HPE Ethernet Switches Reviews

Price is an area for improvement. Cisco is very competitive on price, considering future business. HPE Ethernet Switches and Aruba need to think about their pricing. Aruba's price was 25 percent higher than Cisco's in a recent Central Bank project in Sri Lanka.

I have been using the product for 15-20 years. 

The solution is stable. 

Scalability is good. If the client requests it, we can do cascading and use separate physical networks for guest, admin, and security.

The initial setup of HPE Ethernet Switches is straightforward, not complex. But as a service integrator, we can't see if we've logged a project in the partnership portal. We have to rely on the distributor's work.

Most of my past deployments were SaaS and cloud. The new one will be cloud-based. Implementing a big hotel project with 250 rooms can take around one year or one and a half years.

HPE Ethernet Switches offer a good return on investment. They offer a lifetime warranty, which is good. Cisco SMB level only declares a one-year warranty, and for the enterprise level, you need to get a service pack, which costs extra.

I use HPE Ethernet Switches for my clients. They choose them mainly because of brand standards and international designers' proposals. In Sri Lanka and the Asia-India region, HPE and Cisco are major service providers. Function-wise, Cisco and HPE are almost equal, but price is a factor, especially for hospitality clients.

My clients for HPE Ethernet Switches are usually enterprise businesses. 

As a designer and consultant, I can't rely on just one product. HPE, Cisco, and Aruba all have proprietary features. I choose based on customer expectations and requirements. All are good, not bad.

I'd rate HPE Ethernet Switches more than five out of ten.

So far, I've not faced any problem with the switches. Secondly, I can see HPE is providing frequent upgrades to address some security issues.

I can get some data about the traffic going through the switches and the performance of the switch through the application.

I like that we can monitor the switches 24/7, and we also get a couple of reports about the user or connected devices for prioritization and overall QoS prioritization. That's been useful to us.

At the moment, they really put more features in Aruba Central, so the subscription cost is a bit high, and we may need to bring it down.

We integrated with AI. In terms of troubleshooting, it automatically captures issues and tells us if there's a problem with Wireshark. It also gives us some suggestions on where the possible problem and error is occurring. That's all.

The cost is a bit high.

It is a bit complex to configure, so there could also be some points for improvement in the configuration part.

I have been working with this solution for past three years.

I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.

I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten. We faced challenges with configuration.

My company is an enterprise. There are around 300+ users.

The subscription to Aruba Central is a subscription-based application. So the cost to subscribe is high. They may need to bring it down so there will be a lot of users engaged with Aruba Central.

The complexity depends on the required configuration. If it's a very complex configuration, troubleshooting is required, and it's a bit difficult. With a simple configuration, it's easy.

Secondly, to assign the management IP and to make a trunk port with the native VLAN is difficult. That part is a bit complex compared to other switches.

For complex configurations, I required third-party certified help.

The cost is high.

Cisco would be a close competitor to HPE. Cisco Meraki. We chose HPE mainly because of the cost. The hardware cost and the lifetime warranty were the key factors.

Overall, I would rate it an eight out of te. I would recommend it to others.

Around 90 percent of our clients have no in-house IT staff. We resell solutions and manage the hardware and software for networks and desktops. We're a provider of managed services and security. We spec out the solution they need minus the necessary software for their business. 

HPE's switches get the job done. There are a million to choose from, but this is the one I prefer. You can't have a network without them, so it's hard to say that HPE switches do anything wonderful. So all you're looking at is price point and functionality.

I like that HPE's management functions are GUI-based, so it doesn't rely on command lines.

The GUI still doesn't cover everything. The basic stuff can be done in the GUI, but you still need to use the CLI to implement the advanced features. That's the biggest complaint. Some things still need to be configured in the command line interface. I would rather not use the CLI for anything.

I would also like to see a more centralized private management console for the series of devices. Most solutions are adopting centralized cloud-based management, but my client base believes cloud solutions are too insecure. You've got a few dozen switches, so it would be nice to have the ability to manage them on a "single pane of glass." 

Everybody's doing that in the cloud. They want to charge you for the cloud, and you have no idea who has access to your network. That creates another attack vector because the switches are always phoning home. They can be hijacked, but everybody thinks that's what they want because they can manage it from anywhere. They like the convenience. However, I've been in the business for a long time, so I know it's going to come back to haunt them. It's just a matter of time before it happens.

I have been using HP switches since they bought the technology from the Digital Equipment Corporation in the mid-1980s. 

HPE switches have been rock-solid for many years. They usually outlast the servers. Their useful life is about 10 to 15 years. If you're not making major changes to the network, you never need to touch them. You can go for years without ever rebooting them. A lot of times they're only rebooted when there's a major enough power failure that they finally go down.

