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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Nokia Ethernet Service Switch comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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 Ethernet Switches
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
186
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Nokia Ethernet Service Switch
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
22nd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
3.1
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.5%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Nokia Ethernet Service Switch is 1.2%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches4.5%
Nokia Ethernet Service Switch1.2%
Other94.3%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

MS
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.
L.
Project Manager and Assistant General Manager at tele
Ensures network reliability and meets compliance requirements
We can understand the customer network better and propose products accordingly as areas for improvement. Engaging with customers directly would improve how that could be done easily. Many times there is a requirement for very low-end products, which Nokia Ethernet Service Switch is not currently marketing many of the lower-end products.

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 our dedicated solution for connecting everything into one big domain."
"I would recommend this solution to others, it is very good."
"If we are providing a switching solution, it's not just switching, it's a whole solution with DNA, and that is where the whole concept of Network Management and Network Assurance comes in, so Catalyst plays a big role in putting everything together and providing a whole solution to the customer."
"We can have multiple Cisco switches, like seven or eight, on a stack for 300 users. So it is highly scalable and easy to manage."
"I have found this solution to be extremely stable."
"The solution is robust in terms of the equipment provided."
"Catalyst switches are highly stable and easy to use, and it's a technology well known by most engineers."
"Cisco comes with built-in software access for network devices."
"The performance and reliability are the solution's most valuable features."
"Despite initial hindrances, once understood, these differences help in forming a good career foundation."
"The highest value lies in aggregating the data to improve both traffic management and device utilization, emphasizing the importance of engagement and liability."
"The most valuable features are user functionality and interoperability."
"The most valuable feature is the product's availability."
"7210 SAS help transformed our legacy network to an MPLS based services and improved the network performance and availability."
"The most valuable feature is the product's availability."
"The performance and reliability are the solution's most valuable features."
 

Cons

"Cisco Catalyst Switches could be a little bit cheaper as they are very costly."
"Pricing mainly is the only issue. For our company, IT is not a major investment, so it would be harder to convince management to invest in Cisco switches."
"The solution could improve by having a video IP feature."
"As distributors, it makes it hard to sell Cisco when features come at such a high price."
"The newer models are not so stable. Other products like 6800, 3750, were stable but starting from 3850 it got worse. We have a lot of issues and a lot of bugs. It's a new product so it's understandable but it should be improved."
"Pricing is an issue I have been facing, in comparison with HPE or Juniper."
"I would like for Cisco to come up with an affordable dynamic VLAN solution."
"The licensing process should be back to how it was before. Now, you have to register online, and it makes staging a bit trickier."
"We would like to have an unified monitoring system, while Nokia have different monitoring system for different product, we find it to be quite troublesome."
"The solution needs more monitoring tools."
"The release is not very stable. You should have stability in the card."
"I would like to see more collaboration with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) vendors, such as Itron."
"I would like to see more collaboration with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) vendors, such as Itron."
"This solution is not particularly flexible."
"The segment routing could be improved, and they could also transfer a lot of legacy to the cloud domain."
"The documentation needs improvement for better accessibility, as there isn't proper documentation currently available."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very expensive solution."
"The pricing of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be better in general. There is an annual license required."
"The price of these switches is on the upper end. It is around $3,500 plus for a 24-Port switch. These switches are more expensive than Linksys and TP-Links, but you get what you pay for. If you look at the pros and cons per switch, you can justify the cost compared to a lesser and cheaper brand."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches is an affordable solution."
"Try to buy everything you need in bulk purchases and ask Cisco for volume discounts."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches are very expensive."
"We are a large company and the price is reasonable because we have received a discount. However, the full price is expensive."
"The solution provides a good balance between the features and the cost structure"
"It is quite expensive compared to alternative technologies."
"The price of the solution is very competitive in comparison with that of the competition."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
896,692 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
7%
Construction Company
6%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Performing Arts
10%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business83
Midsize Enterprise29
Large Enterprise83
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise2
 

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
For deployment costs, we handled the network infrastructure setup internally, so there was little to no external implementation cost. One major advantage of Cisco Systems products is the strong ava...
What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Switches?
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 S...
What needs improvement with Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?
We can understand the customer network better and propose products accordingly as areas for improvement. Engaging with customers directly would improve how that could be done easily. Many times the...
What is your primary use case for Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?
I am a system integrator working for different customers. My clients use this product for their network, either for network upgrade or new rollout.
What advice do you have for others considering Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?
This possibility could be provided by the vendor. I advise people looking to use Nokia Ethernet Service Switch to always look for reliability rather than going for cheaper Chinese products. On a sc...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
Nokia ESS, Nokia 7450 Ethernet Service Switch, Nokia 7450 ESS
 

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
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Nokia Ethernet Service Switch and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
896,692 professionals have used our research since 2012.