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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Nokia Ethernet Service Switch 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
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
191
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
Nokia Ethernet Service Switch
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
21st
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
3.1
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.5%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Nokia Ethernet Service Switch is 1.1%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches4.5%
Nokia Ethernet Service Switch1.1%
Other94.4%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

MS
Electrical control system engineer at Dangote petroleum refinery and petrol chemicals
Reliable switching has delivered long‑term uptime, strong PoE support, and predictable performance
Cisco Systems Catalyst Switches are highly regarded for their performance, reliability, and enterprise-grade capabilities. My main reservation, however, is the pricing. The cost of Cisco Catalyst Switches—and Cisco products in general—is relatively high, especially in many African markets where organizations often need to balance budget constraints with required functionality. There are alternative vendors that offer comparable features at a lower price point. While they may not always match Cisco’s ecosystem, stability, or full feature depth, many businesses still choose them because of the significant cost savings. Another consideration is licensing, which can add to the overall total cost of ownership depending on the deployment model and required features. Overall, Cisco Catalyst Switches remain premium enterprise solutions, but when compared with other OEMs, their higher acquisition and licensing costs can be a major deciding factor for cost-conscious organizations.
MA
Team Lead at Thoshiba
Working with network switches simplifies configuration, but documentation needs improvement
My recommendation is to understand the basic concepts clearly before starting your career. While basic concepts might seem simple, they can be very complicated when explored in detail. This foundational knowledge is essential for building a successful career. I would rate the overall solution as a seven out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cisco Catalyst is one of the most famous and popular devices for campus networks, widely used in most of the country."
"The quality of a Cisco switch is very high. They are extremely stable."
"The solution is beneficial for interconnecting POE telephones, computers, printers, and buffering networks."
"The product has very good routing capabilities."
"The solution has high performance and we do not have to troubleshoot the network."
"Catalyst switches solutions are great. For various customers we have deployed for, business operations run smoothly and without any complain."
"I find their system throughput and Cisco support very useful."
"Configuring the solution is very easy. It's quite a straightforward process, and it's not difficult at all."
"The performance and reliability are the solution's most valuable features."
"The solution saves time and money for my customer in terms of reliability and product durability."
"The most valuable feature is the product's availability."
"7210 SAS help transformed our legacy network to an MPLS based services and improved the network performance and availability."
"On several occasions we encountered major issues with the solution and have found the Nokia technical support to be quite supportive."
"The most valuable features are user functionality and interoperability."
"The highest value lies in aggregating the data to improve both traffic management and device utilization, emphasizing the importance of engagement and liability."
"Despite initial hindrances, once understood, these differences help in forming a good career foundation."
 

Cons

"Some models of Cisco Catalyst Switches are very difficult to manage, as they are extremely different from their regular models."
"Services should be improved."
"It can have more security features to secure the access layer."
"The pricing is on the high end. Recently, at the beginning of this year, we actually did a comparison of Cisco and HP products."
"The management of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be improved."
"The dashboard was difficult to manage."
"Facilitating and adapting the security updates would be a good improvement, because usually it requires to reboot the router to get them"
"I would not recommend Cisco for anyone, many of my customers have had bad experiences with them."
"This solution is not particularly flexible."
"I would prefer that all the licenses be open for our use."
"I would suggest improvements regarding enhancing support response times and implementing user interface modifications for quicker and more user-friendly interactions."
"The segment routing could be improved, and they could also transfer a lot of legacy to the cloud domain."
"The solution needs more monitoring tools."
"The release is not very stable. You should have stability in the card."
"I would like to see more collaboration with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) vendors, such as Itron."
"The documentation needs improvement for better accessibility, as there isn't proper documentation currently available."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price could be improved."
"Generally, Cisco Catalyst would be relatively expensive compared to the competition, it would be on the expensive side."
"It's expensive."
"It is overpriced. Some devices can be very expensive. Most of the clients have a contract with Cisco for two or three years."
"The price of a Cisco Catalyst Switches license is expensive."
"The pricing is on the high end."
"This is expensive, even when compared to competitors' products."
"When compared with other products, the solution is kind of on the expensive side."
"The price of the solution is very competitive in comparison with that of the competition."
"It is quite expensive compared to alternative technologies."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
913,924 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Performing Arts
8%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business84
Midsize Enterprise30
Large Enterprise87
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise2
 

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?
The price is very high. Compared to others, I find the price a bit high when compared to Juniper and Allied Telesis.
What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Switches?
I cannot identify specific disadvantages with the product. However, the areas that have potential to be better are the timeline for the system and switch delivery. The delivery timelines for the pr...
What needs improvement with Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?
We can understand the customer network better and propose products accordingly as areas for improvement. Engaging with customers directly would improve how that could be done easily. Many times the...
What is your primary use case for Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?
I am a system integrator working for different customers. My clients use this product for their network, either for network upgrade or new rollout.
What advice do you have for others considering Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?
This possibility could be provided by the vendor. I advise people looking to use Nokia Ethernet Service Switch to always look for reliability rather than going for cheaper Chinese products. On a sc...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
Nokia ESS, Nokia 7450 Ethernet Service Switch, Nokia 7450 ESS
 

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
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. Nokia Ethernet Service Switch and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
913,924 professionals have used our research since 2012.