Arista Networks Platform vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] comparison

Arista and Dell Technologies are both solutions in the Data Center Networking category. Additionally, 100% of Arista users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Dell Technologies users who would recommend it.

Arista Networks Platform

Read 31 Arista Networks Platform reviews

3,893 Views
1,363 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

Read 34 Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] reviews

90% willing to recommend

Arista Networks Platform

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Arista Networks Platform and Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Dell Technologies, Juniper and others in Data Center Networking.

To learn more, read our detailed Data Center Networking Report (Updated: March 2026).

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Data Center Networking

March 2026

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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 Networks Platform

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Ethernet Switches (13th), Data Center Networking (5th)

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

8.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Nimit Puvar

A VP Enterprise Sales at Ashtech Infotech (India) Pvt.Ltd.

Automation and visibility have simplified data center operations and improved network control

I see some areas for improvement, particularly with pricing. I think that not all features that are needed are already in Arista. AI power is required nowadays. AI would be needed for understanding data traffic flowing in my network. Sometimes I have a vision of what data traffic is flowing in my network and I want to capture that data. Using AI, I can understand how my entire organization operates and what kind of applications are being used, what the peak times are, where there is a bottleneck if any exists. This kind of report should automatically generate and provide clear-cut visibility.

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LarsEvans

Chief Technology Officer / Chief Information Security Officer at Lorton Data, Inc.

Reliable and useful for network segmentation

The solution's most valuable feature stands up well. The tool is reliable, and it stands up well. The solution works fine and lasts a long time. I think if you speak about the features that have a flow and you can measure, it is hard to say. I don't spend a lot of my time with the tool, but I know that Dell APEX is the solution's cloud. I would say the VLAN features are important. The VLAN features are really useful because network segmentation is important. I would say the tool is easy to program. I don't know if the tool has any security features that I am aware of other than the fact that the solution is for networking. The VLAN and the ability to segment your networks are easy, which is its security feature.

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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

"It's an extremely reliable platform for the network switches we use."

"The most valuable feature is the Linux shell, which is useful for troubleshooting or capturing traffic."

"They are a very lean type of organization, so they are very responsive, and they are able to focus more on their platform versus having multiple products out there."

"What we like most is its performance to price ratio."

"The feedback from customers using Arista Networks Platform APs that we deployed has positively impacted our organization, as they have provided good service and a good customer experience compared to what they used before."

"The platform is easy to scale."

"It is very stable. It has good hardware and very stable code. It provides good value for its price. They are a very lean type of organization, so they are very responsive, and they're able to focus more on their platform versus having multiple products out there."

"Great latency (bundled with great L1/L2/L3 features) depending on platforms."

More Arista Networks Platform pros

"Dell offers very good support."

"This is a very reliable solution."

"The setup is straightforward. It takes minimum time for deployment."

"The most valuable features are the jumbo frames and the stacking."

"The most valuable feature is its ability to multitask."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is simplicity."

"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that it is a stable and reliable product covered with good warranties and prices that ensure deep discounts for partners."

"The product is cheap."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pros

Cons

"I see some areas for improvement, particularly with pricing."

"The intent-based networking management, together with the provider of these solutions that are already free, would be beneficial."

"I know that Arista is more expensive than the Catalyst or Nexus."

"Arista Networks Platform should focus on improving the compatibility or integration with Cisco solutions."

"The solution is quite expensive. One of the negative aspects of it is the pricing."

"The stability of this solution needs to be improved as part of the next upgrade."

"I think there is a need for improvement in the area of their VXLAN/EVPN capability but their current solution is great regardless but may be not very scalable for a global deployment."

"Currently, Arista is too costly for its customers."

More Arista Networks Platform cons

"What's lacking in Dell PowerConnect Switches is SD-WAN integration, and this is what needs to be improved in it. All enterprises now move towards SD-WAN infrastructure, and because Dell PowerConnect Switches don't currently support SD-WAN, the product would be replaced, considered a secondary switch, or linked up to a different switch. Integration or support for SD-WAN is what I'd like to see in the next version of Dell PowerConnect Switches."

