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reviewer1125813 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Support Team Leader at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Great managed switches that are stable and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The scalability is good."
  • "The technical response could be faster in the future."

What is our primary use case?

I'm using almost six Cisco switches.

We use the solution for the LAN, Local Area Network, for the organization, or for business. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is very stable.

The scalability is good.

They are managed switches, and we can control and manage almost all of these switches - even individually, one by one, or through a central control center.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward.

What needs improvement?

The device age becomes an issue. For example, with the 2960 version, they're not supporting that one anymore. I find that the device or the model age is a little bit short. It is five or eight years. When we have a big organization, we have 100 or 200 switches, and suddenly it's out of support, end of support, or end of life, or whatever, it's difficult as we cannot change switches every five years. At a minimum, they should last ten years. That's better. To upgrade, it's a huge budget. Therefore, the age of the product itself is a little bit short. They really should make it longer.

The technical response could be faster in the future. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for maybe ten years or so. It's been a while. 

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.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is perfectly stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is pretty good. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so. It's not a problem.

We have up to 600 or 700 users. It's not measured per user. Rather, it is per device. We have many devices on top of users.

We do plan to increase usage in the future. 

How are customer service and support?

I have contacted technical support in the past. They are fine, however, they are a little bit slow.

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

We did not previously use a different solution. We've always used Cisco products.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is easy to install for administrators and network engineers. People who are qualified in networking shouldn't face any issues. It's fine, it's easy.

The amount of time it takes to deploy a switch depends. If it is at layer switch, it will not take more than one hour, maximum, for each switch. However, if it is a core switch, it might take one day.

The size of the team you need for maintenance also depends. If we are going for an upgrade, we need a big team. However, if it is just for troubleshooting, only two engineers are required.

What about the implementation team?

We can handle the implementation ourselves. We do not need any integrators or consultants. 

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

We can use the switches without licenses. However, with licenses, yearly licenses, it is better, as we will have more troubleshooting options and control options, through a control center device.

What other advice do I have?

We use various versions of the solution. For the access layer switch, we have different models, including 2950 and 2960. Now, we are using the 9K series, 9200. The latest one. This is for the access layer. For core and distribution switches, we have 6500 and 4500 versions.

I'd recommend the solution to others.

I would rate them 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.
PeerSpot user
Head, IT Division at USTTB
Real User
Easy to deploy, stable, and have been running without any problem
Pros and Cons
  • "They are stable. We haven't had any particular problem with them."
  • "Their price should be improved. They are a little bit expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We have the Cisco Catalyst 2940 Series switches. We usually use these switches for connections inside our office. We have a three-story building, so we have quite a number of switches to connect specific departments. These switches are mainly used to share a connection among computers in a specific department. 

What is most valuable?

They are stable. We haven't had any particular problem with them. 

What needs improvement?

Their price should be improved. They are a little bit expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using these switches for around five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

They are stable. We haven't had any problems. There was a time when due to power failures or outages, we lost some switches and had to replace them. Power is very unstable here, and we are experiencing outages due to heat.

In one of the devices that I am using, I notice lights blinking from time to time. I don't know whether it is related to the equipment, but it seems that the connection is not going through. It only occurs from time to time. I am yet to understand the reason behind this. It is not a big problem, and we are able to use it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Our network doesn't grow so much, and it has more or less the same things. We are a public university, and we have three sites. I am at one of the sites. At this site, we have about 60 to 70 people. We also have our campuses where some of these switches are used. All in all, we have about 1,000 people.

We are setting up a national research and education network for which we have acquired some Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series switches, which are new to me. When we start using these, I would have more to say about what they can achieve in terms of scalability.

How are customer service and technical support?

We don't have external technical support. Unfortunately, this is not something that works very well in a country like ours. We have to rely on our own technicians. 

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

We have had the opportunity, although not so extensively, to use MikroTik. In my experience, they are easy to use, and they are cheaper. Our financial department opted for Cisco, but we are satisfied with Cisco. 

How was the initial setup?

It is easy. We haven't had much trouble.

What about the implementation team?

I can do it by myself.

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

They are a little bit expensive. We are a public institution, so we go through other traders, and sometimes, they put in their own surplus price because it is a government contract. Cisco products are expensive, especially when you compare them to Huawei.

