In the market, if you are deploying any kind of network in an environment, there is a need for switches to distribute the network. You can use a switch to distribute the entire connection to other users in the company if you have a small company.
Technical Solutions Specialist - Networking at Google
Offers top-notch performance and reliability
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is robust in terms of the equipment provided."
- "It is not easy for everyone to configure the product's initial setup part, making it an area where improvements are required."
What is our primary use case?
What needs improvement?
I can't think of an area where improvements are required in the product since Cisco seems to be regularly involved in patching the software part. Cisco Catalyst Switches releases regular software updates, so there shouldn't be any issue with the solution.
It is not easy for everyone to configure the product's initial setup part, making it an area where improvements are required.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for three years. I am a customer of Cisco.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight or nine out of ten.
The product is not easy for everyone to configure the initial setup. Sometimes, it becomes a pain point when people are not able to understand everything related to the product, and they run into certain issues, making it a reason why I would say that the tool is not that stable.
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Cisco Catalyst Switches
September 2026
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How are customer service and support?
Cisco's support team is good and can provide you with solutions quickly since Cisco has not given its support area to vendors. All of Cisco's support teams are handled by Cisco's employees. Cisco has support centers all around the globe, including countries like India, Singapore, Australia, and Europe. As a customer of the switches and routers from Cisco, my company gets twenty-four hours and seven days a week of access throughout the year to contact the support team and its engineers, who are well-trained before they get deployed on the queue to pick up the customer cases.
I rate the technical support a nine and a half out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have experience with switches from NETGEAR and Sophos, but both products can provide detailed functionalities or features like Cisco Catalyst Switches. The functionality and features you get with Cisco Catalyst Switches are incomparable to other tools.
How was the initial setup?
The product's initial setup phase was a bit difficult. A subject matter expert might be required to help with the initial setup phase.
The solution is deployed on an on-premises model. The product works fine if you have experience with Cisco Catalyst Switches.
The solution can be deployed in a few hours. For the basic deployment, it takes a couple of hours.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solutions are costly, considering that Cisco provides top-notch support and devices.
What other advice do I have?
Cisco Catalyst Switches have impacted our company's network flexibility since it is a very flexible product. The solution is robust in terms of the equipment provided. As per my knowledge, no other switch provides the same functionalities that Cisco Catalyst Switches provide in the current market.
In terms of network security in our company, I would speak about the number of VLANs that users can probably have on Cisco Catalyst Switches and how we can manage the traffic going from one VLAN to another VLAN, which is a very smooth process with no issues. When you look at network security, the way Cisco implements SCP is tremendous since it has many features that one can use that are not available in other legacy products.
The performance and reliability of Cisco to support our company's critical applications are areas of the tool that can be described as top-notch.
In terms of the tool's management and configuration, if a person is into the networking field and works as a network engineer who has probably dealt with CCNA or CCNP certifications with experience for a couple of years, it will be very easy to use. Cisco Catalyst Switches might be a little difficult for a newbie to learn. Once a person learns about the product in a month or so, everything related to the solution becomes easy.
I recommend the product to those who plan to use it, especially the ones who don't have budget constraints and have people or teams who are well-versed in handling devices from Cisco.
I rate the tool 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.
IT Manager at Oberoi
Easy to use, helps secure the network, and provides good quality and stability
Pros and Cons
- "The network is secure."
- "Cisco is the most expensive product."
What is our primary use case?
The product is used in the hotels for the network.
What is most valuable?
Cisco Catalyst Switches are the most stable. The network is secure. I have a lot of options. If a port is not used for a long time, it will be disabled by default. If anyone tries to use it, I will have to enable it for them. The tool helps me secure my network. The product is easy to use. We do not face any challenges.
What needs improvement?
Cisco is the most expensive product. All hardware tools have become very expensive nowadays.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco is the most stable solution. I rate the stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
All our reports are based on Cisco Catalyst Switches.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is straightforward. The deployment takes 10 to 15 minutes.
What about the implementation team?
We can deploy the tool in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I prefer one-time payments.
What other advice do I have?
I have worked with all the brands in the market. I will recommend Cisco to others. It is stable. It has good quality. Overall, I rate the solution 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.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
September 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2026.
914,109 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Department Leader: Project Leadership Production Compact at SKODA AUTO a.s.
Useful in VPN connections but deployment is complicated and pricing is expensive
Pros and Cons
- "The tool's administration is easy."
- "Cisco Catalyst Switches' pricing can be cheaper."
What is our primary use case?
Cisco Catalyst Switches helps us with VPN connection.
What is most valuable?
The tool's administration is easy.
What needs improvement?
Cisco Catalyst Switches' pricing can be cheaper.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for a few 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 tool is scalable. My company has 20000 users. My company has plans to increase its usage.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment is complicated due to the VPN. We have a certified administrator who makes the deployment easier. You need ten resources to help with the deployment process.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You don't have to pay any additional costs while using the product.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Senior Manager - SBR Technical Services at Reliance Industries Ltd
A stable product that performs well and provides appropriate support and patches when required
Pros and Cons
- "The product is stable, and it performs well."
- "The support team’s response and resolution time must be faster."
