Cisco Catalyst Switches vs IBM BNT comparison

Cisco and IBM are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.4, while IBM is ranked #13. Cisco holds a 29.4% mindshare in LS, compared to IBM’s 0.2% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution.

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 175 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

6,606 Views
3,248 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

IBM BNT

Read 1 IBM BNT review

45 Views
12 Comparison Views

0% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

IBM BNT

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Catalyst Switches and IBM BNT based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

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

To learn more, read our detailed LAN Switching Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

LAN Switching

March 2025

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Helped 845,406 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)

IBM BNT

Ranking in LAN Switching

13th

Average Rating

0.0

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 IBM BNT is 0.2%, up from 0.1% 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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VLADIMIR RAMIREZ

Owner at ACANI Soluciones, SA de CV

A low maintenance solution with cybersecurity measures

If we rate the capacity from one to ten, where one is small and ten is big, I will rate it a little more than medium for my customers. In my view, the big ones are the government accounts, but we don't have any because they're too large for us. Our typical customers include pharmacies, for example. These customers vary in size and might need storage solutions of around 50 terabytes. We have a very good relationship with our customers. We provide all the maintenance of our software. For IBM BNT, we and the customer handle all the product analysis, recommendations, and so on. When a customer has an idea or issue, they call us or make a decision and explain the problem. Usually, we have a solution, like making a configuration change—something very simple. If you ask how much time customers spend on maintenance, it's very low because the system is very stable. When advising potential customers about IBM BNT, I often suggest they talk to our current customers. Hearing directly from them about how the solutions work in real-world situations can provide valuable insights. I rate the overall product a nine out of ten.

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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

"Catalyst Switches are efficient and swift, which is valuable for my organization."

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

"The network is secure."

"The pricing is quite good."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches are highly reliable and stable."

"The warranty and continued firmware support are most valuable."

"I have found that the protocols that Cisco Catalyst Switches support are beneficial for my customers."

"These switches are stable. They work well and are easy to use."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

"IBM BNT's latest advancements offer cybersecurity measures for network security. Our customers adapt these solutions to their sites and are very happy with the results."

Cons

"The current catalyst is probably outdated so we will most likely move to the newer version of the solution soon."

"It can have more security features to secure the access layer."

"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."

"Needs to improve cloud services and mobile software."

"Cisco is a bit complex."

"The prices are high. It's more expensive than other similar options."

"Cisco should provide customers with a more advantageous licensing model included with the purchase of the equipment."

"It is kind of expensive."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

"In terms of improvement, the price is not an issue; it's very good. However, the range of solutions could be improved. Some of our customers are very small, and the current IBM BNT solutions, such as switches, are too large for them. It would be wonderful if we could have switched with maybe 16 ports instead of the usual 24 ports because they don't use all the ports."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is too high for this market."

"The licensing, and maintenance fees are paid on a yearly basis."

"They are expensive."

"The solution provides a good balance between the features and the cost structure"

"Pricing could be better."

"I cannot say that the pricing is reasonable because it's a little above our expectations. If we consider the recent price increases, it is not acceptable anymore."

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

"The pricing of these devices can be better."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

"The solution is cheap. However, I think the price for the final user, who in this case is my customer, might be higher than the usual price. I emphasize the real value of the entire solution, not just the cost of the hardware and software. It's about how the solution helps the customer improve their internal operations."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

67%

Computer Software Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

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 ...

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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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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM BNT?

The solution is cheap. However, I think the price for the final user, who in this case is my customer, might be higher than the usual price. I emphasize the real value of the entire solution, not j...

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What needs improvement with IBM BNT?

In terms of improvement, the price is not an issue; it's very good. However, the range of solutions could be improved. Some of our customers are very small, and the current IBM BNT solutions, such ...

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What is your primary use case for IBM BNT?

We create solutions for data protection and redundancy. Sometimes, we have three or four BNT switches backing up one another. We also manage many partitions and operating systems.

See all answers

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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

Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 7% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst Switches Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

March 2025

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

LAN Switching

March 2025

Download IBM BNT product report

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

BNT

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

IBM BNT RackSwitch G8264R Model 64C Browser-Based Interface, has forty-eight 10 Gb SFP+ ports and four 40 Gb QSFP+ ports, four 40 Gb QSFP+ ports that can each be converted to four 10 Gb SFP+ ports with optional breakout cable. redundant hot-swappable power supplies and fans. rack front-to-rear airflow, and latency of less than 850 nanoseconds. The BLADEOS Browser-Based Interface (BBI) software is included with the RackSwitch G8264 (G8264). The BBI software lets you use your Web browser to access switch information and statistics, and to perform switch configuration via the Internet.

IBM

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

King's College London

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in LAN Switching. Updated: March 2025.

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