3Com H3C Switches are known for reliability and affordability, standing out with Layer 2 and Layer 3 functionalities. They provide seamless network support with advanced GUI technology and offer durable hardware suited for continuous operations.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| 3Com H3C Switches | 1.3% |
| Cisco Ethernet Switches | 9.0% |
| Aruba Switches | 8.9% |
| Other | 80.8% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 4 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 1 |
| Large Enterprise | 2 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 47 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 15 |
| Large Enterprise | 40 |
Renowned for outstanding performance, 3Com H3C Switches provide extensive network capabilities comparable to well-known brands like Dell and Cisco. This series emphasizes IRF redundancy, robust hardware, and an intuitive, advanced interface. Additionally, their strong presence in Pakistani cities ensures accessible service centers and straightforward warranty processes. While the need for improved software updates and simulation tools is noted, especially for IPv6 management and security, 3Com H3C facilitates a reliable connection with over 200 terminals across various environments.
What are the key features?3Com H3C Switches find significant application in manufacturing, public and private sectors, and educational institutions. They are crucial for environments requiring continuous operation, like manufacturing, campuses, and data centers. Despite some transitioning to newer technologies, as backup systems, they continue to offer stable connections, with notable use in video surveillance and security.
| Author info | Rating | Review Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Manager at Necsol | 4.5 | I've found 3Com H3C Switches reliable, affordable, and widely supported in Pakistan, though their software takes some learning; overall, they offer good performance, compatibility, and service, making them a strong alternative to pricier brands like Dell. |
| Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees | 4.5 | I use 3Com H3C Switches for campus and data center switching, benefiting from an upgraded GUI for easier VLAN configurations. While they support extensive network layers, improvements are needed in security features and management systems to enhance IT operations. |
| Managing Director - CEO at AINSystems | 5.0 | I find the 3Com H3C Switches to be reliable for video surveillance and security. They perform well in critical operations, but I believe the technical support needs better communication. I haven't used other solutions or deployed on a cloud provider. |
| Managing Director at P & P Enterprise Solution Co.,Ltd. | 2.0 | I have used 3Com H3C Switches in a manufacturing company where reliability is crucial. Although configuring them requires a specific console cable not easily found in Thailand, they remain a valuable solution despite needing software updates and improved configuration support. |
| Head of Technical Support at a real estate/law firm with 51-200 employees | 4.0 | I've found 3Com H3C Switches straightforward, stable, and reliable workhorses, easy to manage. However, I'm moving to newer products, like HP, due to the company's closure and HP's better long-term support. |
| Sr. Manager - Infrastructure at Ntrust | 5.0 | I find these switches very reliable, stable, and scalable for big data VLANs, with easy GUI setup. Though configuration changes occasionally malfunction, I highly recommend them due to their hardware and lifetime warranty. |
| Founder / Director at Mell Technologies | 4.5 | I value this solution's durability, ease of use, stability, and scalability, along with good support. While cheaper, I wish for better integration, more advanced features, improved speed, and timely delivery. |
| Network Architect at Disney | 3.5 | I value HP switches' IRF for consolidation and scalability, simplifying management. Setup is easy. IPv6 management needs development, and minor security holes were found. It's a functional Cisco alternative, meeting our needs well, but imperfect. |
3Com H3C Switches are being used in public and private sectors, universities, and across every department because their server performance is up to the mark.
Their products are being used everywhere in every sector and are mostly occupying the public sectors.
3Com H3C Switches products are available at a low price. The second most important factor is their services, availability of parts, and warranty claims. 3Com H3C Switches has main service centers in all major cities of Pakistan.
Their Layer 2 and Layer 3 switch capability is extremely good. If we consider the Layer 2 and Layer 3 switches of Dell specifically, they have a much higher cost. 3Com H3C Switches switches are much cheaper than Dell. If we consider any other competitor such as Cisco or others, their prices are also less than Dell, and their performance is quite good.
There is no negative impact, but to some extent their software side needs improvement because most people are familiar with iDRAC for the Dell product. Their software product is quite different and is new software. You have to take some time to learn their programming and other things such as installation of the media, Windows or office applications, or anything else.
It is not complex. It is because it is a new thing and we had to face a little more problem for the installation at first. But now after some time, it has become easy for us because we have been working with Dell and listening about Dell for a long time, about decades. 3Com H3C Switches has occupied our market and has been working now for the last two to three years. 3Com H3C Switches has gained this much reputation and the brand is at its peak. It will be a matter of time and with the passage of time the learning stage will improve.
In Pakistan, 3Com H3C Switches has been working since 2019.
3Com H3C Switches is stable.
I cannot say with 100 percent certainty about scalability because I am not a full user of this product. I cannot say anything about whether it is scalable or not because I am a limited user of 3Com H3C Switches at the moment.
Their engineer will guide you over a call, over a Zoom call, or mobile call and will guide you on how to proceed. They are supportive people and support us in all senses, whether it is operating system or hardware problems or anything regarding BIOS or the product, 3Com H3C Switches hardware components, or anything you want to replace or install new.