What other advice do I have?

I would surely recommend this solution. We plan to keep using these switches. 

I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches an eight 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
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
844,944 professionals have used our research since 2012.
PeerSpot user
IT Admin at UT Austin Office of Technology Commercialization
Real User
Streamlines operations and maintenance and reduces end-user downtime
Pros and Cons
    • "It would be helpful to have the ability to load new IOS software without performing a reboot or to be able to perform the reboot without disrupting end-users."

    What is our primary use case?

    LAN switch for both core and access layers. It has performed very well in this area.

    How has it helped my organization?

    The ease of deployment and the support are associated with a reduction in end-user downtime as well as in the operations and maintenance efforts required.

    What is most valuable?

    Among the most valuable features are the support and the ecosystem. There is a lot of documentation and information, and many support resources are available.

    What needs improvement?

    It would be helpful to have the ability to load new IOS software without performing a reboot, or to be able to perform the reboot without disrupting end-users.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    This is a very stable and mature platform with a proven record of reliability.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Catalyst is very a very scalable solution thanks to its Stack mechanism, as well as the modular functionalities of some models.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Cisco TAC support is very reliable and responsive. It has always been considered an industry benchmark among all IT support organizations.

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

    Business requirements were the driver for our switch to Catalyst. We needed an increase in port density and an increase in port speed, among other things.

    The most important criterion when selecting a vendor is the quality of the support team for technical issues.

    How was the initial setup?

    The setup of Catalyst, in general, is straightforward and easily done by following the documentation.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    Extreme Networks, Juniper Networks, Dell.

    What other advice do I have?

    Consider your business requirements and only select the needed functions/features, to avoid over-complex solutions.

    I rate Catalyst a nine out of 10 because the product is extremely mature and reliable.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Sultan Mohammed - PeerSpot reviewer
    Enterprise Network Engineer at IE Network Solutions PLC
    MSP
    Top 10
    High-performance solution that can accommodate growing network demands
    Pros and Cons
    • "It enables fast data transfer rates, while offering stable and consistent network performance."
    • "With most of the Cisco devices and models, we faced a slight decrease in speed during the initial setup and while restarting the system"

    What is our primary use case?

    The main use case usually depends on the client itself. We are operating as system integrators with numerous customers and different software vendors. 

    What is most valuable?

    When deciding on the system, most of the clients check for switching capacity and Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very good solution for that purpose. It enables fast data transfer rates while offering stable and consistent network performance. 

    What needs improvement?

    With most of the Cisco devices and models, we faced a slight decrease in speed during the initial setup and while restarting the system. The performance of the solution itself is really good. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been employing this solution for a year and a half. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I would rate the stability ten out of ten. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability depends on the device that is used and the client's requests, but overall, it is a scalable solution that can accommodate growing network demands. 

    How are customer service and support?

    Cisco provides comprehensive support and advanced management capabilities, including remote configuration and monitoring options. We had a small issue with the data center so we had to engage with the tech team, and their service was exceptional. I rate it ten out of ten. 

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was not complex at all. The only issue with the setup is that it takes a lot of time for the system to be deployed. 

    What about the implementation team?

    The deployment of the solution is based on specific networking needs so the timing and the whole process depends on the complexity of the project.

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

    I would say that the pricing of the solution falls within the moderate to higher range. It is still quite reasonable for the provided service. I rate it seven out of ten.

    What other advice do I have?

    I highly recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches as they facilitate the creation of network segments and VLAN configurations for smooth traffic management and security. I rate it ten 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:
    PeerSpot user
    Kannan Raja - PeerSpot reviewer
    Senior Executive at a leisure / travel company with 201-500 employees
    Real User
    Top 10
    Reliable, has good support, is easy to install, and is well-integrated
    Pros and Cons
    • "It can be expanded."
    • "While it is scalable, it could be better."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use Cisco Catalyst Switches for the office network.

    What is most valuable?

    It can be expanded.

    The integration is quite easy.

    What needs improvement?

    While it is scalable, it could be better.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with Cisco Catalyst Switches for more than two years.

    We are using the latest version.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability is good. We have not had any stability issues with Cisco Catalyst Switches.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Cisco Catalyst Switches is a scalable product.

    We have 450 people in our organization who use this solution.

