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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Extreme VDX [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

Cisco Catalyst Switches
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
175
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Ethernet Switches (7th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Extreme VDX [EOL]
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

Joshua Odunsi - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Osama Ahmed LUBBAD - PeerSpot reviewer
A stable, scalable, and problem-free solution
Software needs to be updated regularly in order to maintain security and performance. However, in some cases, it is necessary to stack switches in order to meet the needs of the network. Although Cisco switches are able to stack, other switches are not as simple to stack. I would like the ability to stack with different switch brands.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product is reliable."
"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."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches are the best overall."
"The solution is highly reliable."
"It helps keep our network connections in a healthy state."
"I have found this solution to be extremely stable."
"The product offers very good routing and ranking capabilities."
"Stability. We have many Catalyst switches now, and they work without any downtime."
"Its simplicity and web interface were most valuable. I also liked the two-factor authentication."
"The fabric of the solution and the management aspect are the solution's most valuable features."
"The most valuable feature of Extreme VDX is that we have had no problems and the solution's performance is excellent."
 

Cons

"The price could be better. For Cisco, there is no need for improvement except for the price. It's expensive."
"It would be good if they added some machine learning which would allow us to abandon the rigid rules for processing traffic priorities and, at the same time, save money, because equipment with similar logic (like DPI) is much more expensive."
"I would like for Cisco to come up with an affordable dynamic VLAN solution."
"The pricing needs improvement."
"Dell switching is coming up with a solution where you can put your own OS inside their switching infra. That is where they are talking about open networking. We can show that our Cisco is also an open-source. We are open to different switching operating systems if the customer is willing to put it in. We can support multiple operating systems inside the switching infrastructure. It removes the hardware and software dependency on each other. That is where I think there can be room for improvement. Then we can talk about open networking and that is where Cisco can also come up with open networking access."
"The only drawback I saw with Cisco Catalyst Switches is that it's not cloud-managed."
"Cisco should focus more on this type of product instead of on data center switches. They stopped improving the software of these switches and they are focusing on the data center. They should focus on this type of product, more than any other thing."
"The solution could be easy to use, you need a certificate to use it."
"I would like the ability to stack with different switch brands."
"Its scalability can be better. If possible, it can have Hyper POE. I am not sure if there is a fiber version."
"The only problem is that at the moment it's an Extreme product and Extreme is not really pushing it. They have to make up for weak innovation and I'm not sure if they want to do that."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is in an affordable range and everything is included."
"The licensing, and maintenance fees are paid on a yearly basis."
"I rate the overall product a six out of ten from a price perspective since it is an expensive tool."
"We love Cisco, but the price is very prohibitive."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very expensive solution."
"It has a very high cost, but understandably, due to its very good quality."
"Could always be cheaper."
"It is worth the money. The product is expensive, but the service they provide is very good, which makes it worth it."
"It was around $1500 a year. It is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Ruckus."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
67%
Computer Software Company
6%
Government
3%
Manufacturing Company
3%
No data available
 

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 ...
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 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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Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
VDX, Brocade VDX
 

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
Niagra Falls Bridge Commission, Medien System Partner, CDE Lightband, MaximumASP
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.