Technical support is available with their local office. They have local service centers with 3Com H3C Switches officials, not third party officials. 3Com H3C Switches has their own presence in major cities of Pakistan.
Positive
As far as our market is concerned, clients have shifted to other technologies such as Chinese technology, including 3Com H3C Switches due to price constraints. This does not mean that Dell is not working in our market, but mostly Chinese technologies have occupied the market.
3Com H3C Switches is compatible with all other devices because they deal with switches, core switches, and other normal switches. As far as network is concerned, all of their devices are compatible with other devices such as Cisco switches and available switch models. There is no issue with compatibility.
At the moment we are considering 3Com H3C Switches as I mentioned earlier because of price constraints. Dell products are costly, but 3Com H3C Switches products are available at a low price. The second most important factor is their services, availability of parts, and warranty claims. 3Com H3C Switches has main service centers in all major cities of Pakistan.
As I mentioned earlier, operational cost depends on some factors. If we consider 3Com H3C Switches, Dell, or HP, their warranty service turnaround times are less than Dell and others. 3Com H3C Switches has their service center with parts availability in Pakistan and all major cities including Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. Parts are available with 3Com H3C Switches in their office. You just claim the part and they will give it to you in a day and within some hours.
Price is the major factor. You cannot say it is much better because all servers and all products have a few things in common, which are the processor, storage, and RAM and other things. Mostly the motherboard and the processors matter. If we consider all Dell, 3Com H3C Switches, and HP or other brands, all have the same performance with maybe a little difference. But when a client decides to purchase something, they definitely consider the cost factor. If we compare the cost factor, then 3Com H3C Switches is much better in cost than Dell and HP.
3Com H3C Switches is not the HP product. 3Com H3C Switches has shares with HP, but it is not the core product of HP. It is purely a Chinese product and 3Com H3C Switches is another company.
The R4900 is the mostly used model of 3Com H3C Switches.
I personally did not work over the management, but I supplied to some of my other clients. I would rate this review a 9 overall.
My primary use cases include colleges, universities, small and medium enterprise companies, campus and core switching, data center switching, and router and switch configurations.
The user interface is upgraded to the latest GUI technology, allowing configurations like VLAN to be done through the interface rather than the command line, making it more efficient. The solutions provided support many network layers extensively, including VLANs, L3 APIs, and L4, L5, L7 application layers, which improve customization, security, and data management.
The company should come up with new security features and new management and log recording systems, helping customers to analyze issues and prevent future incidents. Remediation recommendations should also be included to assist customers in improving their IT operations.
I have worked with the solution for ten to 12 years and still continue to work with it.
The solution is stable in terms of management interface and the switching part. There is an advantage when considering business cases in terms of pricing, availability, and support.
The solution is scalable in terms of supporting large data centers with a portfolio for supporting small and medium businesses to large enterprises.
Their customer service is instant with a tracking system and follow-ups for human access.
Positive
I rate the initial setup between eight to nine out of ten in terms of ease.
I work through HPE to provide switches to customers, where I implement, install, and maintain them.
The price depends on the segments the switches serve. For some segments, they can be costly.
I recommend experiencing the switches to feel the difference compared to traditional ones, and I rate them nine out of ten.
We use the platform for video surveillance and security features.
The product is reliable and works fine for critical operations as well.
The technical support services need improvement in terms of communication.
We have been using 3Com H3C Switches for two years.
I rate the platform's stability an eight out of ten.
I rate the platform's scalability a six out of ten. We do not have any experience using it.
It is difficult to understand the accent of the technical support team. This particular area needs improvement.
Positive
The installation is quite straightforward. The deployment time depends on the type of setup.
3Com H3C Switches have a competitive cost. I rate the pricing a nine out of ten.
3Com H3C Switches work perfectly well. We use them primarily for the network topology of data centers and outdoor applications. It is pre-configured in our environment and doesn't take time to start up.
I recommend the product to others and rate it a ten out of ten.
3Com H3C Switches are utilized at a manufacturing company where uninterrupted and critical operations are imperative. In the past, we faced some challenges when large packets would cause the switch to become unresponsive, but a simple power cycle would resolve the issue. Currently, our main challenge is that in order to effectively configure the device, we require a console cable, specifically a DD9, which is not readily available in Thailand at the moment.
The reliability of the solution has been the best feature.
Due to the fact that 3Com is no longer present in the Thailand market, I require the Comware command for the purpose of configuring up to Aruba. This particular command is particularly advantageous for beginners or students who are seeking to make such a configuration. This is because Aruba has transformed the command to be similar to that of Cisco, thereby eliminating the difficulties associated with using a different command. Additionally, I need 3Com H3C Switches to to improve its software and simulate it, as in the past, I used GNS3 to make configurations for the 3Com simulator. However, the version currently available is outdated. Despite the fact that 3Com is an old entity, I do not believe it is necessary for it to be retired.
The configuration of 3Com H3C Switches could be better.
I have been using 3Com H3C Switches for approximately four years.
The stability of 3Com H3C Switches is very good.
