Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Juniper QFabric comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in LAN Switching
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
173
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (7th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Juniper QFabric
Ranking in LAN Switching
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 30.8%, down from 31.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Juniper QFabric is 1.3%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
LAN Switching
 

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.
OusaidAbaz - PeerSpot reviewer
Ensures reliable operation and consistent performance but lifecycle management need improvement
QFabric simplified our data center network architecture by reducing configuration complexity compared to Cisco devices. It required fewer CLI commands, making configuration quicker and easier, especially for scalable deployments. QFabric improved scalability in our data center by simplifying the addition of new switches to existing configurations. The process was straightforward to manage. Implementing QFabric can affect overall IT infrastructure costs differently based on configuration needs. For small businesses with stable configurations, costs remain unchanged. However, for scalability and expansion, additional configuration and time may increase costs. My advice for those using Juniper is to ensure staff are well-trained and certified in Juniper technologies, such as JNCIA, JNCIS, JNCIP, or JNCIE. With these skills, you can effectively manage and troubleshoot Juniper solutions, minimizing potential issues and maximizing performance. Overall, I would rate Juniper QFabric as a seven out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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 802.1X port security and other security features work well and help keep the network secure."
"Catalyst switches are easy to use and simple to work with."
"Configuring the solution is very easy. It's quite a straightforward process, and it's not difficult at all."
"The biggest advantage of having this solution is that it is easy to find engineers, and they are cheaper than hiring HP engineers."
"It is easy to install."
"They are pretty good. They are stable. Cisco has been around in the industry for a long time, so they are reliable, as well."
"The Cisco Catalyst is very stable and it can last for many years."
"The 40 gig backbone InterConneX was valuable for our use case. It is even faster now. QFabric has spine-leaf technology or topology, which basically makes every single hop only one hop away in terms of connecting from one device to another. It is a pretty good and robust solution. It works pretty well in terms of scalability, and their technical support is amazing."
"Juniper QFabric has various advantages including scalability, simplicity, performance, and flexibility."
"The most valuable feature of QFabric for network performance is its stability."
"QFabric supports redundancy and includes all of the enterprise and service provider features that customers would want in data center or service provider network."
"The vendor maintains the product well."
"The most valuable features of this solution are the fabric backplane having upwards of 160 GB of communication. It is a top-of-the-rack solution where you have your directors sitting in the main area and then you have your nodes expanded out to your multiple cabinets. It has a very good design and could be your server backbone."
"It's user-friendly."
"The solution is stable."
 

Cons

"The initial setup can be easier in cases where the policy and ruleset are complex."
"Cisco has to lower the price of its products to make them more cost-effective."
"t is one of the most expensive solutions."
"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."
"The product could offer more integrations with other solutions."
"The solution is quite expensive for our clients. It's a pain point for some companies. They should work to reduce the price."
"The price can definitely be lower."
"The product must improve its security."
"Improvements could be made to QFabric's life cycle management, particularly in maintaining stable versions and extending product support."
"Having support for all OpenFlow versions would be beneficial."
"The pricing structure could be more budget-friendly."
"I do not use GUI's very much for switch stacks. I am always in the CLI. However, I do know that Juniper in the past has lacked on their GUI's, but they have been working on it."
"They are working on the virtualization of the actual fabric layer. They are moving away from the original spine-leaf design to a different infrastructure. Instead of having three tiers, which was the director of the interconnected nodes, they cut them back, and they still have that kind of structure."
"The stability needs to be improved."
"It works too much on rebooting and there is some memory leakage."
"The disruptive upgrade was an issue for us."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of this solution is reasonable."
"I don't know a lot about the price, but they are affordable compared with other solutions."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very expensive solution."
"The price of this solution could be reduced, it is expensive and I am using an annual license."
"We love Cisco, but the price is very prohibitive."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches are a bit expensive."
"Pricing could be cheaper as well."
"Generally, Cisco Catalyst would be relatively expensive compared to the competition, it would be on the expensive side."
"The price for Juniper QFabric could improve. There are subscription, maintenance, and add-on feature fees."
"In terms of price, the QFabric solution is going to be probably in the middle of the road for a fabric solution."
"The pricing is high and it is possible to find better pricing option solutions on the market, but the licensing model is quite flexible."
"The pricing is high."
"Juniper QFabric is a high-level solution but it could be less expensive."
"The price is relatively high, but it offers an advantage over its competitors by providing better performance and functionality."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which LAN Switching solutions are best for your needs.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
62%
Computer Software Company
7%
Government
3%
Financial Services Firm
3%
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Manufacturing Company
11%
University
11%
 

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 Juniper QFabric?
The most valuable feature of QFabric for network performance is its stability.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper QFabric?
Juniper QFabric is not overly expensive. Licensing is required for certain features like vRRP, but setting up a virtual chassis does not necessitate a separate license.
What needs improvement with Juniper QFabric?
Improvements could be made to QFabric's lifecycle management, particularly in maintaining stable versions and extending product support. The rapid release cycle and short life span compared to comp...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
QFabric
 

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
MCB Bank
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Juniper QFabric and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.