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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Huawei Ethernet Switches comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

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
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
196
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Huawei Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
15th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
60
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.5%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Ethernet Switches is 3.1%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches4.5%
Huawei Ethernet Switches3.1%
Other92.4%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Md Rafique - PeerSpot reviewer
Desktop support Engineer at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
Reliable switching has improved segmentation and reduces downtime with faster troubleshooting
One area I would like to see improvement is making configuration and troubleshooting more straightforward, especially for engineers managing a large number of switches. Some tasks can require multiple CLI commands and checking different outputs to identify an issue. Better centralized visibility, more intuitive automation tools, and clearer troubleshooting information would make day-to-day operations more efficient. That said, the CLI gives experienced network engineers a lot of control, so I would see these improvements as making the existing capabilities easier and faster to use rather than replacing them. For on-premises deployment, I would like to see easier centralized management and more automation for larger switch environments. Firmware upgrades, configuration changes, and troubleshooting can take significant time when they have to be handled across many physical devices. Better zero-touch provisioning, simplifying firmware management solutions, stronger integration with monitoring and IT management platforms, and more proactive hardware health alerts would make operations easier. I would also like better visibility into hardware capabilities and lifecycle status from a single dashboard so we can identify potential issues before they affect users.
Muhammad Kabir Salihu - PeerSpot reviewer
Deputy Director at NITDA
Cost-effective performance enhanced by security features with easy configurations
I mainly use Huawei Switches and also work with Huawei Wireless. I deal with both Huawei and Cisco Switches, and I find Huawei to be more cost-effective Huawei has helped to save costs and is cost-effective, which also helps save time for the company. The performance of Huawei is good, and it…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We can have multiple Cisco switches, like seven or eight, on a stack for 300 users. So it is highly scalable and easy to manage."
"A very expandable solution."
"Catalyst switches are easy to use and simple to work with."
"We have used Cisco Catalyst Switches to achieve our goals with stability and blanket level of performance."
"The product is convenient to deploy."
"We are satisfied with the solution; it demonstrates good performance."
"These products help me dissect my network based on the users within a particular location."
"The solution is easy to implement and quick to deploy."
"What we like the most is that the price is reasonable and it's easy to manage."
"Scalability isn't an issue."
"The solution is stable and the performance is good."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"I use it on a daily basis and I find it to be quite stable."
"The most valuable features are the ease of configuration, availability of a GUI apart from the command line, and basic features such as VLAN configuration and routing between VLANs."
"When you buy a switch from Huawei, the switches come along with a lot of features that you do not need to pay extra money for but you can use these features to build out similarly to something like Cisco switches."
"The most valuable aspect of Huawei Ethernet Switches is their excellent scalability."
 

Cons

"The pricing of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be better in general."
"The only thing that has been an issue with not just Cisco Catalyst Switches, but Cisco devices in general, is the price point and the cost."
"Out of the competition, Cisco switches are easily the most expensive."
"Cisco is dedicated to providing their customers with the latest technology, but it comes with a price. It's expensive when compared to competitors' products."
"The dashboard was difficult to manage."
"One feature that I would like to add is for the following: At times, when I add an access-list for a hostname, it doesn't actually add the hostname, it adds the IP address. So in the back-end, if my server changes the IP address I have to go in manually and change the IP address. If the capability was there in Cisco to add a hostname instead of the IP address that would be really good."
"Dell switching is coming up with a solution where you can put your own OS inside their switching infra. That is where they are talking about open networking. We can show that our Cisco is also an open-source. We are open to different switching operating systems if the customer is willing to put it in. We can support multiple operating systems inside the switching infrastructure. It removes the hardware and software dependency on each other. That is where I think there can be room for improvement. Then we can talk about open networking and that is where Cisco can also come up with open networking access."
"The price could be better. For Cisco, there is no need for improvement except for the price. It's expensive."
"The graphical user interface could be much better."
"The product's stability has certain shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required."
"Integration could be improved. The price could also be lower."
"The performance has been slow at times."
"The documentation needs to be better."
"The solution can improve by adding virtualized switch functionality."
"I didn't like the Huawei Switches because of the different versions resetting the configuration issue. Huawei doesn't support Layer 3 modes while TOE and ARP have some issues."
"The product’s pricing needs improvement. It could be more stable as well."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It would be great for the user if Cisco lowered the prices for their routers and switches."
"There are no licensing fees required."
"Pricing could be cheaper as well."
"Try to buy everything you need in bulk purchases and ask Cisco for volume discounts."
"The price can definitely be lower."
"This is expensive, even when compared to competitors' products."
"The pricing should be improved."
"It is overpriced. Some devices can be very expensive. Most of the clients have a contract with Cisco for two or three years."
"This is an affordable solution."
"It is cheaper than Cisco."
"The exact pricing varies based on how many units you purchase."
"The licensing costs depend on the negotiations that a user has with Huawei...There is a need to make some additional payments apart from the licensing costs attached to the solution."
"From the initial purchase, you will pay for a license and you do not need to pay for a license again. The price depends on the size of the infrastructure."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches are cheap and cost around ten dollars."
"The solution's pricing is in the middle, but you will be charged when you upgrade the tenant."
"A cost-effective product"
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Construction Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business85
Midsize Enterprise30
Large Enterprise91
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise20
 

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 ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
My experience is that Cisco Catalyst Switches can involve a relatively significant upfront investment, especially when you consider the hardware, support, and licensing requirements. The total cost...
What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Switches?
One area I would like to see improvement is making configuration and troubleshooting more straightforward, especially for engineers managing a large number of switches. Some tasks can require multi...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Huawei Ethernet Switches?
Huawei Ethernet Switches offer very competitive and aggressive product pricing compared to other brands.
What needs improvement with Huawei Ethernet Switches?
Huawei should focus more on security. They need more products on the security side to improve the security portion.
What is your primary use case for Huawei Ethernet Switches?
The primary use case for Huawei Ethernet Switches is for network purposes, including SaaS services.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
No data available
 

Overview

 

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
Newcastle University, Jingyang District of Deyang City in Sichuan Province, Southwest China, Glasgow Rangers Soccer Team, RMIT, Insurance Industry Association of Zhejiang Province, China, APT Satellite Holdings Limited (APT)
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Huawei Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.
920,939 professionals have used our research since 2012.