The scalability and backbone don't come into play often. I would say HPE switches are as scalable as anything else out there.

HPE customer service is pretty good. I rate their support eight out of 10. At times, they can be too slow to respond if you have an unusual request.  Sometimes, you have a problem that nobody on their team has seen. 

Positive

Typically, our clients haven't used anything else. Many of them have been using HPE for over 10 years, and we usually deployed the first switches, which would've been HPE. For some clients, we've completely replaced everything three times now during that time because things have reached the end of life and need to be replaced.

Deploying HPE switches is straightforward unless you have to enable some advanced features, then you need to go into the command line interface, which makes it more complex than necessary.

Usually, it takes only a few minutes to deploy because most of my clients' networks are pretty flat. The only thing we need to do is configure a few VLANs on the switch. After deployment, maintenance is minimal. 

It's like the janitor. You can't have a business without it, so it's hard to say that you're not going to save money because you put one in. You have to have it, so it's hard to say that there is a return on investment. It's just one of those things you need to do business. It's like saying the ROI for the power bill. You either make money or you don't.

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.

We also pay for a support contract as well. It's optional, but you don't get software updates without the contract.

I rate HPE Ethernet switches a solid eight out of 10. This is the best product to get if you're not doing something special. If you're doing something odd, you should consider going with Cisco.

There are many cheaper options, but they don't have lifetime hardware support. That's one of the reasons I like HPEs better.

We use HPE Ethernet switches for our networking setup. Most of our infrastructure is configured with them. Recently, there have been discussions about changing them, but we've been using them extensively.

Switching to HPE Ethernet Switches greatly improved our network. We used to have both Cisco and HPE Ethernet Switches. Our network performance has increased by 300 percent. 

Sometimes, we encounter the need for new technologies, especially when we require higher bandwidth. If we can't find what we need with HPE Ethernet Switches, we explore options from other vendors like Cisco.

The tool is scalable. 

The solution's technical support is good. 

We're not currently using Cisco. We used a mix of HPE Ethernet Switches and Cisco in the past but ultimately opted for HPE.

The solution's deployment is easier than Cisco's. Cisco deployment can be challenging primarily due to its complex configuration process. Accessing certain features may not be straightforward, which adds to the difficulty. In contrast, HPE Ethernet Switches are easier to navigate and configure. The tool's deployment time depends on the switches. Smaller ones, like the 24-volt or basic ones, may take less time. However, our experienced team typically takes around an hour or less to install and configure them.

Its maintenance depends on the size of our infrastructure. For our setup, which is quite large, we usually have around three to four people to maintain it.

The reliability of HPE Ethernet Switches, in terms of uptime and performance, is good. We have no concerns in this regard. I rate the overall solution a nine out of ten. You need to choose the right switching system for your network. The tool offers a wide range of modules, so it is important to select the ones that best serve their specific needs. For instance, if they require high bandwidth, they should opt for those designed for that purpose. Similarly, they should choose the appropriate switching system for a standard network.

We primarily use the solution for switching. We use it for our networks. We use it for the wireless network.

The dashboard is very good. It's easy to use. 

The product is easy to manage.

It's stable and reliable.

The solution can scale.

We've found support to be helpful.

It is not too hard to set everything up. 

The price could be lower. It's expensive.

The availability needs to be improved. We cannot get them right now. 

I've used the solution for four years. 

The solution is stable. I'd rate it ten out of ten. It is very stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. 

The solution can scale. I'd rate it eight out of ten. It's easy to extend. 

We've talked with technical support. They are helpful and responsive. We're happy with the level of support we get. 

Positive

I have previously used Cisco solutions. I prefer the HPE dashboard. 

We are an integrator and help our clients implement the solution.

Typically we need three people, including two engineers, to set up the solution. 

We can handle the initial setup. 

The solution is quite expensive. 

I can't speak to the exact cost of the solution. In one year, we pay a lot for it. We just bought new switches for $500 last year, and now, the same switch is $800. It's gone up in price in the last 12 months. They are also hard in terms of getting switches. They are not available now. 

There are no additional costs over and above licensing. 

We are using the latest version of the solution. We use it daily. 

We do have some local, in-country restrictions we have to deal with.

I'd recommend the solution. However, we are finding they are not available at all. Therefore, we need to work with other options.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. 

We primarily use the solution for the switch mechanisms. 

We actually use these only as the situation calls for it. It depends on if the switches make sense for a company. They are good for IT companies and enterprises. 

The solution is stable and the performance is good.

You can scale the product as needed. 

It is a product that is very easy to set up and deploy.

