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Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] vs ExtremeSwitching comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
8.2
Number of Reviews
34
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
ExtremeSwitching
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (7th), Data Center Networking (8th), AV Over IP Switching (4th)
 

Featured Reviews

LarsEvans - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable and useful for network segmentation
The solution's most valuable feature stands up well. The tool is reliable, and it stands up well. The solution works fine and lasts a long time. I think if you speak about the features that have a flow and you can measure, it is hard to say. I don't spend a lot of my time with the tool, but I know that Dell APEX is the solution's cloud. I would say the VLAN features are important. The VLAN features are really useful because network segmentation is important. I would say the tool is easy to program. I don't know if the tool has any security features that I am aware of other than the fact that the solution is for networking. The VLAN and the ability to segment your networks are easy, which is its security feature.
Shrikant Teggi - PeerSpot reviewer
Excellent support and reliable performance drive positive experiences
We have been working with wireless for the last seven to eight years. At the moment, the customer has decided to go with a different brand. We are only dealing with the wired switches, not the wireless ones. We use ExtremeSwitching only, not Enterasys. Enterasys was the old one. I am not a networking person, so at this point in time I do not have much working experience on the switches. We have a separate team here who are working on these products. We have not reached that stage yet, but definitely in the near future we may use this kind of feature. Recently they have introduced platform one, which is an AI-based automation tool. That is definitely on the cards. Maybe in one year, we may start using that option as well. First of all, the product is robust and they are also coming up with new features. The second part is the support is excellent from ExtremeSwitching. They maintain delivery time and follow through on their commitments properly. The performance we expected, we are getting from ExtremeSwitching. All these requirements we have are being met with the product, features, and support. It is cost effective. I rate ExtremeSwitching 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

"The most valuable feature of Dell PowerConnect Switches for me is the throughput. I also like that the product has more compatibility with Dell infrastructure, especially with EMC and new generation Dell servers. Dell PowerConnect Switches can also easily integrate with Dell servers, and this is another pro."
"It's easy to set up. We can put it in production in a couple of minutes."
"There is high reliability since we have used them for close to twenty years and only had possibly one failure."
"Dell PowerConnect Switches are easy to configure."
"Dell PowerConnect Switches are very easy to configure with the GUI. Dell supports the solution even though it has been discontinued."
"The security is the most valuable aspect of this solution. It also has good storage and resource handling."
"The product is reliable."
"When the price is competitive the customers tend to choose the cheaper brand and then look at the features. So having a competitive price is a plus."
"Setup was easy. It only took a couple of hours to set up."
"The price is low compared to the competition."
"ExtremeSwitching switches are highly reliable."
"Some of the most valuable features of ExtremeSwitching are Fabric Attach and BGP, as well as the price point, which are superior in the market."
"The solution can scale."
"The switches are fast."
"They are good. We have been using them for about two years, and we are satisfied with their performance. For our network environment, these switches are working fine."
"Performance is good."
 

