Cisco Ethernet Switches Reviews

We primarily use the solution for data centers and also for local area networks for enterprises.

I've worked with many features on Cisco's switches. However, the newest features I've used were on Nexus switches. The VPC on Nexus switches, supported on Nexus switches, provides high availability and load balancing for virtual port channels. It is a link aggregation we used in data centers. It's been fantastic.

The security of the switches is pretty impressive. There are many security features available on the product.

The solution could always benefit from some more security features. For example, they need something which is mainly used for enterprise networks that allow for identity-based security or authentication. 

The pricing of the switches could be lowered. Right now, they are quite expensive.

The enterprise-level switches should have a simpler deployment. They should make it possible for lower-skilled workers to be able to deploy the product. It should be just as easy as turning them on, powering them up, and connecting the PCs, which would be the same as or similar to a generic simple switch. Many users can't use Cisco's advanced features and won't be able to deploy Cisco's advanced CLI or other management tools otherwise.

I've been dealing with Cisco's switches for more than 20 years.

The solution is very stable and Cisco is very reliable. It doesn't crash. There aren't bugs or glitches. I have experience on switches, which we've not reloaded for more than five years, even. They have been up and running for five years and don't cause us any trouble, which is impressive.

The solution is quite scalable. They support our stacking feature, which means we can stack up to eight switches together to have scalable port numbers in terms of port numbers and also throughput. 

I've contacted technical support in the past, and, in my experience, they are very good. They are helpful and responsive. However, I do find that they don't answer all your questions or resolve your issues. Most of the time it depends on the customer's agreement. 

I'm not the owner of the equipment. I work for customers in a deployment project's implementation and support. Most of the time the level of support provided depends on how much money the company we are assisting has paid to Cisco.

I've used Foundry switches in the past, which is a brand that does not exist any longer. Those switches were also very good in terms of stability. We used them in industrial ethernet environments. However, they are not products that are produced anymore.

The initial setup's level of difficulty varies quite a bit. For ethernet switches with default configurations, it's easy enough for normal operations. However, if you want to make use of more advanced features via Cisco, it requires a lot of advanced knowledge. It's not straightforward. It requires experience and in-depth knowledge of Cisco CLR or other management tools. You need to be an expert, or to hire one.

Simple operations or simple deployments don't take more than one day. For both switches, it takes even less than an hour. However, if you want to deploy more advanced features like .money for the set or more features like routing, etc., it can take one or two days. It shouldn't take longer than that. 

Cisco's pricing is quite high. It's on the higher end of the spectrum in comparison to other options on the market.

I've worked with Cisco switches, but not industrial switches. I've worked with the 2900 series switches, as well as the 2800, 3700 series, and 3800 series of switches. Those are Cisco's enterprise and LAN switches.

I would recommend using Cisco ethernet switches.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten overall.

There are some issues with the product, which is normal. nothing is ever perfect. However, compared to other options, Cisco is your best bet.

connect our servers

with stable switches, we can focus on our own products.

We only use the basic features, like VLAN, Spanning tree, we find that it works well.

REST API should be first priority than traditional CLI.

We have been using Cisco Nexus switches for quite some time.

I think that stability is pretty good.

I am not sure how well this product scales. Everybody in our company uses it.

I have not spoken with the support team.

The initial setup is straightforward.

We have been using Cisco Ethernet switches since day one.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

We are a solution provider and Cisco Ethernet Switches are one of the products that we implement for our customers. We also use them internally, and they make up the backbone of our network.

The most valuable features are network monitoring and management.

Depending on the model, the switch might have its own firewall or router.

Integration with third-party products could be improved.

I have been working with Cisco Ethernet Switches for fifteen years, and have been reselling them for about six.

We have had no complaints about the stability of Cisco products. Once you install the switch, it just keeps running with little maintenance. Occasionally, we see a firmware update.

For some of the higher-end switches, starting at the 6500 series, we need assistance from Cisco. For the 4000 series and below, we can manage them ourselves.

The initial setup is very straightforward. We have not had any complications.

