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Cyber Security Consultant at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jun 13, 2021
Easy to use with perfect technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "The features that I have found most valuable are that it is easy to use and it has good technical support."
  • "It would be good for Cisco to provide certification to our engineers for our IT infrastructure. Basically to train and certify our engineers."

What is our primary use case?

We built all our ground network on Cisco Switches.

What is most valuable?

The features that I have found most valuable are that it is easy to use and it has good technical support.

We cooperate with local Cisco teams here in the Ukraine. They help us to develop our system and support it.

What needs improvement?

It would be good for Cisco to provide certification to our engineers for our IT infrastructure. Basically to train and certify our engineers.

In the next release I would like to see more training and documentations for our engineers.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Cisco Ethernet Switches for about five years.

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Cisco Ethernet Switches
February 2026
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco Switches is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco Switches are scalable.

We have 300 users using it and 5 guys from the IT department that support our network.

They are basically all engineers and some programmers.

How are customer service and support?

Cisco's technical support is perfect. There is no need to improve anything there.

How was the initial setup?

If we have problems with the setup, we ask the local Cisco team and they help us. We have good cooperation with the local team.

What other advice do I have?

Cisco Switches are very good. They are interoperable with Microsoft solutions, by the way.

On a scale from one to 10, I would rate Cisco Switches about a nine.

I would surely recommend Cisco Switches for other users who want to start using it.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user1591944 - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Technology Security Architect at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jun 8, 2021
Can be easily configured and used at data centers and at the enterprise level
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to configure and troubleshoot."
  • "Up to a certain network size, it is easy to scale, but after that, it becomes difficult."

What is most valuable?

I have found the ease of configuration and troubleshooting, compared to those with other solutions, to be the most valuable.

What needs improvement?

The number of bugs that come up on Cisco Ethernet Switches can be reduced, and the stability can be improved, in particular with the recent iOS.

The scalability can be improved as well. Up to a certain network size, it is easy to scale, but after that, it becomes difficult.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Cisco Ethernet Switches for almost 12 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the recent iOS is not good, and every now and then, there are bugs.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is medium, that is, it's neither hard nor easy to scale.

Specifically, it is easy to scale up to a certain network size, but it becomes difficult beyond that.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is very good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy, and the whole switching fabric takes a lot less time to configure and be made ready for deployment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of this solution is fair.

What other advice do I have?

Cisco Ethernet Switches can be easily used at data centers and also at the enterprise level. However, if you're looking for a solution for a large scale deployment or for a large scale data center, then you should probably consider a different solution.

I would rate Cisco Ethernet Switches at eight on a scale from one to ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Ethernet Switches
February 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Ethernet Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2026.
881,757 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Technical Support Manager at a engineering company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
May 24, 2021
Stable ethernet switches
Pros and Cons
  • "I'm satisfied with Cisco switches. It's stable and beautiful."
  • "Technical support could be better. Firmware upgrades should be better. We have an issue with upgrading the firmware. It's not upgradable. I think it should be easy to improve and upgrade the firmware."

What is our primary use case?

We use Cisco Ethernet Switches for our data center, management center, and at our headquarters.

What is most valuable?

I'm satisfied with Cisco switches. It's stable and beautiful. 

What needs improvement?

Technical support could be better. Firmware upgrades should be better. We have an issue with upgrading the firmware. It's not upgradable. I think it should be easy to improve and upgrade the firmware.

Some of the powerboards could be better. I have about six models or six spots with Model 3550, and all of them have a defect in the powerboards.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Ethernet Switches for many years. I have many models, and some models are older than 20 years. They have worked up to now, and we have used the newest versions for about five years.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support could be better. I think they take some long time to exchange a switch or replace it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It's a little expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I would tell potential users that they should use it if it's within their budget.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Cisco Ethernet Switches a nine.

