Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series comparison

Cisco and Dell Technologies are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.4, while Dell Technologies is ranked #12. Cisco holds a 29.4% mindshare in LS, compared to Dell Technologies’s 3.2% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 50% of Dell Technologies users who would recommend it.

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 175 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

6,606 Views
3,248 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

Read 2 Dell PowerSwitch N-Series reviews

249 Views
194 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Catalyst Switches and Dell PowerSwitch N-Series based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two LAN Switching solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Dell PowerSwitch N-Series Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

March 2025

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Helped 844,944 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

Ranking in LAN Switching

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

175

Ranking in other categories

Ethernet Switches (7th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

Ranking in LAN Switching

12th

Average Rating

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 29.4%, down from 32.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series is 3.2%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

LAN Switching

Featured Reviews

Joshua Odunsi

I.T INFRASTRUCTURE/SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR at Haggai Mortgage Bank Ltd

Ensures efficient performance and supports network growth with optimal speed

Catalyst Switches are efficient and swift, which is valuable for my organization. I experience optimal speed and effective configuration, making them stand out compared to other switches. The PoE switches offer more ports on SFP, and it is efficient in use. Overall, the switches provide me with the value I expect in terms of speed and efficiency.

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Al Vasek

Executive Business Development Manager, Cloud and Managed Services at Presidio Networked Solutions

Performs well, but the support and stability could be improved

There is a lack of support because there is a lack of adoption. Because Cisco switches are so widely used, anyone in the world can support them. It was two Cisco engineers who released Arista's code. In terms of programming functionality, they essentially duplicated the Cisco iOS, so all Cisco commands work on the Arista commands. You can do an Arista if you can do a Cisco. Aruba isn't all that different. It's a little different, but they have all of HPE's money and stuff behind it and things like that. I would say the same thing about Extreme or some of the other switches where it's penny-wise, pound-foolish. You save some money if you are a small shop with only one or two guys, it's understandable. Fortinet is now in the switch business, and they have their FortiSwitch devices, which are controlled by the FortiGate firewalls to do all of the programs. There is a lot to choose from. But, in my opinion, a lot of it is dependent on the use case and the customer type. Meraki is a nice little Cisco product for the right kind of business, but I wouldn't use it in an enterprise setting.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The stability and performance are extremely good."

"I think it is a reliable and scalable solution."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches are easy to use, simple to configure, and straightforward to upgrade. Additionally, CDN has been very helpful for separation."

"I highly appreciate the durability and the availability"

"Scalable, stable, and reliable product that's easy to install. Technical support is dependable and can be contacted in a variety of ways, e.g. through their ticketing system, hotline number, and community forum."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches are valuable for their reliability and performance."

"Cisco Switches are more stable in terms of hardware and firmware, rather than Juniper Switches."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches is very stable, configurable, and durable. It is also easy to manage."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

"Port density and port speed performance are both suitable. It has some appealing intangibles."

"For a customer, it is easy to configure and to add ports through the LAN the GUI."

Cons

"Cisco Catalyst Switches is an expensive solution and its price could be improved."

"The product's high price is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"Needs to improve cloud services and mobile software."

"We'd like Cisco to integrate with other solutions, including their own."

"An area for improvement would be the high price."

"There is no GUI."

"The solution’s licensing could be improved."

"Its price should be improved. It is very pricey."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

"Instead of competing at the enterprise level with that product, they should probably scale it. With all of the ports, they should develop a good mid-level business to truly scale it and gain adoption before attempting to go after the enterprise."

"Customers do not prefer this to connect to multiple cities."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It has a very high cost, but understandably, due to its very good quality."

"The general price of the solution could be cheaper."

"Pricing could be better."

"Compared to the price of other solutions such as Huawei and HP, Cisco Catalyst Switches is a cheaper solution."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very expensive solution."

"Catalyst Switches are costly. When I started working with them 25 years ago, prices were a problem too."

"The pricing of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be better in general. There is an annual license required."

"I don't see any price issue with Cisco. Whenever you buy a quality product, you always have a mindset of paying the premium amount. For any good product, you pay a premium amount, but that also means you are going to recover that premium over a period of time in terms of performance."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

"You are selling it to larger customers and in larger environments, where it's a less expensive model than Cisco, which is attempting to use the same approach Arista did, but with a completely different programming language."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

67%

Computer Software Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

26%

Comms Service Provider

University

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

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 ...

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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...

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

Although Juniper is cheaper, Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.

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Comparisons

Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 20% of the time

HPE ProCurve vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 14% of the time

Aruba Instant On Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 9% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 9% of the time

Nokia Ethernet Service Switch vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 3% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst Switches Competitors

Cisco Nexus vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

Compared 30% of the time

More Dell PowerSwitch N-Series Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

March 2025

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

LAN Switching

March 2025

Download Dell PowerSwitch N-Series product report

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

No data available

Overview

Cisco Catalyst Switches are a reliable and scalable network switching and routing solution, focusing on VLANs and VLAN switching. They are used as access switches, distribution switches, and core switches in various environments, deployed on-premises, and used for long connections. The switches are easy to configure, install, and upgrade and offer good pricing.

The most valuable features include warranty and firmware support, stability, security, good performance, flexibility, etc. The Cisco Catalyst Switches have provided a stable solution for the organizations and are widely used, trusted, and well-known in the networking industry.

Cisco

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series bring users efficient connections to the network with highly functional access and aggregation switching. Products consist of: Dell EMC Networking N1100 Series, Dell Networking N1500 Switches, Dell Networking N2000 Series, Dell Networking N3000 Series and Dell Networking N4000 Series.

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

Norwich University of the Arts, Shelby American, City and Islington College

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

March 2025

Free Report: Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Dell PowerSwitch N-Series and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.

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