Arista Campus LAN Switches vs Cisco FabricPath comparison

Arista and Cisco are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Arista is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.3, while Cisco is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.2. Arista holds a 1.9% mindshare in LS, compared to Cisco’s 1.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Arista users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Arista Campus LAN Switches

Read 7 Arista Campus LAN Switches reviews

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118 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco FabricPath

Read 29 Cisco FabricPath reviews

359 Views
147 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Arista Campus LAN Switches

Cisco FabricPath

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

Arista Campus LAN Switches and Cisco FabricPath compete in the networking equipment market, aiming to enhance network efficiency with distinct advantages. Cisco FabricPath offers advanced features that may justify its higher cost, but Arista's appealing pricing and customer service make it a strong contender.

Features: Arista Campus LAN Switches are appreciated for their streamlined architecture, high availability, and scalability. Cisco FabricPath is recognized for its robust feature set that enhances performance and reliability in complex environments. Cisco delivers a comprehensive solution for intricate networks, while Arista focuses on simplicity for growing networks.

Room for Improvement: Arista could expand on advanced security features, integrate more cloud-based management options, and offer enhanced QoS controls. Cisco FabricPath may improve on reducing complexity for smaller deployments, offer more affordable configuration options, and enhance interoperability with non-Cisco devices.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco FabricPath provides a well-structured deployment model with extensive documentation, beneficial for large networks with complex needs. Arista Campus LAN Switches offer straightforward deployment and responsive customer service, ensuring immediate assistance and simpler integration across various network sizes.

Pricing and ROI: Arista provides budget-friendly setup costs, offering significant ROI with scalable solutions. Cisco FabricPath's setup costs are higher, justified by its feature-rich offerings, especially for networks requiring advanced functionalities. Arista is cost-efficient, while Cisco reflects its value through extensive capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco FabricPath Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco FabricPath

April 2025

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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

Arista Campus LAN Switches

Ranking in LAN Switching

11th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco FabricPath

Ranking in LAN Switching

6th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Arista Campus LAN Switches is 1.9%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco FabricPath is 1.9%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

LAN Switching

Featured Reviews

MarekSzafrański

Senior Core Network Engineer at Eurofins

Functions efficiently and is cheaper than what its competitors offer

In general, the product works fine and is efficient. It was mainly used by someone else in my company, and I just used to operate it The solution's most valuable feature is its stability because Arista falls in an industry that is very similar to Cisco. If the engineer knows Cisco's solution,…

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OusaidAbaz

Security Network Architect at Inmac

Extendable and has beneficial spin and leaf architecture

Cisco FabricPath is very fast, stable, extendable, and scalable. It doesn't have issues with patches or problems because it's built on the stable NXOS operating system. In a scenario using FabricPath, the spin and leaf architecture is beneficial. For example, we can use two separate spine switches like 9980s and multiple leaf switches as access switches. These leaf switches are connected using VPC between them, with each switch separated and not directly connected to the spine. This setup improves data center architecture by allowing two ways to arrange destinations, connecting the first connection to the first spine and the second to the second spine. The spines are configured as a virtual chassis. In FabricPath, we can enhance VXLANs, VPNs, and integrate with Cisco ISE for user authentication. It can also be configured with WLC to manage wireless technology, depending on the client's architecture.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"QoS is the most valuable feature because our clients work with VOIP and Critical applications."

"The solution's most valuable feature is its stability because Arista falls in an industry that is very similar to Cisco."

"The feature sets are pretty cool. They've got almost everything that the competition offers."

"I use the solution for connectivity in data centers and LANs, providing Layer 2 and Layer 3 connectivity based on network needs."

"The CloudVision Portal allows us to centrally manage all of our Arista products."

"The technology is scalable as much as you want."

"Cisco is the market leader in this space and it is a product that I recommend."

"We have found the solution to be stable."

"The setup is straightforward."

"Cisco FabricPath operates with minimal errors."

"It is a stable solution...It is a scalable soltuion."

"The tool makes it easy to manage multi-layer networking and increases network efficiency. I haven't faced any challenges in integrating it into our existing infrastructure."

"The solution has excellent stability."

"The best features of Cisco FabricPath is performance and reliability."

More Cisco FabricPath pros

Cons

"One of the issues that we have been faced with here in Brazil is that we don't have any list times for delivery."

"We have to renew the license every three years, which can be a challenge for customers. Arista, like other vendors, now follows a license-based system."

"I think there's still room for improvement. Arista Campus LAN Switches are not highly scalable as they are hardware-based. If hardware requirements exceed capacity, the product needs to be changed, which can impact service."

"The complex setup phase is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"I would like to see a version available with eight or sixteen ports."

"It would be ideal if the solution was less expensive."

