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Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs Huawei Enterprise Routers comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 16, 2024

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

Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
Ranking in WAN Edge
2nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
92
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (5th), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (2nd)
Huawei Enterprise Routers
Ranking in WAN Edge
8th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
Routers (4th)
 

Featured Reviews

Igor Van Den Ouden - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables secure and flexible branch connectivity with application-aware routing
The valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN include its security policies and zone-based firewall that are applied to every site, as well as application-aware routing. Security is standard compliant, eliminating config drift that was prevalent before manual configurations. Application-aware routing offers flexibility in using different lines for traffic, depending on the policy implemented.
Udochi Ododo - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to configure and troubleshoot, but they need more visibility in the licensing model
Huawei needs to be a bit more open with their licensing model. What I find is that when you buy equipment, you expect that you have a particular feature. By the time you want to use that feature, you realize that you need to acquire a license for it. That is the one thing that I think they need to improve on. Essentially, they need to open their licensing model such that when a customer buys a device, they have a full view of all of the available licenses for it. It's not at the time of use that the customer will now be informed that they need to purchase an additional license.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is very stable with very good firmware."
"The reliability is high and we have only had to restart it once or twice over the years."
"The segmented traffic it provides is the best in the industry right now."
"The cloud environment, including cloud security integration, is very valuable because of the many API integrations with the SD-WAN."
"It's a complete solution with many security features."
"Cisco SD-WAN's best features are the development of network links, application control, and bandwidth monitoring."
"It is very simple and easy to manage, compared to other methods."
"Encryption, which is native to the solution, is a valuable feature. Also, central management, onboarding of devices, QS, and routing applications are all okay."
"The routers have mainstream features that fulfill our needs."
"The scalability is good."
"I have been able to connect the solution to many platforms such as Windows, Apple, and Android."
"The most valuable feature of Huawei Enterprise Routers is if have two networks at different geographical locations with a great deal of distance they work together as if they are on the same cloud network."
"There is a lot of information available about routers and how to configure Huawei Routers right now."
"The product is very reasonably priced."
"The product is good, easy to manage , and works fine."
"Internet access is a good feature."
 

Cons

"The solution is a bit complicated."
"This solution could be improved with a simpler implementation process and licensing model."
"It's an expensive solution."
"Cisco SD-WAN doesn't have automation capabilities, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and isn't IOT-based."
"I would like to see features related to security compliance, including a view of compliance with standards. With this, I should be able to do an audit of my network with SDWAN."
"The solution could be a bit cheaper."
"Cisco could do more to offer bundling of the SD-WAN and other solutions."
"In the next release, Cisco should focus on simplifying the configuration of SD-WAN. SD-WAN has a lot of room to grow."
"If Huawei can use its own OEM processor, it could be a good step up for future use in the network devices."
"Lacks sufficient market availability."
"The documentation is somewhat lacking and not easy to navigate."
"In my country we don't have Huawei technology, we only have Huawei routers for ISP. There is no agent for Huawei in Egypt."
"Syntax in the implementation process could be easier to understand for a new user or someone who doesn’t have prior experience using the product."
"We'd like the product to be more flexible so that we could more easily manipulate some of the features."
"It would be better if local storage management was more flexible, so that unused data could be easily removed."
"The solution's technical support could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco SD-WAN is more expensive than its competitors."
"Cloud subscription management must be paid for, although this does not incur a perpetual fee."
"Licensing is on a subscription basis."
"It is much cheaper than other solutions. Most of our clients are the top 500 companies, and they all have a corporate contract."
"The cost is reasonable. I would rate the price as seven out of ten."
"We pay for the Cisco Customer Care support, which is a couple of hundred dollars."
"On a scale of one to five, I would rate Cisco's pricing as a three."
"The license model is too complex with too many flavors and options. You might not be able to see it from an end user's point of view, but from a telco point of view, their license model is too complex. They should have a flexible license model. If you want to have good pricing, you need to buy it for a two-year, four-year, or five-year license immediately. Some other vendors have much more flexible license models."
"The price of the solution is fair."
"These routers are not too expensive."
"The tool's licensing is yearly."
"The price is reasonable compared to Cisco's."
"There is no licence for this solution, but the solution could be cheaper."
"Huawei Enterprise Routers’s cost is average. I rate its pricing a five out of ten."
"The solution is cheap compared to Cisco."
"There are additional licensing costs. I am aware of additional licenses and which services are added to the router."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
45%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Manufacturing Company
4%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
13%
University
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco SD-WAN?
When considering the most valuable features of Cisco SD-WAN, the decoupling of self-monitoring stands out significantly.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco SD-WAN?
The pricing for Cisco SD-WAN is rated eight out of ten, with some variability depending on the reseller discounts and the size of the enterprise. It is also relatively cost-effective for smaller bu...
What needs improvement with Cisco SD-WAN?
The main area for improvement in Cisco SD-WAN is the lack of documentation, which often lags behind the software releases. This is especially notable since Cisco acquired the solution and is still ...
What do you like most about Huawei Enterprise Routers?
The solution provides support for 5G connectivity.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Huawei Enterprise Routers?
The product is very cheap and offers a huge discount as they are trying to enter the market. However, you have to pay extra for some services and support.
What needs improvement with Huawei Enterprise Routers?
The documentation is somewhat lacking and not easy to navigate. There are some errors and misleading information. The general appearance of the company site is also not user-friendly for downloadin...
 

Also Known As

Cisco SD-WAN
No data available
 

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Doyle Research, Ashton Metzler & Associates
Bus Online, VisionChina Media Inc. (VisionChina), China Network Television (CNTV), Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, ABC, BovenIJ hospital
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN vs. Huawei Enterprise Routers and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.