They are essentially plug-and-play, where you turn the power on and it will be working in a few seconds. Beyond this, if different configurations are needed to satisfy the user's requirements then it takes a lot of time. That said, the entire deployment will only take a few hours or a day at the most.

We are happy with the pricing from Cisco.

This is a very good product and definitely one that I recommend.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Cisco is our backbone. This includes switches, main office, links - all Cisco. For the one between branches, we have Riverbed to speed it up. For internet analytics, we have Palo Alto, Fortinet Security. For application delivery, Citrix. Database, Microsoft SQL, and Oracle. We also have business tools and developer bots with Oracle. That is a lot of products!

We keep Cisco for normal switches for corrective flows and the data center. But they are not so good with the firewall so we use Palo Alto and FortiGate. 

In terms of the most valuable feature, I would say the user interface. We also have Citrix XenApp for the remote service. And Exchange and other Microsoft solutions.

We have other software for software control, for users and help desk. For security, we have RSA Netwitness and Netwitness Security Analytics,

We are only using Cisco for switches and for the IP telephony call center. 

It needs to be manageable, easy, and fast with Windows and other GUIs. They must improve their interface and stability.

We have been using Cisco Ethernet Switches since 1997.

Yes, it is stable. That's why we've stuck with it. It's very stable.

The IT department is more than 55 people. But the server team has three teams of four people. The security team, four people. Database team, five people. We have one supervisor, the head of the team, and two or three under him for his team. I am the head of the security team and the infrastructure team, for servers, switches, and security. So I can tell you that it takes five to seven people to handle Cisco and the security.

In terms of scalability, it is scalable. With Cisco we have built-in stacks and stackable switches. And it has a stackable fiber from the main office to the Catalyst and the Nexus switch.

The problem with customer support is that they give you beginners. We need the experts after the first, second, or third call. Only after a week do you get the expert after you explain and complain about it.

We are the Qatar government authority. So with Cisco, we are dealing with all types of gateways. Cisco is in Kuwait. Many times when we are building something with Cisco we design the infrastructure, everything. Then we go to the Cisco dealers. Because this is our strategy, we work with Cisco directly. With the firewall, I work with Palo Alto or FortiGate or any other brand. Who will give good support, good installation? The solution for installation will be provided and approved by the center itself. That is our strategy. We are happy with this. Before we develop a solution, we sit down directly with the vendor.

Our IP telephony is all Cisco. I would consider another data component.

Cisco is very good and stable. But the problem is that it is costly. It's a very good service but it would be costly for small companies. They should go for lower-end, cheaper switches. Because we are the government, we are stuck with Cisco. But the small and medium-sized businesses must go lower, such as with Huawei or another brand.

On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Cisco Ethernet Switches a nine.

The main problem is the support in the Middle East. This is a problem for all products, not just Cisco. When you contact support, they don't give you the expert at first, they give you the beginner. Only after going around in a circle do they give you experts. Why don't they just give the expert from the beginning?

We use these switches in our data center core to handle all of the converged networks. They handle our SAN servers as well as other components.

The outer perimeter is handled by the Cisco 2960s, for distribution of traffic to endpoint clients.

These switches help to build the best network, the way we want it. There is a guarantee that makes us feel better about having a secure network.

The most valuable feature is the performance and ability to handle the flow of traffic.

The redundancy that the switches provide is very good.

There is a focus on improving the UI for managing the higher-end switches and routers, but not the traditional ones. Putting in a more complete management infrastructure would help when it comes to handling lower-end switches.

These switches are pretty expensive to put into place, so if they could bring the price point down then it would be really good.

We have been using Cisco Ethernet switches for just over ten years.

This solution very well handles the capability for scaling. It is fairly simple and easy to do.

Sometimes we have issues with certain switches hanging.

I have only indirectly been in contact with technical support through our vendor. Our interactions mostly had to do with registering the product and downloading updates. We have not been in contact concerning a particular issue about a product.

Our initial setup was more than ten years ago, and it is something that has been modified over time. Whatever it was, originally, has been rebuilt. As we continue to add new components, it becomes simpler and easier for us to go forward. 

