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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
10th
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
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
181
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (5th), Data Center Networking (2nd), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches is 4.4%, up from 4.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 18.5%, down from 28.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
LAN Switching Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches18.5%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches4.4%
Other77.1%
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.
MS
Electrical control system engineer at Dangote petroleum refinery and petrol chemicals
Reliable switching has delivered long‑term uptime, strong PoE support, and predictable performance
Cisco Systems Catalyst Switches are highly regarded for their performance, reliability, and enterprise-grade capabilities. My main reservation, however, is the pricing. The cost of Cisco Catalyst Switches—and Cisco products in general—is relatively high, especially in many African markets where organizations often need to balance budget constraints with required functionality. There are alternative vendors that offer comparable features at a lower price point. While they may not always match Cisco’s ecosystem, stability, or full feature depth, many businesses still choose them because of the significant cost savings. Another consideration is licensing, which can add to the overall total cost of ownership depending on the deployment model and required features. Overall, Cisco Catalyst Switches remain premium enterprise solutions, but when compared with other OEMs, their higher acquisition and licensing costs can be a major deciding factor for cost-conscious organizations.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We have been selling for eight or ten years, and the customer is satisfied, and the entire Qatar army project is powered by the Alcatel-Lucent network."
"Overall, this is a good product and there are many benefits to using Alcatel-Lucent."
"These OmniSwitches are very manageable and easy to configure."
"With Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches everything comes from one vendor. It operates very smoothly."
"Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches provide stable work with no issues, with less downtime and fewer maintenance windows."
"These OmniSwitches are very manageable and easy to configure."
"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."
"OmniSwitch LAN Switches' performance is very good."
"Catalyst switches are easy to use and simple to work with."
"The solution is very stable."
"They are stable. We haven't had any particular problem with them."
"The solution works well with analytics."
"I highly appreciate the durability and the availability"
"The pricing is quite good."
"Perpetual POE is a valuable feature, because when the switch reboots, access points do not."
"Catalyst Switches perform very well, and the network is stable."
 

Cons

"There are some issues with the network firmware being deleted from the switches."
"I would like to see better third-party integration with third-party systems."
"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."
"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."
"I would like to see better third-party integration with third-party systems."
"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."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches should have better performance and be easier to use. Additionally, they should add artificial intelligence features."
"The cost of this product is very high and not all companies can afford it."
"In an upcoming release, adding SD-WAN capabilities would be a big advantage for our company."
"t is one of the most expensive solutions."
"The configuration process is hard."
"Soon, we plan to migrate to the cloud infrastructure. It would be good if the Cisco switches worked quickly in the cloud, like their hardware devices. Ideally, they would be like OVS-DPDK, but they would work out-of-the-box."
"The technical support, in some cases, should be faster and could improve."
"Currently, Catalyst is completely proprietary with Cisco. They should have programmability options, through open-source controllers."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The license is purchased one time only, it is a perpetual license with no renewal."
"The price is okay. It's comparable to similar switches."
"The solution’s price is at a moderate level."
"OmniSwitch LAN Switches are cheaper than Cisco's switches."
"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."
"The price of Cisco Catalyst switches is reasonable."
"Compared to the price of other solutions such as Huawei and HP, Cisco Catalyst Switches is a cheaper solution."
"It would be great for the user if Cisco lowered the prices for their routers and switches."
"The cost of this solution could be less expensive, and we are on 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."
"The price is too high for this market."
"It is reasonably priced because we have already conducted a tender, allowing Cisco and other vendors to compete for the best price."
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
22%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
7%
Construction Company
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 Business81
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

 

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: April 2026.
892,646 professionals have used our research since 2012.