I've been using Cisco Catalyst for switching.
IToV Implementation Engineer at a renewables & environment company with 5,001-10,000 employees
A reliable and scalable solution, but the pricing and licensing process could be improved
Pros and Cons
- "I think it is a reliable and scalable solution."
- "The licensing process should be back to how it was before. Now, you have to register online, and it makes staging a bit trickier."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
I find the quality of the solution to be valuable. I also like that many organizations use Cisco.
I think it is a reliable and scalable solution.
What needs improvement?
The licensing process should be back to how it was before. Now, you have to register online, and it makes staging a bit trickier.
Pricing could be cheaper as well.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for more than ten years.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
August 2026
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have found it to be reliable and stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I think that Cisco Catalyst Switches is a scalable solution.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Dell and HP switches before.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was very easy and took only a few minutes.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented it myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I think pricing could be cheaper, depending on the range purchased.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale from one to ten, I would rate this solution at seven.
It is a reliable and scalable solution, but I think pricing could be cheaper.
I also think that the licensing process could be improved so that staging is not tricky.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT MANGER PAN-INDIA at Escon Elevator Private Limited
Flexible, easy to use, and offers good performance
Pros and Cons
- "The product is very robust."
- "The solution is very easy to use, extremely flexible, and very robust, with very good stability and reliable performance."
- "The price is something we would definitely like improved. It would be nice if it was more economical."
What is most valuable?
The solution is very easy to use. We've found that it isn't overly technical and is, in fact, quite user-friendly.
The product is extremely flexible.
The stability of the solution has been very good. We've found the performance to be very reliable.
The initial setup is mostly pretty straightforward. It's not overly complex.
The product is very robust.
What needs improvement?
The configuration setup is a little more complex if you go into detail.
The price is something we would definitely like improved. It would be nice if it was more economical.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about four years or so. It's been a while. I've had some time with the technology and am pretty comfortable with it.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. We like the performance. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have about 50 people using the solution currently.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously Juniper switches. I am not using them anymore. I was using them about three years ago.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is okay. It's not overly difficult. The configuration can be a bit tricky, however, depending on the complexity involved.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing could be improved. It's a bit high right now.
What other advice do I have?
A lot of my colleagues are using Cisco switches. I often touch base with them to share know-how on the technology.
I'm not using the latest version of the solution. I'm using an older version right now.
On a scale from one to ten, I'd rate the solution at a nine. We've been quite pleased with the solution overall.
I would recommend the solution to other users, companies, and organizations. It's quite robust and flexible.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
August 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2026.
908,877 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Manager at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
Reliable and scalable with lots of great features
Pros and Cons
- "Technical support is very responsive and helpful."
- "The solution has been very stable."
- "Pricing mainly is the only issue."
- "Pricing mainly is the only issue. For our company, IT is not a major investment, so it would be harder to convince management to invest in Cisco switches."
What is our primary use case?
We're using it as basic switches - mainly VLANs and SPB, The main focus is actually for just VLANs and VLAN switching, and that's it.
What is most valuable?
There are a lot of features on the device. We're not using all the features that we can use, however.
It's all fine. It works quite well. What we have now is good. We don't have many requirements for these switches except just forwarding traffic.
The solution has been very stable.
We find the product to be scalable.
Technical support is very responsive and helpful.
The solution is very reliable.
What needs improvement?
Pricing mainly is the only issue. For our company, IT is not a major investment, so it would be harder to convince management to invest in Cisco switches. For quality, they are the best, however, in terms of pricing, especially due to the COVID crisis and everything, investment into a network is now a lower priority. Before, when the money flow was better, it was easier to sell. However, now, for this current situation, a major point of pain in the company is price.
Even though my priority is reliability, in order to avoid downtime, management is harder to convince and they just see the price tag.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution since about 2018. It's been around four years or so now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. Since 2018, since we started with them, we haven't faced any issues with these switches, except for one instance where we switched to a new switch and needed to restart to enable the functionality.
