Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] vs ExtremeSwitching comparison

Dell Technologies and Extreme Networks are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Additionally, 90% of Dell Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Extreme Networks users who would recommend it.

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

Read 34 Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] reviews

90% willing to recommend

ExtremeSwitching

Read 26 ExtremeSwitching reviews

1,811 Views
1,358 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

ExtremeSwitching

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] and ExtremeSwitching 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: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

LAN Switching

April 2026

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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

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

ExtremeSwitching

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

LAN Switching (7th), Data Center Networking (7th), AV Over IP Switching (4th)

Featured Reviews

LarsEvans

Chief Technology Officer / Chief Information Security Officer at Lorton Data, Inc.

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.

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Meric-Dinc

Director, Solutions at TopTel

Automated fabric networking has simplified large deployments and now streamlines complex operations

The best features in ExtremeSwitching that I appreciate include the technology known as Extreme Fabric, which our customers find miraculous because it enables automated networks. With fabric technology, customers are very happy since they don't need to perform new configurations in the core, distribution, or access site, but only some configuration in access switch ports, as the network automatically knows where services start and end. It is definitely secure and very easy to install. We are utilizing ExtremeSwitching's automated network management feature, and when we sell our products to clients, we always offer Extreme Site Engine or now Platform One for cloud. Having this automated network management helps streamline operations by requiring less manpower, as infrastructure is hard to manage, but with the visualization provided by network management systems, clients only need to use a few clicks to deploy new services. There is no need to create multiple ports or VLANs, allowing even one or two individuals to operate very large networks. ExtremeSwitching's intuitive management interface has improved network performance significantly. For instance, Extreme Networks currently utilizes a very good AI system. When users need to perform configurations like MLAG, they can simply log in, ask for the configuration, and receive recommendations. This capability makes clients very happy because the management software inspects the entire network and provides valuable recommendations that lead to significant improvements.

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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

"For me, excellent, never had any issue."

"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."

"Dell offers very good support."

"The most valuable feature is its ability to multitask."

"The solution's most valuable feature is its good integration with solutions from other vendors."

"It's much less expensive than Cisco, and yet it has the same functionalities."

"Dell PowerConnect Switches are easy to configure and fully integrate into our Cisco switches without any problem."

"The product is cheap."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pros

"The performance of ExtremeSwitching is good."

"The switches are fast."

"The price is low compared to the competition."

"It is very reliable because one of the reasons is the non-blocking architecture of Extreme Networks."

"The most valuable features of ExtremeSwitching are that they are robust and have plenty of features. There is a lot of functionality. They have a lot of other features ExtremeSwitching that you can get involved with but I haven't been using many of them."

"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."

"In the case of small businesses, the solution is budget-friendly and easy to configure."

"It is meeting our expectations in terms of performance as well as cost-effectiveness."

More ExtremeSwitching pros

Cons

"Their hardware is not reliable, it's faulty."

"The product needs to improve in terms of reports and backups."

"Technical support tends to give conflicting advice on how to configure the product."

"Accessibility and management could be improved."

"Scalability can be a problem with these switches."

"The CLI for Dell PowerConnect Switches is sometimes confusing, especially with the LAN, but for the GUI it is simple."

"I can't think of what we would want in the next release."

"An area for improvement would be that it's very hard to configure if you're not familiar with the UI or CLI of the product. The UI itself could also be improved."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] cons

"The price is expensive. We pay for a license, but you have to pay more if you want to increase the number."

"It could be cheaper in general."

"ExtremeSwitching hardware lacks flexibility compared to some other options."

"The interface could be improved."

"Their support could definitely be better."

"The pricing of the universal switches is an area of concern that needs to be improved."

"ExtremeSwitching is scalable to a certain extent for SME-segmented IP."

"The solution as a whole has hardware quality issues."

More ExtremeSwitching cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cheaper than its competitors"

"The solution is less expensive and more cost-efficient."

"The product has a low price for the features it provides."