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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1578237 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Director of IT and Data Analytics at a performing arts with 201-500 employees
Real User
May 21, 2021
Scalable, good POE functionality, and responsive technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "One main feature of this solution is the POE switches."
  • "The interface and dashboard could look better."

What is our primary use case?

We are using the solution as switches for our organization's network.

What is most valuable?

One main feature of this solution is the POE switches.

What needs improvement?

The interface and dashboard could look better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for approximately two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have been using a lot of hardware that is probably close to 10 years old. We did have an issue once with one of our switches that would just auto-reset and wipe out and randomly restart. I do not know the full details, but we ended up just replacing it.

In the future, there should be readily available instructional videos.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is pretty good, all you need to do is add more racks. We have approximately 70 people that rely on this solution from my organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

We paid for the technical support and they were good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have been evaluating Fortinet solutions.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Cisco Ethernet 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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1531497 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Admin at a transportation company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Mar 22, 2021
Deliver performance and security
Pros and Cons
  • "These switches are both stable and scalable."
  • "It would be nice if they had higher wattage for PoE+."

What is our primary use case?

We use these switches to improve client connections.

We're a manufacturing facility — we have POCs and terminals. We have maybe 90 to 100 users with desk phones, and roughly 20 printers.

We don't perform maintenance ourselves. A third-party company handles the maintenance. We also outsource other vendors to help us with some complex configurations that we've had implemented.  

What is most valuable?

I would like to have a way to access a graphical web interface, but they either have an outdated iOS or they don't work well with Flash. They don't work well or show us enough details. They don't show errors or bandwidth on particular reports. 

What needs improvement?

I don't know if there were optional models, but the models that we bought don't have a redundant power supply. It would be nice if they had higher wattage for PoE+.

It would also be nice if they didn't have plastic faceplates that break easily.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Cisco Ethernet Switches for over 13 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

These switches are both stable and scalable. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Cisco's technical support is usually quite helpful.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not complex, but it's not easy either. I know what to do with Cisco switches, but we had one FortiGate switch that we used to connect our firewalls which I liked because it was easy to set up and had a nice interface. 

What about the implementation team?

Deployment was easy. I just took it out of the box and configured it. Deployment only took a few hours. I deployed them myself. 

What was our ROI?

We haven't seen any gains as of yet.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I am interested in switching over to Fortinet FortiSwitches. I've been checking them out, comparing the price, features, and compatibility compared to Cisco Ethernet Switches. It may be a mixed environment for a while.

We're looking for a better graphical interface and price. 

What other advice do I have?

My advice would be to look at Fortinet. Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give Cisco Ethernet Switches a rating of eight. 

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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1515924 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Mar 22, 2021
Stable with good technical support and the capability to scale
Pros and Cons
  • "Tech support has always been good."
  • "They can make the licensing model a little easier."

What is our primary use case?

Generally, we use the product just to switch traffic.

How has it helped my organization?

They just work. Their reliability has been great for our organization.

What is most valuable?

We just need them to run. There's not any feature that we sought out and we bought them. We bought them due to the fact that we needed switching capabilities and Cisco is pretty reliable.

The solution can scale.

Technical support is helpful and responsive.

What needs improvement?

They can make the licensing model a little easier. I know they've made some recent changes, it's a little confusing. It's more complicated than it once was.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Cisco switches for 20 years. It's been a very long time.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

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

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

They're doing the job fine. We have upgraded them when we needed to. We can scale as necessary.

I can't speak to how many users are currently on our switches.

How are customer service and technical support?

Tech support has always been good. They are helpful and responsive. I'm quite satisfied with their level of service.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We also use Aruba switches and Dell PowerConnect.

How was the initial setup?

The implementation process has a moderate level of difficulty. It's not straightforward or complex; it's somewhere in the middle. Sometimes they change the iOS around, and that lends itself to a bit of complexity. You have to work on updating items.

There were a couple of versions early on where we buy a different model switch and the operating system was different, with different commands and stuff.