Cons

"The product price is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"The network features are not good."
"A big issue with this product is that when our customer migrated the data center, one cluster blocked the whole network and because we had a new approach, some commands were not compatible with the new version."
"Because of the stackings you lose some boards and switches."
"It would be great to have modules that integrate with SDN solutions such as Cisco ACI, Arista SDN, Huawei Agile, and IBM."
"Dell is sometimes slow to provide updates to firmware."
"The pricing could always be a bit lower."
"I can't think of what we would want in the next release."
"I believe they should be more aggressive in terms of pricing."
"The interface could be improved."
"ExtremeSwitching has many features but having come from Cisco environments, there is a steep learning curve to learning all the functionality."
"ExtremeSwitching's software stability could be improved, as it sometimes crashes."
"Improving product awareness and possibly enhancing technical documentation or training resources could be beneficial."
"Extreme Networks does not have any entry-level products. This is a problem for them because Aruba has an Instant On series, which is new and cost-effective. Cisco also has the 1000 series, and other brands offer entry-level products."
"ExtremeSwitching switches are not prevalent in the industry, so it's harder to go online and research how to deploy their APs or switches. There is a broader user community for Cisco and Juniper because they've been around for a while and everybody has a bit of knowledge they can publish online."
"Their pricing could be a bit cheaper, as Huawei switches offer better pricing."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The initial cost was high but since they have lasted for over ten or twenty years they are worth it."
"Pricing for Dell PowerConnect Switches is quite competitive compared to Cisco and HP pricing. Dell has cheaper pricing and the company is trying to push for sales for its switching infrastructure because right now, the current market is dominated by Cisco. In the US market, there's Cisco, HP, Juniper, and Arista which you can buy for data center switching meant for different kinds of enterprises and ISPs. Dell PowerConnect Switches, on the other hand, is a product for people who need smaller setups or individual switches, especially those looking for a cheaper product and basic switching, though you can also buy a complete suite packaged with the switches."
"This solution is much cheaper than comparable products by Cisco."
"Its price is okay. Sometimes, it is lower than a Cisco solution."
"Dell PowerConnect switches are cheaper than Cisco switches. Cisco's higher capacity switches (100 or 200 gigs) are super-expensive. With the higher capacity, the price of the switches and the price of the architecture go high. Dell is cheaper and modular. So, I don't need to invest 100% upfront. I can invest as I progress. That is an option because the chassis will not be populated with all the pluggables. I have a choice because it is modular. I can go for 25 gigs today, and after four months, I can go for 100 gigs, and after that, I can go for 200 gigs. I have a choice when it is not a fixed switch."
"If you want to purchase a new Dell PowerConnect Switch, you will pay up to $1,600, but I bought them used. I bought the four Dell PowerConnect Switches that I used for $1,000."
"The product has a low price for the features it provides."
"Cheaper than its competitors"
"There is no license required to use the solution. The hardware controller is expensive, and this is why I prefer controlling ExtremeSwitching on the cloud."
"The price is expensive. We pay for a license, but you have to pay more if you want to increase the number."
"The product is expensive."
"On pricing, ExtremeSwitches are going to beat most of the major competition."
"We paid 25,000 to 30,000 INR."
"There is a cost for ExtremeSwitching and if you want the support and maintenance, there are additional costs. My clients typically pay for the support and maintenance annually."
"It is not a subscription-based model, and there is no licensing concept. We have to pay for hardware AMC. We have hardware on our premises and for the hardware support, we have to go for the annual maintenance contract with the partner."
"ExtremeSwitching offers very good pricing plans for their licenses. Compared to their rivals, ExtremeSwitching's prices are very affordable and reasonable. This is why our customers are happy to pay for their service critical support. ExtremeSwitching also offers a great portal to track clients, further satisfying our customers. They are always happy to pay for the service every month. The pricing is very reasonable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Government
8%
Energy/Utilities Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
24%
Government
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise7
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Dell PowerConnect Switches?
Dell PowerConnect Switches have a VTL feature similar to Cisco's VSS. With VTL, using this technology, you can cluster two switches together to increase redundancy in the environment.
What needs improvement with Dell PowerConnect Switches?
Some proprietary commands available in Cisco are preferred by users accustomed to Cisco systems. These users might hesitate to switch because they want to continue using familiar commands and see t...
What do you like most about ExtremeSwitching?
The product offers a single management platform for multiple models of switches. The tool also allows users to manage multiple sites from a single dashboard.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ExtremeSwitching?
I would rate the pricing for ExtremeSwitching six to seven out of ten.
What needs improvement with ExtremeSwitching?
Regarding what could be better with the product, I am not aware of how much AI functionality is provided in ExtremeSwitching. Everyone is talking about AI, so there should be AI facilities provided...
 

Also Known As

PowerConnect Switches
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Amerijet Holdings Inc., CGD Securities, MavenWire, Tulane University
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