Our primary use case for Cisco Nexus is the data center. We use it for all of our enterprise servers, for our phone systems, and other things along those lines.
Network Engineer at American Honda Motor
We use it for all of our high-availability enterprise servers and phone systems
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Cisco Nexus is speed compared to what you would get from a Catalyst Series switch."
- "The solution has room for improvement in terms of the learning curve."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
We use Cisco Nexus for high availability for one of our line control systems.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Cisco Nexus is speed compared to what you would get from a Catalyst Series switch.
What needs improvement?
The solution has room for improvement in terms of the learning curve.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven't had any issues with the ones we've installed initially. They're still up and running as they should be.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I don't have experience with the scalability aspect of it. In our server farms, we haven't added any since install and it's done its job.
From where we're at, if we needed to add more effects to Cisco Nexus, we could. I don't see any issues with doing that.
How are customer service and support?
Just like all the Cisco support, it's easy to get through: just open the ticket over the phone.
They usually help us right away. We don't have any issues with working with Cisco tech support. They have resolved all of our cases.
What about the implementation team?
We used an integrator reseller for the deployment called BPlus. Our experience was pretty good. Sales are straightforward. They get us a reasonable discount.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale from one to 10, I would rate this product an eight just because I don't have to touch it. It works.
I would recommend it from the aspect that it's been configured and we have not touched it since, aside from regular adds, moves, and changes.
Go through someone who builds data centers for the most effective use of Cisco Nexus.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Feature-rich, easy to develop, good support, but it's expensive and needs a better GUI
Pros and Cons
- "I like the fact that they are a well-supported product."
- "I am looking for a GUI that goes alongside them and more SD-WAN built to their core switches."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case is for Data Center switches.
What is most valuable?
I like the supportability because it's Cisco. I like the fact that they are a well-supported product.
I am comfortable with the operating system and I like the regularity of them.
They are quite straightforward and easy to develop.
What needs improvement?
I am looking for a GUI that goes alongside them and more SD-WAN built to their core switches.
I'm looking at changing our firewall estate, and at the same time, looking at integrating our firewalls with whatever our core switch solution is going to be. I can't necessarily do that with the costings of a Cisco organization, as they're too expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Cisco Nexus for two and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I am happy with the stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's feature-rich, and they are expandable.
We have approximately a thousand users.
How are customer service and technical support?
Cisco's technical support and their global footprint are one of the reasons I would stay with Cisco, and I can get their hardware from anywhere in the world.
How was the initial setup?
I wasn't there at the time, but I know who put it in and it was straightforward.
It took a couple of weeks to deploy.
We have two engineers to maintain this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I thought that it would be less expensive. I always thought that Cisco charges more because of who they are, above the product itself.
Whilst it's the best of the breed, and it's the top right-hand corner at Gartner, I wonder how long that would be attractive.
What other advice do I have?
To others who are interested in this solution, I would say that if you have the money to spend and you want you to want to branch out to the rest of the world, then you should use this solution.
I would rate Cisco Nexus a seven 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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Cisco Nexus
January 2025
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Senior System Engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Stable, with an easy initial setup and good storage
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is pretty easy."
- "The licensing is very complicated. They should work to simplify it."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the Nexus Series, that's the 7000 Series, as a core switch. We have other 10-gauge switches to work as a server switch.
What is most valuable?
The storage connection is very good. We use the bonding license. It is is extremely stable. We don't have any issues with it whatsoever.
The initial setup is pretty easy.
What needs improvement?
The licensing is very complicated. They should work to simplify it.
Every feature you want to use you have to pay for separately as an extra cost. The features should be bundled together. It sometimes causes us to have clashes with dealers.
We don't find that there's any difference between the Nexus and Catalyst solutions. It seems that just the marketing is somewhat different, even though they seem to be the same technology.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution since about 2016.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. It's one of the solution's selling points for us. It doesn't have bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is very scalable. All you have to do when you scale is to follow the right best practices and you can scale without any issue.
We use it for a bank in Sudan, so there can sometimes be sizeable transactions.
How are customer service and technical support?
