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 36 Arista Networks Platform reviews

5,493 Views
2,087 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, Arista and others in Data Center Networking.

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

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Data Center Networking

June 2026

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Helped 902,988 peers since 2012

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

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Ethernet Switches (5th), Data Center Networking (4th)

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

Dibyendu Das

Director at a tech company with 11-50 employees

Ultra-low latency networking has delivered reliable video workflows and critical operations

The support of Arista Networks Platform is quite complex; it is not very easy to configure. It needs a lot of network expertise for token sheddings and different kinds of configurations. It is very difficult to configure because Arista Networks Platform does not have a flexible GUI like Huawei or Netgear; everything is a very CLI kind of mainframe architecture. Scalability at every single step has a huge upgrade cost which is required for port mapping, connectivity, and transceivers certified by Arista Networks Platform, then the fabric upgrades from a software firmware level. Arista Networks Platform should improve commercial aspects to be affordable. There is no path for growth with a perfect score because the focus is more on reducing costs globally.

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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

"Arista Networks Platform has impacted my organization positively by reducing the time taken to deploy a wireless solution in any organization or in any projects we have been on so far."

"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."

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

"Arista Networks offers similar features to Cisco."

"The user-friendly policy manager lets us apply different controls for various user groups easily."

"I like the spine as a leaf model and low latency. The hardware is robust and meets expected latency in all environments, mainly if you belong to the media or trading industry. For multicast-based solutions, Arista is number one."

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

"They support open standard features."

More Arista Networks Platform pros

"Dell PowerConnect switches are cheaper than Cisco switches, and because they are modular I do not need to invest 100% upfront as I can start with 25 gigs today, move to 100 gigs after a few months, and then go to 200 gigs later."

"The platform's most valuable features are network switch functionality and fiber switch capabilities."

"This solution comes with a lifetime warranty."

"It's much less expensive than Cisco, and yet it has the same functionalities."

"The Dell EMC Networking N1500 Switches are a great solution and are great switches for access switch on LAN which they have combined for data, high-performance access-point, IT surveillance, and cameras."

"PowerConnect Switches' stability is satisfactory."

"There is high reliability since we have used them for close to twenty years and only had possibly one failure."

"The solution's most valuable feature is its good integration with solutions from other vendors."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pros

Cons

"Some new features are needed."

"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."

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

"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 documentation did not explain that we could not vary the speed between ports that are in the same block. For example, we cannot have 1G and 10G on the neighboring ports; all four ports have to be 1G or 10G, which was very annoying for us when we realized that we needed to change the configuration and the cabling that we had already prepared."

"I want the solution to include a unified controller."

"Its price can be better."

"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."

More Arista Networks Platform cons

"I would rate it a seven out of ten. Not a ten because I have to do a lot of testing on it."

"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."

"More stable firmware releases would be an improvement because we have had them randomly power on and off."

"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."

"The solution could provide more integration to focus on targeting the network as a whole rather than a unified environment. It is meant for a built environment, so integration with other third-party vendors will likely be necessary."

"Scalability can be a problem with these switches."

"I do not like this solution. It runs ok but we have had problems."

"We've only been using the solution for half a year. We haven't run into any issues, but maybe over time, that may change. It's too soon to tell. Offhand, there aren't any features that are lacking."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"Arista is very expensive. Not everybody is in a position to spend $70,000 to $80,000 for one switch."

"I remember that when our customers were offered the Arista Networks Platform, they used a checklist to compare the prices between Arista and Cisco for their requirements, and found that the prices were almost the same."

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

"The price of the Arista Networks Platform could be less expensive for the hardware and license."

"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."

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

More Arista Networks Platform pricing and cost advice

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

"PowerConnect Switches are priced well."

"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."

"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."

"Inexpensive"

"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."

"Cheaper than its competitors"

"The solution is less expensive and more cost-efficient."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

23%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	17
Midsize Enterprise	8
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?

The initial setup cost is high compared to others, and I find the initial setup cost to be very high.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Arista Networks Platform?

Arista Networks Platform is doing quite well in the market compared to their peers, but there is room for improvement in pricing, as it can be expensive compared to some alternatives like Cisco and...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Arista Networks Platform?

My main use case for Arista Networks Platform is using it for campus network. I use Arista Networks Platform for campus networking, including core switch, distribution switch, POE switch, non-POE s...

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Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 19% of the time

Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 6% of the time

Nokia Ethernet Service Switch vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Nexus vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 4% of the time

More Arista Networks Platform Competitors

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 23% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 18% of the time

HPE ProCurve vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 16% of the time

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

Compared 13% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 7% of the time

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Arista Networks Platform

June 2026

Download Arista Networks Platform product report

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

June 2026

Download Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] product report

Also Known As

7000 Series

PowerConnect Switches

Overview

Arista Networks Platform offers ultra-low latency and scalability with high bandwidth while simplifying network management through its intuitive dashboard. It enables robust support for EVPN and VXLAN, making it a top choice for modern data centers requiring efficient and effective networking solutions.

Designed to minimize complexity, Arista Networks Platform integrates seamlessly with a single operating system, providing streamlined operations. With automation capabilities via EOS and CloudVision, it enhances visibility and provisioning. Platinum and titanium power supplies contribute to reduced carbon footprints, aligning with sustainability goals. While configuration complexity and high pricing pose challenges, it remains a preferred choice for data center networking, offering premium performance and cost-effectiveness. It excels in environments like smart cities and finance, providing stability and scalability essential for demanding applications.

What are the key features of Arista Networks Platform?

Ultra-Low Latency: Ensures prompt data transmission and network responsiveness.
Scalability: Easily adapts to growing network demands and data loads.
High Bandwidth: Supports increased data transfer rates for efficient network operations.
Intuitive Dashboard: Enhances manageability and monitoring with streamlined interfaces.
EVPN and VXLAN Support: Provides flexible and robust networking options.
Platinum and Titanium Power Supplies: Reduce carbon footprint while ensuring reliable performance.
EOS and CloudVision Automation: Improves visibility, provisioning, and network operation efficiency.

What benefits should users look for in Arista Networks Platform?

Cost-Effectiveness: Balances premium performance with investment value.
Reduced Complexity: Streamlined integration simplifies network management.
Improved Visibility: Enhanced automation capabilities offer better monitoring and control.
High Throughput: Supports demanding applications with reliable data handling.
Sustainability: Eco-friendly power options align with environmental goals.

Arista Networks Platform is widely implemented across industries such as finance and smart cities, supporting critical applications in network security and scalable infrastructure. It is instrumental in data center networking, video production workflows, and robotic automation. Users benefit from its spine-leaf architectures and wireless connectivity, particularly in sectors requiring high throughput and reliability.

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

June 2026

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