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Ashok Braganza - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Consultant at moj
Real User
Offers easy integration but needs to be more efficient
Pros and Cons
  • "The tool offers easy integration."
  • "The tool is only 75 percent efficient and not 100 percent as expected, making it an area where the tool can be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I use the solution in my company for our normal work. We have the tool as a wireless connection. The tool is used for normal purposes, and there are no special use cases attached to the tool.

In our business environment, the tool is utilized not in all the sites but only in a few buildings where we have it.

What is most valuable?

There is nothing I find to be specifically valuable in the solution since we are a company with engineers who are experts in Cisco. The tool has normal features, so there isn't any area the tool has improved in our company.

What needs improvement?

In our company, we haven't explored the tool much. We are using the tool as a normal product.

I didn't experiment to see what are the features that are required in the product. As long as the tool works, everything will be fine with our company.

The tool is only 75 percent efficient and not 100 percent as expected, making it an area where the tool can be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches for twenty years.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a very stable solution.

The reliability of the tool has affected our network uptime. There has been no hardware failure, and everything has been perfect in the tool.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

My company has not seen any AI integrated into the tool for any of the use cases.

The tool offers easy integration. We didn't have any issues or a tough time with the product.

I recommend the tool to others.

I rate the tool a seven to eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

I have not escalated any issues to the solution's technical support.

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

I work with switches from Aruba and HPE. Aruba and HPE are more advanced, but we are using the old Cisco tools. At my company, we did a PoC with Aruba, and it was very good. Aruba is cheaper than Cisco. Aruba is more advanced in terms of integrations and monitoring.

What about the implementation team?

The tool was deployed by the local partner, the one who supplies it.

What was our ROI?

I have not calculated the benefits of the use of the tool since it has been a long time since we got it into the company.

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

The tool's pricing doesn't matter because it is purchased on a tender basis.

The tool's price is reasonable.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have only evaluated Arba against Cisco.

What other advice do I have?

My company has not seen any AI integrated into the tool for any of the use cases.

The tool offers easy integration. We didn't have any issues or a tough time with the product.

I recommend the tool to others.

I rate the tool a seven to eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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PeerSpot user
MohammedSaleh - PeerSpot reviewer
Director Of Operations at Advanced Data Systems
Reseller
Top 10
Stable solution with an easy initial setup process
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a scalable solution."
  • "The solution's price could be better."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution to establish a network infrastructure for the customers.

What is most valuable?

The solution has the best uplink features in terms of speed.

What needs improvement?

The solution's price could be better. It is a significant concern for most of the end users.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for more than 20 years. I have worked with different series, including the 2900, 3900, and 9000 series.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution's stability a ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate the solution's scalability a ten out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

Customers with an SLA license contact us for technical support. The queries are related to collaboration or security.

How was the initial setup?

The solution's initial setup is straightforward. The time taken for deployment depends on the requirement. For an access switch, it takes a day. For a core switch, it may take a couple of hours.

The process includes submitting design documentation and a network implementation plan to the customers. After approval, we provide templates and configuration guidelines to them. Later, we conduct a network readiness test to ensure its successful implementation. It requires two technicians to execute the process for extensive networks.

What about the implementation team?

We implement the solution with the help of Cisco partners.

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

The solution's price is high. Although, they offer around 50% or above discount on some of their products. So, it is manageable.

What other advice do I have?

I have experience working with the solution's core switches, distribution series, and regular access switches. I recommend it and advise others to have a CCNA level of knowledge to administer and support their end users. I rate it a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Mark Moloney - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Network Manager at a non-profit with 51-200 employees
Real User
Easy to use and reliable, but they lack the management capabilities needed for enterprise-class switches
Pros and Cons
  • "Linksys switches are easy to use. You can pull the switch out of the box, plug it in, and it's going to work."
  • "I would like to see more manageability. That's primarily the reason why Linksys switches don't work in the enterprise space. They don't have the management and capabilities of other switches."

What is our primary use case?

Linksys switches are usually at the edge. People usually go with other switches for the core, but this is the switch that all the desktops connect to. It's primarily used in small offices. Once you're in a position where you really need a ton of bandwidth, companies tend to move away from Linksys to Cisco, Brocade, or another enterprise switch.  Most of the companies that use Linksys have fewer than 200 or 300 users. 

What is most valuable?

Linksys switches are easy to use. You can pull the switch out of the box, plug it in, and it's going to work. 

What needs improvement?