We didn't really have a specific implementation strategy.

Initially, some of the switches took about an hour to implement.

I take care of the maintenance aspects of the product. You don't need a lot of people to do it.

What about the implementation team?

Occasionally, we've gotten outside help when we've needed it, however, most of the time I take care of that myself.

When we have gotten outside help, the experience has always been positive.

What was our ROI?

I haven't specifically witnessed any ROI while using this solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing model is difficult to understand.

We get the SMARTnet and one of the switches has that Cisco ONE licensing. It's probably running about $12,000 a year right now. There aren't any add-on costs on top of that that I am aware of.

What other advice do I have?

We're just customers and end-users.

We've had several versions over the years, mostly Catalyst switches.

It's just a really solid product. I'd give the product a rating of eight out of ten as they are really good switches.

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.
PeerSpot user
reviewer975252 - PeerSpot reviewer
sTAM at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Feb 28, 2021
Reliable with good customer support and global distribution
Pros and Cons
  • "The product offers very good customer support. It's likely the best in the industry."
  • "The solution really should offer better pricing. It would help them stay competitive."

What is our primary use case?

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

What is most valuable?

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.

What needs improvement?

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. 

For how long have I used the solution?

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.

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 reliable. The performance is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

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.

How are customer service and technical support?

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

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

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.

How was the initial setup?

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.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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

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

What other advice do I have?

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.

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
PeerSpot user
IT Manager at a construction company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jan 2, 2021
Stable infrastructure components that scale with our needs
Pros and Cons
  • "As I am Cisco certified, I like the way that I can program them."
  • "Better manageability and ease of use would be an improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We use Cisco Ethernet Switches as part of our network infrastructure at two different sites.

How has it helped my organization?

Cisco switches has helped provide efficient and stable switching in the organization. Once configured and setup right they work fine without any worries and has helped free up resources to concentrate on other tasks. 

What is most valuable?

I love the fact that they can be configured to do exactly what you need them to do, which in my opinion is what anyone with Cisco experience would enjoy doing. They can be set up and configured nicely.

What needs improvement?

Ease of configuration for none cisco experts would be an improvement.

Pricing can also do with some improvement to make it more competitive with competitor products with similar functionality.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using cisco switches for over ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco switches are scalable. I manage two large sites and at the first site, we have about 200 people. The second site has about 300 people. We do not have any plan to expand, per se. I do have plans to upgrade the switches and probably redesign the environment for better efficiency. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Cisco has a good technical support and I love they way the come in to help when you are doing a research on their site. I have not had any serious need for cisco technical support and so I would not be in the best position to give a conclusive evaluation of this but I must say they do a good job with their certifications so people would need very little of such services.  For a few minor challenges I was also able to get answers from the cisco forums. There is a pretty good database online for any conceivable problems one would face with the cisco switches.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not use a different solution prior to this, although we are going to be buying a few Meraki switches that we will add to our environment. We are going to test them to see how well they work with Cisco.

How was the initial setup?

The initial set was complex. When I came into the project, the features were just put in with no consideration, whatsoever. This meant that I had to start from scratch to design the network, draw up the configurations and setup vlans to easily manage the network.

What about the implementation team?

It was implemented in-house.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of the product is on the higher side, I feel you pay for the  name of the product as well but it's still manageable for corporate customers. Licensing is simple and straight forward which is something going well for cisco switches.

What other advice do I have?

My advice is that if you are going to be implementing Cisco then you should at least have someone in the organization who is knowledgeable and can manage the features. The alternative is to use Meraki because they are easier to manage.

We have some pretty old switches in our environment and some of them are only 100 megabits. I would like to upgrade them all to at least one-gigabit.

Some of our uplinks are on ethernet, but I want to upgrade them to fiber to improve the performance.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
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Download our free Cisco Ethernet Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: February 2026
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Download our free Cisco Ethernet Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.