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 25 ExtremeSwitching reviews

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804 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

ExtremeSwitching

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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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: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

LAN Switching

September 2025

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Helped 869,952 peers since 2012

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

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

LAN Switching (7th), Data Center Networking (8th), 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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Shrikant Teggi

Sr. Area Technical Manager at tata elxsi

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.

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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

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

"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."

"The functionality is very good."

"It's easy to set up. We can put it in production in a couple of minutes."

"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."

"The features I've found most valuable are that the product is very easy to configure and inexpensive."

"The security is the most valuable aspect of this solution. It also has good storage and resource handling."

"The most valuable features are the jumbo frames and the stacking."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pros

"Our vendors are great and they offer very good support services."

"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 stability has been largely pretty good."

"ExtremeSwitching fabric technology is a unique technology used to protect against viruses. ExtremeCloud IQ is a very good and feature-rich solution compared to Cisco, Ruxi Networks, or Huawei."

"Setup was easy. It only took a couple of hours to set up."

"The return on investment is high."

"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."

More ExtremeSwitching pros

Cons

"Scalability, especially with the power connect series is something that you have to take into account before starting the project because any changes to an ongoing project can be difficult."

"The IOS software that is used on the switches could be improved."

"The network features are not good."

"The solution could provide more integration to focus on targeting the network as a whole rather than a unified environment. It is meant for a built environment, so integration with other third-party vendors will likely be necessary."

"Dell is sometimes slow to provide updates to firmware."

"Not a ten because I have to do a lot of testing on it. The correlation is okay."

"I expect it to be a zero-touch or a plug-and-play device. To some extent, it is, but we need to know the architecture, and we need to know what exactly we are doing. It is not so easy to implement. It depends on what exactly we are doing and it is still not a plug-and-play or zero-touch device. In the upcoming version, they can make it zero-touch, where we can just power it on and start using it. They can have some templates for different scenarios, such as when you are using it for the data center or adding it to your existing infrastructure."

"You have to build the stackable interface by yourself in Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL], making it an area that can be considered for improvement."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] cons

"There are latency issues that need to be addressed."

"Their pricing could be a bit cheaper, as Huawei switches offer better pricing."

"We noticed over the years that the price of the Extreme Switches has been rising and this will become a concern in the future."

"While it is true of all vendors, there may be a slightly lower reliability standard."

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

"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."

"The interface could be improved."

"The training and resources for learning are lacking."

More ExtremeSwitching cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"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."

"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."

"Cheaper than its competitors"

"On a scale of one to ten, if one means it is a cheap solution, and ten means it is a very expensive tool, I rate the product's price as seven. The tool is a bit pricey."

"If one is the cheapest price and ten is the most expensive, I rate the product price as an eight or nine. The tool is not cheap."

"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."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pricing and cost advice

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

"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."

"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 product is expensive."

"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."

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

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

"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."

More ExtremeSwitching pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Energy/Utilities Company

Manufacturing Company

24%

Government

Computer Software Company

Healthcare Company

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	11
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	7

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.

See all answers

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 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?

I would rate the pricing for ExtremeSwitching six to seven out of ten.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

October 2025

Download Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

ExtremeSwitching

October 2025

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 is the family of products comprising different switch types: Modular (X8 and 8000 series [formerly BlackDiamond] and S and K series switches); Stackable (X-series and A, B, C, and 7100 series switches); Standalone (SSA, X430, and D, 200, 800, and ISW series); and Mobile Backhaul (E4G). ExtremeSwitching work from Edge Switching that ensures the performance and reliable operation of end-user devices and applications including port density, bandwidth, and network services to Aggregation / Core Switches is designed for the demanding needs of aggregation, top-of-rack and campus core environments, these switches deliver 10Gb, 40Gb and even 100Gb bandwidth with maximum throughput and reliability.

Extreme Networks

Sample Customers

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

Blue Waters

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in LAN Switching. Updated: September 2025.

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