We use Netgear switches in a flat network. All the computers are plugged into the same switch. We also have some Power over Ethernet switches from Netgear.
Infrastructure Manager/Deployment Manager at Hivedome Consultancy Services
They're highly reliable in a simple environment
Pros and Cons
- "Netgear switches are highly reliable. We haven't done anything particularly sophisticated with them."
- "Netgear switches could be cheaper."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Netgear switches are highly reliable. We haven't done anything particularly sophisticated with them.
What needs improvement?
Netgear switches could be cheaper.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Netgear switches for about five years.
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NETGEAR Switches
November 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Netgear switches 10 out of 10 for reliability.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used different vendors in the past, including 3com and HP.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up a Netgear switch was incredibly straightforward in our case because we aren't doing anything complicated. We rack everything and plug it in. It can be done in minutes.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Netgear switches nine out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Sr Tech Lead at Cygnus
Inexpensive with helpful documentation and an easy setup
Pros and Cons
- "There is a lot of helpful documentation that helps with the configuration process."
- "The solution needs centralized management and centralized configuration."
What is most valuable?
It's the cheapest when compared to other switches. That is good for a small business customer.
The initial setup is simple.
The solution offers good stability.
There is a lot of helpful documentation that helps with the configuration process.
What needs improvement?
The solution needs centralized management and centralized configuration. If it is possible to add this to their switches, that would be most valuable for the customer. If the customer has multiple new system architectures, it would be ideal as they wouldn't need to go to each switch for relay and configuration. It would make management easier.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used the solution for the last three or four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable and the performance is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We haven't done any scalability with these switches. I've never really tried to scale. I don't have much experience with it.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is okay, although I haven't really dealt with them too much.
We have referred to the documentation and once the switch is configured we will not require any technical support.
If there're any hardware-related issues, we can create a ticket for the return process. We can get a switch back and we can restore the configuration. Therefore, I have not had much experience with technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm also familiar with Cisco and Juniper. People mostly prefer Cisco and Juniper if they have a big organization. However, a smaller business user likes the product very much. The pricing is great for them.
How was the initial setup?
It's an easy setup. There is no complexity. We are using many small devices. We haven't had any issue regarding it yet.
What about the implementation team?
We are integrators and can install the solution for individuals and companies.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is reasonable for small business owners. it's not overly expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a reseller. We are a solution integrator. We give products to the customers as per their budget and their ability to use the product.
I would rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Buyer's Guide
NETGEAR Switches
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about NETGEAR Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Marketing Officer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Reasonably priced, with good technical support, and customization
Pros and Cons
- "We have a wide range of switches for various applications, including a collection specifically designed for ProAV, as well as Multi-gig Switches, which are also quite well-known or unique."
- "Perhaps in the future, we will have even more different types of switches and be able to fulfill more collections."
What is our primary use case?
We sell NETGEAR Switches. We are exclusive distributors.
NETGEAR switches are used in office networks, Wi-Fi networks, and internal networks.
What is most valuable?
We have a wide range of switches for various applications, including a collection specifically designed for ProAV, as well as Multi-gig Switches, which are also quite well-known or unique.
I believe the pricing, support, and customization are all reasonable.
It is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
Perhaps in the future, we will have even more different types of switches and be able to fulfill more collections.
Most of our clients request VLAN functions and possibly other advanced controlling functions. I mean now netgear has it's fabulous Insight Management function, and I am happy to see it keep updating the cloud service features to even better and even more user friendly control.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with NETGEAR switches since I started working for this company a few years ago.
We sell all of the available switches.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Most of the time NETGEAR Switches are high performance and quite stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
NETGEAR Switches are scalable because we have different collections to fulfill different scenarios.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is reasonable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also have PLANET Switch.
How was the initial setup?
It is my understanding that the initial setup is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I believe that the pricing is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate NETGEAR Switches a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Head of Purchasing and Logistics Department at Teknet Group
Has efficient cybersecurity features and good technical support documentation
Pros and Cons
- "NETGEAR Switches has valuable cybersecurity features."