It is crucial to allocate a substantial amount of time for the initial setup of 3Com H3C Switches because it lacks sufficient tools to assist us in the activation process. The diagnostic procedure cannot be performed automatically and requires manual intervention through alternative command line methods. This can be both time-consuming and requires careful consideration of what has occurred. Unfortunately, there are limited tools available for diagnostics and configuration purposes, which exacerbates the need to allocate ample time.
The process to implement the solution is approximately six hours.
We utilize the old 3Com 4200 and 4400 model switches, which have demonstrated exceptional strength and durability. However, I cannot recall the specific model. The 5500-EI model is equipped with 24 ports and is frequently utilized as a branch switch or branch core switch to deploy the Virtual Service Instance Processor to clients. Despite this, there are plans in place to eventually replace these switches with more modern options from either HP or Aruba.
I rate 3Com H3C Switches a four out of five.
These are Layer 2 switches. We have mostly Layer 2 and we have one Layer 4 switch.
We have a plan to move away from this product. If it works, they will be there just as a backup only. But for most of the equipment, we're moving towards newer products.
Within our company, we have around 200-plus terminals that are connected, meaning there are over 200 PCs connected.
They're straightforward and stable. They're built like a workhorse — you leave them alone and they do their thing.
Overall, they're a good product; they don't break down.
I think there's nothing that needs to be improved because the company is no longer in existence.
I have been using 3Com H3C Switches since 2003.
I think it's quite stable.
In terms of technical support, HP is better because HP gives us a lifetime warranty — 3Com has a limit. Only HP gives us this kind of warranty — nobody else does that.
Everything is very straightforward. Whether it's 3Com or it's HP or Aruba — they're all straightforward.
Deployment is pretty much a no brainer when it comes to switches. They're straightforward. You can define the VLAN and the link aggregation. You can do it the moment you put an IP address on the switches.
Regardless of whether it's HP or 3Com or even Cisco — they're all very similar. It's all quite simple equipment so they're easy to manage.
We installed everything ourselves. You don't need staff for deployment and maintenance. You just have to plug it in and it runs on its own.
It's practically the same for most switches. But I have to say that the high-end switches, for Layer 2, I think there are some Layer 2 switches that are breaking down, or they just started breaking down. It has to do with age and production design. It's different for the high-end switches compared to the entry-level switches.
If I had to go back in time, I might go with HP. HP is a better investment down the road.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give 3Com H3C Switches a rating of eight.
We use more VLANs for every location for big data. We service the VLAN to check if the connection is working or not.
The hardware side is a very big advantage. We use it 24/7 and we haven't had any problems so far with the switches.
When we try to do configuration changes sometimes it malfunctions.
We have been using these switches for the last 10 years.
It is stable.
It is easy to scale. We haven't had any issues so far.
We haven't needed to contact support yet. We haven't had any issues that we needed support for.
We used Cisco but then we switched to HP. The main difference is the GUI. HP has a lot of features and is easy to configure.
The initial setup is very easy. The features come with the GUI. It makes it easy for us to configure it. We deployed it by ourselves. We only needed two to four people for the configuration.
Once we have a plan we can configure it in one hour.
I would rate it a ten out of ten. I would definitely recommend it. It has a lifetime warantee.
The most valuable feature of this solution is the durability. There a couple of other competing brands, but we trust the durability of the 3Com.
They are easy to use, they are cheaper, and it's a trusted brand.
The cost and the integration with other solutions could be better. Intel and compatibility with a couple of other brands would be an improvement.
Delivery has been a problem with a couple of brands. We would like to have them deliver it on time.
In the next release, I would like to see some more advanced features. I would like to have five or more users and the speed could be improved.
I have been using this solution for a very long time, for about ten years or so.
We use all the H3C brands and models.
We are using the latest version.
This solution is quite stable.
This solution is very scalable.
Our clients are either small, medium, or even large corporate government as well. The number of users is dependent on the client. It varies from small to enterprise.
I would rate the technical support a nine out of ten.
I have worked with other products.
The initial setup was easy to install and it was not complicated.
You don't need to necessarily have a lot of technical knowledge to install or to configure this solution. It's quite easy.
I am a trained IT professional, so I did the setup and installation myself. I do have a team of people that I work with, but mostly, I do it myself.
The cost could be improved, but it is cheaper than the others.
I have never had a problem working with an H3C product.
I would recommend this product line.
I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.
What I like about HP switches is something called IRF, a form of redundancy that allows many switches to share one control panel.
Total cost of ownership and consolidation of the switches is very good.
I would like to see in future versions their management for IPv6 to be driven more heavily.
We found some security holes in some of their switches, but overall it's fairly stable.
Scalability is related to the consolidation of many switches into one management plan, so we have to hire less administrators to manage it.
I don’t have a lot of direct experience, so I can’t comment.
Complicated politics with the government of China. Disney is mostly Cisco, and they wanted to investigate whether to bring in more HP stuff.
It’s fairly straightforward.
Cisco and basically all others were on our list. They have a partnership with HP China, so we chose HP.
