The solution can be used to connect the internet and servers, such as databases.
DevOps System Engineer at Monash University
Good technical support, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is very stable."
- "The solution is very stable."
- "The solution could improve security."
- "The solution could improve security."
What is our primary use case?
What needs improvement?
The solution could improve security.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for approximately 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
893,438 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We are satisfied with the technical support from Cisco.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is easy and takes approximately 10 minutes.
What about the implementation team?
I did the implementation myself.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a ten out of ten.
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.
Video conferencing Admin at Akshara Enterprises India Pvt Ltd
Stable, reliable, and overall good functionality
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco Catalyst Switches are the best overall."
- "Cisco Catalyst Switches are the best overall."
- "The price of a Cisco Catalyst Switches license is expensive. There is a big problem with their pricing structure."
What is our primary use case?
We use Cisco Catalyst Switches for networking.
What is most valuable?
Cisco Catalyst Switches are the best overall.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for approximately six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
We have approximately 25 customers using the solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support from Cisco is very good.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is easy if you understand the Ciscos CLA interface and your infrastructure is correct.
What about the implementation team?
We have CCNA and CCNP certified engineers that do the implementation and maintenance of the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of a Cisco Catalyst Switches license is expensive.
There is a big problem with their pricing structure. For example, there is a system called first come first serve metric for integrators. The person who logs the case gets a better price than what I receive. They give discounts to other people, such as those with certifications, and what happens is people go away from this solution because of it. I do not receive a better price which puts me in a position to promote other solutions.
I lost a large contact because of their pricing structure. Cisco should give the same pricing to everybody.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend this solution to others.
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches 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. Integrator
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
893,438 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Presales Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Stable, flexible, easy to install, and the support is fair
Pros and Cons
- "I like the flexibility of this product."
- "I like the flexibility of this product."
- "Cisco is a bit complex."
- "There is a complexity with Cisco. They should have unified software that includes all of the licenses."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for our network.
I am a system engineer, and we sell the products to our customers.
What is most valuable?
I like the flexibility of this product.
What needs improvement?
There is a complexity with Cisco.
They should have unified software that includes all of the licenses. We should not have to pay for different software on the same platform. Each one has a specific use or a specific feature.
If you need dynamic routing then you have to purchase the software, if you need basic IP routing, you need different software. Why do you need this type of complexity?
They have their own propriety protocols while other competitors go with other standards and are easy. Cisco is a bit complex.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for 15 years.
We use several different versions, not just one. If they have different software for universal enterprise services, they will have specific features to use for the specific use case.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of this solution needs to be improved. It is not very scalable. For example, if you want to enable the features such as VSS, you have to add other modules and hardware.
Other competitors have this feature available from the beginning.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is fair.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. It is easy to install.
I was not involved in the installation but it is approximately five or ten minutes to deploy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is no licensing fee. All of the features are available on the switch from day one.
It's not a complicated license; you have to buy a license for different services or features. This is different.
Most of the features are available without additional hardware.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Cisco to other users, along with several other products.
I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a nine 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
Network Administrator
Beneficial conductivity for different devices, stable, and easy installation
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is beneficial for interconnecting POE telephones, computers, printers, and buffering networks."
- "The solution is beneficial for interconnecting POE telephones, computers, printers, and buffering networks."
- "The solution could improve by allowing administrators to create scripts to help automate processes to make tasks easier."
- "The solution could improve by allowing administrators to create scripts to help automate processes to make tasks easier."
What is our primary use case?
We are using this solution as a network LAN switch in a financial company.
What is most valuable?
The solution is beneficial for interconnecting POE telephones, computers, printers, and buffering networks.
What needs improvement?
The solution could improve by allowing administrators to create scripts to help automate processes to make tasks easier.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Switches for approximately eight years and I have been using this particular Cisco Catalyst Switch for six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches are highly scalable.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not used technical support from Cisco. However, I have used online documentation that has been helpful.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is easy, the whole process takes approximately one week.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise those to make sure they understand the requirements before they purchase Cisco Catalyst Switches because they are an entry-level solution.
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a nine out of ten.
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.
Software Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Easy to install, simple to configure, and user-friendly
Pros and Cons
- "We find the product very easy to use."
- "The solution is very stable and the performance is good."
- "The product is expensive."
- "The product is expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for both corporate and data centers.
What is most valuable?
The solution is very stable and the performance is good.
It's easy to configure.
We find the product very easy to use.
The solution can scale.
The installation process is easy.
What needs improvement?
You need to predict your scaling considerations at the outset.
The product is expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable, however, you need to plan for future scaling at the outset, otherwise, you will be limited.
How are customer service and technical support?
We are quite satisfied with technical support. They are helpful and responsive.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward and simple. It's not overly complex or difficult at all.
What about the implementation team?
We handled the implementation ourselves in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution could be cheaper. It's a bit expensive.
There aren't any extra costs for licensing or customization.
What other advice do I have?
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. We're quite happy with its capabilities.
I would recommend the solution to other users and companies.
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.
Network System Specialist at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Great technical support with very good scalability capabilities and good stability overall
Pros and Cons
- "Technical support is always very helpful and fast to respond."
- "The product is very strong, much stronger than other options on the market, for example, Dell and HPE, and the software is excellent."
- "The product should work on its pricepoints. It's an expensive solution."
- "The product should work on its pricepoints. It's an expensive solution."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for its switches. It's very similar to Dell or HPE - only much stronger.
