switches support are beneficial for my customers.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for approximately one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have found Cisco Catalyst Switches to be scalable.
We have five customers using Cisco Catalyst Switches.
How are customer service and support?
The support from Cisco Catalyst Switches is good.
How was the initial setup?
Cisco Catalyst Switches has a straightforward installation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be better in general. There is an annual license required.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches 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
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Updated: February 2025
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