Cisco Ethernet Switches Reviews

We have a few different buildings within our premises, and we typically use the Cisco switches as the core backbone of our LAN. They are connected with fiber. We use them for our network to handle security and connectivity mainly.

Our core business is to sell beverages, so we're not your typical telecom or banking institution that would be a typical Cisco client.

The quality of service is one of the main reasons we use Cisco in our organization. It's quite high and very reliable. The switches also end up working for a long time, so there's less need to replace them as often as others. We have some switches in our company that have been running since 2006, for example. They are quite old, but they still work.

The security and the user interface are both good. Mainly, I end up using the command lines, but it's okay for me and the way I work. It's my preference, although it's not ideal for everyone.

There are quite a few features that Cisco offers, but for our business, it's not really necessary. If you are a telecom or a banking institution, you would probably find them to be quite useful.

The cost is very prohibitive both for us as well as other organizations. It's very expensive to buy Cisco switches. Among our colleagues, we find that we're not alone in thinking it's too high. Everyone's complaining about this. 

We have many switches that we've used sine 2006 and that are on the old OS, but we don't want to switch them out because the cost to do so would be quite high.

The graphical user interface could be a bit better. When we have new employees, we want them to onboard quickly and to be able to understand the switches. Having a better graphical interface would help us do that and help them understand the switches faster. While I prefer command line, many are not good with it or do not prefer that method.

We've been using the solution since 2006. It's been more than ten years, so we're quite well versed in the technology.

The solution is quite stable. Cisco is a brand that's known for its stability. Our switches have worked for well over 10 years in some cases, without fail.

We never really directly deal with Cisco, so I can't speak to how well they are from a customer service perspective.

We moved from a different type of switch originally. We found switching over was quite straightforward and didn't run into any difficulties. However, now our office and our infrastructure are much more complex, so there is a bit of a learning curve. Companies with complex infrastructures will find that there will be complexity in the setup. They'll have to sort through that when they get started.

Originally, when our offices were smaller and more straightforward, deployment didn't take to much time. We handled it over a weekend, from Friday to Sunday or Monday. However, at the time, we weren't yet doing segmentation traffic.

We had a consultant in Belgium who came in over the weekend to help us with the process when we originally set up the switches. Normally we work within our own team and have our own in-house workers that handle the configuration.

I don't handle the licensing aspect of the solution, so I can't speak to the exact pricing. However, I am aware it's one of the more expensive options on the market. The last time I bought a 24-port switch, which was a while ago, I paid about five or six thousand Euros. In this part of the world, that's quite expensive for us.

I did compare Cisco to Ubiquiti. I was doing this research for a friend who was trying to open a resort but had limited funding. He didn't want to deal with Cisco as he knew the pricing would be out of his budget, so he asked me to look into another option. He asked that I look at Ubiquiti. For him, Ubiquiti ended up being a good option and was quite affordable. I believe you can also use Ubiquiti at an enterprise level as well. 

We mainly work with Cisco ethernet switches at our organization.

Aside from the cost, the Cisco switches are quite stable and easy to use. 

If you have the money as an organization, I would highly recommend Cisco.

We are just a customer of Cisco. We don't have a special relationship with the company in any way shape or form.

I would rate the solution 8.5 out of ten. I would rate it higher, but the price is too high, in my opinion. It's quite good for me in terms of the usage I get out of it, but I find that I don't use other features that Cisco offers now.

I primarily work with network solutions like Cisco Ethernet switches, especially when it comes to secure networking through VLANs.

The deployment of Cisco Ethernet switches has improved organizational operations by being effective and reliable in our environment.

The most valuable features of Cisco Ethernet switches include plug-and-play capabilities, ease of deployment, and high reliability.

There is a need for improvement on the ordering and delivery side for Cisco Ethernet switches.

I have been working with Cisco switches for about ten to 15 years.

Cisco Ethernet switches are reliable, and I have not encountered any issues with their stability.

Cisco products are compatible with various industries and support scalability efficiently.

I am 100% satisfied with the technical support provided by Cisco.

Positive

I have mostly used Cisco switches, however, if a customer has budget constraints, I might suggest using Sophos switches.

The initial setup of Cisco Ethernet switches was straightforward and efficient, taking minimal time.

Initially, implementing AI-driven technologies on Cisco switches required some effort, but the results are commendable.

The solution is described as midrange in terms of pricing.

I have recommended Sophos switches to customers who have budget issues.

Cisco Ethernet switches are compatible with many industries and reliable for various network implementations.

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.

Cisco Ethernet Switches are pretty reliable, and I have rarely seen one of them break. Cisco has a wide portfolio that fits every need.

Cisco's equipment is expensive, especially since it introduced the obligatory purchase of Cisco DNA.

I have been using Cisco Ethernet Switches since 2008.

I rate the solution an eight out of ten for stability.

Around 50,000 users are using Cisco Ethernet Switches in our organization.

I rate the solution’s scalability ten out of ten.

The solution’s technical support is pretty good.

