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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
7.1
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (10th), Data Center Networking (3rd)
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

Adeagbo Olamide - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at Castlenet Consulting Limited
Cloud-managed access points have simplified deployments and saved significant installation time
I have been using Arista Networks Platform for three years now. Arista Networks Platform is easy to use, and after deployment of the access points, the dashboard makes it easy and convenient to use with easy navigation, which is excellent. The access points on Arista Networks Platform operate in the cloud through the GUI where you operate the access points and perform all configurations for the access points on the platform. In terms of performance with Arista Networks Platform, I would give it a perfect score as it has not failed me before. The only time I had an issue with Arista was when the access point went into rest mode, probably after a power outage in an infrastructure. After contacting Arista and attending an Arista program, I was guided through a solution via the Arista GUI, which I implemented, and since then, the performance has been excellent. In terms of security, I have no issues with Arista; it performs really well in terms of security. Arista Networks Platform is very convenient overall. 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. We are just diving into the switch area. In terms of time saved with Arista Networks Platform, the access points are easy to install and the switches are easy to install. I can install seven or eight access points in less than two hours. It is really easy to install and time-saving. In terms of cost, I think it is cost-efficient compared to others in the same field.
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

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The most valuable features of the Arista Networks Platform are the EVPN and VXLAN. It has comprehensive features."
"Arista Networks Platform has a feature that helps with monitoring and management."
"The solution is very stable."
"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."
"We find the CloudVision switching feature of this solution really useful."
"Arista Networks offers similar features to Cisco."
"The solution has good load latency. They're the market leader in this aspect right now."
"The features I've found most valuable are that the product is very easy to configure and inexpensive."
"This is a very reliable solution."
"Dell offers very good support."
"The most valuable feature is stability."
"The technology is good and the interface is simple. We haven't had any bugs, disconnections or delays."
"Their support has been excellent, and it has been quite stable and easy to set up."
"It's easy to set up. We can put it in production in a couple of minutes."
"The product is cheap."
 

Cons

"Currently, Arista is too costly for its customers."
"Arista Networks Platform should focus on improving the compatibility or integration with Cisco solutions."
"The solution needs to improve their product range."
"Arista Networks is currently less popular as they were initially more focused on data centers than campus networks. They should expand further into campus networks."
"Currently, Arista is too costly for its customers."
"They should have a more stable code."
"My company does face issues in terms of interoperability when it comes to the product, making it an area that needs to be fixed."
"The solution’s pricing could be better."
"Not a ten because I have to do a lot of testing on it. The correlation is okay."
"An area for improvement would be that it's very hard to configure if you're not familiar with the UI or CLI of the product. The UI itself could also be improved."
"I would like to see better scalability and more features on these switches in the future."
"The product needs to improve in terms of reports and backups."
"The network features are not good."
"A user can take care of the product's installation part, but it may not seem to be an easy process."
"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 product's infrastructure and connectivity features need improvement."
 

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."
"The price of the Arista Networks Platform could be less expensive for the hardware and license."
"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."
"There is an annual license required to use the Arista Networks Platform."
"If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the product price as seven out of ten."
"Network devices are generally expensive. However, during the evaluation, Arista was the most inexpensive vendor."
"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 product has a low price for the features it provides."
"The solution is less expensive and more cost-efficient."
"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."
"The initial cost was high but since they have lasted for over ten or twenty years they are worth it."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
University
6%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Energy/Utilities Company
10%
University
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise4
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, Arista and others in Data Center Networking. Updated: January 2026.
881,565 professionals have used our research since 2012.