I would like to see more manageability. That's primarily the reason why Linksys switches don't work in the enterprise space. They don't have the management and capabilities of other switches.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Linksys Ethernet switches for 10-15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I haven't seen issues with them. On occasion, they'll have a bad port come up, but that's just about any switch.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I don't consider them to be scalable. As far as I know, they don't talk to each other at all. You can't put three of them together as a stack and then work off that. 

How was the initial setup?

It's straightforward to set up and maintain Linksys switches. One network engineer is enough to handle it. 

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

Linksys switches are at the low end of the price range, but that's partly because of where they fit in the whole scheme of things. They're definitely a lower-price option.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Cisco Linksys ethernet switches five out of 10. They're not very feature-rich, but they have sufficient features for the market segment they occupy. Don't expect a ton out of them. They're good for what they're designed for, but if you try to stretch them, they're just not going to perform the way you want.

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: Implementer
PeerSpot user
Ceo & President at TNL
Real User
Useful web interface, scalable, and simple implementation
Pros and Cons
  • "Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches is stable."
  • "The documentation should be improved from Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches. Although it hints or refers to being able to do certain operations, they try to get you to load the software instead. They need to be more open with their documentation on using the web interface and give the client the option to use the software or not. This improvement is not on the switch itself, it is in the packaging."

What is our primary use case?

I can program Linksys and have onioned Linksys. I have put the onion into a Linksys, and made it onto our network. I have worked with them quite a bit.

What needs improvement?

The documentation should be improved from Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches. Although it hints or refers to being able to do certain operations, they try to get you to load the software instead. They need to be more open with their documentation on using the web interface and give the client the option to use the software or not. This improvement is not on the switch itself, it is in the packaging.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches within the past 12 months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have not used Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches too much in commercial environments other than the residential apartment systems that I have here. This is where residents have plugged in the Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches in their system. They seem to have no problem with device communication to Netgear and the Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches environment. 

They don't have any problem working in Roku's environment. I've even seen them used on Aruba's. From what I've seen for their functionality, and then putting them into where there's no back-end, you're connected to a cable modem, they seem to be the most robust. They don't seem to give you a lot of problems. I very rarely have an issue. When you're dealing with an apartment complex that has a thousand plus residents, each with their own router and other hardware, working in this close proximity of each other, 50 feet or less of each other, they don't seem to have a problem working in that environment.

Some of the Netscapes I have used where you have them too close together, you can start having issues that are caused by congestion of the airway of the channels that are being used. I find that the Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches are able to somehow deal with that better. Even if you have heavy congestion, they seem to be able to handle it better with their communication.

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

I have used many solutions, such as Belkin, Netscape, and Netgear.

The one problem I have found with the Belkin routers, and wireless points that people typically purchase is they want to phone home. If it can't phone home, the firewall blocks all communications.

If you are in a secured environment where everything is secured, the phoning home makes the switch not functional. Someone has to sit there and argue with it for a while to finally configure it to where it can phone home. Then every time you turn around, it wants to shut down because it can't phone home every so many day. That put Belkin off the list. I hook up the Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches straightforward, right out of the box. Most of the time, people don't have to do anything to it for it to work correctly. It works right out of the box in their environment.

How was the initial setup?

The installation of Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches is very easy. They are simpler to implement than other solutions.

With Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches I am able to direct the install software to be set up at a certain IP address to be done there. It has a good web interface when it comes to setting things up, you don't have to load needless software into your computer. Anything that requires you to load the software into your computer is one thing I turn away from because that's more resources taken from my computing platform. If I have to waste resources to control something that's supposed to be doing its own job, then what do I have it for. 

Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches doesn't force me to do that. Some of the Netscape's are similar to that. Netscape's interface is not as easy to navigate because they keep changing the interface. From one appliance to the other, your interface is not uniform. I could go with the Linksys, and if I've done one, I can find my way through most any of the others.

What other advice do I have?

For the home user or end-user, that doesn't have a high-end back-end running. I usually recommend the Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches. I recommend Linksys more than I do Netgear because of the simple installation. 

For home and small office use where you don't have a major back-end, I would recommend Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches.

Using Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches in a commercial residential environment where you have a lot of people using them, with individual configuration. I would give them an eight or a nine out of ten because I have had problems, but most of it is user-related. If they understood the documentation it would be better implemented, they would understand, and I probably wouldn't run across problems. Most of the time the problem is where they're plugging them in backward. They don't understand that just because the plug fits on the back does not mean it is correct. There's a reason why you have a WAN and a LAN side. The documents do not explain it well enough to people. The installer gives them a little bit more information so they know not to plug in the other way. That can cause some havoc.