- "NETGEAR Switches could provide local technical support services."
What is most valuable?
NETGEAR Switches has valuable cybersecurity features.
What needs improvement?
NETGEAR Switches could provide local technical support services.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using NETGEAR Switches for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support documentation is good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also use Aruba, and we have subscribed to the Aruba program.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product has the best price in the market.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate NETGEAR Switches a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Technical Staff at Vijaya Enterprises
A scalable solution with good GUI and CLI
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is simple to use. I am also impressed with the tool's GUI and CLI."
- "The tool needs to improve its network management. The tool can be also more simplified."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for enterprise LAN connectivity.
What is most valuable?
The solution is simple to use. I am also impressed with the tool's GUI and CLI.
What needs improvement?
The tool needs to improve its network management. The tool can be also more simplified.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for more than 10-15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the solution's stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the tool's scalability a nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I have not used support much since we get the information from websites. I know the representatives of NETGEAR, so I get the information faster.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The solution's setup is simple.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I would rate the tool's pricing a nine out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
System Administrator at Brigham Young University
The price has been reliable, but the tool needs a fully featured CLI in their enterprise-class switches
What is our primary use case?
- We have used their SOHO switches and some of their enterprise-class switches in our educational environment.
- Mainly just to get more ports in an office or other room.
How has it helped my organization?
They are reasonably priced and have worked pretty well for us.
What is most valuable?
- The price, and for the most part it has been reliable.
- Their enterprise-class switches have a way to go with their CLI as compared to for instance Cisco, etc. This is I think due to a lack of maturity in this market.
What needs improvement?
They need to implement a fully-featured CLI in their enterprise-class switches if they want to compete in that space and market.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Principal Consultant at a tech consulting company with 1-10 employees
We're able to pre-configure a device in the cloud, before it gets deployed
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the fact that Insight is cloud-managed. The whole reason behind it is that there is one central place to manage it. You can pre-configure everything and you can get access to it without having to get onto the client's network. That makes it easy to use and deploy."
- "There is a technical problem they can't seem to solve. It doesn't support multicast packets. In layman's terms, Mac computers can't print over the network."
What is our primary use case?
We're an IT services provider so we have them installed at various clients' sites, and for various applications. The primary use case is for local area networks.
How has it helped my organization?
We're able to pre-configure a device, before it gets deployed, in the cloud. We don't even have to open up the box, we can just preconfigure it in the cloud. As soon as we deploy it onsite, it automatically gets configured.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the fact that Insight is cloud-managed. The whole reason behind it is that there is one central place to manage it. You can pre-configure everything and you can get access to it without having to get onto the client's network. That makes it easy to use and deploy.
Remote troubleshooting is good and easy.
What needs improvement?
The remote management tools still need work. They're good, but they still need work.
One of the big drawbacks is that the whole tiered administration doesn't work. They've got a tiered user structure where there is a global admin, and then what they call a manager, and then there is a user. The problem is, if anywhere along the line somebody opens up a support ticket, all the correspondence winds up going to the global admin, it doesn't go to the person who opened up the support ticket. They can't seem to get that changed, even when you tell them specifically that the global admin is not the person dealing with this problem. That's very frustrating.
Another issue, a technical problem they can't seem to solve, is that it doesn't support multicast packets. In layman's terms, Mac computers can't print over the network.
Also, they've got some PoE models, but they need to expand that line a little bit.
Finally, it would be nice to have the ability to have SNMP enabled at the same time Net Insight. I would also like to see integration with Auvik.
For how long have I used the solution?
Less than one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It still needs some work. It's got a couple of quirks where it will shut off ports because it thinks there's an IP conflict when there really isn't.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is good. It could probably go to 100 connections. That would probably be the equivalent of 30 to 40 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
We are a Netgear partner, so we get preferential support. Because we get preferential support, it's pretty good. We've had a few hiccups, but overall, they're good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using Cisco and HPE. A big factor in our switch to NETGEAR vs Cisco Ethernet Switches is cost. Simplicity is another. Support is another because the support for HPE and Cisco is absolutely horrid.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is straightforward. It's all done in the cloud and you can manage everything from there. It's a whole lot easier than the traditional way of doing it. Deployment takes an hour, if that.
