Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

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
7.2
Number of Reviews
31
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
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

"The product's implementation phase was easy."
"The most valuable feature is the Linux shell, which is useful for troubleshooting or capturing traffic."
"The solution is scalable."
"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."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"Arista Networks Platform has really boosted our organization to the extent that our organization does not want to think about any other platform except Arista in terms of access points and switches."
"Arista Networks offers similar features to Cisco."
"As a reseller and partner of Arista, the biggest advantages of Arista Networks Platform are ease of use, ease of configuration, and excellent support from Arista in terms of configuration."
"Their support has been excellent, and it has been quite stable and easy to set up."
"Dell offers very good support."
"Dell PowerConnect Switches are very easy to configure with the GUI. Dell supports the solution even though it has been discontinued."
"The security is the most valuable aspect of this solution. It also has good storage and resource handling."
"The most valuable features are the jumbo frames and the stacking."
"The product is cheap."
"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."
"The platform's most valuable features are network switch functionality and fiber switch capabilities."
 

Cons

"They should have a more stable code."
"The solution needs to accommodate new features."
"An area for improvement in Arista Networks Platform is its integration, e.g. it needs to have more integration with its new products. Incorporating more security and cloud is also another area for improvement in the platform."
"The intent-based networking management, together with the provider of these solutions that are already free, would be beneficial."
"The solution is a bit pricey."
"In my opinion, the solution for network monitoring is quite expensive."
"A smoother transition between ISPs during failover would improve the user experience by reducing unnecessary notifications and interruptions."
"My company does face issues in terms of interoperability when it comes to the product, making it an area that needs to be fixed."
"Not a ten because I have to do a lot of testing on it. The correlation is okay."
"The product price is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"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."
"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."
"The product needs to improve in terms of reports and backups."
"Accessibility and management could be improved."
"The pricing could always be a bit lower."
"I can't think of what we would want in the next release."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cost wise, Arista Networks Platform is more expensive than other networking solutions."
"If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the product price as seven out of ten."
"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."
"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."
"It is pretty pricey for a networking platform. It is on par with Cisco."
"There is an annual license required to use the Arista Networks Platform."
"Specific tools definitely require a license for the subscription. But we are not using these tools in our environment. In terms of licensing, you need to spend approximately $10,000 per month."
"The product has a low price for the features it provides."
"The product is cheaper than Cisco and licensing is yearly. We have to pay additional costs for support."
"The initial cost was high but since they have lasted for over ten or twenty years they are worth it."
"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."
"Cheaper than its competitors"
"Dell PowerConnect switches are cheaper than Cisco switches. Cisco's higher capacity switches (100 or 200 gigs) are super-expensive. With the higher capacity, the price of the switches and the price of the architecture go high. Dell is cheaper and modular. So, I don't need to invest 100% upfront. I can invest as I progress. That is an option because the chassis will not be populated with all the pluggables. I have a choice because it is modular. I can go for 25 gigs today, and after four months, I can go for 100 gigs, and after that, I can go for 200 gigs. I have a choice when it is not a fixed switch."
"Inexpensive"
"This solution is much cheaper than comparable products by Cisco."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Data Center Networking solutions are best for your needs.
884,012 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

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

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise6
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Arista Networks Platform?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
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 have not had any issues with Arista Networks Platform in terms of improvements. I would only advise that they should dive deeper into the Nigerian market and make it easily accessible.
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, Juniper and others in Data Center Networking. Updated: February 2026.
884,012 professionals have used our research since 2012.