H3C Ethernet Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches comparison

H3C and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are both solutions in the Ethernet Switches category. H3C is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.0, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.5. H3C holds a 2.6% mindshare in ES, compared to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of H3C users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users who would recommend it.

H3C Ethernet Switches

Read 9 H3C Ethernet Switches reviews

2,184 Views
1,717 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

HPE Ethernet Switches

Read 103 HPE Ethernet Switches reviews

2,627 Views
2,382 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

H3C Ethernet Switches

HPE Ethernet Switches

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

HPE and H3C Ethernet Switches compete in the market for scalable and reliable networking solutions. HPE has the upper hand due to its comprehensive feature set, including programmability and advanced analytics.

Features: HPE Ethernet Switches are known for their scalability, reliability, and versatile integration options. They feature lifetime warranties, robust layer 2 functionality, and a user-friendly GUI. Additionally, they offer POE support and advanced programmability, making them a distinguished choice. H3C Ethernet Switches emphasize reliability and competitive pricing. They are popular for simple stack configuration and offer robust networking solutions but lack the extensive features of HPE.

Room for Improvement: HPE Ethernet Switches could benefit from a more intuitive interface design and streamlined configuration processes. Enhancing technical support response times and integration with other HPE ecosystems would be advantageous. H3C Ethernet Switches need better support infrastructure, public tools, and a web-based configuration UI. Expanding their product range and improving stability could also enhance their market position.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HPE and H3C Ethernet Switches are mainly deployed on-premises. HPE technical support is rated as good, though there are inefficiencies in tiered support, with commendable customer service. H3C provides consistent customer service but needs to improve technical support and support tool availability to match HPE’s global standards.

Pricing and ROI: HPE Ethernet Switches are considered cost-effective due to lifetime warranties and no licensing fees. Despite higher initial costs, they offer long-term value through stability and low failure rates. H3C Ethernet Switches are appealing for their affordability, especially for SMBs, offering competitive prices but lacking HPE’s lifetime warranty and established ROI metrics.

To learn more, read our detailed H3C Ethernet Switches vs. HPE Ethernet Switches Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

H3C Ethernet Switches vs. HPE Ethernet Switches

March 2025

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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

H3C Ethernet Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

16th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

HPE Ethernet Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

9th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

103

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of H3C Ethernet Switches is 2.6%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Ethernet Switches is 2.4%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ethernet Switches

Featured Reviews

KanwarArsalan

Technical Pre Sales at Business It Solutions

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.

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LuisSilva6

Director of Information Technology at a hospitality company with 10,001+ employees

Provides ease of management and has an easy initial setup process

Primarily, we use the product for network and VLAN segmentation across our hospitality property. It forms the backbone of our network, providing connectivity to devices like TVs, phones, access points, and even electrical switches within guest rooms The product's most valuable feature is the ease…

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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

"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."

"Offering a five-year warranty, compared to competitors' one-year warranties, is a unique advantage of H3C switches."

"H3C Ethernet Switches have a fast delivery time."

"A good high-performance solution."

"H3C Ethernet Switches is a cheap solution."

"Network performance is very good, suggesting that stability has not been an issue."

More H3C Ethernet Switches pros

"I like that these switches are reliable, and the support is good."

"It is a stable product."

"he stability is very good on this solution. There have been no bugs, glitches or crashes."

"HPE Ethernet Switches offer a good return on investment. They offer a lifetime warranty, which is good. Cisco SMB level only declares a one-year warranty, and for the enterprise level, you need to get a service pack, which costs extra."

"The simplicity of the commands is most valuable. The commands are the same for several devices."

"The switches are very important in our hospitals, which is a critical environment for our patients. They provide time-effective management and meet our needs."

"I wholeheartedly recommend HPE Ethernet Switches to others."

"The initial setup is straightforward. The steps are simple, and you can always contact support if needed. Overall, it's easy."

