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Cisco Catalyst Switches pros and cons

Vendor: Cisco
4.3 out of 5
Badge Ranked 1
1,943 followers
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Pros & Cons summary

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

Cisco Catalyst Switches offer robust stability and uptime, crucial for maintaining continuous network operations without interruptions.
They are easy to install and manage, streamlining network administration and reducing time spent on setup and troubleshooting.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are highly scalable, making them suitable for networks of varying sizes and allowing easy expansion as organizational needs grow.
They feature advanced security protocols to protect against threats and unauthorized access, enhancing overall network security.
Technical support for Cisco Catalyst Switches is highly responsive and effective, providing expert assistance and ensuring minimal downtime.

CONS

Pricing is high and could be lower, making it less cost-effective compared to competitors.
Integration capabilities with third-party products and other vendor systems are limited.
Licensing structure is complex, leading to difficulties in understanding and managing licenses.
Stability and performance issues have been reported, affecting reliability.
Initial setup and configuration require specialized knowledge and training.
 

Cisco Catalyst Switches Pros review quotes

reviewer1155498 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jul 27, 2020
The ability to configure throughput is very flexible and improved the performance of our systems.
CA
Feb 12, 2022
We use the VLANs to separate library, office, and individual apartments. With some of the reporting that receive, we're able to take and track down where people like to put in their own wireless routers. Sometimes they will take a DSL modem from AT&T that they brought from home, hook it in backward, and it will give rogue addresses causing issues.
reviewer2330706 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 15, 2024
This solution has a pretty good rate of not causing unexpected behavior or failing. We're using maybe 900 switches right now. And, rarely, if ever, something fails, it's dependable.
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
817,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
VA
Jun 28, 2020
They have a robust monitoring system.
AO
Jun 25, 2020
We have dealt with Cisco's technical support in the past. They were especially helpful and very polite. They are always there if we need them and their insights are always excellent. I would say that we have been satisfied with the level of support we've gotten so far.
MM
Nov 3, 2021
Cisco comes with built-in software access for network devices.
reviewer1331349 - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 16, 2020
The biggest advantage of having this solution is that it is easy to find engineers, and they are cheaper than hiring HP engineers.
reviewer1548180 - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 9, 2021
The quality of a Cisco switch is very high. They are extremely stable.
Loris Signoracci - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 26, 2021
I like the management of streaming both audio and video.
it_user683622 - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 23, 2018
If we are providing a switching solution, it's not just switching, it's a whole solution with DNA. That is where the whole concept of Network Management and Network Assurance comes in. So Catalyst plays a big role in putting everything together and providing a whole solution to the customer.
 

Cisco Catalyst Switches Cons review quotes

reviewer1155498 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jul 27, 2020
Cisco forces end-users to accept billing for some capabilities or services that they may not want.
AI
Aug 19, 2018
I have had a little hiccup working with Catalyst switches. They used a few power integration features but I'm not sure they really resulted in much power saving. But, it caused cross-vendor equipment trouble.
CA
Feb 12, 2022
I use the Cisco Catalyst Switches command-line interface(CLI) a lot out in the field, but there are some web interfaces features that are available that I haven't used very much. I'm more comfortable with the CLI, but the web interfaces are very lacking.
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
817,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer2330706 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 15, 2024
First of all, there are some features that take a long time to get implemented, and other vendors have them for a long time before them. For example, it took a long time to have a way to commit change with the timer, so it gets undone if the user doesn't accept the change after it's done. Like, having to say the changes be done, and everything works fine. In the end, everything works fine, but it didn't exist. That's just an example of stuff that came late to Catalyst.
VA
Jun 28, 2020
The biggest issue we are having is with bugs and memory loss, which occurs when developing the IOS.
AO
Jun 25, 2020
The user interface needs improvement. Meraki has a much nicer UI. Cisco could learn a lot by looking at them. It might make them a bit more user friendly.
MM
Nov 3, 2021
Cisco is dedicated to providing their customers with the latest technology, but it comes with a price. It's expensive when compared to competitors' products.
reviewer1331349 - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 16, 2020
I would like to see better compatibility between Cisco and other vendors.
reviewer1548180 - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 9, 2021
Cisco should work to lower its costs. It's quite expensive right now.
Loris Signoracci - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 26, 2021
I think that the price should be cheaper and they should include at least one year of basic service for technical support for each product, and not just the 90 days from the time of purchase.