What is our primary use case?
We have different use cases for different verticals. Our network is built mainly on Cisco equipment, including switches, firewalls, and routers. Most of the devices are Cisco products.
What is most valuable?
The product is stable, and it performs well. We get support and patches from Cisco. It is going well. We have different companies and different verticals. Cisco is our backbone.
What needs improvement?
The support team’s response and resolution time must be faster.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for eight to ten years. We are using the industry-standard version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
When we have more than 1000 Cisco Catalyst Switches, we have a failure rate, too. We would hardly notice failure if we had a smaller company with one to ten switches. A couple of times, it has happened that the switches have failed while upgrading.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We design the network according to the environment's requirements. We also keep the network ready for the business requirements. When a request comes in, we help customers get their devices into a specific network zone. We have a huge number of users. My company caters to its internal customers, including JioMart, Jio Payments Bank, and JioChat.
How are customer service and support?
The support is good so far.
How was the initial setup?
We configure and deploy the solution according to our needs. If a product or feature is not available, we discuss and open a ticket with Cisco. Cisco then helps with some patches or other features that we require.
The procurement process for Cisco Catalyst Switches is different. Once we receive the switches in bulk, we divide them among the different verticals. Depending on the needs, we allocate 100 or 1000 switches to each vertical and then start deploying.
What about the implementation team?
I help the team to deploy the solution. We have a different deployment process. When a user requests a deployment, we first discuss their network and how they want it distributed. We then discuss the feasibility of the request and suggest the best possible option available to meet their requirements.
We have an on-premises team who helps us if there is an issue with the device. If the team cannot resolve the issue, we either get a replacement device or ask an expert for help with deployment. If there is a requirement to use multicast streaming, we need to check if our current network supports it. We also need to consider the bandwidth, network resources, and uplink and downlink ports.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing should be improved. We have purchased a one-time license. When we place an order for Cisco Catalyst Switches, the quantity is huge.
What other advice do I have?
I am an implementer. I would recommend the solution to others. People must use the solution based on their requirements. Overall, I rate the solution an eight or nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
Data Center Admin at Sysnet Global Technologies
Provides good performance with easy configuration and a good forum
Pros and Cons
- "It's easy to configure."
- "There is no GUI."
How has it helped my organization?
It's easy to configure. The forum is good. We can also get help from the forum and Cisco support. Many people use it, so we can get help from anyone if you have any issues.
What needs improvement?
There is no GUI. Nowadays, many other switches provide GUI features and options that can be configured through the GUI. The Cisco Catalyst series doesn't offer that. It should be configured only through CLI mode. If another GUI option or feature allows configuration through the GUI, that would be beneficial.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable and provides good performance. It is suitable for enterprise customers.
How are customer service and support?
Support is also good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. It depends on the larger network. Due to the backbone infrastructure and other passive components we need to complete, such as cabling and structured cabling, it may take time. If the cabling and architecture are already in place, it will take only a few hours.
What was our ROI?
It provides efficiency followed by cost setting.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is cheap.
What other advice do I have?
Cisco Catalyst Switches handle the network traffic very swiftly during peak loads.
Overall, I rate the solution 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. Implementer
System administrator and network manager at MEO
The stability and performance are extremely good
Pros and Cons
- "The stability and performance are extremely good."
- "The solution could be cheaper."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for live support systems.
What is most valuable?
The stability and performance are extremely good.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be cheaper.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution’s scalability is good. 200 licenses of support systems are used.
I rate the solution’s scalability a ten out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and takes half an hour to complete.
What was our ROI?
ROI is of 10-15 years. It's very good for long-term investment.
What other advice do I have?
It provides stability to our life monitoring system. The ease of management and configuration is good.
It is attributing the switches and has accessible IT. There's always a web configuration. I manage the solution.
Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Easy to configure, but its pricing and stability could be improved
Pros and Cons
- "Since Cisco Catalyst Switches don't go online, they are secured."
- "The solution’s pricing and stability could be improved."
What is most valuable?
Since Cisco Catalyst Switches don't go online, they are secured. The solution is not on the same network as the users.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s pricing and stability could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for a couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven’t received any complaints from our customers regarding the solution’s stability.
I rate the solution a seven or eight out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is a scalable solution, and two customers are working with the solution.
What about the implementation team?
We configure the solution for our customers within 30 minutes. You can open the switch console on the device and configure it.
What was our ROI?
The solution is too expensive for me, and I will never have a return on investment with it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very expensive solution. I do not pay for a license for the solution.
What other advice do I have?
We don't manage Cisco Catalyst Switches once it's configured. Two people from the tech support team are involved in the solution’s deployment and maintenance. I wouldn’t recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches to other users because it’s expensive.
Overall, I rate the solution a six 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.
IT Manager at CLOUDJET GROUP
Highly reliable solution that ensures stable and consistent network performance
Pros and Cons
- "I highly appreciate the durability and the availability"
- "Facilitating and adapting the security updates would be a good improvement, because usually it requires to reboot the router to get them"
What is our primary use case?
We mainly use it for user access in corporate offices, but we have been working on certain projects that require using XE access to support APIs and network connectivity.
