Cisco Catalyst Switches vs IBM BNT comparison

Cisco and IBM are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.4, while IBM is ranked #13. Cisco holds a 22.8% mindshare in LS, compared to IBM’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution.

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Read 178 Cisco Catalyst Switches reviews

5,802 Views
2,959 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

IBM BNT

Read 1 IBM BNT review

140 Views
136 Comparison Views

0% willing to recommend

Cisco Catalyst Switches

IBM BNT

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Catalyst Switches and IBM BNT based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in LAN Switching.

To learn more, read our detailed LAN Switching Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

LAN Switching

January 2026

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Helped 881,082 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

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Ranking in LAN Switching

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

178

Ranking in other categories

Ethernet Switches (5th), Data Center Networking (2nd), AV Over IP Switching (1st)

IBM BNT

Ranking in LAN Switching

13th

Average Rating

0.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 22.8%, down from 30.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM BNT is 1.0%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

LAN Switching Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches	22.8%
IBM BNT	1.0%
Other	76.2%

LAN Switching

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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VLADIMIR RAMIREZ

Owner at ACANI Soluciones, SA de CV

A low maintenance solution with cybersecurity measures

If we rate the capacity from one to ten, where one is small and ten is big, I will rate it a little more than medium for my customers. In my view, the big ones are the government accounts, but we don't have any because they're too large for us. Our typical customers include pharmacies, for example. These customers vary in size and might need storage solutions of around 50 terabytes. We have a very good relationship with our customers. We provide all the maintenance of our software. For IBM BNT, we and the customer handle all the product analysis, recommendations, and so on. When a customer has an idea or issue, they call us or make a decision and explain the problem. Usually, we have a solution, like making a configuration change—something very simple. If you ask how much time customers spend on maintenance, it's very low because the system is very stable. When advising potential customers about IBM BNT, I often suggest they talk to our current customers. Hearing directly from them about how the solutions work in real-world situations can provide valuable insights. I rate the overall product a nine out of ten.

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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

"With Cisco Catalyst Switches, everything is working perfectly. We have not had issues with this solution."

"I recently discovered the DHCP feature. There is a feature with which you can make the core act as a DHCP server, and it will distribute the IPs for every device. I discovered this feature recently, and it is very nice."

"The Cisco software ties all the hardware together better than the competition."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is reliability."

"Technical support is very responsive and helpful."

"Stability. We have many Catalyst switches now, and they work without any downtime."

"The product is stable, and it performs well."

"The solution is already at the cutting edge in terms of innovation."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pros

"IBM BNT's latest advancements offer cybersecurity measures for network security. Our customers adapt these solutions to their sites and are very happy with the results."

Cons

"In terms of what could be improved, more integration is the main thing they should be focused on."

"I would like to see a graphical user interface for the configuration."

"Personal automatization is a feature that should be addressed."

"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."

"There's a ban on my country and therefore I can't get Cisco support if I need it. It's not allowed."

"Pricing mainly is the only issue."

"The product should work on its pricepoints. It's an expensive solution."

"The security of the solution could be improved, it is really important to us."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches cons

"In terms of improvement, the price is not an issue; it's very good. However, the range of solutions could be improved. Some of our customers are very small, and the current IBM BNT solutions, such as switches, are too large for them. It would be wonderful if we could have switched with maybe 16 ports instead of the usual 24 ports because they don't use all the ports."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing, and maintenance fees are paid on a yearly basis."

"The cost could be reduced."

"The general price of the solution could be cheaper."

"It is overpriced. Some devices can be very expensive. Most of the clients have a contract with Cisco for two or three years."

"It is reasonably priced because we have already conducted a tender, allowing Cisco and other vendors to compete for the best price."

"The price of a Cisco Catalyst Switches license is expensive."

"The pricing of these devices can be better."

"Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very expensive solution."

More Cisco Catalyst Switches pricing and cost advice

"The solution is cheap. However, I think the price for the final user, who in this case is my customer, might be higher than the usual price. I emphasize the real value of the entire solution, not just the cost of the hardware and software. It's about how the solution helps the customer improve their internal operations."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

11%

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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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM BNT?

The solution is cheap. However, I think the price for the final user, who in this case is my customer, might be higher than the usual price. I emphasize the real value of the entire solution, not j...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM BNT?

In terms of improvement, the price is not an issue; it's very good. However, the range of solutions could be improved. Some of our customers are very small, and the current IBM BNT solutions, such ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM BNT?

We create solutions for data protection and redundancy. Sometimes, we have three or four BNT switches backing up one another. We also manage many partitions and operating systems.

See all answers

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Compared 6% of the time

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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

January 2026

Download Cisco Catalyst Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

LAN Switching

January 2026

Download IBM BNT product report

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst

BNT

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

IBM BNT RackSwitch G8264R Model 64C Browser-Based Interface, has forty-eight 10 Gb SFP+ ports and four 40 Gb QSFP+ ports, four 40 Gb QSFP+ ports that can each be converted to four 10 Gb SFP+ ports with optional breakout cable. redundant hot-swappable power supplies and fans. rack front-to-rear airflow, and latency of less than 850 nanoseconds. The BLADEOS Browser-Based Interface (BBI) software is included with the RackSwitch G8264 (G8264). The BBI software lets you use your Web browser to access switch information and statistics, and to perform switch configuration via the Internet.

IBM

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

King's College London

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in LAN Switching. Updated: January 2026.

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