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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
7th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
175
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Nokia Ethernet Service Switch
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
26th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.6
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 1.8%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Nokia Ethernet Service Switch is 0.7%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

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.
Teuku Maiyasya - PeerSpot reviewer
A stable solution which is competitively priced and offers good support
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. I also would prefer that all the licenses be open for our use. This would obviate the need to purchase individual licenses for each feature.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Since Cisco Catalyst Switches don't go online, they are secured."
"As there are many who are knowledgeable of this technology, this translates into extensive support for it."
"The 802.1X port security and other security features work well and help keep the network secure."
"The main valuable features for me are the ease of configuration, the CLI, and the GUI."
"When it comes to Cisco Catalyst Switches, one can say that the legacy switches are stable."
"The new series has lots of great features, it's really lovely. From a management perspective, or a policy creation perspective, which we are seeing in the Catalyst 9000 series it is great."
"Customer support answers on time and resolve any issues I have."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco equipment is reliability."
"The most valuable feature is the product's availability."
"Despite initial hindrances, once understood, these differences help in forming a good career foundation."
"On several occasions we encountered major issues with the solution and have found the Nokia technical support to be quite supportive."
"The most valuable features are user functionality and interoperability."
"The performance and reliability are the solution's most valuable features."
"The highest value lies in aggregating the data to improve both traffic management and device utilization, emphasizing the importance of engagement and liability."
 

Cons

"The delivery of the product lead time should be improved."
"To make it a ten they should simplify the licensing, add the cloud-managed feature, and it should be more cost-effective."
"In terms of additional features or improvements, I would like to see more fiber ports, more security features, and perhaps the integration of wireless features into the switch."
"Cisco is the most expensive product."
"They need to simplify the Web GUI and make it easier to use, and more intuitive for the users."
"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."
"I have had a little hiccup working with Catalyst switches. They used a few power integration features but I'm not sure they really resulted in much power saving. But, it caused cross-vendor equipment trouble."
"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 suggest improvements regarding enhancing support response times and implementing user interface modifications for quicker and more user-friendly interactions."
"I would prefer that all the licenses be open for our use."
"The solution needs more monitoring tools."
"The documentation needs improvement for better accessibility, as there isn't proper documentation currently available."
"I would like to see more collaboration with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) vendors, such as Itron."
"The segment routing could be improved, and they could also transfer a lot of legacy to the cloud domain."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution is expensive compared to other products from America or Europe. They should have more competitive pricing."
"We are on an annual license to use this solution and the price of the solution could be reduced. We have spent hundreds of thousands on our Wi-Fi network."
"I would rate the features-to-pricing ratio at six out of 10. My advice about licensing is that you should have a perpetual license, not one that is subscription-based."
"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."
"There is a license required for the use of this solution and we pay annually."
"There is no licensing fee. All of the features are available on the switch from day one."
"They are expensive."
"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."
"The price of the solution is very competitive in comparison with that of the competition."
"It is quite expensive compared to alternative technologies."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
67%
Computer Software Company
6%
Government
3%
Manufacturing Company
3%
Computer Software Company
18%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

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.
What do you like most about Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?
The highest value lies in aggregating the data to improve both traffic management and device utilization, emphasizing the importance of engagement and liability.
What needs improvement with Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?
In my opinion, Nokia has to improve its documentation, offering step-by-step configuration guides and examples of what outputs look like on Windows. There should also be a comparison of commands be...
What is your primary use case for Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?
I have been working with Nokia switches for six months. Before that, I was using Cisco devices. I am involved in configuring Nokia Internet Service Switches in our network.
 

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
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Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Nokia Ethernet Service Switch and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.