Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches Reviews

I use the solution in my company for our customers in the retail and financial companies. We are using the switches in data center operations for our customer environment. We are using Juniper for back-end switches.

The most valuable feature of the solution is in the area of MC-LAG, especially for redundancy and backup.

Improvements can be made in the web user interface and web management. The management interface is based on Java, and it is a problematic application. I always use CLI due to black screen issues, but sometimes, I need more than user-friendly operations for customers. If the management interface improves, it would be good.

I have been using Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches for three years. My company has a partnership with Juniper.

It offers a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

It is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

My customers are medium and enterprise businesses.

Only once in three years have I used the solution's technical support, and it was good. I rate the technical support a seven out of ten.

Neutral

Compared to Cisco, Juniper offers better stability and low prices.

The product's initial setup phase is not too easy compared to different vendors. We are always using Cisco's interface, but Juniper's syntax is different and sometimes it is difficult. If you are working on Juniper, the setup may seem easier.

If ten means very easy, I rate the setup phase a six or seven out of ten.

The time needed to deploy the solution depends on the project, and it may range between an hour to two.

The solution can be deployed on an on-premises model.

Time is very important for our customers. The switches are not purchased by our users. We operate a data center, and the owner of our old environment is Kindle. I work in the data centers. Directly, our customers do not buy any environment or infrastructure because all the infrastructure owners are Kindle. We offer services to customers, and sometimes we discuss with them which solution is best for them.

Juniper is not problematic and is stable. With the tool, one doesn't need to spend too much time on issues or corruption because the tool is not problematic. I spend time if I make any configuration changes. In other words, I don't spend too much time on issues or bugs.

I don't know much about pricing because I am from the technical side. I think the tool's prices are competitive with the vendors.

I recommend users keep using the tool. If people have experience with the tool, it's enough, but if they don't, I think they should work with people who have experience with Juniper.

I rate the tool an eight out of ten.

I provide Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches to financial organizations like banks, and I know that the solution is, to date, used in a bank where I have provided it for four years. I haven't got any issues from the bank's side. I think it is a very good product.

From the purpose of the tool as a switch, the features provided by the solution are almost the same. In terms of data handling purposes, I feel Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches are more capable of handling big data compared to the other products in the market. Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches can handle big data switches.

Juniper should improve the support services provided to users, as it is one of its areas with certain shortcomings. Juniper also needs to improve its technologies, especially in the parts revolving around switches.

I have experience providing Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches to my company's clients. I don't have hands-on experience with the tool.

The scalability part of the product is not very complex.

The product's initial setup phase is not complex. The setup phase was straightforward.

I only have experience with two clients who have used the product, but I have not directly deployed it for them.

During the product's deployment, the console needs to be connected to the laptops. The users also need to enter some CLI commands on the laptop for the switches from Juniper.

Though I am unsure, I feel the solution can be deployed in five to ten minutes.

Basically, if it is a large deployment involving lots of processes, the number of people required to deploy and maintain the tool will depend on the project and the number of switches. If you consider deploying a single switch, only one person is required to set it up. If you consider 500 switches, you must assign engineers to manage the switches and locations.

The licensing part of the product is not very good. There is a need to make a payment towards the perpetual licensing model offered by the product and also towards the subscription-based model for hardware replacement. Compared to Cisco's pricing model, Juniper's price is low.

The product's reliability and performance are good areas.

My company's customers face some configuration-related issues with the product. I didn't frequently ask my customers if Juniper was better than Cisco or other tools. I have to check the aforementioned details with my customers. I need to check the aforementioned details with my customers. The last two customers of my company who have been using the product have not complained about it.

Based on my knowledge, Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches is a good product. I recommend Cisco to those who can afford it. I would also recommend Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches to others since it is a good product.

I rate the tool a seven to eight out of ten.

Juniper Ethernet Switches are used to connect other devices to a network, such as other switches.

The most valuable feature of Juniper Ethernet Switches is the public remote configuration option. If you make a mistake in the configuration you can roll it back to the previous configuration automatically after a set time frame increment, such as five or more minutes. In all the other competitors once you press to enter the new configuration is already written in. You cannot roll it back automatically.

Juniper Ethernet Switches provides free training on its website.

Juniper Ethernet Switches could improve in the EX 2300 model because it does not support IPsec VPN. Only the models at 3400 or higher support it. Additionally, there is a need for support for Mac which is lacking. Some of their competitors, such as Cisco, support Mac.

I have been using Juniper Ethernet Switches for approximately six years.

We have not had many issues with the solution.

