We use this solution for provisioning.
Information Security Analyst at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
The SmartPort feature has been valuable and helped my organization
Pros and Cons
- "We heavily use the SmartPort features. It has really helped us. The U.S. policies are handled by the auto SmartPort feature"
- "They should make so that they let users know five to ten minutes before productivity is restored in the case of power loss."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
We heavily use the SmartPort features. It has really helped us. The U.S. policies are handled by the auto SmartPort feature.
What is most valuable?
It's easy to use and easy to configure. It's easy to provision and plan ahead.
What needs improvement?
They should make so that they let users know five to ten minutes before productivity is restored in the case of power loss.
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.
For how long have I used the solution?
One to three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is highly scalable. We have 120 users. It has high capabilities. We only require six or seven people for the maintenance. Cisco has guidelines for the maintenance that are straightforward.
How are customer service and support?
If I ask for any support, they're responsive. Their support is very good. We haven't had any problems.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was very easy, not complex at all.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's very pricey. Compared to competitors, it's a lot more expensive. They should consider lowering the price for smaller organizations so that it's easier for them to afford.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate it an eight and a half out of ten.
They should develop more customization features. It would make things easier for the engineers.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Director of Technical Services at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
This switch and its functionality allowed me to deploy a secure network connection in three months.
What is most valuable?
- Security
- Configuration
What needs improvement?
At first glance this switch looks exactly like the an Ethernet switch, I would recommend that there be verbage in the documentation on exactly what gbit connectors are required.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using it for eight years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
There have been no issues with the deployment.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has never been an issue.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We've had no issues scaling it for our needs.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
It's great.
Technical Support:It's great.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We didn't have anything in place and needed a fiber solution.
How was the initial setup?
It was very straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We did it in-house with help from the vendor.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
There were no other options looked at.
What other advice do I have?
Make sure you get the right connectors.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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.
Senior 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
Network Engeneer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Performs really well and has great support, we use it everywhere in our company
Pros and Cons
- "Their technical support is very good. They know what to do and if they don't know what to do, they give me the person who does know."
- "It should have better security and the prices can always be lower. The cheaper the price, the better but if the quality is good, it's worth it. They also have to improve the firewalling."
What is our primary use case?
We use it everywhere in our company. The switches are in our data center and our stores. It performs really well, it's stable. There are some software issues but it's generally good.
What is most valuable?
Cisco support is one of the most valuable features. If you have any problem you can find a lot of information online. If it's a really bad situation, you can have a technician help you.
What needs improvement?
It should have better security and the prices can always be lower. The cheaper the price, the better but if the quality is good, it's worth it. They also have to improve the firewalling.
SP access should be included in the next release.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability is perfect.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability will depend on the specific product.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their technical support is very good. They know what to do and if they don't know what to do, they give me the person who does know.
How was the initial setup?
Sometimes we have complex setups and sometimes they're simple.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented with MTS Austria. They were really great. They know what to do.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We also looked at HPE and Juniper.
What other advice do I have?
Look at the pricing. If you can afford it, buy it.
I would rate it a nine out of ten. I like it, it works.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Director at REDCO
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.
Lead Presales at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Stable with good pricing and a straightforward setup
Pros and Cons
- "Technical support is very helpful, even during implementation."
- "The licensing process could be a bit less complex."
What is most valuable?
The solution has been issue-free.
The solution is scalable.
The stability of the product is good. We've had no problems whatsoever.
Overall, the pricing has been good.
Technical support is very helpful, even during implementation.
The initial setup is simple.
What needs improvement?
There are some models that can occasionally cause problems. If a particular switch is made for some specific use case or a particular environment, if you put that in other types of infrastructure or use cases, then you may face problems.
The licensing process could be a bit less complex.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have dealt with the solution for about three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has been good overall. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. The performance has been reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability has been good. If a company needs to expand it, it can. However, you do need to have the right model, otherwise, you run into issues with scaling.
We have 15 to 20 clients that use this product.
How are customer service and support?
We have good technical people and an experienced technical team who can install those switches, and do a level of troubleshooting and escalations.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
For five years, we've used Huawei. Three years ago we started with Cisco. This was mostly due to networking, as we don't have a team five years back. After that, we got the team specifically for networking and we started that with Huawei, and we got a very good response in the market. Unfortunately, due to the Chinese market, and all that stuff, that didn't last. That said, the customers who are using the technology, are still happy with the support as well as with the product.
We also occasionally use Aruba.
We didn't work with Juniper as an installation system integrator, however, we have with Cisco (including Nexus and Meraki) and Huawei, and we have had a very good experience.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is good. It is easy. If you know the commands, even basic commands, you can do the normal installation. If you want to go for V-LAN and other things, routing, et cetera, level three switches kind of installations, then you may need some time and knowledge.
For deployment and maintenance, you need a minimum of two people. Three or four is also good if it is enterprise. There are some customers where we have to do installations at three or four sites simultaneously and we have to complete that within one or two days or within a specific downtime. If the network is down, everything is down. That is when you require multiple team members. Otherwise, if that is one site and one installation with one day's worth of downtime, with two people, you can do it easily.
What about the implementation team?
Support is helpful in regard to the implementation process. My team didn't find any issues with installation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution's pricing is pretty good. As far as whatever else is available in the market, for example, if you compared it to Aruba, Juniper, or other enterprise solutions, the pricing is reasonable.
You do require licenses. There are some licenses that you need to procure separately. By default, the licensing process is good.
Everyone has their own licensing structure. With Cisco, once you do a setup two or three times, the process gets easier and the licensing gets clearer. Until then, licensing is a little bit tricky.
What other advice do I have?
We do not use the solution in our office, however, as Test System Integrators, we have provided the solution.
I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten. It's been quite good overall.
I would recommend the solution to other users and companies.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
Video conferencing Admin at Akshara Enterprises India Pvt Ltd
Stable, reliable, and overall good functionality
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco Catalyst Switches are the best overall."
What is our primary use case?
We use Cisco Catalyst Switches for networking.
What is most valuable?
Cisco Catalyst Switches are the best overall.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for approximately six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
We have approximately 25 customers using the solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support from Cisco is very good.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is easy if you understand the Ciscos CLA interface and your infrastructure is correct.
What about the implementation team?
We have CCNA and CCNP certified engineers that do the implementation and maintenance of the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of a Cisco Catalyst Switches license is expensive.
There is a big problem with their pricing structure. For example, there is a system called first come first serve metric for integrators. The person who logs the case gets a better price than what I receive. They give discounts to other people, such as those with certifications, and what happens is people go away from this solution because of it. I do not receive a better price which puts me in a position to promote other solutions.
I lost a large contact because of their pricing structure. Cisco should give the same pricing to everybody.
What other advice do I have?
I 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: Integrator
IT & Software Manager at a energy/utilities company with 51-200 employees
A stable part of our network infrastructure, with many resources available
Pros and Cons
- "These switches are stable."
- "In the future, I would like to see better security for this product."
What is our primary use case?
I use Cisco Catalyst switches as part of the network infrastructure.
What needs improvement?
In the future, I would like to see better security for this product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Cisco Catalyst Switches for more than three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
These switches are stable. I use both the switches and the access points.
How are customer service and technical support?
I am satisfied with the Cisco support. There are a lot of resources out there.
How was the initial setup?
This product is complex to install and it takes time to configure it.
What about the implementation team?
I deployed it myself.
What other advice do I have?
This is a product that I can recommend to others.
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.
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sharing their opinions.
Updated: January 2025
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