Other than that, the switches are working great. There were only two times we restarted them due to an incident with the power equipment. The switches restarted because of a power issue, and not due to the switch itself having a problem.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. We're actually using it using iStack. It is stackable and very scalable to add more switches. It's quite easy to expand everything.
We're using these for our core network. It's across all our core network that is going through our IT department. For that reason, many people are on them. It's likely about 50 people 50, plus the user traffic. We're an ISP. We have some servers and portals that use these servers, switches to reach the network. Therefore, many, many users use that. We have a lot of user traffic going through the switches.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is fine. We've had, several moments in these last four years where we've requested Cisco technical support and they were very quick to respond and provide assistance. It's taken, at a maximum, two days to go from request to support. they are very responsive. We are very satisfied with their level of service.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
As I understand, Cisco's prices are very high and other vendors might have a lower price. Therefore, we're considering Aruba or Huawei or maybe other vendors as well for both access switches and managed wireless solutions (as in lightweight access points with controllers and these kinds of networks).
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Due to the wireless network upgrade, I'm considering other measures as well as Cisco. We're considering Aruba and we're considering Huawei. I'm considering switching to other vendors mainly because of the price.
What other advice do I have?
We are a customer and an end-user.
We deal with a lot of Cisco products. We use maybe 20 or so Cisco switches.
We have an old 2960-X and a 2960 Plus. We also have three 9300 switches, which are the newer model.
I would advise other users to plan for a larger network than you currently need. For example, if you need 20 ports on a switch and you're ordering this equipment. order a 48 port one, as you'll find that you quickly consume the 20 ports and you need upgrades of two, three, four, five, six. You'll need upgrades quickly and you'll find yourself ordering another switch to replace this one. The most sensible recommendation is to order one bigger switch, which is better than replacing the switch you have within one year.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. The switches are excellent.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Director of Information Systems / ISSO at Spectra Technologies LLC
Good warranty and continued firmware support, extremely stable, and very scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The warranty and continued firmware support are most valuable."
- "They are extremely stable; we've been running them for 12 years, and we lost the uptime only due to power loss."
- "Their centralized management could be better. There should be some kind of software for centralized management so that I don't need somebody else to manage it."
What is our primary use case?
We have Cisco Catalyst 2960 series. We're using them for core switches at two locations. We are also using them as endpoint switches and distribution switches.
What is most valuable?
The warranty and continued firmware support are most valuable.
What needs improvement?
Their centralized management could be better. There should be some kind of software for centralized management so that I don't need somebody else to manage it.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been running them for 12 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
They are extremely stable. We've been running them for 12 years, and we lost the uptime only due to power loss. We had only one of them go bad, and it was through the lightning.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very scalable. We have at least one in every building, and we have over 70 buildings that we maintain. Some buildings have even up to five of these.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their tech support is great. We never had any issues. It is also easy to find a solution by using their community forums. Because Cisco is so widely used, you can find answers for any issue online.
How was the initial setup?
It was straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of these switches is on the upper end. It is around $3,500 plus for a 24-Port switch. These switches are more expensive than Linksys and TP-Link, but you get what you pay for. If you look at the pros and cons per switch, you can justify the cost compared to a lesser and cheaper brand.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Founder at SDWAN Clan
High level technical support, scalable, and secure
Pros and Cons
- "One main feature with Cisco is you know you are going to get a very good switching infrastructure that is secure."
- "In a future upgrade, I would like to see integrated wireless in the solution."
- "There needs to be some improvement with the Cisco DNA licensing activation process, it is difficult at the moment."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution as a switch for campus locations.
What is most valuable?
One main feature with Cisco is you know you are going to get a very good switching infrastructure that is secure.
What needs improvement?
In a future upgrade, I would like to see integrated wireless in the solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for approximately 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of this solution is really good because you can attach switches together. We currently have 5,000 users using the solution and we plan on having approximately 30,000 in the near future.
How are customer service and technical support?
Cisco provides great customer support.
