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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs NVIDIA Mellanox 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
7.2
Number of Reviews
135
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NVIDIA Mellanox
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
20th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 13.3%, down from 18.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NVIDIA Mellanox is 2.1%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Myint Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
Exceptional network support and AI integration drive performance while suggesting enhancements for future use cases
I work with both HyperFlex and other Cisco products. I prefer to make online support available because I can utilize my CCIE architect, solution consultant, and engineer team along with our account manager and product sales team. We can clarify requirements and decide how to support you. We should arrange a conference call about Cisco Ethernet Switches where I can invite my architect and consultant to clarify more about the features that are most beneficial for improving network efficiency. Today is AI day, and all the new firmware includes AI to optimize the performance, traffic, and security of Cisco Ethernet Switches. It's performing very well. With many solutions and vendors available, you have to decide on one. I am extremely satisfied with the licensing cost for Cisco Ethernet Switches. For the price of Cisco Ethernet Switches, I would rate it a 7. My overall rating for Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10 out of 10.
Anil Ergunsah - PeerSpot reviewer
Networking capabilities deliver competitive performance for AI data center
I use NVIDIA Mellanox mostly for data center infrastructures. It is used for AI data center infrastructure and primarily focuses on the networking part The biggest advantage is that the vendor is the only one providing no-drop traffic. The performance and price are competitive, and performance is…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable aspect of the solution is the ability to manage the switches and the ability to have a certain level of familiarity with setting up and configuring the switches."
"The product is pretty much reliable and stable."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are scalable, much more than Jupiter."
"The solution offers great bandwidth and speed."
"We have found it to be scalable. We have approximately three million subscribers."
"As I am Cisco certified, I like the way that I can program them."
"Its performance and reliability are valuable."
"One of the most valuable aspects of Cisco Ethernet Switches is many engineers can work on the equipment. You can find qualified engineers that can configure Cisco equipment more than any other networking equipment."
"The most valuable features of this solution are its functionality."
"It is a very easy-to-use product."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the size, power consumption, and the vast amount of features."
"From what I've been told, a valuable feature of Mellanox switches is they're quite user-friendly."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the powerful hardware and the software is open. They're using Linux operating system. You can do and install many things, and it performs well."
"The tool is very configurable because it runs on a Linux operating system."
"The biggest advantage is that the vendor is the only one providing no-drop traffic."
 

Cons

"Network setup is quite complicated, particularly if you're implementing in a non-technical environment."
"In the future, some of the features could be updated to support the latest functions."
"Technical support for integrations with other network products is insufficient and should be improved."
"The solution is expensive."
"The NX-API REST is not very good and should be improved."
"It would be nice if they had higher wattage for PoE+."
"The user interface, the UI, could be better."
"Cisco switches are good as they are, but it would be a major feature if they have built-in routers. Some of the Microchip switches have routers built in the same device. They have a router switch. For some of the sites, we deploy such switches because the client does not want a separate router and a separate switch. So, we go for a router switch with maybe 24 ports. Some of them are fiber, and some of them are ethernet. It would be a major improvement to what Cisco is already doing. Behind the scenes, a lot of scripting and stuff like this is happening. A lot of workload can be lifted if Cisco had a good GUI. If you look at Microchip switches, they have a good GUI in addition to the CLI."
"Mellanox Switches could improve by adding some features that can make it easier for integrating the switches in some managing and monitoring platforms, such as Elastic or similar software for monitoring data with the data center in a more holistic way."
"If you compare this solution with Cisco, utilization in Cisco is more popular and it is more friendly."
"Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed. They started with Ennui, and now they only use Linux. If they returned to their previous CLI it would be a good option for starters. The new CLI is more difficult to use but more powerful than the older one. It has its advantages."
"Sometimes, it can have some bugs from the past if I am an old user. However, it is stable now."
"The scalability is working fine at the moment, but there's always room for improvement. As of right now, I don't know of any improvements to suggest."
"The configuration is a bit different from Cisco, and therefore, for me at least, there's a bit of a learning curve."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Price is a pain point for us. We've lost a lot of bids, and the reason has been that we majorly quoted Cisco devices. Some of our competitors quoted other devices like Ubiquity or Microchip. Some even quoted this Chinese product TP-Link, and they won the bid over us because we quoted Cisco. Meanwhile, the major reason why we quoted Cisco is reliability and stability from day one. They also last longer. The prices could be worked on so that they become more affordable. We had to deploy a city-wide WiFi network, and we were working in conjunction with Google. Because of the price, even Google recommended a product called Ruckus, so we used Ruckus over Cisco. Its price and license were the main reasons. You have to pay to renew the license every year. Even though you also renew the licenses for Ruckus, but they are much cheaper than Cisco. So, while I would recommend Cisco any time, the trouble remains with the pricing."
"Its price is a bit higher than other brands. Indian customers are price-conscious. They should improve its price."
"There are different licensing based on the model of the solution."
"Cisco is quite expensive. In our market, a lot of customers are forced to go with something else because they cannot afford a brand-new Cisco even though they know a Cisco switch will be more reliable."
"There is a license required for this solution and the price could be better."
"The product is very expensive"
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are more expensive than Huawei Ethernet Switches."
"When you compare with other products, they are more or less the same price."
"The pricing is very competitive. The licensing costs are fine."
"There is a license to use the switch ports of Mellanox Switches."
"The price of Mellanox Switches is reasonable compared to other solutions. The price and quality ratio was very good. There is a one-time license purchase that is needed."
"It's an open-source solution."
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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%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mellanox Switches?
The pricing is competitive. For its performance, it's cheaper, so I would rate it a four if cheaper is lower.
What needs improvement with Mellanox Switches?
Sometimes, it can have some bugs from the past if I am an old user. However, it is stable now. I think it's okay; it's the best solution for now for AI data centers. Support could be better, but cu...
What is your primary use case for Mellanox Switches?
I use NVIDIA Mellanox ( /products/nvidia-mellanox-reviews ) mostly for data center infrastructures. It is used for AI data center infrastructure and primarily focuses on the networking part.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
Mellanox Switches, Mellanox SN2700
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
CNPC, Korea Consumer Agency, Nutanix, Roxo Systems, StorPool, Atlantic.Net, INFN, StarWind, NYSE Technologies, Creative Consultants, ENKI
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. NVIDIA Mellanox and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.