Using Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches in a commercial office environment, non-heavy back-end or light back-end, they seem to work well. Under another router, they seem to do well and are stable. I don't have a lot of issues with them. I typically install them and forget about them. Most of the issues I have is their equipment is the hardware might fail and had to switch the equipment, and then gave them their ID and password. However, getting them back up's and running is pretty simple. I reset everything, turn everything back, change the passwords, and everything is back working.

When it comes to the heavy back-end commercial implementation, Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches do work when you have a heavy back-end. I don't see them used as much there and therefore cannot give a rating. I have not seen them in that environment as much to judge them on.

I rate Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Ayaz Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewer
Cyber Security Specialist at lums
Real User
Top 5
Stable and high performing solution with easy integration and good connectivity
Pros and Cons
  • "It is very stable. Performance is very good."
  • "Some experts say that the price may be lower or that the ethernet switches are complex to set up and manage, maybe because of limited port density, supports, and quality of service, like capabilities."

What is our primary use case?

We connect our Ethernet switches directly via LAN or with printers at every endpoint for user connectivity.

What is most valuable?

We are satisfied with the Cisco devices' scalability, and the integration and replacement are very easy. Their support is available online.

What needs improvement?

Some experts say that the price may be lower or that the ethernet switches are complex to set up and manage, maybe because of limited port density, supports, and quality of service, like capabilities. So that could be improved.

In the next release, Cisco switches can have built-in two or four fiber ports available for fiber connectivity.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using it for 20 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable. Performance is very good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution. I would rate it an eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

The customer support team is good.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. I would rate the setup an eight out of ten.

What about the implementation team?

When we deploy anything, we rely on support from the product vendor or partner who sold them the product. The support available from the vendor or partner made it easy to deploy anything. They provided assistance with configuration and deployment.

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

Cisco's pricing is very high compared to other products on the market, such as Ruckus and Aruba.

I would give the pricing a rating of nine out of ten. Cisco's pricing is relatively high but still somewhat reasonable.

What other advice do I have?

If someone wants long-term performance or relief in terms of connectivity or stability, they must use Cisco.



I would rate it an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1247325 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
A stable solution with zero downtime
Pros and Cons
  • "I found the feature of having no downtime to be the most valuable aspect of the tool."
  • "On a scale of one to ten, with one being the worst and ten being the best, I rate the tool's scalability as seven since there are some limitations."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use it for running our manufacturing operation.

How has it helped my organization?

Regarding improving our organization's functioning, the security provided by the solution can be considered an example.

What is most valuable?

I found the feature of having no downtime to be the most valuable aspect of the tool.

What needs improvement?

Right now, there aren't any improvements needed in the solution.

Feature-wise, there are no features that I would like to see included in the tool.

For how long have I used the solution?

I would say it's been more than ten years that I've been dealing with Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches. It was version 9300, which I was using.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Speaking in terms of how it has improved the way our organization functions, we have experienced improved stability.

I have faced no issues with the stability of the solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, the solution is good. On a scale of one to ten, with one being the worst and ten being the best, I rate the tool's scalability as seven since there are some limitations. Also, around a thousand users use Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches in our organization.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't had any need to escalate any questions to the technical support team recently.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of the tool was easy.

On a scale of one to ten, where one is the worst and ten is the easiest, I rate my experience with the initial setup as a nine.

When deploying the switches, the basic steps involved getting the architecture done and then deploying it. It was a lengthy process and took around three to six months.

We did not require a lot of staff members or resources for the deployment process. Also, the tool does not require any specific maintenance.

What about the implementation team?

We have Accenture as our global partner, who handles the deployment process for us. They are the ones who do it for us.

What was our ROI?

For ROI, we generally recover it in seven years.

What other advice do I have?

I cannot give any advice or recommendation for those who want to start working with Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches. I also won't be able to recommend it to others. However, while I personally recommend this solution, I cannot publicly recommend it to anyone.

I rate Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Assistant Director at unpa
Real User
Reasonably priced, and has web-based interface for administration
Pros and Cons
  • "Administration can be done using the web-based interface."
  • "This product does not scale to environments where there is a lot of network traffic."

What is our primary use case?

We use this switch in our network layer 3. One of our use cases is managing the VLAN, and connecting with other VLANs.

What is most valuable?

Administration can be done using the web-based interface.

What needs improvement?

This product does not scale to environments where there is a lot of network traffic.

The security features for the web services can be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches for quite some time.

I am a Cisco-certified network engineer. I have experience with routing and configuring this product.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

For a smaller company, Linksys is very stable. In an environment where there is a large number of devices and a lot of traffic, this is not the best solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

With respect to scalability, this switch works well in an administration environment where the traffic is low. However, in other industries that require a lot of traffic, this type of switch is too small. In other parts of our company, we use other Cisco devices that handle a larger amount of traffic.