    We have no plans to increase usage at this time.

    How are customer service and support?

    We don't have any issues with technical support.

    When we report a problem, we receive the assistance we require.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

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

    We also use ATI.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is quite straightforward. 

    The configuration is easy.

    The installation took less than an hour.

    What about the implementation team?

    You can do the installation yourself.

    This solution is being maintained by a team of three people.

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

    The licensing, and maintenance fees are paid on a yearly basis.

    You can also choose between a three-year and a five-year licensing fee.

    When you select the longest subscription period, you will receive a discount.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    No

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend this solution to others.

    I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    IT Manager at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Reliable and scalable with lots of great features
    Pros and Cons
    • "Technical support is very responsive and helpful."
    • "Pricing mainly is the only issue."

    What is our primary use case?

    We're using it as basic switches - mainly VLANs and SPB, The main focus is actually for just VLANs and VLAN switching, and that's it.

    What is most valuable?

    There are a lot of features on the device. We're not using all the features that we can use, however.

    It's all fine. It works quite well. What we have now is good. We don't have many requirements for these switches except just forwarding traffic.

    The solution has been very stable.

    We find the product to be scalable.

    Technical support is very responsive and helpful.

    The solution is very reliable.

    What needs improvement?

    Pricing mainly is the only issue. For our company, IT is not a major investment, so it would be harder to convince management to invest in Cisco switches. For quality, they are the best, however, in terms of pricing, especially due to the COVID crisis and everything, investment into a network is now a lower priority. Before, when the money flow was better, it was easier to sell. However, now, for this current situation, a major point of pain in the company is price. 

    Even though my priority is reliability, in order to avoid downtime, management is harder to convince and they just see the price tag. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We've been using the solution since about 2018. It's been around four years or so now.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is very stable. Since 2018, since we started with them, we haven't faced any issues with these switches, except for one instance where we switched to a new switch and needed to restart to enable the functionality.

    Other than that, the switches are working great. There were only two times we restarted them due to an incident with the power equipment. The switches restarted because of a power issue, and not due to the switch itself having a problem.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is scalable. We're actually using it using iStack. It is stackable and very scalable to add more switches. It's quite easy to expand everything.

    We're using these for our core network. It's across all our core network that is going through our IT department. For that reason, many people are on them. It's likely about 50 people 50, plus the user traffic. We're an ISP. We have some servers and portals that use these servers, switches to reach the network. Therefore, many, many users use that. We have a lot of user traffic going through the switches.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    The technical support is fine. We've had, several moments in these last four years where we've requested Cisco technical support and they were very quick to respond and provide assistance. It's taken, at a maximum, two days to go from request to support. they are very responsive. We are very satisfied with their level of service.

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

    As I understand, Cisco's prices are very high and other vendors might have a lower price. Therefore, we're considering Aruba or Huawei or maybe other vendors as well for both access switches and managed wireless solutions (as in lightweight access points with controllers and these kinds of networks). 

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    Due to the wireless network upgrade, I'm considering other measures as well as Cisco. We're considering Aruba and we're considering Huawei. I'm considering switching to other vendors mainly because of the price.

    What other advice do I have?

    We are a customer and an end-user.

    We deal with a lot of Cisco products. We use maybe 20 or so Cisco switches.

    We have an old 2960-X and a 2960 Plus. We also have three 9300 switches, which are the newer model.

    I would advise other users to plan for a larger network than you currently need. For example, if you need 20 ports on a switch and you're ordering this equipment. order a 48 port one, as you'll find that you quickly consume the 20 ports and you need upgrades of two, three, four, five, six. You'll need upgrades quickly and you'll find yourself ordering another switch to replace this one. The most sensible recommendation is to order one bigger switch, which is better than replacing the switch you have within one year. 

    I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. The switches are excellent.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Namra Saif - PeerSpot reviewer
    IT Sales Engineer at Comstar - Information Systems Associates Ltd.
    Real User
    Top 5
    Provides flexibility and is reliable from a security perspective
    Pros and Cons
    • "The product is also flexible."
    • "The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required."

    What is our primary use case?

    Cisco offers good switches. In Pakistan, there are a lot of customers who are Cisco lovers, and they also use Cisco's firewall products.

    What is most valuable?