I rate the technical support of Cisco Ethernet Switches an eight to nine out of ten.

Positive

I previously used Alcatel and Aruba HPE.

The solution’s initial setup is easy.

We implemented the solution through an in-house team. Depending on the engineer's knowledge, a single switch can be deployed within twenty minutes.

Cisco's equipment is expensive, especially since it introduced the obligatory purchase of Cisco DNA. Cisco DNA is really, really expensive, and eliminating the necessity for purchasing it would reduce the solution's price. Some new Cisco switches support Cisco DNA, and some don't. You would have to buy more expensive switches to fully use Cisco DNA, which most enterprises simply don't do.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing ten out of ten.

I have utilized Cisco Ethernet Switches in production, regular office plans, and all kinds of environments. In enterprise environments, I have covered everything from offices to manufacturing and labs. We faced no challenges while integrating Cisco Ethernet Switches into our existing network infrastructure.

Cisco should definitely give customers the ability to choose whether they want Cisco DNA or not. Currently, customers need to choose Cisco DNA for at least three years, which is appalling. Customers are buying something they will never use. I would recommend Cisco Ethernet Switches to other users because of its reliability and simplicity.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

The platform's management features need improvement.

We have been using Cisco Ethernet Switches for ten years.

I rate the platform's stability a nine out of ten.

The platform is highly scalable. I rate the scalability a ten out of ten.

Our experience working with the technical support service team was great. The engineers took around an hour to resolve the issue.

Positive

The product can be deployed on-premises and on the cloud as well. It takes a few minutes to complete the process.

The product is expensive.

Port security is one of the most crucial features of the platform. It allows for analyzing and confirming security measures at the port level. 

The user interface and management of Cisco switches have significantly simplified network administration. The tool is easy to use, offering numerous options in terms of server connection.

While integrating Cisco Ethernet switches into existing network infrastructure, one challenge I encountered was ensuring connectivity with other servers.

It is reliable and stable, offering a wide range of features that can be easily implemented.

I rate it a ten out of ten.

We primarily use the solution as an ethernet switch. 

The product is very robust.

It offers better reporting than any other OEM.

The solution is easy to set up. 

It is stable.

The solution can scale. 

In India, we have a requirement for free replacement warranties. For example, brands like HP are offering free replacement parts. Cisco needs to offer free replacement parts. They need to offer free replacements until the end of life for devices. They should offer this without requiring renewals. 

I have been using Cisco for the last 15 years. 

The solution is totally stable. I've used it for the last ten to 15 years and haven't faced any issues. There are no bugs or glitches. 

This is a scalable product. It expands well. 

We have about 50 users on the solution right now. 

I've never had to contact technical support. I cannot speak to how the support services are. 

The initial setup is very easy. We find it more straightforward than HP or Juniper.

The deployment process didn't take too long. If there is pre-planning done and it is okay, it shouldn't take more than one hour.

The solution is a bit more expensive when compared to other options. However, they are not so different. HP, for example, isn't much cheaper. They are all mostly the same.  

We are currently considering using Aruba and are evaluating them. 

I'm a customer and end-user.

It's a good solution. of course, you need to choose what meets your company's requirements. If you have the capital to buy it, I would recommend it. 

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. It is robust and I have very few problems when dealing with Cisco switches. Also, support is fantastic.

There are no additional features in the switch from Cisco. They are conventional switches that only provide basic Layer Two switching capabilities and do not have the advanced security features that newer switches, such as Fortinet offer. They simply forward data and do not have any other capabilities.

The most valuable feature of Cisco Ethernet Switches is its hardware.

The current state of Cisco Ethernet Switches leaves room for improvement, particularly in regard to central management and security. While they possess the capability to function as owners of Layer Two, they fall short in regard to security awareness. While there are some supplementary products available that can provide additional security measures, such as the deployment of virtual machines, these solutions are external and not integrated within the switch itself. For this reason, Cisco Ethernet switches could benefit from incorporating the same centralized management and security features as other companies, such as Fortinet, offer in their FortiSwitches. By being aware of potential threats such as MAC spoofing and ARP poisoning, the switch can provide a more comprehensive level of security.

I have been using Cisco Ethernet Switches for a very long time.

I've communicated with the technical support team of Cisco previously in regard to their switches. I have always been pleased with the support I have received from them. No matter what challenges I have encountered with their products, I have always been satisfied with their assistance. The support team has consistently demonstrated their readiness to assist and I have never encountered any issues with their support services. Thus, I can confirm that I have indeed had previous interactions with the Cisco support team.

The initial setup of Cisco Ethernet Switches is never easy.

The solution is highly expensive compared to other solutions. The prices get tripled when they arrived in my country of Angola.

I would recommend others use Arista, Fortinet, or Juniper switches.

The adoption of Cisco Ethernet switches in Angola was a result of various factors, including the popularity and widespread usage of the brand. Additionally, the impact of the research and advisory firm, Gartner, has played a significant role in the purchasing decisions of decision-makers. Despite the speaker's advice to not solely rely on Gartner's recommendations, the company's influence is perceived as prominent as they often feature the most expensive solutions at the top of their rankings.

