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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs NVIDIA Mellanox 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
134
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NVIDIA Mellanox
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
20th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 15.6%, down from 18.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NVIDIA Mellanox is 2.0%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

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…
Anil Ergunsah - PeerSpot reviewer
Networking capabilities deliver competitive performance for AI data center
I use NVIDIA Mellanox mostly for data center infrastructures. It is used for AI data center infrastructure and primarily focuses on the networking part The biggest advantage is that the vendor is the only one providing no-drop traffic. The performance and price are competitive, and performance is…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cisco switches have several valuable features like VLAN mapping. We seldom use that, but we find the security configurations helpful, like high availability with trading port channels and MAC filtering."
"The queue functionality is the solution's most valuable feature, specifically because we are delivering a lot of Layer 2 services. Layer 2 protocol tunnels work well on Cisco switches."
"The stability is 100%."
"The most valuable features are network monitoring and management."
"The initial setup is really easy."
"The IP routing is the most important feature."
"It is easy to configure and troubleshoot."
"The product is pretty much reliable and stable."
"It is a very easy-to-use product."
"The most valuable features of this solution are its functionality."
"The biggest advantage is that the vendor is the only one providing no-drop traffic."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the size, power consumption, and the vast amount of features."
"The tool is very configurable because it runs on a Linux operating system."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the powerful hardware and the software is open. They're using Linux operating system. You can do and install many things, and it performs well."
"From what I've been told, a valuable feature of Mellanox switches is they're quite user-friendly."
 

Cons

"Cisco has a lot of propriety protocols compared to other products, such as Arista Networks."
"In terms of features, they tick all the boxes as of now. That could be because we tailor the solution around the product. I have not seen anything that pulls me back or is not working well for me. However, there could be better integration with the network monitoring systems. It doesn't mean it is currently not there, but there could be better discoverability with some of the network monitoring systems to be able to have more visibility. When you're setting up a control room, you can have more visibility into what is going on in the network. It has been doing that, but it can do that more."
"Up to a certain network size, it is easy to scale, but after that, it becomes difficult."
"The pricing should be reduced so that they are more competitive."
"One area for improvement could be integrating a single dashboard for both wired and wireless networks."
"In terms of features, all features are there. I can't find anything new that needs to be added. Its price, however, is a bit higher than other brands and can be improved."
"It could be cheaper, especially the DNA license. One DNA license is around $3,000 for a three-year contract."
"In the case of an already existing network, we encounter technical issues related to following protocols."
"Sometimes, it can have some bugs from the past if I am an old user. However, it is stable now."
"The configuration is a bit different from Cisco, and therefore, for me at least, there's a bit of a learning curve."
"Mellanox Switches could improve by adding some features that can make it easier for integrating the switches in some managing and monitoring platforms, such as Elastic or similar software for monitoring data with the data center in a more holistic way."
"If you compare this solution with Cisco, utilization in Cisco is more popular and it is more friendly."
"Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed. They started with Ennui, and now they only use Linux. If they returned to their previous CLI it would be a good option for starters. The new CLI is more difficult to use but more powerful than the older one. It has its advantages."
"The scalability is working fine at the moment, but there's always room for improvement. As of right now, I don't know of any improvements to suggest."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The equipment might be more expensive, but when you take total ownership of the configuration, maintenance, and analysis, then it's a large benefit. Sometimes customers see only the first cost of the switches and don't look any further. This is a weak point of Cisco."
"The price of this solution is fair."
"The solution has different prices depending on the features that you want to have."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are expensive, and you have to pay for a warranty and technical support."
"Price-wise, Cisco Ethernet Switches is a product that falls a little bit on the expensive side."
"Cisco offers annual and three-year license options."
"Quality comes at a price. I've been around the block a bit, and I know that good quality comes at a price. However, some of the organizations don't have big budgets, so you have to develop different solutions for them. They don't have the budget to get some of the high-end features. Cisco can consider providing entry-level hardware to suit SMBs."
"When you compare with other products, they are more or less the same price."
"There is a license to use the switch ports of Mellanox Switches."
"It's an open-source solution."
"The pricing is very competitive. The licensing costs are fine."
"The price of Mellanox Switches is reasonable compared to other solutions. The price and quality ratio was very good. There is a one-time license purchase that is needed."
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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…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mellanox Switches?
The pricing is competitive. For its performance, it's cheaper, so I would rate it a four if cheaper is lower.
What needs improvement with Mellanox Switches?
Sometimes, it can have some bugs from the past if I am an old user. However, it is stable now. I think it's okay; it's the best solution for now for AI data centers. Support could be better, but cu...
What is your primary use case for Mellanox Switches?
I use NVIDIA Mellanox ( /products/nvidia-mellanox-reviews ) mostly for data center infrastructures. It is used for AI data center infrastructure and primarily focuses on the networking part.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
Mellanox Switches, Mellanox SN2700
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
CNPC, Korea Consumer Agency, Nutanix, Roxo Systems, StorPool, Atlantic.Net, INFN, StarWind, NYSE Technologies, Creative Consultants, ENKI
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. NVIDIA Mellanox and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
847,862 professionals have used our research since 2012.