The pricing is pretty good. 

It's not easy to find the devices. Companies often don't keep them in stock and only get them when there is a demand. 

It would be ideal if the product offered more security.

I've been dealing with HP for years now. It's been a while. 

The stability is good. The solution offers good performance and reliability. 

The solution is scalable and easy to expand. If a company needs to scale, it can do so.

We have maybe 1,000 people using the product in our company right now. 

I've dealt with technical support in the past and never have had issues with their level of service. I'm satisfied with them.

I'm also familiar with Cisco, which is a bit more expensive. 

It is easy to set up the product. It doesn't take long either. Deployment might take an hour. It's not a difficult process at all. A company wouldn't have any issues setting everything up.

The product itself is less expensive than, for example, Cisco. 

I'm just a customer and an end-user. I don't have a business relationship with HP. 

I'm not sure which version of the solution I'm using at this time. 

I'd recommend the solution to other people and other companies. 

I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.

The use case of this solution depends on our client's environment. Some use HPE Ethernet Switches right out of the box, while some of them use models where the interface can only be opened by Internet Explorer.

The primary use cases would be office interconnection and industrial interconnection. The switches are best suited for our small or medium-sized clients. 

For me, as an administrator, I value that there is a clear place to find a MAC table with HPE Ethernet Switches. 

HPE Ethernet Switches are quite robust. I have not seen them damaged to the level that they are not operable anymore.

The solution has a simple and understandable user interface providing everything I need.

In the past, I have encountered configuration problems with the Spanning Tree Protocol. The switches were only handling a single loop. There were quite a few looped switches that could not handle the board blocking, creating the need to manually fight each loop. I have not had the same problems with the newer models of HPE Ethernet Switches.

HPE Ethernet Switches tend to hang from time to time, but all switches do that.

The next release would benefit from adding central management that could be deployable on-premise and allow you to see the layout of topology.  

I have been working with HPE Ethernet Switches for about one year.

The solution is stable. HFE does not fail any more or less often than other switches.

HPE Ethernet Switches, especially the 1820s, are best suited to small or medium-sized organizations, however each case is model dependent. The switches we use, are used in large companies, but they are fractured into smaller layers of three subnets. 

The solution is scalable, you can add a switch when you need to, and you can reconfigure it.

I have not had the need to contact customer service and support. Any past issues, we were able to resolve by go through some of our forums.

Since our company provides services, we work with the switches that the clients have. Most of the switches we work with are HPE's, Cisco, and UniFi.

I found that when using Aruba or UniFi, you have to search for the MAC table from CLI. This is difficult because when someone calls using a MAC, I will not get the IP address and I need to guess where the user is.

UniFi requires less intervention in configuration, requiring some tune-up support. HPE needs to be configured manually.

The initial setup of HPE Ethernet Switches is straightforward. The time it takes to deploy depends on the overall network configuration, including the number of LAN, number of up links and down links for that switch.

If you only need to connect the switch to the up link and give out for a test for the end devices, it would take a maximum of thirty minutes after installing the switch to its correct place.

In a case where there is a lot of VLAN with some trunking, deployment could take a couple of hours.

I would rate the initial setup of HPE Ethernet Switches a five out of five. They require little to no maintenance and are reliable enough.

As a technician, I am not certain of pricing, but I believe HPE is less expensive than Aruba and UniFi and that is why certain clients have chosen them as their solution.

I would recommend to anyone looking into implementing HPE Ethernet Switches to go for it if the price makes sense for their organization.

Overall, I would rate HPE Ethernet Switches an eight out of 10.

The solution's interface is helpful, and you can see the traffic. HPE Ethernet Switches is a reliable solution.

The solution lacks certain protocols and has a limited warranty. You have to pay extra to get more warranty on it.

I have been using HPE Ethernet Switches for ten years.

HPE Ethernet Switches is a stable solution, but it depends on your requirements.

I rate the solution a nine out of ten for stability.

The solution is scalable to a certain extent. You won't be able to do advanced networking on it. Around 100 users are using the solution in our organization.

The solution's technical support team will arrange for things to be changed or replaced.

The solution’s initial setup is straightforward.

We implemented the solution through an in-house team. To deploy the solution, you need to log on to the interface and configure whatever you need to configure. The solution can be deployed within minutes. The solution has a plug-and-play deployment process.

HPE Ethernet Switches is a fairly cheap solution. The solution does the job well for its price. You have to pay a lot more money for higher features, but then you are probably better off looking at higher-end switches. HPE Ethernet Switches are designed for smaller size businesses.

The solution can be deployed on-premises and on the cloud. Integrating the solution with our existing network infrastructure was very easy.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.