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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
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
181
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (2nd), 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 May 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.3%, up from 2.0% 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 Switches4.3%
Nokia Ethernet Service Switch1.2%
Other94.5%
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

"I've had no problems with the stability of this solution."
"Cisco comes with built-in software access for network devices."
"I find their system throughput and Cisco support very useful."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches is very stable, configurable, and durable. It is also easy to manage."
"In terms of technology, Cisco is the leader in everything."
"The main features of the solution are its reliability and security."
"In terms of the switches, the uptime and the robustness of the hardware are the most valuable aspects."
"It is a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The performance and reliability are the solution's most valuable features."
"The solution saves time and money for my customer in terms of reliability and product durability."
"Despite initial hindrances, once understood, these differences help in forming a good career foundation."
"The most valuable features are user functionality and interoperability."
"The highest value lies in aggregating the data to improve both traffic management and device utilization, emphasizing the importance of engagement and liability."
"The performance and reliability are the solution's most valuable features."
"The most valuable feature is the product's availability."
"The most valuable features are user functionality and interoperability."
 

Cons

"Out of the competition, Cisco switches are easily the most expensive."
"My company would prefer that the price was more cost-effective."
"The stability of Cisco Catalyst Switches in my environment is somewhat problematic: legacy Cisco Catalyst Switches, even though they have licenses and support, present many hardware-related issues, such as interfaces going down very repeatedly, SFP modules failing in most cases, and hardware ports becoming faulty."
"Its price can be improved. Some devices can be very expensive."
"It should have better security and the prices can always be lower."
"The product is expensive."
"Cisco Catalyst Switches is an expensive solution and its price could be improved."
"Its price can be improved. It is currently expensive."
"The solution needs more monitoring tools."
"The documentation needs improvement for better accessibility, as there isn't proper documentation currently available."
"This solution is not particularly flexible."
"The release is not very stable. You should have stability in the card."
"I would suggest improvements regarding enhancing support response times and implementing user interface modifications for quicker and more user-friendly interactions."
"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 would prefer that all the licenses be open for our use."
"I would like to see more collaboration with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) vendors, such as Itron."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Generally, Cisco Catalyst would be relatively expensive compared to the competition, it would be on the expensive side."
"They are expensive."
"The prices of Cisco devices are too high."
"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."
"It would be great for the user if Cisco lowered the prices for their routers and switches."
"Pricing is an issue I have been facing, in comparison with HPE or Juniper. The Nexus series is out of the question right now. Scalability is more an issue on the pricing side and less on the technology side."
"It's expensive."
"The price can definitely be lower."
"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.
894,998 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 Business81
Midsize Enterprise29
Large Enterprise79
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 pricing satisfaction, I'd say it will be six to seven because Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors. Regarding pricing, there is indeed room for improvement.
What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Switches?
There is a lot of overhead, and I have to have so many technology people to manage so many Catalyst switches. Management is also difficult because I have to console into each of the switches in ord...
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.
894,998 professionals have used our research since 2012.