How was the initial setup?
The solution installation is straightforward to a degree. It is not as smooth as it could be. You cannot do zero-touch provisioning.
What about the implementation team?
It is best to use a technician that understands the configuration file needed for the deployment and then there is some testing that is needed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There needs to be some improvement with the Cisco DNA licensing activation process, it is difficult at the moment.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others. When my customers want security infrastructure on their campus locations this solution is the one I will continue to suggest.
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Converged Network Administrator at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Helpful support, very reliable, but has an outdated operating system and a weird pricing model
Pros and Cons
- "It is an infrastructure tool, so it is just providing a backend service. Its most useful feature is that it operates on a regular basis. It is reliable."
- "Cisco is weird about their pricing models, so that's one problem. Their operating system is also a little outdated."
What is most valuable?
It is an infrastructure tool, so it is just providing a backend service. Its most useful feature is that it operates on a regular basis. It is reliable.
What needs improvement?
Cisco is weird about their pricing models, so that's one problem. Their operating system is also a little outdated.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with this solution on and off for about ten years. We are using the Cisco Catalyst 9000 series.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is generally a very stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is weird in terms of scalability. By the time you get to the point of scaling up any equipment, which it is capable of doing relatively easily, it is usually out of date. You end up having to rip and replace everything anyway. So, technically, it is scalable, but in practicality, it is not.
We're sticking with this one for a while. I am not aware of any plans to increase its usage.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their tech support has always been very helpful to me. I have no issues there.
How was the initial setup?
If you are trained, it is very straightforward. You have to be skilled in order to get it going. They do provide support for those who don't have these skills.
What about the implementation team?
In terms of maintenance, one person could support a thousand people, but that would be a very busy job. It is better with a team.
What other advice do I have?
The best advice would be to get your training done so that you get a good overview of all the solutions.
I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
facility manager
Easy to configure, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "Configuring the solution is very easy. It's quite a straightforward process, and it's not difficult at all."
- "The solution was not complex to set up; it was very straightforward and simple, and the experience was very good."
- "Compared to other switches, the Cisco products are expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for the LAN and WAN.
What is most valuable?
Configuring the solution is very easy. It's quite a straightforward process, and it's not difficult at all.
The solution has proven itself to be very stable.
We've found the solution to be quite scalable.
The initial setup is quick and simple. Technical support is very good.
What needs improvement?
You need to have dual powers, dual power points for each to take into account the redundancy.
Compared to other switches, the Cisco products are expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for a long time now. It's been ten years. It's been at least a decade.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. There are no bugs and glitches. It doesn't crash and freeze. It's reliable and the performance is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution scales well. If a company needs to expand it out, it can do so with relative ease.
Everyone in our company uses the solution. We have about 4,000 employees currently.
We do plan to continue to use the solution going forward.
How are customer service and technical support?
Cisco is available for support. We've been satisfied with them overall. I have no complaints.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
When I started with this company, they were using Cisco, and they've used Cisco since then. I do not know if any other solution has ever been used.
How was the initial setup?
The solution was not complex to set up. It was very straightforward and simple. It's a hot spot, and therefore everything happened very quickly. The experience was very good.
It took our IT department about three hours to set everything up for us.
We have 11 IT personnel in our organization that are capable of handling maintenance and deplyment.
What about the implementation team?
I'm just an end-user. Our IT department handled the installation and it was very simple. They didn't need the assistance of consultants or integrators. They handled it in-house themselves.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is higher, however, I would argue that with the price you are getting a lot of value for money. That said, compared to other switches, the Cisco switches are expensive.
We pay a yearly licensing fee to Cisco.
What other advice do I have?
We keep changing the version as it comes in. Every time we are going a new installation, we do the new modem.
Cisco switches are superior. They're a robust product. Therefore, I would rate them at a nine out of ten overall. We are very satisfied with the technology.
I'd recommend the solution to other organizations.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Managing Director at Aster Networks
Stable, very reliable, and easily scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The configuration is easy."
