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Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch L...
Ranking in LAN Switching
11th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
4.5
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in LAN Switching
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
179
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (5th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches is 4.1%, up from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 21.3%, down from 29.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
LAN Switching Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches21.3%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches4.1%
Other74.6%
LAN Switching
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2048676 - PeerSpot reviewer
App. Manager at a political organization with 501-1,000 employees
Reliable network access has improved daily connectivity and simplified graphical management
The specific network design is done by another company, and we just manage the access switches, in fact, the local access switches on the LAN. I don't think there is much prioritization in our network for the moment. I don't think that the users see much about it; it's transparent for users. Whether there is a Cisco switch or an Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switch, the user doesn't care. We are not expert users, but we are users for maintaining and keeping the situation alive, not experts of network switch programming. I'm not an expert of the switches to say what's missing. For smaller sites with 10 persons or so, it's sometimes not so easy to choose Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches.
AG
Unit Nos at Orange
Reliable support boosts confidence while initial setup complexities highlight improvement areas
Challenges I've encountered mostly involve the RMA part for hardware replacement, which doesn't happen regularly, but sometimes I face challenges due to limited parts in India; they offer different model devices as a stopgap arrangement. It's quite difficult to specify features I would want to see in future updates because that varies from model to model. I would definitely recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches to other users. We do maintenance for Cisco Catalyst Switches. For maintenance, we usually need three people from different regions working as a single team; our engineers handle both projects and maintenance, so there isn't a specific engineer just for maintenance. I work with firewalls and next-generation firewalls. Overall, I would rate the solution as an eight out of ten.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches provide stable work with no issues, with less downtime and fewer maintenance windows."
"I rate the technical support an eight or a nine out of ten. So far, they've been very professional and helpful, especially when we need to raise a case for any issue."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of configuration."
"One of the main advantages of the solution is that the configuration is straightforward, offering various configuration options through CLI or web interfaces. I'm satisfied with the customer service and support. The solution is good and people should know about it."
"With Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches everything comes from one vendor. It operates very smoothly."
"OmniSwitch LAN Switches' performance is very good."
"These OmniSwitches are very manageable and easy to configure."
"Customer support answers on time and resolve any issues I have."
"One of the most valuable features is the MatchBox Switch."
"These switches are stable."
"When it comes to Cisco Catalyst Switches, one can say that the legacy switches are stable."
"They have a robust monitoring system."
"Overall top of the line solution."
"We haven't needed to contact technical support because we haven't had any issues so far."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is managed switching."
 

Cons

"A customer expressed dissatisfaction with the color of the switches, preferring black over the current color, which is close to white. While the color is not a personal concern, my earlier preference was for all products to be extendable in one large stack since some equipment limits stacking to four elements instead of eight."
"I would like to see better third-party integration with third-party systems."
"For smaller sites with 10 persons or so, it's sometimes not so easy to choose Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches."
"n general, the way the product is put together is not well done."
"There are some issues with the network firmware being deleted from the switches."
"There is no OEM support in India so RMAs need to be sent to France, which takes a long time if the hardware is faulty."
"There could be improvements in the repeat configuration with some file integration that is currently missing."
"The GUI should be addressed."
"The customer service and support need a bit more improvement and a faster response. So, there is an area of improvement."
"Cisco should focus more on this type of product instead of on data center switches. They stopped improving the software of these switches and they are focusing on the data center. They should focus on this type of product, more than any other thing."
"I have had a little hiccup working with Catalyst switches. They used a few power integration features but I'm not sure they really resulted in much power saving. But, it caused cross-vendor equipment trouble."
"Its initial setup can be simpler, and it would be great if we can work with a reference architecture. Cisco has the capability to provide a very integrated solution. They have DNA Center, Cisco ISE, Cisco Prime, FMC, and AMP. We are looking at all the products, but it is rather complex to pick out the right licenses that you need. The license structure is a bit complex. Sometimes, there is an overlap in products, which does not really make sense. For example, you have DNA Center and Cisco Prime, and it is not really clear what you would use for what exactly. There is a lot of information on the Cisco website, but it takes a while to go through all this and look at the presentations that are available from Cisco Live. These presentations are appreciated, but sometimes, they are a bit too much like bullet points. You don't exactly know what's behind it, so you have to do a second guess. Overall, there is a lot of information but not always to the point."
"Cisco is dedicated to providing their customers with the latest technology, but it comes with a price. It's expensive when compared to competitors' products."
"In a future upgrade, I would like to see integrated wireless in the solution."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is okay. It's comparable to similar switches."
"The license is purchased one time only, it is a perpetual license with no renewal."
"OmniSwitch LAN Switches are cheaper than Cisco's switches."
"The solution’s price is at a moderate level."
"Catalyst Switches are costly. When I started working with them 25 years ago, prices were a problem too."
"It is very pricey. You have to pay for support."
"The price of this solution could be reduced, it is expensive and I am using an annual license."
"If you compare Cisco to other products, Cisco is more expensive. If you choose a 7000 series switch it will be a very pricy system. The support from Cisco is an additional service."
"Cisco switches are expensive. Their price range is based not only on what the product does but also the name in the industry. They are good at what they do. If you need a better product, there are other lineups available."
"The pricing should be improved."
"It is overpriced. Some devices can be very expensive. Most of the clients have a contract with Cisco for two or three years."
"The cost of a license before COVID and before the lockdown was approximately three lakh 70,000 in Indian Rupees. After this COVID situation, the cost has gone down to two lakh 46,000 rupees."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business80
Midsize Enterprise29
Large Enterprise79
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches?
The specific network design is done by another company, and we just manage the access switches, in fact, the local access switches on the LAN. I don't think there is much prioritization in our netw...
What is your primary use case for Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches?
I still work with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches. We work with internet switches, but we also use LAN switches from Alcatel-Lucent. All the switches on the sites or across sites are Alcatel...
What advice do you have for others considering Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches?
Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches work well for us. I would rate this solution a 9 out of 10.
Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?
We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
For pricing satisfaction, I'd say it will be six to seven because Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors. Regarding pricing, there is indeed room for improvement.
 

Also Known As

Alcatel Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches, OmniSwitch, OmniSwitch LAN Switches
Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
 

Overview

Information not available
 

Sample Customers

Advocate Health Care, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Azienda Ospedaliera della Provincia di Lodi, Centre Hospitalier Carcassonne, Certis Cisco Security, China Tianchen Engineering Corporation Co. LTD, City of Frankfurt, Dongseo University
Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena
Find out what your peers are saying about Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,192 professionals have used our research since 2012.