"They should consider upgrading the memory feature of the product."

"In terms of the series, I find that the integration with other teleconferencing applications needs to be more seamless. I have suggested to Cisco that the endpoint device should allow joining calls from Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other teleconferencing applications. Additionally, I appreciate the recent inclusion of breakout sessions in the Cisco Webex application, which enhances its relevance in the networking field."

"I would like one management console to control the network."

"The main issue I face is the cost."

"Currently, there are no issues or suggestions for improvement as everything is working smoothly."

"The product lacks AI...The initial setup of Cisco FabricPath was a bit complex."

"While Cisco products are excellent, the problem is the cost. Cisco products are product, Cisco products are very expensive. I rate Cisco FabricPath three out of 10 for affordability."

"The initial setup is a little complex."

More Cisco FabricPath cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is not that good, but our clients value the solution despite the price."

"The only licensing costs are for CloudVision, although the upfront price of the device is not cheap."

"The pricing for this product is good."

"The solution falls under the pricier category, but it provides value for the price charged."

"I rate it seven out of ten on pricing as it's a bit expensive. It would be better if the price were lower, but we prioritize quality over cost."

"I rate the product's pricing a ten out of ten. Cisco switches cost around 15,000 dollars, and DNS licenses cost around 25,000 dollars. The total amount is 45,000 dollars, which is too expensive."

"Cisco is expensive but offers good-quality features, so I would rate it high on the pricing scale."

"The pricing of Cisco FabricPath can be quite high depending on the architecture, but it's justified by the stability it offers."

"FabricPath is very reasonably priced."

"The price of Cisco FabricPath could be reduced, it is expensive in the market here in Sri Lanka. The solution is subscriptions based, if the customer wants any future integrations, or if there are any future enhancements they will have to pay. There are different license options available, such as one or three years purchases."

More Cisco FabricPath pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

33%

Government

17%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Campus LAN Switches?

I have cross-checked because this network is a ten-gig network. We are using the multigig switches, which Cisco also has. We found that Cisco's cost is 100%, while the cost of the multi-gig switche...

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What needs improvement with Arista Campus LAN Switches?

I think there's still room for improvement. Arista Campus LAN Switches are not highly scalable as they are hardware-based. If hardware requirements exceed capacity, the product needs to be changed,...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Arista Campus LAN Switches?

I use the solution for connectivity in data centers and LANs, providing Layer 2 and Layer 3 connectivity based on network needs.

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco FabricPath?

The tool makes it easy to manage multi-layer networking and increases network efficiency. I haven't faced any challenges in integrating it into our existing infrastructure.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco FabricPath?

Cisco solutions are expensive, and because of that, moving to new upgrades is challenging due to cost considerations. For licensing, I budget approximately $100 per user annually and project future...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco FabricPath?

We are phasing off Cisco FabricPath due to outdated protocols. The fault isolation mechanism in FabricPath is not as effective as the newer technology, Cisco ACI ( /products/cisco-aci-reviews ). He...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 52% of the time

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Compared 48% of the time

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HPE ProCurve vs Cisco FabricPath

Compared 52% of the time

Juniper QFabric vs Cisco FabricPath

Compared 48% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

LAN Switching

March 2025

Download Arista Campus LAN Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco FabricPath

April 2025

Download Cisco FabricPath product report

Also Known As

No data available

FabricPath

Overview

Arista Campus LAN Switches are the perfect network solution for your most demanding workloads.With native support for VMware Virtualization and hundreds of Linux applications integrated into hardware platforms designed to meet the stringent power and cooling requirements of today's most demanding data centers, Arista delivers the most efficient and best performing 10Gb Ethernet platforms.

Arista

Cisco FabricPath is a Cisco NX-OS software innovation combining the plug-and-play simplicity of Ethernet with the reliability and scalability of Layer 3 routing. Using FabricPath, you can build highly scalable Layer 2 multipath networks without the Spanning Tree Protocol. Such networks are particularly suitable for large virtualization deployments, private clouds, and high-performance computing (HPC) environments. The benefits of Cisco FabricPath include: Minimal commands per switch ease configuration and operation, Autodiscovery simplifies addition of new links and switches, Provision additional network bandwidth without impacting network, Supports one-, two-, or three-tier architectures, VLAN extensibility across the data center.

Cisco

Sample Customers

University of Winchester, AWE, picturemaxx, Medical Mutual, Leonix, CloudEra, National Physical Laboratory, Tri-State G&T, AIS, Morph, SingTel, SDSC, BBC

Bellevue, Calligaris, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Management Science Associates, Multi-Customer, Oediv, Roper St. Francis, SNAM

Buyer's Guide

Arista Campus LAN Switches vs. Cisco FabricPath

April 2025

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