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reviewer1638543 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Very scalable and easy to deploy, but has bugs that caused the switch to reboot
Pros and Cons
  • "It is very scalable."
  • "If we can have fewer bugs on our switches, that would be great. We had bugs that caused the switch to reboot. There is probably a problem with the software."

What is our primary use case?

We are using it for user connectivity. We are using its latest version. 

It is deployed on a public cloud and on-premises.

What is most valuable?

It is very scalable.

What needs improvement?

If we can have fewer bugs on our switches, that would be great. We had bugs that caused the switch to reboot. There is probably a problem with the software. 

Their technical support can be improved in terms of response time and overall efficiency.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for about 20 years.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Ethernet Switches
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Ethernet 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?

It is very scalable. We have about 8,000 users.

How are customer service and support?

We use their technical support a lot. They are okay. There is definitely room for improvement in terms of response time and overall efficiency.

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

We didn't use any other solution.

How was the initial setup?

For our setup here, it was pretty straightforward.

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

I pay a fixed price on it. I'm not the person on the pursing, so I don't really compare.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others to shop around and maybe compare it with some of the other vendors such as Juniper or Arista.

I would rate Cisco Ethernet Switches a seven out of 10.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1578237 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Director of IT and Data Analytics at a performing arts with 201-500 employees
Real User
Scalable, good POE functionality, and responsive technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "One main feature of this solution is the POE switches."
  • "The interface and dashboard could look better."

What is our primary use case?

We are using the solution as switches for our organization's network.

What is most valuable?

One main feature of this solution is the POE switches.

What needs improvement?

The interface and dashboard could look better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for approximately two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have been using a lot of hardware that is probably close to 10 years old. We did have an issue once with one of our switches that would just auto-reset and wipe out and randomly restart. I do not know the full details, but we ended up just replacing it.

In the future, there should be readily available instructional videos.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is pretty good, all you need to do is add more racks. We have approximately 70 people that rely on this solution from my organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

We paid for the technical support and they were good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have been evaluating Fortinet solutions.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Cisco Ethernet 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
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Ethernet Switches
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Ethernet Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Pre-sales Engineer at a wholesaler/distributor with 51-200 employees
Reseller
Excellent technical support, good features, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "Technical support is excellent. They are very helpful."
  • "I don't like that you have to have a license of 10 years to use the switch. I don't understand that policy."

What is most valuable?

Cisco is number one in switches. Normally, if a manufacturer does not have the same categories as Cisco, it's not a good switch. Cisco has a lot of features that you never use that are implemented in the software. It's nice to know they are there if you need them. 

For a simple customer, the initial setup is quick and easy.

Technical support is excellent. They are very helpful.

What needs improvement?

Typically, mid-range customers don't have a need for all of the features embedded in Cisco's software.

The solution is a bit difficult.

I don't like the new way the licensing is set up. I don't like that you have to have a license of 10 years to use the switch. I don't understand that policy. It's not useful for the customer.

There are some features in previous versions or previous models that were automatically included in the software. However, now, in the new switches, they don't have it included. You have to go to an advanced version.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been dealing with the solution for the last two decades. It's been 20 years. I have a lot of experience with them.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The performance of the solution is very good. We've found the solution to be reliable.

How are customer service and technical support?

While I haven't been in touch with Cisco's technical support in the past year, I have worked with them in the past and I have always had a positive experience. I would rate their services nine out of ten. They are knowledgeable and responsive. We are satisfied with eh support they provide. They are likely the best on the market in terms of support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty straightforward. It's not difficult or anything. 

There are lots of ways to do the initial configuration. It's very flexible. I typically use the traditional setup, however, you don't necessarily need to.

Deployment times vary. It depends on the client and the environment and what you want to do.

For someone who knows what they are doing, it might take an hour or so to have a suite deployed. Others might need more time or might have to do more integrations with a network that's in production. That could take a week or more. It all depends.

That said, even with configuration and integration in the mix, it's not too difficult. A company shouldn't run into any problems.

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

There are other manufacturers that may offer better pricing. The price is important. It may be a deciding factor for some.

What other advice do I have?

We are a Cisco partner. We are also a Cisco customer.

I've dealt with a lot of Cisco switches and a lot of different versions over the years.

I would recommend the solution to others. They are likely the first option if you compare it to other manufacturers. The features and performance are superior. It would be difficult to find something better than Cisco. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Owner at It logic
Real User
Easy to install and stability is perfect
Pros and Cons
  • "The stability is 100%."
  • "Technical support in India needs to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We are a solution provider and Cisco Ethernet Switches are one of the products that we offer for our customers. With Cisco, there are two areas. There are gigabit switches, both managed and unmanaged, and there are 100 Mbps switches.

Generally, the Cisco switches available in India are L2 or L3. The L2 switch is mainly used for internet connectivity, for internet ISP users.

What needs improvement?

Technical support in India needs to be improved.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is 100%. It's the number-one product in this regard. We plan to continue selling it in the future.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Our customers have between 2,000 and 2,500 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

I'm not sure about other parts of the world, but in India, there is a problem with technical support for Cisco. There needs to be local support and it should be faster. At this time, in India, they give only remote support.

How was the initial setup?

Cisco switch installation is very easy and it takes approximately half an hour to deploy.

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

This is a very expensive product. Without a license, part of the switch will not function.

In some of the latest switches, the warranty is not included in the pricing and we have to purchase it separately.