"Its price is okay. Sometimes, it is lower than a Cisco solution."

"PowerConnect Switches are priced well."

"In my opinion, it is a product that is priced somewhere in the middle, making it a well-priced solution in the middle. It is not a very cheap product."

"I would rate the pricing as a seven or eight."

"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."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pricing and cost advice

"The pricing and licensing are good with the cloud."

"On pricing, ExtremeSwitches are going to beat most of the major competition."

"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."

"The price is expensive. We pay for a license, but you have to pay more if you want to increase the number."

"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 product is expensive."

"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."

"We paid 25,000 to 30,000 INR."

More ExtremeSwitching pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

15%

Construction Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerConnect Switches?

The solution is cheaper than Cisco.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Dell PowerConnect Switches?

Dell PowerConnect Switches are primarily used at the distribution layer, but as the product evolved, higher models became available. These newer models can function closer to the core network or th...

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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.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ExtremeSwitching?

Regarding pricing, I find it very competitive, especially in Turkey, where markets in the Middle East and Africa tend to be price-sensitive. Our prices are very competitive when compared to Cisco a...

See all answers

What needs improvement with ExtremeSwitching?

From a marketing perspective, I would like to see Extreme Networks expand its product line to include small and medium business (SMB) solutions, as many customers do not have large budgets. Unlike ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 29% of the time

HPE ProCurve vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 17% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 17% of the time

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 12% of the time

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] Competitors

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs ExtremeSwitching

Compared 32% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs ExtremeSwitching

Compared 14% of the time

Cisco Nexus vs ExtremeSwitching

Compared 12% of the time

Ixia Bypass Switches vs ExtremeSwitching

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco FabricPath vs ExtremeSwitching

Compared 7% of the time

More ExtremeSwitching Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

May 2026

Download Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeSwitching

May 2026

Download ExtremeSwitching product report

Also Known As

PowerConnect Switches

No data available

Overview

PowerConnect Switches family offers a set of flexible, manageable and comprehensive switch solutions supporting up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and optimized Internet iSCSI (iSCSI) performance with Dell Storage solutions, ideal for enterprise and campus LAN environments alike.

Dell Technologies

ExtremeSwitching delivers robust security and scalability, valued for deep packet inspection and cost-effectiveness. It simplifies deployment and enhances network management with innovative features, despite requiring improvements in cyber attack management and 5G capabilities.

ExtremeSwitching is designed for seamless performance in networking environments. Its ease of configuration, coupled with advanced fabric technology, simplifies deployment. However, challenges include software inconsistencies and pricing issues. The intuitive interface provides enhanced visibility and control, yet could benefit from simplification. Reliability and innovative functionalities contribute to high satisfaction, although support resources require enhancement. Integration of AI features could benefit usability for less skilled administrators, and improvements in entry-level options are needed.

What are the key features of ExtremeSwitching?

Robust Security: Offers advanced security features to protect network infrastructure.
Scalability: Easily scales to accommodate growth within networking environments.
Deep Packet Inspection: Provides detailed analysis of data passing through the network.
Cost-Effective Pricing: Offers competitive pricing that maximizes value for users.
Ring Topology Protocol: Utilizes a unique protocol for efficient network architecture.
Fabric Technology: Simplifies deployment with minimal manpower needed.

What benefits and ROI should users look for when evaluating ExtremeSwitching?

Reliability and Performance: Ensures robust network connectivity in demanding environments.
Cost Efficiency: Offers low-cost solutions that provide significant value.
Innovative Functionalities: Provides features that enhance network management and visibility.
Seamless Operation: Delivers smooth functionality without complex configurations.

ExtremeSwitching assists sectors like education, hospitality, IT, and manufacturing. It supports networking infrastructure, Wi-Fi, and enterprise core functionalities, ideal for projects such as smart city development and government networks. Its deployment aids connectivity in LANs, campuses, and data centers, ensuring reliable system and user networking.

Extreme Networks

Sample Customers

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

Blue Waters

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