What is most valuable?
The product is very strong. It's much stronger than other options on the market, for example, Dell and HPE.
The software is excellent.
Overall, the solution works very well and we don't have any real complaints in terms of its capabilities.
The product has been very stable and extremely reliable over the years.
You can scale the product quite well.
Technical support is always very helpful and fast to respond.
The stability has been great over the years.
What needs improvement?
The product should work on its pricepoints. It's an expensive solution. It's the main complaint I hear from people.
For how long have I used the solution?
At this point, I've been working with the solution for seven or eight years. It's been quite 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 very reliable. We've been happy with its performance and its stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product can scale very well. When it comes to doing something like stacking - for example, stacking switches, of course, it is very simple to accomplish. It's very easy to stack two or more switches in order to expand the solution out. A company shouldn't have any issues with doing so.
We have a client that has 800 users and up on the solution.
We do plan to continue to use the solution into the future.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technial support responds quickly. They're very good at being timely. They also have a very good forum where you can ask your questions if you want to.
Overall, it's very easy to get in touch with them and to find the answers you need to resolve issues. We're quite satisfied with eh level of support they provide to us.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Veeam Backup and Replication High-Rated Course
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not too complex. It's pretty straightforward. For setting up the access layer, it takes about half an hour, which isn't that long. However, for the correlator - and that includes designing and drawing the map of the network and tasks such as that, it takes a few days.
What about the implementation team?
We're actually consulting and doing a project for a state company in Tehran, for more than 800 switches. We can assist clients in the implementation process if they would like s to.
What was our ROI?
Veeam Backup and Replication High-Rated Course
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is quite expensive. There are less expensive options on the market. The pricing can be a pain point for some companies.
What other advice do I have?
I work often with the 3,000 and 4,000 series versions. It's not necessarily the latest version all the time.
I'd recommend this solution to other organizations.
Overall, we've been quite satisfied with their level of service. I would rate them ten out of ten. They've worked perfectly over the years.
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.
Straightforward to upgrade, simple to configure, and good online community support
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco Catalyst Switches are easy to use, simple to configure, and straightforward to upgrade. Additionally, CDN has been very helpful for separation."
- "Cisco Catalyst Switches are easy to use, simple to configure, and straightforward to upgrade, and CDN has been very helpful for separation."
- "The solution could improve by adding a user-friendly GUI. We use third-party applications for log monitoring that are expensive and if Cisco could provide log monitoring as part of this solution it would be beneficial."
- "The solution could improve by adding a user-friendly GUI. We use third-party applications for log monitoring that are expensive and if Cisco could provide log monitoring as part of this solution it would be beneficial."
What is our primary use case?
We are using this solution as a switch for networks.
What is most valuable?
Cisco Catalyst Switches are easy to use, simple to configure, and straightforward to upgrade. Additionally, CDN has been very helpful for separation.
What needs improvement?
The solution could improve by adding a user-friendly GUI. We use third-party applications for log monitoring that are expensive and if Cisco could provide log monitoring as part of this solution it would be beneficial.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for approximately six 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?
We have approximately 200 users using this solution in my organization.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have not used the technical support from Cisco. However, we have used Cisco Forums where we can write a question and one of the technical engineers will respond.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is not difficult, it comes with good documentation that can be followed.
What about the implementation team?
We did the implementation of the solutions.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a nine out of ten.
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.
Infrastructure Manager at a non-profit with 51-200 employees
Highly stable, top quality hardware and features
Pros and Cons
- "Overall top of the line solution."
- "Overall top of the line solution."
- "The solution could be easy to use, you need a certificate to use it."
- "The solution could be easier to use, you need a certificate to use it."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution as a networking switch for a data center.
What is most valuable?
Overall top of the line solution.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be easy to use, you need a certificate to use it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for approximately ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is highly stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is not able to scale because you would need to purchase more hardware.
Everybody in my organization is using the solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have not needed to contact technical support because we are using managed services which gives us support when needed.
How was the initial setup?
The installation and implementation are not easy.
What about the implementation team?
We are using managed services for the implementation of the solution.
A normal deployment can take from one to two months. However, this depends on the size of the site.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a license required for the use of this solution and we pay annually.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated Meraki switches which is an easier version of Cisco Catalyst Switches.
What other advice do I have?
This solution is the best in the market but there are some limitations. I am moving to the Meraki solution because it is easier to use.
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches an eight out of ten.
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.
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2026
Popular Comparisons
Dell PowerEdge R-Series
Aruba Switches
NETGEAR Switches
MikroTik Routers and Switches
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access
TP-Link Omada Switches
D-Link Ethernet Switches
Arista Networks Platform
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches
HPE Ethernet Switches
Meraki MS Switches
Huawei Ethernet Switches
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center
H3C Ethernet Switches
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
- Is it necessary to stack power cables while stacking switches in Cisco Catalyst 9300 into HA mode?
- Cisco Catalyst Switch 3560 is not working - looking for advice
- Juniper vs Cisco ethernet switches: Which one is better?
- When evaluating Ethernet Switches, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
- Which Ethernet switch do you use? Why?
- What are your recommended Layer 2 and Layer 3 network switches if the main consideration is performance?
- Does anyone have statistics on how often a fire occurs in a computer room?
- Why does Cisco dominate the ethernet switching market?
- Juniper EX4600 vs. Cisco 3850