What is most valuable?
I highly appreciate the durability and the availability. It is also proven to be a very reliable solution that ensures stable and consistent network performance.
What needs improvement?
Facilitating and adapting the security updates would be a good improvement because it usually requires use to reboot the router to get them. The whole process is slightly complex and it could be easier.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It offers excellent stability. There are some switches with twenty years of uptime which is quite an impressive number.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Catalyst Switches provide scalability and accommodate different network demands.
How are customer service and support?
The quality of the customer support that is provided depends on the line of the product and the model that is used. Sometimes, the first level of support is basic, but mostly it is good. Their customer service is available at all times. I rate it seven out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup might be significantly challenging for clients who are not familiar with its intricacies. Their advanced features and configuration options require knowledgeable IT professionals to implement them.
What about the implementation team?
Once the solution is set up, the process of deployment and configuration is almost seamless. It takes around one hour to be fully completed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I find the price to be just right, it is not cheap, but it is not expensive. The solution provides a good balance between the features and the cost structure. They offer many options regarding the licensing so it is easy to choose one option that adapts to the needs of the customer.
What other advice do I have?
I strongly recommend this solution because it delivers high-performance switching, enabling fast data transfer rates with minor to no bugs. I rate it nine and a half out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private 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.
Chief engineer at Arnatel
Has a lot of security features, but it is expensive
Pros and Cons
- "We use a lot of security features available with Cisco Catalyst Switches."
- "Cisco Catalyst Switches is an expensive solution and its price could be improved."
What is most valuable?
We use a lot of security features available with Cisco Catalyst Switches. Cisco Catalyst Switches' output is not bad, and it has a lot of ports.
What needs improvement?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is an expensive solution and its price could be improved. The lifetime of the equipment is not enough because our customers face problems when they need to change the equipment. As applications and software demand more output, vendors focus on increasing the throughput of newer equipment. However, this often leads to the discontinuation of support and warranty for older equipment.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Cisco Catalyst Switches for more than 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a seven out of ten for stability because sometimes we have problems with the software.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches an eight out of ten for scalability. Cisco Catalyst Switches support the clustering of several switches. Our clients are mostly small enterprises with nearly five thousand employees.
How are customer service and support?
With each passing year, the knowledge of support engineers for Cisco Catalyst Switches is getting worse. Cisco TAC was in Europe and North America but moved to Mexico, China, India, and the Middle East last year. Although work is cheaper in these locations, they don't have knowledgeable customer support staff.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have previously worked with HP, Juniper, and Dell.
How was the initial setup?
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a nine out of ten for its initial setup. The solution has no IP address, and you need a special cable to connect to them. This special cable is not free, and without the cable, you cannot configure the solution. The deployment of Cisco Catalyst Switches takes around 60 minutes.
What about the implementation team?
Cisco Catalyst Switches' deployment is very easy. You can use it from the box if you don't need any specific configuration. If we have any deployment-related questions, we open a ticket in Cisco TAC, and their engineers resolve our problems.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is an expensive solution. I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a four out of ten for pricing.
What other advice do I have?
Cisco Catalyst Switches have a lot of features that we don't use, but we pay for them. Most Cisco equipment comes with a subscription, which is not free. However, our customers do not use this subscription. If you have enough money, better use Cisco because the technical support of other vendors is worse than Cisco.
Overall, I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
They're balanced and highly reliable but don't integrate well with some solutions
Pros and Cons
- "Catalyst switches are highly reliable; they have a good product life, and they are balanced overall compared to others."
- "Cisco needs to improve compatibility with other solutions and other vendors like SolarWinds. We've had problems using Catalyst with SolarWinds. Some devices can't be put on SolarWinds due to some ID Values and so on."
What is our primary use case?
We are mostly using the Cisco Catalyst 2900 Series, but some are the new 900 Series and a mixture of a lot of solutions. More than 300 people are working on Cisco Catalyst switches.
What is most valuable?
Catalyst switches are highly reliable. They have a good product life, they are balanced overall compared to others.
What needs improvement?
We sometimes have issues using Cisco Catalyst switches in a mixed environment. For example, we are using Fortinet's firewall, so if we jump to Cisco, then we have a problem. If we need another solution for MAC filtering, we need to go for IEEE or AAA.
Cisco needs to improve compatibility with other solutions and other vendors like SolarWinds. We've had problems using Catalyst with SolarWinds. Some devices can't be put on SolarWinds due to some ID Values and so on.
They need to show some flexibility because no environment depends on one product. And when we add new solutions for monitoring, troubleshooting, etc., we need integration with our Cisco devices. I think it would be great if Cisco could improve its integration with other vendors in the future.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used Cisco Catalyst for the last four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst switches are stable. No question about it.
How are customer service and support?
TAC is a wonderful service. They are cooperative and professional. They do great in the case of RMA or case of troubleshooting.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We tried Juniper HP and some other solutions.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Catalyst switches is complex. We have about four or five Cisco-certified technicians to look after these things.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Cisco Catalyst switches is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cisco Catalyst seven out of 10. I definitely recommend Cisco switches as a complete solution.
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
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Updated: September 2026
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