What other advice do I have?

In summary, this is a good product that is very stable and I recommend it, but it's a costly switch.

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: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Data Center Admin at Sysnet Global Technologies
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Stable, they have good replacement service, and the technical support is helpful
Pros and Cons
  • "The procedures and handling of these switches are easy."
  • "The initial setup can be simplified."

What is our primary use case?

We use these switches as part of our data center infrastructure.

What is most valuable?

These switches are stable and they have a good replacement service.

The support is good.

The procedures and handling of these switches are easy. Anything that you need to know is available in a Google search, or from the technical support.

What needs improvement?

The initial setup can be simplified.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Cisco Ethernet Switches for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability is one of the key features of this product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We are using the Cisco 4503-E and these switches are very scalable. There are some models that have plenty of ports.

Users do not connect directly to this switch. Rather, only servers are connected and we have perhaps 20 of them.

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

We also have experience with HPE switches. The HPE switches are okay, but Cisco is the best when it comes to things like the CLI. I prefer them.

Juniper is also a good company and they have good switches.

What other advice do I have?

Cisco Switches are the best and I recommend them.

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
reviewer946554 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head Of Information & Communication Technology at a transportation company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Good performance and redundancy, and well worth the investment
Pros and Cons
  • "These switches help to build the best network, the way we want it."
  • "Putting in a more complete management infrastructure would help when it comes to handling lower-end switches."

What is our primary use case?

We use these switches in our data center core to handle all of the converged networks. They handle our SAN servers as well as other components.

The outer perimeter is handled by the Cisco 2960s, for distribution of traffic to endpoint clients.

How has it helped my organization?

These switches help to build the best network, the way we want it. There is a guarantee that makes us feel better about having a secure network.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the performance and ability to handle the flow of traffic.

The redundancy that the switches provide is very good.

What needs improvement?

There is a focus on improving the UI for managing the higher-end switches and routers, but not the traditional ones. Putting in a more complete management infrastructure would help when it comes to handling lower-end switches.

These switches are pretty expensive to put into place, so if they could bring the price point down then it would be really good.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Cisco Ethernet switches for just over ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution very well handles the capability for scaling. It is fairly simple and easy to do.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Sometimes we have issues with certain switches hanging.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have only indirectly been in contact with technical support through our vendor. Our interactions mostly had to do with registering the product and downloading updates. We have not been in contact concerning a particular issue about a product.

How was the initial setup?

Our initial setup was more than ten years ago, and it is something that has been modified over time. Whatever it was, originally, has been rebuilt. As we continue to add new components, it becomes simpler and easier for us to go forward. 

The deployment for the data center core took four days to get all of the services up and running. This included the interfacing, as well as cutting over to ensure that there was no outage. A lot of this had to do with the waiting time and change control, where the cut-over was done during hours that are less used by the employees.

Our other primary switches were pretty simple to change, as and when required. This was never much of a dealy.

What about the implementation team?

Our vendor assisted us with the original deployment. Our project team consisted of four people and there was an additional person from the vendor.

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

These switches are expensive, but they are an excellent buy and definitely have value for the investment.

What other advice do I have?

The switches that we have purchased handle our load pretty well. We do not have a high data plan network.

When our switches age beyond the life cycle then each will be replaced with whatever the current model is in the market at the time. In the future, we would like to integrate Cisco Aironet, although Wi-Fi is a bit down the line for us.

Overall, this is a good product but there is always room for improvement. My main complaint about Cisco is the price aspect.

I would rate this solution 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
PeerSpot user
CIO with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Leaderboard
Business decisions made today, now become key strategic advantages and capabilities of tomorrow.

What is most valuable?

Flexibility

How has it helped my organization?

We standardized on an common command line interface

What needs improvement?

When Cisco products integrate with a third party module it not easy to renew support on the third party modules software. On hardware replacement the serial numbers don't get added to the support contract and feature codes have to be reinstalled.

For how long have I used the solution?

10 Years

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

No

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service: Very GoodTechnical Support: Very Good

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

Yes, because of cost. Then the replacements were not reliable enough.

How was the initial setup?

Complex setup. Mostly because of Data,VoIP and Video QOS.

What about the implementation team?

Both. The vendor was very good.

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

The cost on the entire infrastructure was 1.2 mil. The OPEX is 95k

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Yes, tried HP, Dell, 3Com

What other advice do I have?

The network system will need the capacity for future expansion. To go beyond Enterprise Integration, by creating a new infrastructure. Business decisions made today, now become key strategic advantages and capabilities of tomorrow.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
JEGAN N - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder at SYSTA NETWORKS
Real User
Top 5
Stable and scalable solution with responsive tech support
Pros and Cons
  • "Cisco Ethernet Switches are scalable, much more than Jupiter."
  • "The initial setup for on-prem versions is complex and requires a trained, certified engineer."

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Cisco Switches for seven to eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco Ethernet Switches are stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco Ethernet Switches are scalable, much more than Jupiter. 

How are customer service and support?

Cisco's technical support is very responsive.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup for on-prem versions is complex and requires a trained, certified engineer. However, the cloud versions are straightforward. Catalyst switches take around fifteen to thirty minutes to deploy, while the Meraki switches take about twenty minutes.

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

Cisco Ethernet Switches are expensive, and you have to pay for a warranty and technical support.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend Cisco Ethernet Switches, as long as you have the budget. I'd rate this solution nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
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Updated: January 2025
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