In our environment, scalability is good and we don't have a problem. We have 300 users. We do plan to increase our usage.

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

I also have experience with D-Link switches, as well as similar products from HPE including the HPE ProCurve.

For a larger architecture, such as one that is used for virtualization services, I would recommend using larger Cisco switches. On the other hand, if you have a smaller company that doesn't need a complex network with MPLS, then Linksys is a good choice because of the cost difference. Cisco switches have a very high cost.

What about the implementation team?

We have an in-house technical support team that maintains our network. There are three people on the team.

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

The cost of Linksys switches is very reasonable and for a small enterprise like my company, it's perfect.

What other advice do I have?

This is a product that I recommend, although if you have an environment that uses a lot of bandwidth then it is not the best choice. That said, there is a cost difference between Linksys and the larger Cisco products.

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
Director of Information Technology at UniTeller Financial Services
Real User
Easy-to-use, with great product support, this versatile, mature product is a multi-faceted solution
Pros and Cons
  • "Ease-of-use and ease-of-management are good qualities of this product."
  • "The Cisco user interfaces can be difficult to use and maintain."

What is our primary use case?

I have been in so many situations using this product it is hard to choose a primary use. I have worked for many companies, so we have used them as access switches, we have used them as distribution switches, we have used them as IDF (Intermediate Distribution Frame) closets for floor switches. We have used them as code switches and clusters and chassis. I have gone through using all the different versions of switches in many scenarios, like remote offices, access to quotas for distribution. I have used the switches on every level and in exhaustive possibilities.  

What is most valuable?

I think the most valuable feature of Cisco Switches is basically the ease of use, the ease of management. The most important thing may be the support. Support is available and having access to good support has been the difference all along as a user of Cisco products. The most important thing about product support is that everything is made very available. Most of this stuff — I would say more than 90% of the technical stuff — is available online. Anybody can just go online and Google their questions, problems, or what they want to find out about and just download the documents and then get to work with the product. Some other products are good products, but there is not so much good technical information out there to support the products. Those products become less useful and less fully utilized.  

What needs improvement?

I think that Cisco UI interfaces need to be a little better. They use Java for parts of the graphical user interfaces and that messes up things from time-to-time. It is very hard to maintain that graphical user interface. If it would be anything but Java it would be better. Like if you could just access the GUI from a browser, that would be wonderful. But every time Cisco has their own product — like CCP (Cisco Configuration Professional) which is a nightmare to use.  

What I believe they could do more with is enhancement of the security features. The security controls that are given to users with Cisco 4600 now can be integrated with the Cisco firewalls. I think something similar needs to be done on those Lynksys models as well.  

For how long have I used the solution?

It feels like we have been using Cisco Switches forever. I have been using their products since I started my career and that was back in 1988. That makes it about 32 years now.  

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco Lynksys Switches are pretty stable. No complaints. I think, in general, the majority of the Cisco switches are very stable if not all of them.  

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is easy to scale the Cisco products, absolutely. There are a variety of ways to scale it.  

How are customer service and technical support?

Cisco has good technical support. But Cisco is also an advantage when you go out and you want to hire someone for your group to work with the product. For Cisco products, you can find a lot of candidates with experience. If you go with some other products that are not so commonly used, they will not have as many available certified technical people. So it is not as easy to find good candidates for those other products. For Cisco, you can find a lot of people with the necessary skill set.  

Technical support is one of the biggest reasons to go with Cisco as a mature and competitive product that is familiar and generally has good support.  

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

I have been using Cisco products for my entire long career. They are not exactly the same product for the entire time but they are Cisco quality. If there is a switch between solutions it may be to upgrade or because I moved companies or that requirements change. It has been nothing unusual to switch using one Cisco product for another.  

How was the initial setup?

I think it is pretty straightforward to set up and implement. I think they are pretty standard. It is not rocket science. The person doing the work should have some basic knowledge of working with switches. That would be all they need.  

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

When it comes to pricing, I think the licensing cost is not that bad. It is actually very competitive within the product category.  

What other advice do I have?

The advice I would offer to others in implementing Cisco Lynksys Switches is that somebody on the team has to be well aware of basic networking and how the search network works. That will make them easier to use and implement.  

On a scale from one to ten where one is the worst and ten is the best, I would rate the Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches depending on the class. For example, I think the Cisco 9300s are almost an eight-out-of-ten.  

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
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 Linksys Ethernet Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: November 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.