"A big issue with this product is that when our customer migrated the data center, one cluster blocked the whole network and because we had a new approach, some commands were not compatible with the new version."

"I think accessibility and management could be improved."

"Scalability, especially with the power connect series is something that you have to take into account before starting the project because any changes to an ongoing project can be difficult."

"The solution's ROI for generic networking is not extraordinary."

"When it comes to the configuration, there should be documentation and interactive help available to assist people who have experience with products from other vendors."

"A user can take care of the product's installation part, but it may not seem to be an easy process."

"The one issue you face in the industry there is always some planned obsolescence in these switches."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Arista Networks Platform was cheaper than Cisco. I have heard that the product is affordable for enterprise-sized companies."

"The customer price for an Arista router is approximately $7,000 USD, while Cisco's is around $18,000."

"If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the product price as seven out of ten."

"It is pretty pricey for a networking platform. It is on par with Cisco."

"Cost wise, Arista Networks Platform is more expensive than other networking solutions."

"Network devices are generally expensive. However, during the evaluation, Arista was the most inexpensive vendor."

"I rate the product price a seven on a scale of one to ten where ten is high price and one is low price."

"There is an annual license required to use the Arista Networks Platform."

More Arista Networks Platform pricing and cost advice

"If you want to purchase a new Dell PowerConnect Switch, you will pay up to $1,600, but I bought them used. I bought the four Dell PowerConnect Switches that I used for $1,000."

"The initial cost was high but since they have lasted for over ten or twenty years they are worth it."

"Cheaper than its competitors"

"I would rate the pricing as a seven or eight."

"Its price is okay. Sometimes, it is lower than a Cisco solution."

"PowerConnect Switches are priced well."

"The product is cheaper than Cisco and licensing is yearly. We have to pay additional costs for support."

"The product has a low price for the features it provides."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Energy/Utilities Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	12

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	6

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Networks Platform?

I do not handle the pricing for Arista Networks Platform as other departments handle the costing. I am a network engineer in my company.

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What needs improvement with Arista Networks Platform?

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What is your primary use case for Arista Networks Platform?

We are still using Arista Networks Platform as system integrators. We sold the product and my customer is using this product. Mostly we sold Arista Networks Platform in data centers where customer ...

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What do you like most about Dell PowerConnect Switches?

Dell PowerConnect Switches have a VTL feature similar to Cisco's VSS. With VTL, using this technology, you can cluster two switches together to increase redundancy in the environment.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerConnect Switches?

The solution is cheaper than Cisco.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Dell PowerConnect Switches?

Some proprietary commands available in Cisco are preferred by users accustomed to Cisco systems. These users might hesitate to switch because they want to continue using familiar commands and see t...

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Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 17% of the time

Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 8% of the time

Aruba Switches vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Nexus vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 5% of the time

More Arista Networks Platform Competitors

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 35% of the time

HPE ProCurve vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 18% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 16% of the time

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 11% of the time

Cisco Nexus vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 10% of the time

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Arista Networks Platform

March 2026

Download Arista Networks Platform product report

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

March 2026

Download Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] product report

Also Known As

7000 Series

PowerConnect Switches

Overview

Arista Networks Platform is a stable and reliable solution for data center features, specifically for non-blocking switches used for spine-leaf connectivity with servers hooked to these switches. It also provides multi-layer switches for client networks, particularly in the banking sector.

Arista products are preferred for their stability, good hardware, ease of adoption and configuration, responsive and helpful support, and high throughput ratings. The solution has helped prevent screen loss and business outages in the media industry and is designed for next-generation data centers.

Arista

PowerConnect Switches family offers a set of flexible, manageable and comprehensive switch solutions supporting up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and optimized Internet iSCSI (iSCSI) performance with Dell Storage solutions, ideal for enterprise and campus LAN environments alike.

Dell Technologies

Sample Customers

American Internet Services

Amerijet Holdings Inc., CGD Securities, MavenWire, Tulane University

Buyer's Guide

Data Center Networking

March 2026

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