Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] comparison

Cisco and Dell Technologies are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Dell Technologies users who would recommend it.

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 177 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

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3,562 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

Read 34 Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] reviews

90% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 27, 2025

Cisco Catalyst Switches and Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] are key players in the network switch market. Based on the data comparisons, Cisco Catalyst Switches appear to have the upper hand due to their advanced routing capabilities, reliability, and extensive features.

Features: Cisco Catalyst Switches are noted for their strong VLAN capabilities, enhanced stability, and seamless integration with Cisco products. They provide robust performance and easy configurability. Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] highlight simplicity and ease of configuration, paired with competitive pricing, making them attractive for cost-conscious buyers needing straightforward integration.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Catalyst Switches could improve with better pricing and a simplified licensing model, as their high cost can be prohibitive. Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] face limitations with advanced features and integration issues with proprietary protocols, which are areas users seek enhancements, including feature expansion and more stable firmware.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Catalyst Switches are recognized for strong on-premises deployment and comprehensive customer support, despite concerns over service quality and pricing models. Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] are praised for simpler deployment and adequate support, offering cost-effective solutions, yet Cisco's customer service tends to be more comprehensive.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Catalyst Switches, although expensive, justify their pricing with high performance and reliable support; however, users desire more competitive pricing. Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] are favored for affordability and a good price-to-feature balance, providing cost-effective options for those not requiring advanced functionalities. Both offer satisfactory ROI, with Cisco potentially taking longer due to higher upfront costs.

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August 2025

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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

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

177

Ranking in other categories

LAN Switching (1st), Ethernet Switches (7th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

8.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Joshua Odunsi

I.T INFRASTRUCTURE/SECURITY ADMINISTRATOR at Haggai Mortgage Bank Ltd

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.

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LarsEvans

Chief Technology Officer / Chief Information Security Officer at Lorton Data, Inc.

Reliable and useful for network segmentation

The solution's most valuable feature stands up well. The tool is reliable, and it stands up well. The solution works fine and lasts a long time. I think if you speak about the features that have a flow and you can measure, it is hard to say. I don't spend a lot of my time with the tool, but I know that Dell APEX is the solution's cloud. I would say the VLAN features are important. The VLAN features are really useful because network segmentation is important. I would say the tool is easy to program. I don't know if the tool has any security features that I am aware of other than the fact that the solution is for networking. The VLAN and the ability to segment your networks are easy, which is its security feature.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is beneficial for interconnecting POE telephones, computers, printers, and buffering networks."

"The configuration is easy."

"The most valuable feature is the interface, it's easy to configure. The command line uses a switch that gives us security."

"As far as technology is concerned, Cisco improves the client-to-client business."

"We heavily use the SmartPort features. It has really helped us. The U.S. policies are handled by the auto SmartPort feature"

"Scalable product."

"The solution is very stable."

"A good feature of Cisco Catalyst is that it records crash log files which can be used to literally identify the cause of a crash because there is a lot of information. And Cisco Catalyst supports the use of external flash disks for storing of images and file systems."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

"The product is reliable."

"The functionality is very good."

"The most valuable feature is stability."

"PowerConnect Switches' stability is satisfactory."

"The most valuable features are the jumbo frames and the stacking."

"There is high reliability since we have used them for close to twenty years and only had possibly one failure."

"The setup is straightforward. It takes minimum time for deployment."

"Dell PowerConnect Switches have a VTL feature similar to Cisco's VSS. With VTL, using this technology, you can cluster two switches together to increase redundancy in the environment."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pros

Cons

"Out of the competition, Cisco switches are easily the most expensive."

"Cisco has to lower the price of its products to make them more cost-effective."

"The pricing could be better. Cisco is quite expensive."

"The solution’s pricing and stability could be improved."

"Cisco should work to lower its costs. It's quite expensive right now."

"The only drawback I saw with Cisco Catalyst Switches is that it's not cloud-managed."

"An area for improvement would be the high price."

"I would like for Cisco to come up with an affordable dynamic VLAN solution."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

"The pricing could always be a bit lower."

