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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches 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 Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
133
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
HPE Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
9th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
102
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 16.8%, down from 18.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Ethernet Switches is 2.4%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Q&A Highlights

AS
Jul 26, 2014
 

Featured Reviews

Pradeep Adhav - PeerSpot reviewer
Network security enhancement with sturdy switches despite high costs
The Cisco Ethernet switches are primarily used as regular core switches for networking, distribution, and access levels. We also utilize Cisco Wi-Fi, VPN, and Wi-Fi controllers The Cisco Ethernet switches have improved our network's security, ensuring it is 100% secure by not allowing any…
LuisSilva6 - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides ease of management and has an easy initial setup process
Primarily, we use the product for network and VLAN segmentation across our hospitality property. It forms the backbone of our network, providing connectivity to devices like TVs, phones, access points, and even electrical switches within guest rooms The product's most valuable feature is the ease…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The quality of service is one of the main reasons we use Cisco in our organization. It's quite high and very reliable. The switches also end up working for a long time, so there's less need to replace them as often as others. We have some switches in our company that has been running since 2006, for example. They are quite old, but they still work."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches have great enterprise features like Cisco DNA Assurance. Cisco DNA Assurance features advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning. Cisco AI Network Analytics, a capability within Cisco DNA Assurance, allows easy management of all devices and services, prioritizes and resolves network issues, and ensures a better user experience across the network."
"It is a scalable solution."
"The solution is basically issue-free."
"The tool is easy to use, offering numerous options in terms of server connection."
"As I am Cisco certified, I like the way that I can program them."
"We only deal with Cisco products, they are very good."
"I have found the solution to have good scalability. Cisco is the pioneers on switching technology, they are very good."
"I would rate the stability a solid ten out of ten."
"I value that there is a clear place to find a MAC table with HPE Ethernet Switches."
"The solution is easy to set up and easy to use, unlike, for example, Cisco, which is more complex."
"They are affordable and very stable. They also have good performance."
"We have scaled it without any issues."
"Stable and scalable."
"What I like the most is the management system integrated with the HP system."
"The graphical userface is very good and quite easy to run with."
 

Cons

"It could be cheaper, especially the DNA license. One DNA license is around $3,000 for a three-year contract."
"Cisco's pricing can be a concern, particularly with support fees."
"The price of the solution could be reduced."
"The enterprise-level switches should have a simpler deployment. They should make it possible for lower-skilled workers to be able to deploy the product."
"There could be an improvement in the licensing by reducing the price of the different types, such as essential, advantage, and premium."
"The high price of the tool is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"Cisco could definitely work on delivering improved pricing to its customers."
"You have to be Cisco-certified to work on Cisco products, so we can't get into Cisco to do even basic configurations."
"It would be helpful to have training available for this solution."
"In the next release, I would like to see them include more features like the Aruba solution, to have more possibilities concerning the software design."
"The solution is very comparable to Huawei, however, it could be more scalable. Huawei is easier to scale."
"This solution needs to support software-defined networking."
"The solution could improve by having more integration options."
"There is a limitation of capability."
"Integrating AI features could make it better."
"The solution would be easier to set up if its GUI could improve or if it had a wizard."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of this solution is high."
"The solution can be comparatively cheaper."
"The price is on the higher side."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are expensive, and you have to pay for a warranty and technical support."
"Cisco offers annual and three-year license options."
"The solution has different prices depending on the features that you want to have."
"The price of Cisco Ethernet Switches here in India is too high. There are other cheaper solutions available."
"In addition to the fees being high, you pay for support which is also on the higher side."
"I believe HPE is less expensive than Aruba's and UniFi and that is why certain clients have chosen them as their solution."
"We have to see only the security part when considering licenses because the licenses upgrade."
"We have to pay for a yearly license for HPE Ethernet Switches."
"The tool's pricing is very cheap."
"I like HPE switches because you get a perpetual license with the hardware. The initial cost is about the same as other switches, but it starts beating the competitors after three or four years because you don't have to pay for additional annual licensing costs."
"The pricing is very good."
"The license cost is yearly."
"The price of the solution is expensive."
report
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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

AS
Jul 26, 2014
Jul 26, 2014
We have used Zyxel and Netgear, Frankly the stability of Cisco, the scalability and ease of integration with other Vendors e.g VMware along with the training available make them far superior.
2 out of 9 answers
it_user110388 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jul 15, 2014
Hi When you buy something for Yourself using your Own money then you buy the product your utility plus approx 20% extra features and some extra money for brand. Now change the scenario when you are a I T manager in an organization then you buy as per your understanding Best whether exploring those best feature will take 10,years before the technology reaches to your device and moreover you are not paying from your pocket per se then what is the harm if some one says and appreciate that hey buddy you belong to High brand category. ROI & TCO is not their concern.
it_user98859 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jul 15, 2014
I have tried a few other vendors on the Ethernet switch market, especially HP, Huawei and SMC switches. Haven’t used Alcatel personally, but have had interesting feedback for them from colleagues. Regarding Cisco however, I believe there are three main reasons for it: 1) Integration on the “cisco environment”, with a structured offer from basic switches, up to multi-layer equipment, allowing a consistent platform all through the enterprise. 2) Management interface – ranging from graphic management (through local web interface, CiscoWorks modules, etc.), to CLI, with the Cisco IOS, provides great flexibility for remote management, configuration backup, and monitoring. 3) Expertise of in-house personnel – Both the training provided by Cisco itself, and the fact that Cisco has a strong base for the remaining network infrastructure (routers, and other network devices). There is also the issue that, sometimes, some mixed vendor environment can bring issues with 802.1q trunking (I’ve seen issues with HP Switches while having problems with a VLAN 1 on the HP mixing with a native VLAN on Cisco for instance…), and other proprietary protocols (CDP for instance) that can have implications with the way management or configuration is done… Also, in some cases, the use of other technologies that cisco has brought along over the years – Network access control, that interfaces with Cisco switches for instance, and the buildup of different interactions with other technologies, ends up creating a technical barrier on top of the barrier for change on things like: “our other 30 switches are Cisco, and now I’ll place another vendor one?”. And on that question, price is not likely to be the most important factor, but TCO, existing expertise, and applications running on the network (that need QoS for instance), and integration with existing monitoring, configuration management, and infrastructure, may be the most important factor on the decision…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
16%
Educational Organization
8%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

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 HPE Ethernet Switches?
The solution is very stable and easy to use.
What needs improvement with HPE Ethernet Switches?
Based on my experience, I am quite happy with the switches at the moment and do not see any immediate room for improvement.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
HP Ethernet Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
Emirates Palace Hotel
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. HPE Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
832,671 professionals have used our research since 2012.