Cisco Catalyst Switches and Ubiquiti UniFi Switches compete in the networking category. Cisco Catalyst Switches often have the upper hand for businesses needing advanced security and performance in large networks, while Ubiquiti UniFi gains preference for cost-effectiveness and ease of management in smaller setups.
Features: Cisco Catalyst Switches offer advanced security settings, high scalability, and superior performance for large environments with features like VLAN Routing and extensive PoE support. Ubiquiti UniFi Switches provide seamless integration, an intuitive management interface, and a compact design suitable for small to mid-sized businesses, along with centralized control through their Cloud Key UniFi controller.
Room for Improvement: Cisco Catalyst Switches could improve by simplifying deployment without requiring professional assistance, offering more flexible pricing options, and enhancing user experience for SMBs. Ubiquiti UniFi Switches would benefit from more robust customer support, enhancements in advanced network features, and better scalability for larger enterprise environments.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Catalyst Switches usually require a complex deployment process, often benefiting from professional services. Their customer support is comprehensive but formal. Ubiquiti UniFi Switches offer a simpler, intuitive setup process supported by community-driven resources, providing flexible and less formal customer service.
Pricing and ROI: Cisco Catalyst Switches have a higher price point, reflecting their feature set and support services, leading to a longer ROI period. Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are priced lower, allowing for quicker ROI, appealing to those prioritizing lower costs and faster deployment over an extensive support framework.
Another solution offered to us was more than double the price, making UniFi a cost-effective choice.
We saw a return on investment within a year, although I believe there's more potential to be leveraged.
Cisco's support is good, one of the best supports that you will get.
I am paying for Cisco support and would rate it nine out of ten.
The team is knowledgeable and efficient.
the manuals, installation videos, and resources on the website are very good and straightforward.
They have a large customer base that sometimes faces issues due to a lack of know-how in managing the devices.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are scalable, and I would rate them eight to nine out of ten for scalability.
I rate the scalability as nine out of ten.
If planning for future scalability, choosing switches that support extra modules for fiber optics is advisable.
While we are satisfied with its use in small environments, other products may be needed in very large companies with more than 30 users.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are stable.
I did not experience any problems the whole year.
The switches are stable and there have been no outages.
If the system is installed, it runs well, with no issues.
Cisco Catalyst Switches could be a little bit cheaper as they are very costly.
The configuration options on the Cisco Commerce website could be more efficient.
There could be improvements in the repeat configuration with some file integration that is currently missing.
The current setup is closed and does not allow for integration with non-Ubiquiti VoIP devices or providers outside their ecosystem.
Controlling and reducing network traffic directly from the controller would be beneficial.
The choice depends on the network architecture and planning for the future scalability requirements.
Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite pricey.
Our investment in Ubiquiti is about £30,000, and it's a cost-effective solution since there is no subscription fee.
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are cost-effective, offering similar performance and features as higher-priced alternatives like Cisco or Ruckus.
Pricing is very favorable, with minimal licensing involved.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are valuable for their reliability and performance.
The most beneficial features for our network management are their stability and good customer support.
Catalyst Switches are efficient and swift, which is valuable for my organization.
The switches enable management from anywhere using the cloud controller, making configuration changes and management easier.
I can manage user connectivity, limit bandwidth, apply MAC address filtering, and it offers POE capabilities.
One of the most valuable features of Ubiquiti UniFi switches is their graphical interface and plug-and-play capability.
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.
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches are managed Gigabit switches (Available with 24 or 48 RJ45 Gigabit ports) designed to meet all your network needs while delivering excellent performance. The switches’ excellent network performance is combined with fiber connectivity that includes two SFP ports and the ability to process traffic without putting packet loss at risk.
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches Are:
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches Support These Three Output Modes:
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches Support These Three Input Modes:
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches Features:
Benefits of Ubiquiti UniFi Switches:
Reviews from Real Users
A PeerSpot user who is a Director of Technical Operations/CTO at a consultancy says "The ability to deploy quickly and then having one central location for all the settings are its most valuable aspects."
"The integration with the controller is one of the most valuable features of these switches. They are also very stable. For example, we have some equipment that we haven't touched for four years that is still reliable," says Doru I., Senior solutions architect at Aplix Technologies
Murali S., Management Consultant at a consultancy, explains that “For the world where you have to balance traffic and traffic loads and bandwidth, their GUI makes it really easy because the switches, though they are enterprise grade level two or level three switches, the GUI is designed so that it's easy to set up VLANs where you need to control your traffic so that your phones don't break up and get choppy because of other people loading the network down too heavily."
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