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reviewer938739 - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at a consumer goods company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Easy to use, but could be cheaper
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is how easy it is to use."
  • "This product could be improved with cheaper pricing."

What is our primary use case?

My primary use case of this solution is for my company's network connection. 

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is how easy it is to use. 

What needs improvement?

This product could be improved with cheaper pricing. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for five to six years. 

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution may be scalable, but I don't have much knowledge on its scalability. It's used for my company's networking and there are about 500 users. 

How was the initial setup?

I installed this solution myself. 

What about the implementation team?

I implemented through an in-house team. 

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

Cisco Catalyst Switches are a bit expensive. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate this solution a seven out of ten. I am satisfied with the performance of these switches and would recommend them to others. 

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
reviewer1662204 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at a construction company with 1-10 employees
Real User
High performance, scalable, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution has high performance and we do not have to troubleshoot the network."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are using Cisco Catalyst Switches as a network switch in our organization.

    What is most valuable?

    The solution has high performance and we do not have to troubleshoot the network.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for approximately 20 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I have found Cisco Catalyst Switches to be stable, we do not have any packet loss issues.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Cisco Catalyst Switches is scalable, we can expand the network regularly.

    We have approximately 150 people using the solution in our organization.

    How are customer service and support?

    We used technical support during the installation but after we did not use them often.

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

    We have used other smaller solutions in the past but we have moved back to Cisco solutions.

    How was the initial setup?

    It takes a few hours to have the hardware installed.

    What about the implementation team?

    We have a team of two engineers that do the implementation of the solution.

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

    We are on an annual license to use this solution and the price of the solution could be reduced. We have spent hundreds of thousands on our Wi-Fi network.

    What other advice do I have?

    I highly recommend this solution to others.

    I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a 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
    January 2025
    Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
    831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Network Engineer at a security firm with 11-50 employees
    Reseller
    A stable and scalable solution with expert technical support and good performance
    Pros and Cons
    • "The technical support is at an expert level."
    • "The GUI should be addressed."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the solution both in my company and in those of my customers. 

    What needs improvement?

    The GUI should be addressed. I am not certain if they have this. 

    The solution is kind of expensive when compared with other products. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for two years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is definitely stable. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is certainly scalable. 

    How are customer service and support?

    The technical support is at an expert level. 

    How was the initial setup?

    One only need have a feel for the setup to do this. Technically speaking, this is quite fine. 

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

    When compared with other products, the solution is kind of on the expensive side. 

    What other advice do I have?

    We are satisfied with the solution. It demonstrates good performance. 

    We rate Cisco Catalyst Switches as a nine-point-five out of ten. 

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer1644681 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Founder, Director at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
    Real User
    Stable and one of the easiest solutions to run and manage
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution is stable."
    • "The solution offers a bit of complexity and you need a specialized workforce."

    What is our primary use case?

    Office network

    How has it helped my organization?

    Stable solution

    What is most valuable?

    Everyone knows Cisco as a product. It is definitely one of the easiest solutions to run and manage. 

    It's a product that has dominated the marketplace for many years.

    You have many professionals out there who are Cisco-certified, which makes them comfortable working with Cisco. Therefore, getting a trained workforce is easy when you look at Cisco from a deployment perspective.

    The solution is stable.

    What needs improvement?

    The solution offers a bit of complexity and you need a specialized workforce.

    The scalability can be a bit limited due to the stacking topology which limits the number of switches that can be added in a given stack

    It's always a while before you can get through to technical support.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been dealing with the solution for a few weeks to a few months.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is very stable. It's reliable. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    When it comes to scalability, Cisco is the one who has been pretty heavy on the switch-stacking deployment topology, which hinders your capacity to scale, especially when you compare it against their arch-rival, Arista.

    We have about ten clients who have been working with Cisco forever. 

    I'd recommend the solution to other organizations. When it comes to the budget, everything boils down to that and that's where Cisco would take the cake compared to Arista.

    How are customer service and support?

    Technical support could be better. When you call, the wait times are quite long. They need to hire more support or to work to make the wait times lower in some way.

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

    I also have some experience and knowledge of Arista products.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is something like Arista, as they do have a central deployment model. The only complaint about Cisco is that too many units have to be deployed to have things done in a much better way, which makes it costly. They could improve on that and make it easier for the administrators to implement Cisco.

    The size of the technical team you need for deployment and maintenance depends
    completely on the size of the network and the kind of operations that you carry out as a company. With Cisco, you likely would need at least one person for every 50 or 60 switches.

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

    The solution is less expensive than, for example, Arista.

    What other advice do I have?

    I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. The only complaint I have about Cisco is the wait time when you call tech support.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
    PeerSpot user
    Network Administrator
    Real User
    Beneficial conductivity for different devices, stable, and easy installation
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution is beneficial for interconnecting POE telephones, computers, printers, and buffering networks."
    • "The solution could improve by allowing administrators to create scripts to help automate processes to make tasks easier."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are using this solution as a network LAN switch in a financial company.