- "The solution is extremely reliable as a product."
- "The solution is quite expensive for our clients. It's a pain point for some companies. They should work to reduce the price."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for networking and the UCS.
What is most valuable?
The solution is extremely reliable as a product. The clients very much appreciate that.
The configuration is easy.
The solution is customizable.
We've found the solution to be stable.
A company can scale a solution easily.
Technical support has been very helpful.
What needs improvement?
The solution is quite expensive for our clients. It's a pain point for some companies. They should work to reduce the price.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for a long while. I've used the solution basically since its inception.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven't had any issues with the stability of the solution. 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?
We typically deploy the solution to medium to large-scale enterprises.
The solution scales well. It's not hard for a company to expand it as they need to.
How are customer service and technical support?
We've been in touch with technical support in the past. We've found them to be helpful and responsive. They are quite helpful and very polite. We're very satisfied with the level of support we receive.
How was the initial setup?
I'm not a technical person. I didn't actually handle the initial installation for our organization.
There is little to no ongoing maintenance required once it is implemented. I'd say you have 1% to 2% of effort going into maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We've found the solution to be quite expensive.
What other advice do I have?
We are a premium partner with Cisco.
We use various versions of the solution. It depends on the client. We have multiple clients and each instance is unique.
It's deployed both on-premises and on the cloud.
I'd recommend the solution to other organizations. We've mostly been quite happy with the product.
I'd rate the solution at an eight 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
Owner & General Manager at a media company with 1-10 employees
Advanced customization and manageability
Pros and Cons
- "The operating system is great."
- "Cisco Catalyst Switches are very stable."
- "They need to implement sFlow."
- "They need to implement sFlow, other than that, I can't think of anything else that needs to be improved — I am happy."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for a full range of layer two and only limited set of layer three services.
We are a backbone company and we provide a public service. The traffic of millions of users traverse Cisco switches, but they are not within our company. It's a public service.
We plan to increase our usage of this solution.
What is most valuable?
The operating system is great.
What needs improvement?
They need to implement sFlow, other than that, I can't think of anything else that needs to be improved — I am happy.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for roughly 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches are very stable. We've been using them for 10 years without any issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We use an old model, they're not designed to be scalable. But in general, the Catalyst networking suite is scalable.
How are customer service and technical support?
For our application which is rather simple, we are using only 5% of the features that Cisco Catalyst switches offer. We haven't encountered any problems and therefore, we have not had to call technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used to use other products, but our CTO loves Cisco.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and very fast. In total, the whole installation process took two days.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed this solution by ourselves.
What was our ROI?
3-years
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price could always be lower.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Arista, Fiber Store, Dell, Extreme Networks
What other advice do I have?
I would absolutely recommend this solution to others. Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give Cisco Catalyst Switches a rating of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Group Head of IT at a maritime company with 501-1,000 employees
Very easy to manage with a long lifespan
Pros and Cons
- "Easy to manage, with a long lifespan."
- "In general, this is a good product with a long lifespan and easily managed."
- "Reporting could be improved as well as integration possibilities with other platforms."
- "It's quite an expensive product and it would be helpful if they reduced the cost."
What is our primary use case?
I'm the group head of IT and we are customers of Cisco.
What is most valuable?
In general, this is a good product with a long lifespan and easily managed. There is good local support available as well as principal support.
What needs improvement?
I'd like to see better reporting and also integration possibilities with other platforms. It's quite an expensive product and it would be helpful if they reduced the cost.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using this product for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable product.
How are customer service and technical support?
Support can be improved, it's usually a matter of your location. That aside, if you can reach them, the support is fine.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quite straightforward although deployment takes some time because you need to carry out the configuration and attach some additional equipment. It can take a few hours. Our implementation partner helps with the base configuration, and then they draw on our internet team to work with them. Once completed, it's handed over to our team management. We've deployed the product on five sites and we usually have one or two people dealing with any issues that arise.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is an annual license fee.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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