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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs D-Link Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 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 Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
7th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
173
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
D-Link Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
11th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Q&A Highlights

MW
May 02, 2021
 

Featured Reviews

SameerBali - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable and stable catalyst switch; can be easily installed
I like Cisco Catalyst Switches because most of the time, we can do what we want with the product. Cisco has good guidelines that enable us to implement anything, so we can have a multiple ability product on most of the network equipment worldwide. Cisco has communities or forums that help us implement more complicated areas in terms of network, so in addition, Cisco is not just a network equipment company, because they provide us most of the solutions, development, protocols, and new technologies, more than any other company in the world. I also like the availability of Cisco Catalyst Switches, including scalability and reliability. You can find all these in this product.
MichaelNdwiga - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced network efficiency through features and demonstrate minimal downtime
One of the issues is the range of their products. They need to increase it. For example, if I want a 12-port switch that is fully managed, it's not easy to find. So, I have to opt for a 24-port switch that is fully managed, which might not be necessary as I only need 12 ports. So if they could increase the range of the switches in regards to the features, and the number of ports, that would be beneficial. So, that's the only potential improvement. The switches are perfect otherwise. Ideally, I'd like to see a central management system included as part of their license, not as a separate purchase. Currently, we have to manage switches independently. A central portal for managing all switches and providing visibility would be great.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We heavily use the SmartPort features. It has really helped us. The U.S. policies are handled by the auto SmartPort feature"
"VLAN gives us segregation."
"The most valuable feature is how easy it is to use."
"The product is stable, and it performs well."
"One main feature with Cisco is you know you are going to get a very good switching infrastructure that is secure."
"Their technical support is very good. They know what to do and if they don't know what to do, they give me the person who does know."
"The solution offers great scalability."
"One good feature is UPOE. Another is having a built-in controller, the customer doesn't have to ask for another controller. For example, you get a built-in controller with the C650. And two-port is one of the premium factors from Cisco."
"The solution is user-friendly."
"There are no stability issues with D-Link Ethernet switches."
"The most valuable feature is VLAN."
"The initial setup of D-Link Ethernet Switches is very easy."
"The management interface makes network management very easy."
"The solution is easy to use."
"It is very stable and reliable."
"It's plug-and-play. There is no configuration necessary."
 

Cons

"I think that the price should be cheaper and they should include at least one year of basic service for technical support for each product, and not just the 90 days from the time of purchase."
"My company would prefer that the price was more cost-effective."
"We have configurations for port channels between two facilities, and we cannot communicate between these two buildings. An SFP configuration uses one wire to send and receive the signal. It's opt-in. We cannot use it after the upgrade. What can we do in this situation? We already bought it."
"The product must improve its security."
"First of all, there are some features that take a long time to get implemented, and other vendors have them for a long time before them. For example, it took a long time to have a way to commit change with the timer, so it gets undone if the user doesn't accept the change after it's done. Like, having to say the changes be done, and everything works fine. In the end, everything works fine, but it didn't exist. That's just an example of stuff that came late to Catalyst."
"It should have better security and the prices can always be lower. The cheaper the price, the better but if the quality is good, it's worth it. They also have to improve the firewalling."
"I would like to see better compatibility between Cisco and other vendors."
"The price could be improved."
"The availability could be improved."
"In a future release, the solution could improve by being more secure and allowing the configuration of each port."
"I'd like to see a central management system included as part of their license, not as a separate purchase. Currently, we have to manage switches independently. A central portal for managing all switches and providing visibility would be great."
"The solution needs better local support."
"It could be easier to scale on managed devices."
"This solution is not good for distribution at the core."
"D-Link Ethernet Switches' switching capacity is low. The solution should improve stability and not support Cisco or Juniper networks."
"I would like an option to create different networks within the switch."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is an expensive product."
"The product is quite expensive."
"It is overpriced. Some devices can be very expensive. Most of the clients have a contract with Cisco for two or three years."
"There is a license required for the use of this solution and we pay annually."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches are a bit expensive."
"They are a little bit expensive. We are a public institution, so we go through other traders, and sometimes, they put in their own surplus price because it is a government contract. Cisco products are expensive, especially when you compare them to Huawei."
"The pricing of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be better in general. There is an annual license required."
"The price of Cisco Catalyst switches is reasonable."
"D-Link Ethernet Switches' price is good."
"The solution's pricing is reasonable."
"There is not a license required for this solution and it is priced well."
"The solution is budget-friendly"
"The price of D-Link Ethernet Switches is in the 4,000 to 5,000 rupees or 65 to 100 USD range. The price of the solution is not expensive."
"It has a good return on investment. It has indeed saved us resources significantly."
"These units vary in price from $200 to one thousand dollars. They're available for a one-time purchase."
"They were cheap. We were not paying for any license."
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Answers from the Community

MW
May 2, 2021
May 2, 2021
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the other hand, which model of the Dlink brand do you want to use?1) is equivalent in functions?2) are all the functions of the Cisco equipment used?3) Do you already have the IT expert to install and con...
2 out of 5 answers
EB
Apr 28, 2021
Hi @Manish Nalawade , @Phillip Peerman ​and @Devanand PR. Could you assist @Mesfin Workneh?
Luis Apodaca - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 28, 2021
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the other hand, which model of the Dlink brand do you want to use?1) is equivalent in functions?2) are all the functions of the Cisco equipment used?3) Do you already have the IT expert to install and configure it?4) Will the new equipment suggested in Dlink use all the functions you need?Most of the time, the consideration of changing the equipment is because its useful life has come to an end, the technology is no longer the best available, or it broke down due to some overload, in these cases the first criterion to decide is always the cost economic, but the ideal is to see the big picture and look at the overall cost-benefitIt does not matter that the Dlink equipment is more economical, in these times many brands have economic equipment and that rival in capabilities with the leading brands you can have confidence in itAs a result of this, the same Cisco brand already has a line (Catalyst 1000) that presents the same cost benefit as the equipment of the others with lower price rangesfinally my personal recommendation is any brand of the followinga) Ubiquiti Edge or ubiquiti Unifib) Cisco Catalyst 1000c) TPLink Omadad) Aruba instant onGood luck.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
64%
Computer Software Company
7%
Government
3%
Financial Services Firm
3%
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Healthcare Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?
We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...
What do you like most about D-Link Ethernet Switches?
D-Link has a good VPN feature and quality of service.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for D-Link Ethernet Switches?
The pricing of D-Link Ethernet Switches is cost-effective. For small data centers, it is good to have D-Link switches as the cost is less compared to other features.
What needs improvement with D-Link Ethernet Switches?
Areas of the solution that have room for improvement include scalability, as it should improve both scaling and security. Currently, D-Link Ethernet Switches are often not used in large data center...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
No data available
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena
George Mason University, Somerville House, Hiperwall, New Brunswick School District 16, The Fulcrum Group, Bremond Independent School District, University of Texas Health Science Center, Grand Canyon Skywalk, SUN Area Career & Technology Center, Abington Senior High School
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. D-Link Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.