    What is most valuable?

    The solution is beneficial for interconnecting POE telephones, computers, printers, and buffering networks.

    What needs improvement?

    The solution could improve by allowing administrators to create scripts to help automate processes to make tasks easier.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Cisco Switches for approximately eight years and I have been using this particular Cisco Catalyst Switch for six months.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Cisco Catalyst Switches are highly scalable.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    I have not used technical support from Cisco. However, I have used online documentation that has been helpful.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation is easy, the whole process takes approximately one week.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would advise those to make sure they understand the requirements before they purchase Cisco Catalyst Switches because they are an entry-level solution.

    I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches 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.
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer1609476 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Infrastructure Manager at a non-profit with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Highly stable, top quality hardware and features
    Pros and Cons
    • "Overall top of the line solution."
    • "The solution could be easy to use, you need a certificate to use it."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use this solution as a networking switch for a data center.

    What is most valuable?

    Overall top of the line solution.

    What needs improvement?

    The solution could be easy to use, you need a certificate to use it.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using this solution for approximately ten years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is highly stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is not able to scale because you would need to purchase more hardware.

    Everybody in my organization is using the solution.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    We have not needed to contact technical support because we are using managed services which gives us support when needed.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation and implementation are not easy.

    What about the implementation team?

    We are using managed services for the implementation of the solution.

    A normal deployment can take from one to two months. However, this depends on the size of the site.

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

    There is a license required for the use of this solution and we pay annually.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I have evaluated Meraki switches which is an easier version of Cisco Catalyst Switches.

    What other advice do I have?

    This solution is the best in the market but there are some limitations. I am moving to the Meraki solution because it is easier to use.

    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: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    IT Support Executive at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    A stable and proven technology for our network infrastructure
    Pros and Cons
    • "These are a proven technology and I haven't had any problem with them."

      What is our primary use case?

      These switches were provided by our internet provider and they are used as part of our network infrastructure.

      What is most valuable?

      These are a proven technology and I haven't had any problem with them.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      We have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for approximately four years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      This is a stable product.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      I have not configured these switches before, so I'm not sure about the scalability.

      We have between 60 and 100 users.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      I have not been in contact with technical support for this product.

      What about the implementation team?

      The Catalyst switches are all maintained by our vendors, so we don't have to concern ourselves with maintenance.

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

      The pricing of these devices can be better.

      What other advice do I have?

      Based on my experience, I can recommend these switches.

      I would rate this solution 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.
      PeerSpot user
      reviewer1447320 - PeerSpot reviewer
      CISO at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
      Real User
      It is pretty much stable, and there is a lot of improvement in the network segment
      Pros and Cons
      • "There is a lot of improvement in the network segment after replacing the older switches. I have not seen any kind of issue with these switches since deployment. They are pretty much stable."
      • "Cisco can definitely improve the training part. They can provide more training related to configuration."

      What is our primary use case?

      I use it for connectivity for my enterprise users. My entire platform is on Cisco, and we have different plans.

      What is most valuable?

      There is a lot of improvement in the network segment after replacing the older switches.
      I have not seen any kind of issue with these switches since deployment. They are pretty much stable. 

      What needs improvement?

      Cisco can definitely improve the training part. They can provide more training related to configuration.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      We have recently done an upgrade. We installed these switches around one year ago.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      It is a pretty much stable product.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      It is scalable. We have 1,500 users.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      Technical support is managed by the vendor so far. The vendor is taking care of any issues.

      What about the implementation team?

      The entire implementation was done by the vendor, but we are managing it in-house. We have a Cisco-certified vendor to do all kinds of implementation and train our people. The overall project was for six months, but because of Covid, it got delayed. We have finished it may be a month back. We have four different locations. The vendor deployed technical manpower of six to eight members for each location. 

      We had just one issue with a switch, and the replacement was done within a week. The connectivity was not going through, and it was giving packet drops. The issue was identified, but because of Covid, there was a delay from Cisco. Our vendor was able to ensure that there was no installation delay. Because we had 3% to 4% stock over and above the inventory for installation, they used the switch from that particular inventory, and later on, they provided the switch within a week.

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

      I don't see any price issue with Cisco. Whenever you buy a quality product, you always have a mindset of paying the premium amount.  For any good product, you pay a premium amount, but that also means you are going to recover that premium over a period of time in terms of performance.

      What other advice do I have?

      I would recommend this solution. It is a pretty good product. We don't see any issue with Cisco Catalyst Switches. We have a license of five years as per our current agreement with Cisco. We plan to keep using these.

      I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches 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.
      PeerSpot user
      Buyer's Guide
      Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
      Updated: January 2025
      Buyer's Guide
      Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.