Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] comparison

Cisco and Dell Technologies are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Dell Technologies users who would recommend it.

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 181 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

9,980 Views
3,992 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

Read 34 Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] reviews

90% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

Cisco Catalyst Switches and Dell PowerConnect Switches are competitors in the network equipment market. Cisco has an edge due to its robust feature set, superior reliability, and advanced security, whereas Dell stands out for affordability and ease of configuration.

Features: Cisco Catalyst Switches offer advanced security features such as Port Security, VLAN support, and Power over Ethernet (PoE), ensuring high reliability for enterprise environments. Their stacking capabilities allow for enhanced stability and uptime. In contrast, Dell PowerConnect Switches are appreciated for their value, offering essential features like PoE and VLAN at a more accessible price point. They are straightforward to configure and integrate well into existing infrastructures.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Catalyst Switches are often criticized for their high cost and complex licensing structure, leading calls for better pricing models and simpler configurations. Users also desire faster technology updates and improved third-party solution integration. Dell PowerConnect Switches face challenges in scalability and stability over longer periods, and they lack advanced features required for high-demand environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Deploying Cisco Catalyst Switches usually demands technical expertise and they are primarily used in on-premises setups with limited cloud options. While customer service is well-regarded, it can be slow and costly. Dell PowerConnect Switches are generally easier to deploy due to simpler configurations, being used commonly in on-premises and hybrid cloud environments. Dell's customer service is reliable, albeit occasionally slow in response.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Catalyst Switches are considered expensive, justified by some users due to the product’s quality and stability. Licensing and subscription fees add to the costs, positioning Cisco as a premium option. Meanwhile, Dell PowerConnect Switches are noted for their economic pricing, offering a cost-effective solution for smaller setups with quicker returns on investment, though they offer fewer features and limited scalability compared to Cisco.

To learn more, read our detailed LAN Switching Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

LAN Switching

April 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 893,221 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

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

181

Ranking in other categories

LAN Switching (1st), Ethernet Switches (5th), Data Center Networking (2nd), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

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

Mutari Sallau

Electrical control system engineer at Dangote petroleum refinery and petrol chemicals

Reliable switching has delivered long‑term uptime, strong PoE support, and predictable performance

Cisco Systems Catalyst Switches are highly regarded for their performance, reliability, and enterprise-grade capabilities. My main reservation, however, is the pricing. The cost of Cisco Catalyst Switches—and Cisco products in general—is relatively high, especially in many African markets where organizations often need to balance budget constraints with required functionality. There are alternative vendors that offer comparable features at a lower price point. While they may not always match Cisco’s ecosystem, stability, or full feature depth, many businesses still choose them because of the significant cost savings. Another consideration is licensing, which can add to the overall total cost of ownership depending on the deployment model and required features. Overall, Cisco Catalyst Switches remain premium enterprise solutions, but when compared with other OEMs, their higher acquisition and licensing costs can be a major deciding factor for cost-conscious organizations.

Read full review

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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is a stable and good product. It is also easy to install."

"The performance is great."

"The solution works well with analytics."

"These switches are very stable, we haven't had any problems, and we also have some old switches that are working for almost ten years."

"It can be expanded."

"The product is reliable."

"We decreased budgets on the support corporate network and increased user satisfaction."

"A good feature of Cisco Catalyst is that it records crash log files which can be used to literally identify the cause of a crash because there is a lot of information. And Cisco Catalyst supports the use of external flash disks for storing of images and file systems."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

"If you buy Dell PowerConnect Switches as a bundle with computers and the rest of the infrastructure, it's a good setup and you'll get value from your investment or ROI from the product."

"The functionality is very good."

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

"Dell offers very good support."

"The features I've found most valuable are that the product is very easy to configure and inexpensive."

"The security is the most valuable aspect of this solution; it also has good storage and resource handling."

"Dell PowerConnect Switches are easy to configure and fully integrate into our Cisco switches without any problem."

"The most valuable feature is its ability to multitask."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pros

Cons

"Its price can be improved. It is currently expensive."

"To make it a ten they should simplify the licensing, add the cloud-managed feature, and it should be more cost-effective."

"Price could be lower."

"Currently, Catalyst is completely proprietary with Cisco. They should have programmability options, through open-source controllers."

"As distributors, it makes it hard to sell Cisco when features come at such a high price."

"For zero-touch deployment, we have to work around a little bit initially because the switches are not exactly zero-touch provision ZTP. Currently, I don't see much AI integration with Cisco Catalyst Switches; though they've started, it still needs improvement."

