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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs D-Link Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.5
Cisco Ethernet Switches customer service is mostly positive, with responsive support and praised advanced tier, despite initial tier complaints.
Sentiment score
5.5
D-Link Ethernet Switches are reliable, yet regional support varies, with users often relying on online resources and importers.
It takes two to three days for Cisco support to address issues.
Currently, we don't have any technical support because our license doesn't allow for direct support.
Whenever there is an issue, the local technical team supports us, whether through physical presence or remotely.
 

Room For Improvement

Sentiment score
4.6
Cisco Ethernet Switches face challenges with high costs, lacking SDN support, integration difficulties, and unintuitive user interfaces.
Sentiment score
4.4
D-Link Ethernet Switches require upgrades for stability, security, manageability, port options, and improved pricing compared to competitors like Cisco.
The pricing and hardware warranty renewal costs are more expensive than other products.
FortiGate switches are considered more valuable because they have firewall capabilities.
Improvements in the voltage facility, like increasing from 360 watts to 400 or 450 watts, would make them more competitive with other vendors.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.3
Cisco Ethernet Switches are highly scalable and versatile, suitable for various organization sizes, despite complexity and cost considerations.
Sentiment score
7.2
D-Link Ethernet Switches offer flexibility and scalability for various businesses, accommodating hundreds with competitive pricing and reliable performance.
The latest products do not allow integration with the earlier environment.
The scalability depends on the model.
The pricing is competitive in the market, making D-Link Ethernet switches a good option for both middle-end and high-end brands.
 

Setup Cost

Sentiment score
5.4
Cisco Ethernet Switches are expensive but reliable, offering advanced features compared to cheaper alternatives like HPE and Aruba.
Sentiment score
8.3
D-Link Ethernet Switches offer cost-effective, one-time purchase solutions without recurring fees, appealing to budget-conscious enterprise buyers.
Cisco Ethernet switches are priced at a rating of nine, indicating they are expensive.
The solution is described as midrange in terms of pricing.
High-end switches should be slightly cheaper.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.9
Cisco Ethernet Switches are highly reliable, praised for stability and long-term performance with minimal disruptions despite occasional minor glitches.
Sentiment score
8.4
D-Link Ethernet Switches receive mixed stability feedback, with praise for reliability but issues like hanging, heat, and mounting options.
There are no stability issues with D-Link Ethernet switches.
 

Valuable Features

Sentiment score
8.2
Cisco Ethernet Switches deliver high performance, security, efficiency, and manageability, offering power saving features and advanced routing capabilities.
Sentiment score
8.4
D-Link Ethernet Switches offer cost-effective, energy-efficient, reliable solutions with flexible ports, comprehensive management, and strong security features.
The most valuable features of Cisco Ethernet switches include plug-and-play capabilities.
The Cisco Ethernet switches are sturdy products that do not require any kind of maintenance.
It's especially valuable because Cisco and other products function similarly, but for smaller networks where high transfer rates aren't necessary.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
134
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
D-Link Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
11th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 19.1%, down from 20.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of D-Link Ethernet Switches is 7.0%, up from 5.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Q&A Highlights

MW
May 02, 2021
 

Featured Reviews

Ronald Van Rees - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers a power stacking feature and enhances port speed with impressive stability
The vendor is presently working with large digital network architectures and additional software, as it is now willing to become a software-focused company instead of a hardware one. Cisco Ethernet Switches presently provide two options, either the user can utilize the basic features or the advanced software. Previously, advanced features were included in the basic package, but now they are provided as add-ons that need to be purchased separately for an extensive period of three or five years. As part of the advanced features in the solution, there is Digital Network Architecture (DNA) that provides insights, multiple dashboards and monitoring capabilities over Nexus and Catalyst switches from Cisco. Sometimes, customers need to buy features for Cisco Ethernet Switches that they do not require or use. The basic switches like the C1000 from the vendor don't have the DNA feature, but advanced version switches like Cisco Ethernet Switches have made the add-on purchases mandatory to avail certain features, which makes it difficult for several users.
MichaelNdwiga - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced network efficiency through features and demonstrate minimal downtime
One of the issues is the range of their products. They need to increase it. For example, if I want a 12-port switch that is fully managed, it's not easy to find. So, I have to opt for a 24-port switch that is fully managed, which might not be necessary as I only need 12 ports. So if they could increase the range of the switches in regards to the features, and the number of ports, that would be beneficial. So, that's the only potential improvement. The switches are perfect otherwise. Ideally, 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.
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Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Answers from the Community

MW
May 2, 2021
May 2, 2021
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 other hand, which model of the Dlink brand do you want to use?1) is equivalent in functions?2) are all the functions of the Cisco equipment used?3) Do you already have the IT expert to install and con...
2 out of 5 answers
EB
Apr 28, 2021
Hi @Manish Nalawade , @Phillip Peerman ​and @Devanand PR. Could you assist @Mesfin Workneh?
Luis Apodaca - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 28, 2021
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 other hand, which model of the Dlink brand do you want to use?1) is equivalent in functions?2) are all the functions of the Cisco equipment used?3) Do you already have the IT expert to install and configure it?4) Will the new equipment suggested in Dlink use all the functions you need?Most of the time, the consideration of changing the equipment is because its useful life has come to an end, the technology is no longer the best available, or it broke down due to some overload, in these cases the first criterion to decide is always the cost economic, but the ideal is to see the big picture and look at the overall cost-benefitIt does not matter that the Dlink equipment is more economical, in these times many brands have economic equipment and that rival in capabilities with the leading brands you can have confidence in itAs a result of this, the same Cisco brand already has a line (Catalyst 1000) that presents the same cost benefit as the equipment of the others with lower price rangesfinally my personal recommendation is any brand of the followinga) Ubiquiti Edge or ubiquiti Unifib) Cisco Catalyst 1000c) TPLink Omadad) Aruba instant onGood luck.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Healthcare Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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 ...
Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...
What do you like most about D-Link Ethernet Switches?
D-Link has a good VPN feature and quality of service.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for D-Link Ethernet Switches?
Pricing is competitive. High-end switches should be slightly cheaper. Overall, D-Link offers a good option.
What needs improvement with D-Link Ethernet Switches?
For high-end switches, the price could be 5% to 10% cheaper. Improvements in the voltage facility, like increasing from 360 watts to 400 or 450 watts, would make them more competitive with other ve...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
No data available
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
George Mason University, Somerville House, Hiperwall, New Brunswick School District 16, The Fulcrum Group, Bremond Independent School District, University of Texas Health Science Center, Grand Canyon Skywalk, SUN Area Career & Technology Center, Abington Senior High School
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. D-Link Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
817,354 professionals have used our research since 2012.