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Arista Networks Platform vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
7.3
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (12th), Data Center Networking (4th)
Dell PowerConnect Switches ...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
8.2
Number of Reviews
34
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

Nimit Puvar - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
LarsEvans - PeerSpot reviewer
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Great latency (bundled with great L1/L2/L3 features) depending on platforms."
"They support open standard features."
"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."
"If you are looking for an ultra-low latency network, this is the only solution."
"It provides telemetry and visibility for many metrics that are not supported by most of the other vendors."
"Arista Networks Platform offers a clean dashboard page with only useful options that do not include unnecessary tabs or features that customers mostly don't want to use."
"The most valuable features of the Arista Networks Platform are the EVPN and VXLAN. It has comprehensive features."
"We are always surprised about the proficiency of the speed of the technical support."
"Its throughout and compatibility are the most valuable."
"This solution comes with a lifetime warranty."
"Dell PowerConnect Switches are very easy to configure with the GUI. Dell supports the solution even though it has been discontinued."
"It's easy to set up. We can put it in production in a couple of minutes."
"The product is cheap."
"The features I've found most valuable are that the product is very easy to configure and inexpensive."
"The solution’s technical support is good."
"The platform's most valuable features are network switch functionality and fiber switch capabilities."
 

Cons

"I want the solution to include a unified controller."
"The CVP management platform needs to be improved."
"From VMware, I think the cost of the tools is very high."
"Its price can be better."
"Something that you will often hear about Arista products is that the price is a bit too high and, like with Cisco, we sometimes have problems with our customers because of its pricing."
"I would assess CloudVision's impact on my network's control and visibility as okay but not exceptional compared to Cisco solutions like the Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller."
"The solution is a bit pricey."
"The intent-based networking management, together with the provider of these solutions that are already free, would be beneficial."
"I expect Dell PowerConnect switches to be a zero-touch or a plug-and-play device, but it is not so easy to implement and it is still not a plug-and-play or zero-touch device."
"It would be great to have modules that integrate with SDN solutions such as Cisco ACI, Arista SDN, Huawei Agile, and IBM."
"You have to build the stackable interface by yourself in Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL], making it an area that can be considered for improvement."
"Accessibility and management could be improved."
"The product's infrastructure and connectivity features need improvement."
"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 CLI for Dell PowerConnect Switches is sometimes confusing, especially with the LAN, but for the GUI it is simple."
"The product price is an area of concern where improvements are required."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Arista is very expensive. Not everybody is in a position to spend $70,000 to $80,000 for one switch."
"It is pretty pricey for a networking platform. It is on par with Cisco."
"Network devices are generally expensive. However, during the evaluation, Arista was the most inexpensive vendor."
"There is an annual license required to use the Arista Networks Platform."
"The customer price for an Arista router is approximately $7,000 USD, while Cisco's is around $18,000."
"I rate the product price a seven on a scale of one to ten where ten is high price and one is low price."
"Arista Networks Platform was cheaper than Cisco. I have heard that the product is affordable for enterprise-sized companies."
"Cost wise, Arista Networks Platform is more expensive than other networking solutions."
"If one is the cheapest price and ten is the most expensive, I rate the product price as an eight or nine. The tool is not cheap."
"The price of these switches is okay."
"In my opinion, it is a product that is priced somewhere in the middle, making it a well-priced solution in the middle. It is not a very cheap product."
"I would rate the pricing as a seven or eight."
"On a scale of one to ten, if one means it is a cheap solution, and ten means it is a very expensive tool, I rate the product's price as seven. The tool is a bit pricey."
"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."
"Cheaper than its competitors"
"The solution is less expensive and more cost-efficient."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Construction Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Energy/Utilities Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise6
 

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.
What needs improvement with Arista Networks Platform?
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...
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 ...
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.
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...
 

Also Known As

7000 Series
PowerConnect Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

American Internet Services
Amerijet Holdings Inc., CGD Securities, MavenWire, Tulane University
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Dell Technologies, Arista and others in Data Center Networking. Updated: March 2026.
886,426 professionals have used our research since 2012.