The best strategy is to preconfigure it in the cloud before it gets physically deployed.
As to whether you need to be an IT expert to deploy it and support your network, it depends on the complexity of the network. For simple applications, no. For complex applications, like multiple VLANs, and QoS, and PoE power management, etc, you've got to know what you're doing to set all that up properly.
What was our ROI?
We see ROI in labor savings. Deployment time is probably cut in half. We're billing for a regular deployment, but it only takes half the amount of time. That's $200 profit for us.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There are two parts to the pricing. There's the pricing of the device itself, which is good. Their licensing model needs work, though. The licensing model doesn't fit the way MSPs do business. They need to revise it to something that makes more sense for an MSP. And here, I'm specifically talking about Insight Pro licensing.
The cost of hardware and additional service is low. That helps our business because it's easier to make a sale.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We were aware of lots of other options, but we didn't do any formal evaluation of any others.
What other advice do I have?
If you are an MSP, you should definitely look into it and plan to use it. I would recommend it.
Overall, we're very happy with the product. It's become our standard going forward. But there are some exceptions. One being the tiered administration. The other one is lack of support for support multicast packets.
Regarding staff for deployment and maintenance, it depends on if you're looking at our entire fleet of these Ethernet switches, which is scattered across multiple clients; then it's probably a tenth of a person. If it's one switch, it's less than a tenth of a person. Switches are low maintenance as a device, it doesn't matter whose they are.
We've got half a dozen deployed at various clients right now. And there will be more because we've got projects in the queue.
Overall, I would rate it an eight out of ten. The issues I mentioned that still need to be resolved come to mind, as well as the licensing structure that doesn't really make sense for us.
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
Chef d'entreprise at Winform
Reasonably priced, with good stability and generally problem-free
What is our primary use case?
We are primarily using the solution on the client side. We use it in our office.
What is most valuable?
I haven't had any issues so far. It's worked quite well.
The cost of the solution is very good. We enjoy the price point they offer.
We've found the stability to be very good. The performance is excellent.
What needs improvement?
The cloud service is not so good. They can't make some application on a cloud for the switch. It's not a good idea.
The management needs to be improved. If you manage the switch by the cloud, you can't manage it by the web interface.
The initial setup takes a long time. It's a long, drawn-out process.
The problem is not on the cloud services end. It's on setup. You have to make an account and you lose a lot of time. If you don't want to manage by the cloud, I don't understand why you have to register your switch there.
They have to make the feature to manage all switches within a team.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with the solution for 20 years or so. It's been two decades. It's been a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's not very good in terms of scalability. You have to make a switch for the data center. It's limited.
How are customer service and technical support?
I've never been in touch with technical support. I can't speak to how knowledgeable or responsive they are. We have an internal team that can handle troubleshooting for the most part.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also use D-Link.
How was the initial setup?
The installation process is long. It takes one hour to make an account, to go to the switch web interface, et cetera. If you don't make an account, if you don't notice your switch, it's not fully manageable. You have to do a lot of things before your switch will be manageable. And you have to do this for all your switches. You lose one hour for every switch. This is not good. It's so very time-consuming.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution has a very reasonable cost.
What other advice do I have?
I sell the solution and manage it as well. However, I am not a customer.
If a client needs to switch from one solution to another, Netgear may not be right, as there may be some compatibility issues.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
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Updated: November 2024
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Greg, Thank you so much for reviewing NETGEAR Business switches. We've been making Switches for over 22 years, NETGEAR definitely has switching solutions that can use a full-featured CLI Command Line Interfaces in our enterprise "Managed Switching" line. We of course also have switches that are unmanaged, smart managed and even remotely cloud managed. Feel free to reach out to me here on IT Central Station or contact our support team and we can provide more info on using NETGEAR Switches in enterprise environments. I look forward to hearing from you. -Bret from NETGEAR