I rate the stability of Juniper Ethernet Switches an eight out of ten.

We have approximately 500 users using the solution.

I rate the scalability of Juniper Ethernet Switches an eight out of ten.

The support from Juniper Ethernet Switches is good.

The initial setup of Juniper Ethernet Switches is straightforward if you have prior knowledge of the solution.

When we deployed 42 Juniper Ethernet Switches it took us five days with two engineers.

I rate the initial setup of Juniper Ethernet Switches a seven out of ten.

We do the implementation of the solution.

My clients have seen a return on investment because their network is more stable with fewer issues.

I rate the ROI of Juniper Ethernet Switches an eight out of ten.

The pricing of Juniper Ethernet Switches compared to equivalent switches from Aruba, Cisco, and others, Juniper Ethernet Switches are priced a little higher. They are approximately 20 to 50 percent higher. When we receive a new range of models, the prices can come down. The price can also vary by region.

I rate the price of Juniper Ethernet Switches a six out of ten.

If Juniper Ethernet Switches want to penetrate the market, they'll have to do something about their pricing. Cisco switches are more well-known and they are less expensive.

We chose Juniper Ethernet Switches over D-Link or others because it provides a higher connectivity speed, such as VLANs.

The physical maintenance of the solution is low. After you install the solution and have done the fine-tuning they run well by themself. The only time there is maintenance involved is if there is a critical security vulnerability we then upgrade the switch with the patch which we use one engineer.

My advice to others is many are afraid to tackle the Juniper Ethernet Switches EX switches because of the command line interface. It's can be a lot different from the other manufacturers. However,  once you get to know it, it's a lot faster to configure and set up.

I rate Juniper Ethernet Switches an eight out of ten.

These are standalone devices. We use them as switches. We use them in the access layer as well as in the aggregation layer. We use them to provide internet services to the end-user.

While it's not necessarily better, we do need to reduce our reliance on Chinese-manufactured solutions to no more than 20%. Therefore, we need a vendor that does not have equipment made in China. 

The setup process is simple. 

It's stable. 

We have found the product to be scalable. 

We needed to change what we use now so that the upper layer, the business layer, was moved to Juniper. We haven't really dealt with any issues.

The price could be a bit lower. 

We'd like to see some form of support for Internet of Things, or IoT devices.

I've been using the solution for six months now. 

The solution is stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

We can scale and expand the solution. 

We have more than 500 users on the solution currently. 

I have colleagues that directly deal with customer support. I haven't dealt with them directly. However, it is my understanding that they are helpful.

Positive

We have used Chinese-manufactured equipment. We're working to be less reliant on it. We've used, for example, Huawei. We've also used Cisco.

Huawei has better support. The response time is better. The price is also better, and there is not a complex licensing procedure for Huawei. You can buy two licenses, for example, and they can serve all your needs.

Although the initial setup is pretty straightforward, it is a bit different than, for example, Cisco and Huawei. It takes some time to get familiar with the process. 

We have a partner that handles the maintenance for us. 

We'd like the pricing to come down a bit. 

We're a partner and end-user.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. We are happy with its capabilities overall, and it has allowed us to rely less on Chinese-manufactured technology.

I use it for my customers. 

The solution works well overall. 

It's a switch. Everything which I'm expecting from the switch is on the Juniper EX series.

It is stable.

You can scale the product.

All Juniper products that you use in internet service provider equipment. They start from flash, et cetera. If you don't stop them properly, you have some problems with flash memory.

The setup, if you don't have your own configuration, can be a bit difficult. 

All Juniper documentation is terrible. If you are familiar with Cisco documentation, you have everything you need and you have a good overall picture. In Juniper, you have a lot of text and you have to figure out what they are saying as opposed to just seeing a picture and understanding what's happening. Cisco documentation is much better than Juniper.

I've been using the solution for seven years or somewhere thereabouts. 

The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

It is scalable. You can scale with more equipment, more cards, more interfaces, et cetera. In the case of switches, you've got upwards of six so you can scale the solution for your needs.

I tend to work with medium-sized organizations. 

The solution's support is typical. It's not quite different from others. I fid it similar to other vendors. For example, I see no difference between Cisco and Juniper.

I'm also familiar with Cisco. I prefer Juniper's switches to Cisco. The price is good. 

I have to stop the initial configuration, then I have to remove all defaults and start from scratch. In my opinion, it's easier to start with my own configuration rather than going through the initial set up. 

The solution is reasonably priced if you compare it to Cisco.

