3Com H3C Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Cisco are both solutions in the Ethernet Switches category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #20 with an average rating of 10.0, while Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.9. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 1.0% mindshare in ES, compared to Cisco’s 14.7% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

3Com H3C Switches

Read 7 3Com H3C Switches reviews

1,220 Views
972 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Cisco Ethernet Switches

Read 134 Cisco Ethernet Switches reviews

17,448 Views
15,833 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

3Com H3C Switches

Cisco Ethernet Switches

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Cisco Ethernet Switches and 3Com H3C Switches are products in the network infrastructure market. Cisco seems to have the upper hand due to higher customer satisfaction in support and pricing.

Features: Cisco Ethernet Switches offer robust security features, enhanced scalability, and extensive protocol support, ensuring a reliable network environment. 3Com H3C Switches focus on network automation, intelligent management tools, and advanced features that streamline operations.

Room for Improvement: Cisco could improve affordability and simplify complex configurations, while enhancing automation features. 3Com H3C might benefit from expanding support resources, refining documentation, and enhancing their security features to align with market leaders.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Ethernet Switches provide comprehensive documentation and strong customer service support, facilitating seamless deployment. 3Com H3C Switches excel in straightforward deployment with intuitive management interfaces and responsive support channels.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Ethernet Switches require higher upfront costs but offer competitive ROI through performance and support. 3Com H3C Switches are more cost-efficient, providing substantial ROI with lower maintenance expenses and effective network automation.

To learn more, read our detailed 3Com H3C Switches vs. Cisco Ethernet Switches Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

3Com H3C Switches vs. Cisco Ethernet Switches

April 2025

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Helped 851,491 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

3Com H3C Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

20th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco Ethernet Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

134

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of 3Com H3C Switches is 1.0%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 14.7%, down from 18.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ethernet Switches

Featured Reviews

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at VIPUN COGNITIVE SOLUTIONS PVT LTD.

Upgraded interface supports efficient configuration and extensive network layer integration

The user interface is upgraded to the latest GUI technology, allowing configurations like VLAN to be done through the interface rather than the command line, making it more efficient. The solutions provided support many network layers extensively, including VLANs, L3 APIs, and L4, L5, L7 application layers, which improve customization, security, and data management.

Read full review

Pradeep Adhav

Asst IT Manager at Ultra Engineers

Network security enhancement with sturdy switches despite high costs

The Cisco Ethernet switches are primarily used as regular core switches for networking, distribution, and access levels. We also utilize Cisco Wi-Fi, VPN, and Wi-Fi controllers The Cisco Ethernet switches have improved our network's security, ensuring it is 100% secure by not allowing any…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The reliability of the solution has been the best feature."

"The user interface is upgraded to the latest GUI technology, allowing configurations like VLAN to be done through the interface rather than the command line, making it more efficient."

"The installation is quite straightforward."

"Their customer service is instant with a tracking system and follow-ups for human access."

"The hardware side is a very big advantage. We use it 24/7 and we haven't had any problems so far with the switches."

"They're straightforward and stable."

"They are easy to use, they are cheaper, and it's a trusted brand."

"The layer-2 switching is very fast."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches are more stable than other products."

"The most valuable feature of Cisco Ethernet Switches is their stability. They are rock solid, and that's the advantage of Cisco."

"The initial setup was very easy."

"It is very scalable."

"One of the most valuable aspects of Cisco Ethernet Switches is many engineers can work on the equipment. You can find qualified engineers that can configure Cisco equipment more than any other networking equipment."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches have good performance."

"Cisco switches are trouble-free. They are reliable, and their performance is excellent."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pros

Cons

"When we try to do configuration changes sometimes it malfunctions."

"I think there's nothing that needs to be improved because the company is no longer in existence."

"The company should come up with new security features and new management and log recording systems, helping customers to analyze issues and prevent future incidents."

"The configuration of 3Com H3C Switches could be better."

"The company should come up with new security features and new management and log recording systems, helping customers to analyze issues and prevent future incidents."

"The technical support services need improvement in terms of communication."

"The cost and the integration with other solutions could be better."

"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."

"In terms of what could be improved, there is the bulk issue that is sometimes experienced with Cisco products we've used."

"The technical support should be improved."

"The technical support could improve, they are about average quality."

"The solution really should offer better pricing. It would help them stay competitive."

"I think the price should be cheaper to be able to afford more."

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

"Cisco has a lot of propriety protocols compared to other products, such as Arista Networks."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost could be improved, but it is cheaper than the others."

"3Com H3C Switches have a competitive cost. I rate the pricing a nine out of ten."

"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."

"The price of this solution is good."

"The solution has different prices depending on the features that you want to have."

"This is an expensive solution, but you are paying for stability."

"The price of Cisco Ethernet Switches is expensive."

"Cisco offers annual and three-year license options."

"While Cisco's pricing can be a concern, particularly with support fees, its overall features and support community make it a solid choice."

"Cisco is quite expensive. In our market, a lot of customers are forced to go with something else because they cannot afford a brand-new Cisco even though they know a Cisco switch will be more reliable."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user82779

Engineer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees

Jan 29, 2014

Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco

Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

University

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about 3Com H3C Switches?

The installation is quite straightforward.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for 3Com H3C Switches?

The price depends on the segments the switches serve. For some segments, they can be costly.

See all answers

What needs improvement with 3Com H3C Switches?

The company should come up with new security features and new management and log recording systems, helping customers to analyze issues and prevent future incidents. Remediation recommendations sho...

See all answers

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?

Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...

See all answers

Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?

We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...

See all answers

In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?

Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba Switches vs 3Com H3C Switches

Compared 17% of the time

D-Link Ethernet Switches vs 3Com H3C Switches

Compared 9% of the time

MikroTik Routers and Switches vs 3Com H3C Switches

Compared 8% of the time

Huawei Ethernet Switches vs 3Com H3C Switches

Compared 8% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs 3Com H3C Switches

Compared 7% of the time

More 3Com H3C Switches Competitors

Aruba Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 19% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 16% of the time

D-Link Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 10% of the time

H3C Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 7% of the time

Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco Ethernet Switches Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

May 2025

Download 3Com H3C Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches

May 2025

Download Cisco Ethernet Switches product report

Also Known As

No data available

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches

Overview

3Com Baseline switches provide cost-effective layer 2 10/100 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet switching for LANs that do not need management capabilities. Simple to install and economical to own, they feature wirespeed performance on fixed-configuration, rack-mountable platforms.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Cisco Ethernet Switches scale to meet the needs of networks of all sizes. They are Secure, Reliable and Seamless.

Cisco

Sample Customers

British Columbia Assessment Authority, DreamWorks, DRV

Linz AG

Buyer's Guide

3Com H3C Switches vs. Cisco Ethernet Switches

April 2025

Free Report: 3Com H3C Switches vs. Cisco Ethernet Switches

Find out what your peers are saying about 3Com H3C Switches vs. Cisco Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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