Up until last month, our country was under embargo, and therefore it was often difficult to get the proper assistance if we needed it. We've often had to deal with setbacks in terms of technical support care.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We're currently also using VMware which is part of our infrastructure. We use vSphere and Horizon.
Both VMware and Cisco compete within the virtualization space. VMware claims that Nexus can work as a virtual appliance in its infrastructure. From my perspective, we've had little experience with VMware networking.
On the VMware side, I use NSX in my infrastructure. I use it as a load balancer. We are planning to use it as a firewall segmentation.
How was the initial setup?
We found that the initial setup isn't very complex at all. It's rather straightforward.
We only need one person to manage the solution. We technically have two workers, so that we can always have one for redundancy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing is all over the place and hard to figure out. They don't seem to bundle features. Everything is always an extra cost.
What other advice do I have?
We're just Cisco customers. We work with the 7000 series.
I'd advise users to always know their organization's business needs. If you figure out your business needs, it will help you invest economically. If you don't know your business needs, whether it's Cisco or VMware, they'll try to sell you all types of products - sometimes items you won't use or need.
Overall, we're quite happy with Cisco. I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
ICT Infrastructure Solutions Engineer at Datec (Fiji) Limited
Is stable and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
- "The redundancy and the vPC are the most valuable features. We can integrate two switches together for file transfers; that is, we can operate two switches as one. This is because the network can be shared via a vPC trunk, particularly for devices that are not critical for redundancy."
- "There is limited guidance in terms of the use and configuration of Cisco Nexus for specific use cases. The documentation is not comprehensive, and you have to do a lot of online research."
What is our primary use case?
We use Cisco Nexus especially when we have bigger datacenter projects for organizations such as banks where the operations of all subsidiaries and sister companies are controlled from the head office.
What is most valuable?
The redundancy and the vPC are the most valuable features. We can integrate two switches together for file transfers; that is, we can operate two switches as one. This is because the network can be shared via a vPC trunk, particularly for devices that are not critical for redundancy.
What needs improvement?
There is limited guidance in terms of the use and configuration of Cisco Nexus for specific use cases. The documentation is not comprehensive, and you have to do a lot of online research.
I would like to have web interface configuration of the GUI in the next release. It would be good to be able to instruct via the GUI and then do the background commands.
I would also like, in terms of tracking for HSRP features, active-passive links when using multiple active-passive links. It would be great to have data automation.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using it for almost 12 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In terms of scalability, Cisco Nexus has limitations because you have to configure another vPC domain if you want to extend it.
We have three or four engineers within our company who are experienced at configuring Cisco Nexus, and we have several large corporate clients who use it as well.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. It can take a bit of time to test for specific scenarios, but as you become more experienced with configuring for particular services, it can be fast.
What other advice do I have?
If you want high availability and redundancy in terms of stability, then I would recommend Cisco Nexus. On a scale from one to ten, I would rate Cisco Nexus at eight.
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
Co-Founder and CEO at PT Eugenea Kreasi Utama
Great GUI, user-friendly, and easy to scale
Pros and Cons
- "Technical support has been very, very helpful and they offer good SLAs."
- "The solution is more expensive than other options on the market."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution as a switch. We use it for our data center.
What is most valuable?
Cisco Nexus is a very powerful switch.
We don't have any problems with Nexus, ever. It's very stable. We have been, for almost five years, using Nexus, and it has been virtually problem-free.
It's smooth to use and very, very user-friendly.
The GUI is very, very easy to maintain.
It's very easy to log in.
The reporting is quite good. It's easy to understand.
Technical support has been very, very helpful and they offer good SLAs.
The scalability of the product is very good.
What needs improvement?
The solution is more expensive than other options on the market. HPE, for example, is a more affordable option.
The renewal of support is quite expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used the solution for about five years at this point. It's been a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is great. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. It's 100% reliable. We've never had issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is very easy to scale out. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support from Cisco is more than enough. It's very, very good. They are very fast and responsive and also very easy to understand. The response is good. We don't have issues with after-sales support Cisco. The SLA, service license agreement, is very, very good.
