Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] vs ExtremeSwitching comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
8.2
Number of Reviews
34
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
ExtremeSwitching
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (7th), Data Center Networking (6th), AV Over IP Switching (3rd)
 

Featured Reviews

LarsEvans - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable and useful for network segmentation
The solution's most valuable feature stands up well. The tool is reliable, and it stands up well. The solution works fine and lasts a long time. I think if you speak about the features that have a flow and you can measure, it is hard to say. I don't spend a lot of my time with the tool, but I know that Dell APEX is the solution's cloud. I would say the VLAN features are important. The VLAN features are really useful because network segmentation is important. I would say the tool is easy to program. I don't know if the tool has any security features that I am aware of other than the fact that the solution is for networking. The VLAN and the ability to segment your networks are easy, which is its security feature.
MURALI NIDAMANURI - PeerSpot reviewer
Outstanding performance with minimal maintenance and intuitive configuration
Our primary use case for ExtremeSwitching is for costing, access networking, routing, and meeting network requirements. We have sold it in defense, government, and IT industries ExtremeSwitching significantly adds value to customers because maintenance is minimal. Once the network is set up,…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Their support has been excellent, and it has been quite stable and easy to set up."
"Its throughout and compatibility are the most valuable."
"The most valuable feature is stability."
"The platform's most valuable features are network switch functionality and fiber switch capabilities."
"The solution's most valuable feature is its good integration with solutions from other vendors."
"The setup is straightforward. It takes minimum time for deployment."
"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that it is a stable and reliable product covered with good warranties and prices that ensure deep discounts for partners."
"The product is reliable."
"The product offers a single management platform for multiple models of switches. The tool also allows users to manage multiple sites from a single dashboard."
"The switches are fast."
"Some of the most valuable features of ExtremeSwitching are Fabric Attach and BGP, as well as the price point, which are superior in the market."
"It is meeting our expectations in terms of performance as well as cost-effectiveness."
"Our vendors are great and they offer very good support services."
"ExtremeSwitching is a good, stable platform."
"The return on investment is high."
"The solution can scale."
 

Cons

"The one issue you face in the industry there is always some planned obsolescence in these switches."
"Accessibility and management could be improved."
"A big issue with this product is that when our customer migrated the data center, one cluster blocked the whole network and because we had a new approach, some commands were not compatible with the new version."
"The pricing could always be a bit lower."
"The IOS software that is used on the switches could be improved."
"Scalability, especially with the power connect series is something that you have to take into account before starting the project because any changes to an ongoing project can be difficult."
"The product needs to improve in terms of reports and backups."
"An area for improvement would be that it's very hard to configure if you're not familiar with the UI or CLI of the product. The UI itself could also be improved."
"Their support could definitely be better."
"ExtremeSwitching hardware lacks flexibility compared to some other options."
"The interface could be improved."
"Extreme Networks does not have any entry-level products. This is a problem for them because Aruba has an Instant On series, which is new and cost-effective. Cisco also has the 1000 series, and other brands offer entry-level products."
"ExtremeSwitching's software stability could be improved, as it sometimes crashes."
"We noticed over the years that the price of the Extreme Switches has been rising and this will become a concern in the future."
"ExtremeSwitching switches are not prevalent in the industry, so it's harder to go online and research how to deploy their APs or switches. There is a broader user community for Cisco and Juniper because they've been around for a while and everybody has a bit of knowledge they can publish online."
"There are latency issues that need to be addressed."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cheaper than its competitors"
"The price of these switches is okay."
"If you want to purchase a new Dell PowerConnect Switch, you will pay up to $1,600, but I bought them used. I bought the four Dell PowerConnect Switches that I used for $1,000."
"I would rate the pricing as a seven or eight."
"If one is the cheapest price and ten is the most expensive, I rate the product price as an eight or nine. The tool is not cheap."
"In my opinion, it is a product that is priced somewhere in the middle, making it a well-priced solution in the middle. It is not a very cheap product."
"The product is cheaper than Cisco and licensing is yearly. We have to pay additional costs for support."
"The initial cost was high but since they have lasted for over ten or twenty years they are worth it."
"On pricing, ExtremeSwitches are going to beat most of the major competition."
"We paid 25,000 to 30,000 INR."
"It is not a subscription-based model, and there is no licensing concept. We have to pay for hardware AMC. We have hardware on our premises and for the hardware support, we have to go for the annual maintenance contract with the partner."
"There is no license required to use the solution. The hardware controller is expensive, and this is why I prefer controlling ExtremeSwitching on the cloud."
"ExtremeSwitching offers very good pricing plans for their licenses. Compared to their rivals, ExtremeSwitching's prices are very affordable and reasonable. This is why our customers are happy to pay for their service critical support. ExtremeSwitching also offers a great portal to track clients, further satisfying our customers. They are always happy to pay for the service every month. The pricing is very reasonable."
"The product is expensive."
"The pricing and licensing are good with the cloud."
"There is a cost for ExtremeSwitching and if you want the support and maintenance, there are additional costs. My clients typically pay for the support and maintenance annually."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which LAN Switching solutions are best for your needs.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
University
7%
Manufacturing Company
19%
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
7%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell PowerConnect Switches?
Dell PowerConnect Switches have a VTL feature similar to Cisco's VSS. With VTL, using this technology, you can cluster two switches together to increase redundancy in the environment.
What needs improvement with Dell PowerConnect Switches?
Some proprietary commands available in Cisco are preferred by users accustomed to Cisco systems. These users might hesitate to switch because they want to continue using familiar commands and see t...
What do you like most about ExtremeSwitching?
The product offers a single management platform for multiple models of switches. The tool also allows users to manage multiple sites from a single dashboard.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ExtremeSwitching?
ExtremeSwitching is priced in the mid-range, not too expensive nor too cheap.
What needs improvement with ExtremeSwitching?
ExtremeSwitching's software stability could be improved, as it sometimes crashes.
 

Also Known As

PowerConnect Switches
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Amerijet Holdings Inc., CGD Securities, MavenWire, Tulane University
Blue Waters
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in LAN Switching. Updated: July 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.