The exact price depends on the model, the software you are going to implement, and the features you want. In the case of Juniper, you can use its recommended vendors, SFPs, et cetera. 

At one point, I was a Juniper partner. I just use the solution right now. 

I'd advise potential new users to start with Junos. That's the name of the operating system for Juniper stuff. If you are familiar with this, you can do everything. However, if you are not familiar, it could be very, very difficult for you to start with Juniper.

I'd rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

We are using the product as edge switches. We have a core switch in one of our branches also, a Juniper switch.

There's no specific benefit like I like this or I don't like it, however, it is just allowing us to have a multi-vendor environment. We have other switches also, like boundary switches which are Brocade switches. We are currently we are using a lot of Cisco switches. About 70% of our switches are Cisco.

The solution is stable and scalable.

It's a product that is simple to set up.

Of the current engineers that are working in Egypt, most of them are familiar with Cisco and not all of them used to work on Juniper switches. That's why those switches aren't very famous in Egypt.

The stability could be better. We find, for example, Cisco, to be more stable.

I've been using the solution for more than five years now.

The stability is good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

The solution offers good scalability.

It is a multi-vendor environment, so the total environment itself has about 1,000 users. They use various switches, however.

I've never needed to contact technical support. I can't speak to how they are in terms of the level of service. 

We also use Brocade and Cisco. While Cisco is more stable, it is more expensive as well.

The initial setup is straightforward and doesn't take too much time. It's a pretty quick deployment. 

For deployment and maintenance, we have two people who handle everything. They handle networking, switching, and routing. 

It is less expensive than, for example, Cisco. We pay a yearly licensing fee. 

In our environment, we are using a different vendor approach as we don't want to depend on a single vendor.

I'd advise other companies, especially if they are an enterprise, to not deal with a single vendor.

I would rate the solution a seven out of ten.

My primary use of this solution is for core switching and routing.

The most valuable feature is that Juniper is multiple kernels, so there's isolation, which means you won't get a process that runs away, creating problems across the whole platform. 

We had been introduced to MIST as a result or procuring 9 EX4600 switches and the associated MIST licenses.  Unfortunately we found out that MIST does not support legacy switches, namely EX2200 which we have 100 Plus, so this requires us to invest time and resources in order to learn the opensource alternatives for automation, or plan for an upgrade of the EX2200 which requires a significant investment.

Personally learning the open source alternatives is an extremely valuable skill to add to the toolbox, as well as move the District forward with automation.

I've been using this solution for two to three years.

Juniper's stability is solid - it suffers from some bugs, like any product, but other than that, it's stable.

There are no issues with the scalability - we went with this product because it supported ten gigs and the switches are stackable. You scale the platform to meet your needs, and it scales to meet our needs.

Technical support has resolved any problems I've had in a relatively quick amount of time.

I've have experience with Cisco, Brocade, Dell, and Foundry Networks, with inheriting an inventory of 150+ Juniper switches and investing time in learning juniper, a more to another vendor is not an option we are considering.

The initial setup isn't very straightforward at first - it took me a day or two to deploy my first Juniper switches. It gets easier with practice, but it's a steep learning curve for anyone who hasn't touched Juniper.

Implementation was in-house.

Juniper's switches have a lifetime warranty, so you don't have to pay for replacements for defective items (though you can't buy spare replacements). It's relatively affordable per switch and pretty similar to other vendors' costs for maintenance.

I started using Juniper two and a half years ago with zero experience, and it was a steep learning curve, but I've become a fan of this product. I would advise others to consider vendors other than Cisco, including Juniper. I'd give this solution a score of nine out of ten.

We use it across our whole environment. We use it for everything from our core to our edge. It is basically deployed everywhere. A good percentage of our Juniper switches are in a stacked array. For example, we do four 48-port switches for a wiring closet in a building. They're all stacked together, and they call it ActivChassis. Most companies, such as HP, ADTRAN, also do the same kind of thing. So, we do a virtual chassis formation in our wiring closet. For smaller buildings that only need one switch, we do a single switch at the distant end.

We have a lot from the 2300 Series. We have one 3300 and quite a few from the 3400 Series. We also have one 4550, and we have also been buying the 4350 series ones.

The thing that sets Juniper apart from most switches is that when you're in the command line and you make a configuration change, you just write the command and then say "commit confirmed minutes". For example, I'm configuring a switch here in my office, which is five miles away, and I say, "commit confirmed 5". If I can't get back to the interface within five minutes to be able to make sure the switch came up, it rolls back to the previous configuration. This way I do not get locked out, or the switch doesn't get messed up because of the incorrect configuration. That's an automatic feature, which is pretty slick. I haven't seen that feature with other vendors that I've worked with. That's probably my most favorite feature.

