We performed a comparison between Cisco Ethernet Switches vs D-link Ethernet Switches based on our users’ reviews in five categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.
Comparison Results: Cisco Ethernet Switches has better ratings because it has better stability and technical support than D-Link Ethernet Switches. D-Link does come out on top in the pricing category, however.
"Its performance and reliability are valuable."
"DNA Center is very interesting in automating the setup and monitoring as with each occurrence it gets easier to troubleshoot and provides an impression about what could be the problem."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco Ethernet Switches is its hardware."
"Good and stable operational experience with nearly no loss of hardware and very few software bugs."
"The most valuable feature is the simplicity of the central management system(CMS)."
"The tool is stable."
"The most valuable feature is the performance."
"A stable product that is absolutely dependable."
"The solution is easy to use."
"I can't find anything wrong with our D-Link Ethernet Switches."
"It is very stable and reliable."
"We use the solution for the network and ethernet connection."
"There are many good points about this product. Number one, they are very stable, and easy to configure and manage."
"These switches are simple and easy to configure."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"The product is simple to manage."
"The solution really should offer better pricing. It would help them stay competitive."
"We need more management tools for the solution."
"The interface and dashboard could look better."
"Technical support for integrations with other network products is insufficient and should be improved."
"Cisco could also open the API up to work closely with other systems."
"The local support resources for Cisco in Bangledesh are very poor and should be increased."
"The price of the solution could be reduced."
"Cisco needs to include new features to attract new customers."
"I'd like to see a central management system included as part of their license, not as a separate purchase. Currently, we have to manage switches independently. A central portal for managing all switches and providing visibility would be great."
"We have issues with the stability."
"In a future release, the solution could improve by being more secure and allowing the configuration of each port."
"This solution is not good for distribution at the core."
"It could be easier to scale on managed devices."
"The solution needs better local support."
"There is room for improvement in terms of stability."
"They need to have some more high-end switches."
Cisco Ethernet Switches is ranked 1st in Ethernet Switches with 128 reviews while D-Link Ethernet Switches is ranked 11th in Ethernet Switches with 24 reviews. Cisco Ethernet Switches is rated 8.6, while D-Link Ethernet Switches is rated 7.8. The top reviewer of Cisco Ethernet Switches writes "It's a solidly stable product from a leader in the field". On the other hand, the top reviewer of D-Link Ethernet Switches writes "Plug-and-play, zero maintenance, and reasonably priced". Cisco Ethernet Switches is most compared with Aruba Switches, Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches, NETGEAR Switches and Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches, whereas D-Link Ethernet Switches is most compared with NETGEAR Switches, Aruba Switches, MikroTik Routers and Switches, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches and Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches. See our Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. D-Link Ethernet Switches report.
See our list of best Ethernet Switches vendors.
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I wholeheartedly agreee with everything Luis Apodaca has said. My additional comments are as follows:
What is the size of your network, and are you using any features of the Cisco switches?
How many switches are you trying to use and what is the total price difference between the two brands?
Most of the time, people are using cheap switches as plug-n-play equipment without any configuration and without any management. If that is also your case, you may use the cheapest alternative. After all, switch is a switch. And every brand will work with same performance values. Any switch will have most of the configurable/managerial features expected by a small to mid size network project.
However, Cisco support and Cisco durability is outstanding. Cisco didn't earn its reputation without these. Ofcourse, it comes with a slight price tag.
Hard to make a recommendation with zero details about your use case. But assuming your use case originally justified Cisco Catalyst switches (implying enterprise to medium-size business) I don’t recommend changing. The Cisco solution provides a greater feature set that can be very useful in larger environments. However, if the use case is a smaller/simple network there are more cost-effective options.
D-Link would not be at the top of my list though (Aruba, Netgear, Ubiquiti to name a few). I haven’t used a D-Link device in a long time though so I really can’t speak about their current product line which is why I wasn’t going to answer you until Evgeny Belenky called me out.
Hello Mesfin,
Luis has given good directions already.
Without much details, I could say that generally, I wouldn't recommend replacing a Cisco Switch with D-Link.
Thanks.