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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs H3C Ethernet Switches comparison

 

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 Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
134
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
H3C Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
16th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 14.7%, down from 18.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of H3C Ethernet Switches is 2.6%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Pradeep Adhav - PeerSpot reviewer
Network security enhancement with sturdy switches despite high costs
The Cisco Ethernet switches are primarily used as regular core switches for networking, distribution, and access levels. We also utilize Cisco Wi-Fi, VPN, and Wi-Fi controllers The Cisco Ethernet switches have improved our network's security, ensuring it is 100% secure by not allowing any…
KanwarArsalan - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers all routing protocols, functionality, and capabilities
H3C switches have strong port aggregation features including dynamic, static, and device aggregation. They also offer broadcast, multicast, or unique system suppression for PPS and BPS. These features are versatile and adaptable to various organizational scenarios, complemented by VLAN support. H3C switches offer VPN support along with various VLAN options like port-based, MAC-based, and protocol-based VLANs, including VLAN mapping and voice VLAN features. They support VLAN interfaces for both IPv4 and IPv6, ensuring compatibility and configuration flexibility. H3C switches are up to date with current market trends, offering features, routing protocols, capabilities, and functionalities that correspond to new trends in networking solutions. I strongly recommend that future users consider H3C switches for their designs, given their performance, specific features, and strong capabilities compared to competitors like Cisco. Overall, I would rate H3C Ethernet Switches as a nine 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 Ethernet Switches are great devices."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are scalable, much more than Jupiter."
"You can tap into all of the features for your virtual workload environment."
"I think the VMA architecture is valuable."
"These switches help to build the best network, the way we want it."
"The initial setup was very easy."
"The procedures and handling of these switches are easy."
"Good and stable operational experience with nearly no loss of hardware and very few software bugs."
"To date, it has proven to be highly reliable. We have encountered no issues or challenges with it thus far."
"The best feature of H3C Ethernet Switches is their reliability."
"The IMC feature is valuable."
"H3C Ethernet Switches have a fast delivery time."
"A good high-performance solution."
"H3C Ethernet Switches is a cheap solution."
"We can configure the switch stack on the internet. Other vendors do not offer this facility. It is fast and easy to manage."
"Offering a five-year warranty, compared to competitors' one-year warranties, is a unique advantage of H3C switches."
 

Cons

"One thing we did have to work around is, on the broadcast side, we're reliant on the PTP protocol, precision time protocol, and the Cisco switches in general, don't support that."
"The price is an area with a shortcoming in the solution."
"Cisco products are expensive compared to any other solution. Now, there are many competitors that give the same level of services - such as Juniper or Aruba."
"AI technology must be involved in the future."
"In terms of features, all features are there. I can't find anything new that needs to be added. Its price, however, is a bit higher than other brands and can be improved."
"Technical support for integrations with other network products is insufficient and should be improved."
"Cisco needs to include new features to attract new customers."
"Could use additional programmability for the switches."
"The solution’s stability could be improved."
"The only improvement needed is the significantly better lead time for delivery compared to other American products. In terms of technology, there isn't much difference, especially since X3 is a subsidiary of XP, and they use the same technology. However, the delivery time is notably better."
"To enhance H3C switches for the next release, improving the user interface is crucial."
"Lacks decent cloud management."
"There should be more public tools for configuration and comparing products."
"There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized."
"GUI needs to merge with CLI."
"There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"In some of the latest switches, the warranty is not included in the pricing and we have to purchase it separately."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are expensive, and you have to pay for a warranty and technical support."
"It could be cheaper."
"The last time I bought a 24-port switch, which was a while ago, I paid about five or six thousand Euros. In this part of the world, that's quite expensive for us."
"While Cisco's pricing can be a concern, particularly with support fees, its overall features and support community make it a solid choice."
"I pay a fixed price on it. I'm not the person on the pursing, so I don't really compare."
"It is expensive. There are additional costs besides the license cost."
"The solution is highly expensive compared to other solutions. The prices get tripled when they arrived in my country of Angola."
"H3C Ethernet Switches are reasonably priced."
"H3C Ethernet Switches are priced at around $500 per unit, which is very cheap and one of the most competitive prices out there."
"H3C Ethernet Switches is targeted for SMBs because it's cheaper compared to Huawei switches."
"The pricing is very affordable, making it a not-so-expensive choice. On a scale from one to ten, where one is expensive and ten is cheap, I would rate it a seven."
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Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
7%
 

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 ...
Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...
What needs improvement with H3C Ethernet Switches?
There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized.
What is your primary use case for H3C Ethernet Switches?
The primary use case is about managing network infrastructure. The H3C Ethernet Switches are used internally as switches in the system.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
Ying Wa College, Centro Digital Pictures
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. H3C Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
851,491 professionals have used our research since 2012.