A nice thing about Juniper is that they also have a GUI interface, and it is a little bit better than most other vendors. Their GUI interface does more than a lot of other vendors.

Another nice thing about Juniper is that their training is available for free on their website. I wanted to get certified with Juniper, and I did it for free. On the entry-level exam, they pay for 75% of the exam if you take it through their website.

The negative of Juniper is that their command-line coding is a lot different than any other vendor, so there is a fairly steep learning curve to it. 

The initial setup for Juniper switches is complex. Juniper has a new program that solves that problem a little bit, but it is expensive, so I don't use it. It is Juniper Mesh, Juniper Wire, or something like that where you plug in a switch, and it goes out to their cloud, finds a config, and brings it down. So, you can do everything cloud-based, but there is a fee for that. It is expensive, so I've never used it. If we were starting, we would try to do something like that. It is more for a large enterprise for managing hundreds of switches versus what we're doing. They should make its price more cost-effective or include it for new or smaller companies.

One advantage that Cisco has is that there are a billion people who use it, so there are a lot more publications or books, whereas, with Juniper, you really can't find a current book. Everything that you have is from their website. They have a lot of documentation on their website, which is good, but if you're a person like me who likes having a hardback book, you're not going to find one that's current. If I wanted to be at home and learn something and read about it, I won't be able to do that. It is going to be a PDF, so you either have got to print it out, or you have to read it online. Sometimes, being older and having bad eyes, that's not good.

We probably started using it four years ago.

Its stability is good.

Its scalability is excellent. It is being used extensively. We're going to finish off other vendors this year. It is going to be all Juniper.

Their technical support is good. Our experience with them has been good.

We have been supporting three different vendors: HP, ADTRAN, and Juniper. Our environment was getting old. So, we just started replacing things that were ten or eight years old. This year, we're replacing everything so that we're just one shop, and we don't have to support three different vendors. It is tough to support three different OS, so that's why we are finishing others off.

Juniper's GUI interface is a little bit better than most other vendors, but Juniper's command line is tougher than HP. HP has the easiest interface. On an HP switch, you can just write a command, and it automatically knows where to go. Juniper has a very hierarchal kind of structure, and you have to be within that framework of what you're trying to do to make that change. That's why it is a little bit harder. Juniper commands are also a little bit longer, but it is easy to fill out commands by using a question mark or a tab. It'll then auto-fill if you're typing it correctly, which is nice.

Juniper is better in terms of if you make a mistake. When you make a command mistake on HP, you don't necessarily get to know. On Juniper, if you're using a command and you get it all set up, and then you hit commit, it won't commit if there is a syntax error or some other issue. It will tell you that there is an error and you got to fix it. It also tells you what it is, but knowing the commands is the hard part.

It was complex. The first few that we got were tough, and sometimes, they still can be tough. It has definitely a steep learning curve. If you are an organization that has never used it before, it is going to be tough.

If you know what you're doing, you can get a switch done in a couple of hours. If you're new, it is going to take you days to weeks, depending upon how much you want to get it to work. So, it is kind of complex.

I use SecureCRT to configure all my switches, which replaces Putty and is made by VanDyke software. It is not that expensive and costs around $90. Using SecureCRT has made things easier for me, and it has really helped me with Juniper. If you're familiar with Putty, it works really well. It gives you options to store all of your commands. So, when I'm building a new switch, I have all the commands that I normally use, such as the commands to set up the IP address or a route. I don't have to memorize the commands. I can just double-click the set route command and then just change a variable.

For the first two switches, we used the reseller from whom we bought the switches. Someone from their company came in and installed the first two switches. After that, we looked at his configs and figured out how to do it, and since then, we did it on our own. Our experience with the reseller was good.

Maintenance is handled by two of us in my department, but we do so many other things. We are Network Admins. 

Their prices are competitive and not bad. It is cheaper than Cisco.

We have a yearly license.

It has more features than I'm currently using. Their support is fine, and their prices are also competitive. It is cheaper than Cisco, so I would definitely recommend it over Cisco because of the price. 

Juniper provides training for free on their website. You can do all their courses for free through their website. I would highly recommend doing these courses. They are free, which is awesome. You're not going to get free Cisco courses.

I would rate this solution an eight out of 10. The only reason for not giving it a 10 is its high learning curve. In terms of capabilities and feature set, it is right up there.