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Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch L...
Ranking in LAN Switching
8th
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in LAN Switching
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
175
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (7th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches is 3.7%, up from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 29.4%, down from 32.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
LAN Switching
 

Featured Reviews

Kannan Venkatraman - PeerSpot reviewer
Elements that are suited for the hospitality industry, easy to configure and has good technical support
Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches have elements that are suited for the hospitality industry. For example, they want a phone, switches, routers, and WiFi, all from one vendor. As a result, they can provide all solutions. They don't want to approach different vendors, for support, maintenance, or any other activities. From a single vendor, or they can view the entire IT solution from any office, at any infrastructure setup. If you go with any other third-party, you would have to rely on different vendors and setups for each manufacturer. With Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches everything comes from one vendor. It operates very smoothly.
Joshua Odunsi - PeerSpot reviewer
Ensures efficient performance and supports network growth with optimal speed
Catalyst Switches are efficient and swift, which is valuable for my organization. I experience optimal speed and effective configuration, making them stand out compared to other switches. The PoE switches offer more ports on SFP, and it is efficient in use. Overall, the switches provide me with the value I expect in terms of speed and efficiency.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"OmniSwitch LAN Switches' performance is very good."
"I rate the technical support an eight or a nine out of ten. So far, they've been very professional and helpful, especially when we need to raise a case for any issue."
"One of the main advantages of the solution is that the configuration is straightforward, offering various configuration options through CLI or web interfaces. I'm satisfied with the customer service and support. The solution is good and people should know about it."
"The most valuable feature is the ease of configuration."
"With Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches everything comes from one vendor. It operates very smoothly."
"These OmniSwitches are very manageable and easy to configure."
"The solution is robust in terms of the equipment provided."
"Cisco comes with built-in software access for network devices."
"I like everything about Cisco Catalyst Switches. It's both stable and scalable."
"One good feature is UPOE. Another is having a built-in controller, the customer doesn't have to ask for another controller. For example, you get a built-in controller with the C650. And two-port is one of the premium factors from Cisco."
"This solution has a pretty good rate of not causing unexpected behavior or failing. We're using maybe 900 switches right now. And, rarely, if ever, something fails, it's dependable."
"I like the flexibility of this product."
"One of the main features of this solution is it is easy to manage."
"The solution is stable."
 

Cons

"There is no OEM support in India so RMAs need to be sent to France, which takes a long time if the hardware is faulty."
"There are some issues with the network firmware being deleted from the switches."
"n general, the way the product is put together is not well done."
"I would like to see better third-party integration with third-party systems."
"A customer expressed dissatisfaction with the color of the switches, preferring black over the current color, which is close to white. While the color is not a personal concern, my earlier preference was for all products to be extendable in one large stack since some equipment limits stacking to four elements instead of eight."
"The price could be better. For Cisco, there is no need for improvement except for the price. It's expensive."
"With most of the Cisco devices and models, we faced a slight decrease in speed during the initial setup and while restarting the system"
"Cisco is a bit complex."
"The customer service and support need a bit more improvement and a faster response. So, there is an area of improvement."
"Cisco forces end-users to accept billing for some capabilities or services that they may not want."
"The solution is quite expensive for our clients. It's a pain point for some companies. They should work to reduce the price."
"The product could offer more integrations with other solutions."
"The solution could improve by adding a user-friendly GUI. We use third-party applications for log monitoring that are expensive and if Cisco could provide log monitoring as part of this solution it would be beneficial."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"OmniSwitch LAN Switches are cheaper than Cisco's switches."
"The solution’s price is at a moderate level."
"The price is okay. It's comparable to similar switches."
"The license is purchased one time only, it is a perpetual license with no renewal."
"The price could be improved."
"We are on an annual license to use this solution and the price of the solution could be reduced. We have spent hundreds of thousands on our Wi-Fi network."
"There are no licensing fees required."
"We pay the licensing fees annually because we have an enterprise license agreement."
"The new products from Cisco in the market are expensive. My company cannot import Cisco products, so they are mostly unavailable."
"Cisco switches are expensive. Their price range is based not only on what the product does but also the name in the industry. They are good at what they do. If you need a better product, there are other lineups available."
"You don't have to pay any additional costs while using the product."
"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
17%
Retailer
12%
Real Estate/Law Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Educational Organization
67%
Computer Software Company
6%
Government
3%
Manufacturing Company
3%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches?
One of the main advantages of the solution is that the configuration is straightforward, offering various configuration options through CLI or web interfaces. I'm satisfied with the customer serv...
What needs improvement with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches?
A customer expressed dissatisfaction with the color of the switches, preferring black over the current color, which is close to white. While the color is not a personal concern, my earlier preferen...
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 ...
What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?
We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
Although Juniper is cheaper, Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.
 

Also Known As

Alcatel Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches, OmniSwitch, OmniSwitch LAN Switches
Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
 

Overview

Information not available
 

Sample Customers

Advocate Health Care, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Azienda Ospedaliera della Provincia di Lodi, Centre Hospitalier Carcassonne, Certis Cisco Security, China Tianchen Engineering Corporation Co. LTD, City of Frankfurt, Dongseo University
Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena
Find out what your peers are saying about Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch LAN Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.