Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Extreme VDX [EOL] comparison

Cisco and Extreme Networks are both solutions in the Ethernet Switches category. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Extreme Networks users who would recommend it.

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 178 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

6,543 Views
3,533 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Extreme VDX [EOL]

Read 3 Extreme VDX [EOL] reviews

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Extreme VDX [EOL]

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Catalyst Switches and Extreme VDX [EOL] based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ubiquiti and others in Ethernet Switches.

To learn more, read our detailed Ethernet Switches Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

February 2026

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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

6.7

Number of Reviews

178

Ranking in other categories

LAN Switching (1st), Ethernet Switches (5th), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

Extreme VDX [EOL]

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Arun Giri

Unit Nos at Orange

Reliable support boosts confidence while initial setup complexities highlight improvement areas

Challenges I've encountered mostly involve the RMA part for hardware replacement, which doesn't happen regularly, but sometimes I face challenges due to limited parts in India; they offer different model devices as a stopgap arrangement. It's quite difficult to specify features I would want to see in future updates because that varies from model to model. I would definitely recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches to other users. We do maintenance for Cisco Catalyst Switches. For maintenance, we usually need three people from different regions working as a single team; our engineers handle both projects and maintenance, so there isn't a specific engineer just for maintenance. I work with firewalls and next-generation firewalls. Overall, I would rate the solution as an eight out of ten.

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Osama Ahmed LUBBAD

Systems Support Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

A stable, scalable, and problem-free solution

Software needs to be updated regularly in order to maintain security and performance. However, in some cases, it is necessary to stack switches in order to meet the needs of the network. Although Cisco switches are able to stack, other switches are not as simple to stack. I would like the ability to stack with different switch brands.

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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 product is reliable."

"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 switches."

"The pricing is quite good."

"The tool's administration is easy."

"The most valuable features include the redundancy one and the spanning tree."

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

"The best feature is the technical support."

"The solution highly scalable."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

"The most valuable feature of Extreme VDX is that we have had no problems and the solution's performance is excellent."

"Its simplicity and web interface were most valuable. I also liked the two-factor authentication."

"The fabric of the solution and the management aspect are the solution's most valuable features."

Cons

"This product could be improved with cheaper pricing."

"It is not easy for everyone to configure the product's initial setup part, making it an area where improvements are required."

"The configuration process is hard."

"Its price can be improved. It is currently expensive."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches is an expensive solution and its price could be improved."

"I can't use older Cisco devices with newer versions of the controller or switches. For example, if a switch was manufactured in 2014, I can't use it with a controller made in 2019. I have to change the switch so that I can upgrade my network or my devices. I don't have the option to update the version I have on the image of the AP or the controller."

"I would like to see support for one-touch provisioning."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches should have better performance and be easier to use. Additionally, they should add artificial intelligence features."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

"The only problem is that at the moment it's an Extreme product and Extreme is not really pushing it. They have to make up for weak innovation and I'm not sure if they want to do that."

"Its scalability can be better. If possible, it can have Hyper POE. I am not sure if there is a fiber version."

"I would like the ability to stack with different switch brands."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is quite expensive."

"The cost could be reduced."

"Cisco's prices are not cheap, but the stability is worth it."

"The price for Cisco Catalyst Switches is not cheaper than other solutions."

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

"There needs to be some improvement with the Cisco DNA licensing activation process, it is difficult at the moment."

"It's overpriced and should be cheaper."

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

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

"It was around $1500 a year. It is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Ruckus."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	79
Midsize Enterprise	29
Large Enterprise	79

No data available

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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Comparisons

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Compared 12% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 7% of the time

TP-Link Omada Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 6% of the time

HPE ProCurve vs Cisco Catalyst Switches

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Catalyst Switches Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Catalyst Switches

February 2026

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

February 2026

Download Extreme VDX [EOL] product report

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

VDX, Brocade VDX

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

Brocade VDX Switches support Layer 2 and Layer 3 fabrics with open standards and extensive scalability to deliver high performance, capacity, and reliability for data center spine and leaf deployments. It includes the following products: Brocade VDX 6740 SWITCHES, Brocade VDX 6940 SWITCH and Brocade VDX 8770 SWITCH.

Extreme Networks

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

Niagra Falls Bridge Commission, Medien System Partner, CDE Lightband, MaximumASP

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ubiquiti and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: February 2026.

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