    The features of Cisco that I find to be the most valuable or effective are its network security and speed.

    What needs improvement?

    My company cannot import Cisco products in Pakistan due to some L/C issues. Cisco can consider the aforementioned details related to imports for improvement.

    The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for more than three years. I sell the product to my company's clients in Pakistan and don't use it personally.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is a stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It is a scalable solution. The product is also flexible.

    My company deals with around 50 customers who use the product.

    How are customer service and support?

    The quality of support services provided by the product is good. You can open a ticket with the support team and also use Cisco's RMA option, which is quite a speedy process.

    The product's support team is good, and it is easy to open a ticket. The product's technical team responds to a user's queries in a few hours or minutes.

    How was the initial setup?

    The product's initial setup phase was easy.

    There is a manual from Cisco that can be followed to deploy the product, and our company's clients mostly use it since it helps them take care of the deployment process by themselves. Our company's clients don't seek help from my organization for deployment. Our company's clients will only approach us if they get stuck somewhere with the deployment process.

    For the deployment process, there is a portal maintained by Cisco where you can log in and take care of the configuration part. Cisco provides guidance with the steps involved in the deployment, and one can easily follow them. The user dashboard in Cisco's hotel can be helpful for those who are involved in deploying the product.

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

    The new products from Cisco in the market are expensive. My company cannot import Cisco products, so they are mostly unavailable.

    My company's clients pay yearly for the licensing costs attached to the solution.

    What other advice do I have?

    The product was helpful in improving the network performance for our company's clients, considering that I have dealt with a few companies who are quite satisfied with Cisco's technical features because, on a monthly basis, they acquire five to six Cisco tools from my organization. Our company's clients can't afford the new equipment provided by Cisco and mostly prefer to purchase refurbished equipment. Our company's customers are satisfied with refurbished equipment.

    The product is reliable from a security perspective since it offers a secure VPN.

    The product's ease of management has improved our company's operational efficiency since Cisco supports configuration or troubleshooting issues.

    I recommend the product to those who plan to use it.

    Integrating the product with other network tools impacts our company's IT infrastructure since it is an easy process to integrate, deploy, and configure the tool.

    The product's users experience many benefits, considering that it is a scalable and reliable tool. Cisco places a strong emphasis on security. Cisco offers a range of features to protect its users' networks. The product secures its users' networks from cyber threats. It is easy to deploy and configure, and its support is good. I sell a lot of Cisco refurbished or used equipment in Pakistan. People love to use Cisco in Pakistan. There are a lot of Cisco lovers in the market who won't switch from it to some other brand. Some of our customers have been using Cisco for many years. I have suggested other brands to my company's customers, but they are stuck with Cisco due to its great features.

    I rate the overall product an eight and a half out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
    PeerSpot user
    reviewer930072 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Senior Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Easy to configure, scalable, and stable
    Pros and Cons
    • "We find the product very easy to configure."
    • "The solution is expensive."

    What is our primary use case?

    We primarily use the solution for our server. It's a network solution as well.

    What is most valuable?

    It's a very popular solution.

    We find the product very easy to configure.

    The stability is very good.

    The product can scale quite well. 

    What needs improvement?

    Cisco is basically the number one switch in the market. It makes it hard for other options to compete. 

    The solution is expensive. Sometimes we will choose some cheaper options even though they are not as stable as Cisco's offering. However, if it is a small project, it may not be worth paying Cisco prices to get it done.  

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've used the solution for two or three years at this point. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I have found the solution to be very stable. The performance is good. It doesn't crash or freeze. it's reliable. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability has been excellent. A company shouldn't have any issues with expanding it if they need to.

    We have three to five people that directly work with this product.

    We already use so many Catalyst switches. I'm not sure if we intend to add any more. 

    How are customer service and support?

    We don't really need any support as we have a network engineer on staff that can help us troubleshoot if we have issues. 

    How was the initial setup?

    I can't speak to the initial setup. In terms of the installation process, we have a network engineer that will help us to install the switches when we need them.

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

    The solution is expensive. There are other cheaper switches on the market. However, they may not necessarily be as stable as this option. 

    When you buy the Cisco, the price already includes a software license.

    What other advice do I have?

    I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using. It might be the latest.

    I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. I've been pleased with its capabilities overall. 

    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: March 2025
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.