More HPE Ethernet Switches pros

Cons

"Lacks decent cloud management."

"H3C Ethernet Switches could improve by widening their product range."

"There should be more public tools for configuration and comparing products."

"There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized."

"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."

"The solution’s stability could be improved."

"GUI needs to merge with CLI."

"To enhance H3C switches for the next release, improving the user interface is crucial."

More H3C Ethernet Switches cons

"We have some problems with the performance of our HPE Ethernet Switches because they are old."

"It is a bit complex to configure."

"They should continue to work on new features."

"It would be ideal if the product offered more security."

"There is a limitation of capability."

"They should have more control tools for controlling the bandwidth."

"Price is an area for improvement. Cisco is very competitive on price, considering future business. HPE Ethernet Switches and Aruba need to think about their pricing. Aruba's price was 25 percent higher than Cisco's in a recent Central Bank project in Sri Lanka."

"The pricing could be better."

More HPE Ethernet Switches cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"H3C Ethernet Switches are priced at around $500 per unit, which is very cheap and one of the most competitive prices out there."

"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."

"H3C Ethernet Switches is targeted for SMBs because it's cheaper compared to Huawei switches."

"H3C Ethernet Switches are reasonably priced."

"It would be great if certain features, like licensing, were included in the base price of the switches."

"It is a more expensive solution."

"I believe HPE is less expensive than Aruba's and UniFi and that is why certain clients have chosen them as their solution."

"All the solutions have a license for the QSFP. Additionally, there is a one-time license fee to increase the interface speed."

"We have to pay for a yearly license for HPE Ethernet Switches."

"The pricing is very good."

"They are affordable and less expensive than Cisco. Their price was the decider at the time."

"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."

More HPE Ethernet Switches pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

15%

Government

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about H3C Ethernet Switches?

H3C Ethernet Switches is a cheap solution.

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What needs improvement with H3C Ethernet Switches?

There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized.

See all answers

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.

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What do you like most about HPE Ethernet Switches?

The solution is very stable and easy to use.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Ethernet Switches?

HPE Ethernet switches are cheaper than Cisco products.

See all answers

What needs improvement with HPE Ethernet Switches?

Based on my experience, I am quite happy with the switches at the moment and do not see any immediate room for improvement.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs H3C Ethernet Switches

Compared 40% of the time

Huawei Ethernet Switches vs H3C Ethernet Switches

Compared 24% of the time

Aruba Switches vs H3C Ethernet Switches

Compared 17% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs H3C Ethernet Switches

Compared 4% of the time

Dell PowerSwitch Managed Campus vs H3C Ethernet Switches

Compared 3% of the time

More H3C Ethernet Switches Competitors

Aruba Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches

Compared 11% of the time

Huawei Ethernet Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches

Compared 9% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches

Compared 9% of the time

Meraki MS Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches

Compared 8% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs HPE Ethernet Switches

Compared 8% of the time

More HPE Ethernet Switches Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

March 2025

Download H3C Ethernet Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

HPE Ethernet Switches

March 2025

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Also Known As

No data available

HP Ethernet Switches

Overview

H3C S5560 High Performance Ethernet Switch is the latest development of Gigabit speed Layer 3 Ethernet switch. This powerful and highly secure series switch is built based on industry-leading high performance hardware architecture and H3C Comware V7 platform. It supports diversified services, high capacity GE access port as well as high density 10GE uplink, which meet the requirements for high density campus access and high performance aggregation.

H3C

HP has created the most open, integrated and software-defined networking portfolio and ecosystem of its kind – driving simplification with networks that understand, adapt to and protect your business applications in real-time. Only HP extends the momentum of software-defined networking everywhere–from the mobile edge to the heart of data centers.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Sample Customers

Ying Wa College, Centro Digital Pictures

Emirates Palace Hotel

Buyer's Guide

H3C Ethernet Switches vs. HPE Ethernet Switches

March 2025

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