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
November 2024
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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
Network Engineer at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
The system runs very well, we haven't experienced any downtime
Pros and Cons
- "The new series has lots of great features, it's really lovely. From a management perspective, or a policy creation perspective, which we are seeing in the Catalyst 9000 series it is great."
- "The current catalyst is probably outdated so we will most likely move to the newer version of the solution soon."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case is system integration on the client end. We propose this solution to our customers based on their individual capacities and requirements. We have also been using the basic functionalities of the tool internally, very basic not to any high-end degree.
How has it helped my organization?
I personally have never faced any kind of issues. The system is running very well and does what I need it to do. If there are any failures or problems we can resolve them quickly. We are able to get things up and running again and accomplish tasks after a failure within a few hour's time. We are very happy with what we are getting from our Cisco Catalyst Switches solution.
What is most valuable?
The new series has lots of great features; it's really lovely. From a management perspective, a policy creation perspective, and a utility perspective; the functionality we are seeing in the Catalyst 9000 series is great.
What needs improvement?
The current catalyst is probably outdated so we will most likely move to the newer version of the solution soon.
Some additional features that should be included in the next release could include the ability to create real integration, standard policy pushing, and optimizations.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is very stable in all environments. We haven't experienced any problems.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is great. I have to say that the Cisco Catalyst solution provides the scalability directly in line with our needs.
How are customer service and technical support?
Our technical support experience has been very good. We have mainly relied on our internal team for technical support and maintenance.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In the past, we used a different solution but it was a long time ago and I really can't remember what it was.
How was the initial setup?
Since we are all certified engineers we found the initial setup to be straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation was done in-house.
What was our ROI?
I believe that our return on investment is excellent mainly due to the fact that we haven't experienced any downtime, no issues at all. This is one of the reasons I believe the production is a good solution; it's a sound investment. We are not losing any time.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing and licensing are fine. To be honest we have found that this tool is able to meet all of our expectations at this time. This solution is agile and meets our expectations.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I can say that the Cisco Catalyst Solution is a very stable product. Technical support is good from our experience. Everybody seems to know and work well with the tool, including management cross-functionally it's a tool that we enjoy using.
I would rate it an eight out of ten. The only reason I'm not giving this solution a slightly high rating is due to the fact that we are seeing improvements in the new series of this solution. What we are seeing and what we are expecting are great improvements; the management team likes the new type of architecture we are seeing in the new series of the tool.
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.
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.
Senior Technical Sales Engineer at Ingram Micro Inc.
It uses many protocols to ease operations, such as CDP and the interoperability of other Cisco products
Pros and Cons
- "It uses many protocols to ease operations, such as CDP and the interoperability of other Cisco products."
- "Perpetual POE is a valuable feature, because when the switch reboots, access points do not."
- "Services should be improved."
- "The delivery of the product lead time should be improved."
What is our primary use case?
Switching environments, as part of a LAN management solution, where the customer needs to build, operate, and maintain Layer 2 and Layer 3 networks for internal use.
How has it helped my organization?
It uses many protocols to ease operations, such as CDP and the interoperability of other Cisco products.
What is most valuable?
Perpetual POE is a valuable feature, because when the switch reboots, access points do not. This helps minimize infrastructure downtime and impacts internals.
What needs improvement?
- Services should be improved.
- The delivery of the product lead time should be improved as well.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price should go down instead of up.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Founder at SDWAN Clan
High level technical support, scalable, and secure
Pros and Cons
- "One main feature with Cisco is you know you are going to get a very good switching infrastructure that is secure."
- "In a future upgrade, I would like to see integrated wireless in the solution."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution as a switch for campus locations.
What is most valuable?
One main feature with Cisco is you know you are going to get a very good switching infrastructure that is secure.
What needs improvement?
In a future upgrade, I would like to see integrated wireless in the solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for approximately 20 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?
The scalability of this solution is really good because you can attach switches together. We currently have 5,000 users using the solution and we plan on having approximately 30,000 in the near future.
How are customer service and technical support?
Cisco provides great customer support.
How was the initial setup?
The solution installation is straightforward to a degree. It is not as smooth as it could be. You cannot do zero-touch provisioning.
What about the implementation team?
It is best to use a technician that understands the configuration file needed for the deployment and then there is some testing that is needed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There needs to be some improvement with the Cisco DNA licensing activation process, it is difficult at the moment.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others. When my customers want security infrastructure on their campus locations this solution is the one I will continue to suggest.
I 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.
Group Head of IT at a maritime company with 501-1,000 employees
Very easy to manage with a long lifespan
Pros and Cons
- "Easy to manage, with a long lifespan."
- "Reporting could be improved as well as integration possibilities with other platforms."
What is our primary use case?
I'm the group head of IT and we are customers of Cisco.
What is most valuable?
In general, this is a good product with a long lifespan and easily managed. There is good local support available as well as principal support.
What needs improvement?
I'd like to see better reporting and also integration possibilities with other platforms. It's quite an expensive product and it would be helpful if they reduced the cost.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using this product for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable product.
How are customer service and technical support?
Support can be improved, it's usually a matter of your location. That aside, if you can reach them, the support is fine.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quite straightforward although deployment takes some time because you need to carry out the configuration and attach some additional equipment. It can take a few hours. Our implementation partner helps with the base configuration, and then they draw on our internet team to work with them. Once completed, it's handed over to our team management. We've deployed the product on five sites and we usually have one or two people dealing with any issues that arise.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is an annual license fee.
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.
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.
Senior Presales Engineer at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Provides our customers with feature-rich switching, including Layer 2 and Layer 3
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features are the Stacking and the capacity of the switches because they have more throughput. Layer 2 is also part of its rich feature set."
What is our primary use case?
We usually use it for connecting campus switches and to provide access switching to the customer, through which they connect their end-user or end devices like WiFi, CCTV, or IP phone.
How has it helped my organization?
The features I mentioned definitely enhance the customer experience.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are the Stacking and the capacity of the switches because they have more throughput. Layer 2 is also part of its rich feature set.
What needs improvement?
For the access switch for distribution, I would like to see them support 100GB, 40GB.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very, very stable. We have not faced any problems with our clients. There have been no complaints. These switches run for many years. They have not complained about the stability of the network because of the failure of a switch. It works fine.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
As I mentioned, one of the great features is Stacking. One of our customers bought two switches. After about three to four months they bought another one. They only stack the switches. They do not need to add more switches at the core or distribution, connected at the base. They can stack up to eight switches, and they will work fine with no issues.
How are customer service and technical support?
Honestly, we have not really faced any problems with the Catalyst switches because the configuration is intuitive. Also, our engineers are expert in this area. Very rarely they may have to open a case with Cisco TAC.
For me, in presales, I can reach the system engineers easily. They support me a lot. Also the documentation is important. There are a lot of forums, discussions. If you have any problem they guide you and they solve the problem easily.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
If you compare Cisco with another vendor, they are far and away better, in terms of performance and the rich features.
For me, in presales, the most important criteria when selecting a vendor are that I'm able to easily access the Cisco website and, if I need any kind of support, I immediately get it from the Cisco team, whether virtually or physically, here in Saudi Arabia.
How was the initial setup?
I'm not directly involved in the setup but from what I understand it is straightforward.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
HPE comes into the picture because they have a wireless product. It's a good product. We definitely propose their switches.
What other advice do I have?
If you need any support you can find it easily on their website, including documentation. You can reach out to Cisco's virtual team. Cisco gives any type of support needed to their partners.
I give Cisco Catalyst a 10 out of 10. It's scalable, resilient, and has rich features in terms of Layer 2, Layer 3, QoS. They have real vision.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
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