The deployment for the data center core took four days to get all of the services up and running. This included the interfacing, as well as cutting over to ensure that there was no outage. A lot of this had to do with the waiting time and change control, where the cut-over was done during hours that are less used by the employees.

Our other primary switches were pretty simple to change, as and when required. This was never much of a dealy.

Our vendor assisted us with the original deployment. Our project team consisted of four people and there was an additional person from the vendor.

These switches are expensive, but they are an excellent buy and definitely have value for the investment.

The switches that we have purchased handle our load pretty well. We do not have a high data plan network.

When our switches age beyond the life cycle then each will be replaced with whatever the current model is in the market at the time. In the future, we would like to integrate Cisco Aironet, although Wi-Fi is a bit down the line for us.

Overall, this is a good product but there is always room for improvement. My main complaint about Cisco is the price aspect.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Cisco Ethernet Switches are being used as part of our new data centers.

This solution helps us simplify operations through minimal maintenance and ease of patching.

The most valuable feature is the performance.

The Cisco Feature Navigator is a web-based application that enables you to quickly match Cisco IOS, IOS XE, IOS XR, NX-OS, and CatOS software releases to features. This is available to all Cisco.com users, both registered and non-registered guests.

Cisco needs to include new features to attract new customers.

I have been using Cisco Ethernet solutions for the last 20 years.

This solution is stable enough that it will not create problems in everyday usage.

This system can accommodate expansion without hampering the existing workflow and ensure an increase in output or efficiency.

Customer service is good. They are responsive within the time frame and resolve our issues.

I haven't used a different solution. We did the upgrade as part of the lifecycle when the previous equipment became end-of-life. It was time for the investment. At the same time, we were building out new data centers.

The setup was straightforward and it is easy to deploy.

We have implemented with the help of a vendor and we have an in-house team that is taking care of maintenance.

ROI is doubled with the solution.

I did not evaluate other options before choosing Cisco.

I will advise others to buy without any hesitation, as the product quality and deliverables are far more than others without comparing cost. This solution is the best.

The hardware is rugged. We use it for the basic configuration.

Cisco has a layer three rugged switch. I don't know if they have it. The one I use is layer 2 only. Cisco should provide field switches, outdoor switches that have the capability for layer 3.

We've had hardware problems like SSDS, ports, networking, things like that.

They should maximize the number of ports. For me, that's important because we have some sites that the industrial switches lack ports so we have to install two industrial switches.

Stability is okay. 

We have around 500 switches deployed in one network. 

We haven't needed to contact their technical support. 

It's easy to deploy, just copy and paste. Installing the switches and configuring it, it takes only less than an hour. Installing the fibers takes time.

My advice to someone considering this solution would be to have a  good plan and a good design. It will go smoothly if you have a good design and a good plan. It's important.

I would rate it a seven out of ten. Not a ten because Mellanox is better compared to Ethernet switches.

We primarily use the solution for infrastructure.

The solution itself is great for our organization's infrastructure. You can connect a WiFi product and an ethernet product at the same time.

The most valuable aspect of the solution is its routing features.

The solution is compatible with many brands, such as VMware.

It offers very good durability if your configuration is good.

The interface needs improvement. The solution could use more features and more functionality.

The price could be lower. It's quite expensive.

The stability of the solution is perfect, although sometimes we have firmware problems. If we have a bug or something similar, sometimes it's hard to get a quick response to the problem.

The scalability of the solution, from what I understand, is good. We haven't actually tested the solution for scalability ourselves, however.

Technical support is good. However, we need to pay if we want to have them analyze incidents. It's not in the standard package. 

The initial setup is complex. You always need to change the configuration to adapt it to your needs. On top of that, actually adapting it is quite difficult. Deployment can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on the functionality your organization requires.

We had the assistance of a distributor for implementing the solution.

The solution is very expensive.

We did evaluate other options. We evaluated for readability, stability, price, and end of life. Cisco ultimately won out.

We use various deployment models, including on-premises and cloud.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.