"Pricing is an issue I have been facing, in comparison with HPE or Juniper."

"The price is something we would definitely like improved. It would be nice if it was more economical."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

"I think accessibility and management could be improved."

"I can't think of what we would want in the next release."

"A big issue with this product is that when our customer migrated the data center, one cluster blocked the whole network and because we had a new approach, some commands were not compatible with the new version."

"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."

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

"Dell is sometimes slow to provide updates to firmware."

"The network features are not good."

"However, we are now having a problem where it does not integrate well with SDN."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco switches are expensive. Their price range is based not only on what the product does but also the name in the industry. They are good at what they do. If you need a better product, there are other lineups available."

"The price should go down instead of up. "

"Cisco products are not that cheap."

"The price of this solution is reasonable."

"The price can definitely be lower."

"The new products from Cisco in the market are expensive. My company cannot import Cisco products, so they are mostly unavailable."

"It is expensive."

"There is no licensing fee. All of the features are available on the switch from day one."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

"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."

"PowerConnect Switches are priced well."

"Pricing for Dell PowerConnect Switches is quite competitive compared to Cisco and HP pricing. Dell has cheaper pricing and the company is trying to push for sales for its switching infrastructure because right now, the current market is dominated by Cisco. In the US market, there's Cisco, HP, Juniper, and Arista which you can buy for data center switching meant for different kinds of enterprises and ISPs. Dell PowerConnect Switches, on the other hand, is a product for people who need smaller setups or individual switches, especially those looking for a cheaper product and basic switching, though you can also buy a complete suite packaged with the switches."

"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 initial cost was high but since they have lasted for over ten or twenty years they are worth it."

"The price of these switches is okay."

"Inexpensive"

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which LAN Switching solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

893,221 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	81
Midsize Enterprise	29
Large Enterprise	79

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	6

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 ...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?

For pricing satisfaction, I'd say it will be six to seven because Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors. Regarding pricing, there is indeed room for improvement.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerConnect Switches?

The solution is cheaper than Cisco.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Dell PowerConnect Switches?

Dell PowerConnect Switches are primarily used at the distribution layer, but as the product evolved, higher models became available. These newer models can function closer to the core network or th...

See all answers

Comparisons

Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 9% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 7% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 5% of the time

TP-Link Omada Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 5% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst Switches Competitors

HPE ProCurve vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 17% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 17% of the time

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

Compared 12% of the time

Arista Networks Platform vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Nexus vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 8% of the time

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

May 2026

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

May 2026

Download Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] product report

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

PowerConnect Switches

Overview

Cisco Catalyst Switches are renowned for their Power over Ethernet capabilities, performance stability, and dependable security. They support features like DHCP, stacking, and dynamic routing, offering ease of management, scalability, and reliability across different sectors.

Cisco Catalyst Switches are valued for their robust architecture and global reputation, supported by numerous trained professionals. They ensure consistent performance and adaptability across industries such as finance, education, and hospitality. With features like CLI and software integration, these switches offer ease of management, scalability, and strong technical support. Users appreciate modularity, speed, and network segmentation versatility. There is room for improvement in cost reduction, licensing simplification, usability, third-party integration, and security enhancements. Calls for improved configuration, product compatibility, faster support, and advanced training are noted.

What are the key features of Cisco Catalyst Switches?

PoE Capability: Ensures efficient power delivery with network connectivity.
Stable Performance: Maintains network reliability under various conditions.
Dependable Security: Offers robust security features to safeguard networks.
Ease of Management: Provides management simplicity through CLI and software integration.
Modularity: Allows scalable and flexible network configurations.

Why should users consider Cisco Catalyst in their reviews?

Scalability: Enables network growth with seamless integration.
Reliability: Consistent and dependable network performance.
Technical Support: Access to strong, professional technical support services.
Versatility in Network Segmentation: Efficiently organizes and manages network traffic.

Organizations utilize Cisco Catalyst Switches for diverse applications, including data centers, campuses, and WAN connectivity. Supporting enterprise networking, VLAN configurations, and user access, they integrate smoothly with existing infrastructure. These switches enhance connectivity for access layers, core components, and edge networking, catering to industries like finance, education, and hospitality for reliable and scalable performance.

Cisco

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

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

Amerijet Holdings Inc., CGD Securities, MavenWire, Tulane University

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in LAN Switching. Updated: April 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

893,221 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our list of best LAN Switching vendors and best Data Center Networking vendors.

We monitor all LAN Switching reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.