That said, the renewal for full support is very expensive for us.
How was the initial setup?
I did not handle the initial setup myself as I am not an engineer. Someone else handled that part. Therefore, I can't speak to how easy or difficult it might be. My colleague is much more versed in installation protocols.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution, in general, is a bit pricey, and you need to pay extra for support, which can also be expensive.
What other advice do I have?
We're just a customer and an end-user.
I would recommend using Cisco Nexus for those who want good performance, premium support, and easy maintenance. Cisco Nexus is a stable product in Indonesia. If a company is in the banking, oil and gas, or telecom industries, they should look into this product.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
CTO at Mechkar
Stable, easy to use, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "It's easy to use."
- "The implementation process could be easier, which is something that should be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I use Cisco Nexus for the private cloud.
What is most valuable?
It's easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The implementation process could be easier, which is something that should be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Nexus for three years.
We are using version six suite, 9372.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We don't have any issues with the stability of this solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Nexus is scalable.
We have 2,000 to 3,000 people in our organization who are using this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have contacted technical support.
How was the initial setup?
It could be easier to install.
It takes approximately two weeks to deploy.
I have a team of 10 IT people in the IT department to maintain this solution.
What about the implementation team?
I deployed the solution myself, I didn't use an integrator or consultant.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have a virtual license.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.
It's very good. I would rate cisco Nexus an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Network Coordinator at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
The port density enables us to connect all of our departments and agencies
Pros and Cons
- "It has improved our organization because we have aggregated ports, we're able to put multiple agencies on the multiple different interfaces that we have going there. We're able to separate them out with the use of VLANs and whatnot."
- "If we could get some more automation integrated into it, it would make it easier."
What is our primary use case?
We got it for its port density. Our primary use case of this solution is so we can connect all of our other departments and agencies. It'll be the main connection to our core routers. I don't work directly on it, I work with the router that connects to it.
How has it helped my organization?
It has improved our organization because we have aggregated ports and we're able to put multiple agencies on the multiple different interfaces that we have going there. We're able to separate them out with the use of VLANs and whatnot.
What needs improvement?
The VLAN is a little more hand driven now. I don't know exactly why the split screen does that.
If we could get some more automation integrated into it, it would make it easier.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
As far as I know, it's been stable the entire time we've had it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We haven't surpassed the scalability at this point.
How are customer service and technical support?
I haven't had to use their technical support for this solution but I have used Cisco support in general. They're outstanding.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We knew we needed to switch solutions because when we migrated to Cisco as a network, we needed a good way to could control a lot of our outside agencies.
What about the implementation team?
We did the deployment ourselves and we have a reseller that sells us the equipment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We do yearly licensing.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution an eight or nine out of ten.
I would advise someone considering this solution to research what your actual needs are so that you size it correctly. You can always upgrade size. It's harder to downgrade.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Architect at CenturyLink
A flexible solution that has allowed us to grow, but there are bugs that need to be fixed
Pros and Cons
- "We now have one box that does multiple services."
- "Technical support could be better."
How has it helped my organization?
This solution has allowed our organization to grow. Our last platform was the legacy Cisco 6509, which did not have virtualization built in. We now have one box that does multiple services.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the flexibility that it has with the layer-two switching.
Its speed, as well as the ability to expand it, are also very valuable.
What needs improvement?
There are still bugs in the system that need to be fixed.
Technical support could be better.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution still hinders on some of the old technology base. It seems like bugs are still being brought in as customers are changing how they want to connect or how fast they're trying to connect stuff.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of this solution is ok. Everything can be a little bit better on scalability, but it does an ok job.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support for this solution is middle-tier. It could be better.
Sometimes you get people that know about the products themselves, and the hardware, but don't understand my use case or a customer's use case. They understand it from a product platform, but not real-world actions.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using the Legacy Cisco 6509, but it did not have virtualization built in.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of this solution is pretty straightforward.
If you came from the Legacy OS, it is easy to access and move around, even though the command lines are a little bit different.
What about the implementation team?
We used an integrator to assist us with our deployment.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
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Updated: January 2025
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