I rate Cisco Ethernet Switches a seven out of ten.

We are a fiber-optic provider. We have a lot of switches from Cisco and some from Microchip. We have C3750E, which is one of the main Cisco Ethernet switches. All ports of this switch are fiber.

We have a local Cisco partner here who is quite reliable, so we patronize that partner. They do everything on our behalf, especially the licenses.

What we love about the Cisco switches is that they are very reliable. You can deploy them and go to sleep, and you can be sure that nothing is going to go wrong. Our initial equipment was installed by a Chinese manufacturer named Fiberhome a couple of years ago. Their switches were called S engines. They worked, but some days, you just wake up, and the switch has popped up. It was a lot of crisis. Therefore, we are in the process of trying to take out all their switches and replace them with Cisco switches. We are getting good results in terms of reliability and even technical support.

Cisco switches are good as they are, but it would be a major feature if they have built-in routers. Some of the Microchip switches have routers built in the same device. They have a router switch. For some of the sites, we deploy such switches because the client does not want a separate router and a separate switch. So, we go for a router switch with maybe 24 ports. Some of them are fiber, and some of them are ethernet. It would be a major improvement to what Cisco is already doing.

Behind the scenes, a lot of scripting and stuff like this is happening. A lot of workload can be lifted if Cisco had a good GUI. If you look at Microchip switches, they have a good GUI in addition to the CLI.

I have been using Cisco Ethernet Switches for four years.

We've been using them for a couple of years now. They have been running from day one after we installed them. Besides general maintenance issues, we never really have to turn them off.

They're very reliable and stable. These are the most stable switches that we have. In a country like ours, Cisco switches are the only devices that have second-hand value. You could go to a second-hand shop and buy a second-hand industrial version, not the small business or domestic version, of the Cisco switch or router. It will still serve you well.

We've not really used much of the technical support even though for the new switches, we pay for it. The main benefit is the updates on iOS. We've never really had a situation where something went wrong with it, and we had to get in touch with technical support.

The initial setup is straightforward. I wonder why some of the new Cisco switches still come with anterior port RS232 and why do they still maintain that. 

Price is a pain point for us. We've lost a lot of bids, and the reason has been that we majorly quoted Cisco devices. Some of our competitors quoted other devices like Ubiquity or Microchip. Some even quoted this Chinese product TP-Link, and they won the bid over us because we quoted Cisco. Meanwhile, the major reason why we quoted Cisco is reliability and stability from day one. They also last longer. The prices could be worked on so that they become more affordable.

We had to deploy a city-wide WiFi network, and we were working in conjunction with Google. Because of the price, even Google recommended a product called Ruckus, so we used Ruckus over Cisco. Its price and license were the main reasons. You have to pay to renew the license every year. Even though you also renew the licenses for Ruckus, but they are much cheaper than Cisco. So, while I would recommend Cisco any time, the trouble remains with the pricing.

I would highly recommend it, especially for people who are doing wide-scale deployments like campus networks or a city-wide network square. 

I would rate Cisco Ethernet Switches a ten out of ten. I don't see any product that performs better. We had a Chinese company coming in to do a bunch of presentations and stuff like that, but at the end of the day, those of us who are at the back doing the configurations understand that it is nothing closer to what Cisco offers.

We primarily use the solution in our data center or campus connectivity. We're using bridges to connect end-user devices and terminals.

The solution comes from a solid company that always offers good quality products. It's a real market leader in this area and can provide end-to-end solutions.  

The initial setup is straightforward. It's not too hard.

The product offers very good customer support. It's likely the best in the industry.

There is very good distribution around the globe. 

The products are very reliable.

A single switch is very easy to manage.

Cisco doesn't do everything 100% perfect. There are competitors that have developed simpler and cheaper options, for example. The solution really should offer better pricing. It would help them stay competitive.

The product is a bit difficult to manage as there's a different management system now.

The network management system could be improved. 

I've worked with the solution for 25 years now. I've used it for decades. I have a wealth of experience with this product.

The solution is quite stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. The performance is good.

The product scales quite well. It works for any size organization. A company can also expand it out if they need to.

We have around 2,500 customers and half of them use Cisco.

Technical support is excellent. It's the best in the industry.

As an implementor, I've worked with a variety of solutions, including Aruba, Mellanox, Juniper, Ruckus, and more. I've worked with most of the vendors in the industry.

The initial setup is not overly complex. It's pretty straightforward. 

The deployment depends. It can take from a couple of minutes to a couple of months. It depends on the project and it depends on the size of the network.

How many people you need for the deployment depends on the size of the job. Some companies have their own on-site engineers.

The solution does not come cheap. It's quite pricey.

You do need a license in order to use the solution.

I work with the latest version of the solution. I'm an implementor and my company is a Cisco Gold partner.

I would recommend the solution to others. I would rate the solution at an eight out of ten.