"We've only been using the solution for half a year. We haven't run into any issues, but maybe over time, that may change. It's too soon to tell. Offhand, there aren't any features that are lacking."

"The network features are not good."

"Scalability, especially with the power connect series is something that you have to take into account before starting the project because any changes to an ongoing project can be difficult."

"When it comes to the configuration, there should be documentation and interactive help available to assist people who have experience with products from other vendors."

"Not a ten because I have to do a lot of testing on it. The correlation is okay."

"The configuration should be improved."

"Dell is sometimes slow to provide updates to firmware."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing is on a yearly basis. We usually spend up to $20,000."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches are very expensive."

"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."

"Pricing from Cisco is expensive but we pay for the reliability."

"I rate the product price a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."

"Not one of the cheapest switches in the market. There are a lot of other cheaper switches, but in terms of availability and reliability, Cisco Catalyst Switches meet all requirements."

"We must pay a high price for the product."

"The solution provides a good balance between the features and the cost structure"

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

"I would rate the pricing as a seven or eight."

"PowerConnect Switches are priced well."

"In my opinion, it is a product that is priced somewhere in the middle, making it a well-priced solution in the middle. It is not a very cheap product."

"The solution is less expensive and more cost-efficient."

"Dell PowerConnect switches are cheaper than Cisco switches. Cisco's higher capacity switches (100 or 200 gigs) are super-expensive. With the higher capacity, the price of the switches and the price of the architecture go high. Dell is cheaper and modular. So, I don't need to invest 100% upfront. I can invest as I progress. That is an option because the chassis will not be populated with all the pluggables. I have a choice because it is modular. I can go for 25 gigs today, and after four months, I can go for 100 gigs, and after that, I can go for 200 gigs. I have a choice when it is not a fixed switch."

"The product is cheaper than Cisco and licensing is yearly. We have to pay additional costs for support."

"Pricing for Dell PowerConnect Switches is quite competitive compared to Cisco and HP pricing. Dell has cheaper pricing and the company is trying to push for sales for its switching infrastructure because right now, the current market is dominated by Cisco. In the US market, there's Cisco, HP, Juniper, and Arista which you can buy for data center switching meant for different kinds of enterprises and ISPs. Dell PowerConnect Switches, on the other hand, is a product for people who need smaller setups or individual switches, especially those looking for a cheaper product and basic switching, though you can also buy a complete suite packaged with the switches."

"The price of these switches is okay."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

University

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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 ...

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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...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?

For pricing satisfaction, I'd say it will be six to seven because Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors. Regarding pricing, there is indeed room for improvement.

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What do you like most about Dell PowerConnect Switches?

Dell PowerConnect Switches have a VTL feature similar to Cisco's VSS. With VTL, using this technology, you can cluster two switches together to increase redundancy in the environment.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerConnect Switches?

The solution is cheaper than Cisco.

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What needs improvement with Dell PowerConnect Switches?

Some proprietary commands available in Cisco are preferred by users accustomed to Cisco systems. These users might hesitate to switch because they want to continue using familiar commands and see t...

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Comparisons

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Compared 18% of the time

HPE ProCurve vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 9% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 8% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

Aruba Instant On Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

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Cisco Nexus vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 16% of the time

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

August 2025

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

August 2025

Download Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] product report

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

PowerConnect Switches

Overview

Cisco Catalyst Switches are a reliable and scalable network switching and routing solution, focusing on VLANs and VLAN switching. They are used as access switches, distribution switches, and core switches in various environments, deployed on-premises, and used for long connections. The switches are easy to configure, install, and upgrade and offer good pricing.

The most valuable features include warranty and firmware support, stability, security, good performance, flexibility, etc. The Cisco Catalyst Switches have provided a stable solution for the organizations and are widely used, trusted, and well-known in the networking industry.

Cisco

PowerConnect Switches family offers a set of flexible, manageable and comprehensive switch solutions supporting up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and optimized Internet iSCSI (iSCSI) performance with Dell Storage solutions, ideal for enterprise and campus LAN environments alike.

Dell Technologies

Sample Customers

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

Amerijet Holdings Inc., CGD Securities, MavenWire, Tulane University

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