No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.
it_user1689987 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Operations Center Engineer at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Oct 22, 2021
Stable, simple to use, and the technical support is good, but the pricing could be better
Pros and Cons
  • "The configuration is the most valuable feature of this solution; it is easy to use."
  • "The cost could be reduced. If they worked on lowering the price, they would be able to attract more customers."

What is our primary use case?

This solution is used to strengthen our connections, connect to the network, as a router to multiple systems, network management, and monitoring.

What is most valuable?

The configuration is the most valuable feature of this solution.

It is easy to use.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Cisco Catalyst Switches for one year.

We are working with the 3750 series.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

 The stability of Cisco Catalyst Switches is good.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
October 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2026.
915,817 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's a scalable product.

This solution is used by 1,000 customers.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We use Cisco Routers as well as Huawei Routers, and Cisco Linksys.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. 

The solution took them two and a half years to implement.

What about the implementation team?

We have a fiber team that handles solution maintenance and helps us with some technical issues.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost could be reduced.

If they worked on lowering the price, they would be able to attract more customers.

We are consultants who provide licensing to our clients.

What other advice do I have?

When I graduate, I will have improved my English and will be able to perform more tasks.

I am in charge of the data while learning how to deploy this solution.

I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Director, IT Infrastructure Department at Zemen Bank S.C.
Real User
Top 20
Oct 18, 2021
Good for computation and backup; lacks some features and not user-friendly
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is good for computation and backup."
  • "We need to rely on other devices to provide management features."
  • "We need to rely on other devices to provide management features; other solutions provide more features and Catalyst Switches is not user-friendly, even the configuration is difficult for our new engineers."

What is our primary use case?

Our company is in the financial sector and we are customers of Cisco. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is good for computation and backup. 

What needs improvement?

We need to rely on other devices to provide management features. Other solutions provide more features and Catalyst Switches is not user-friendly. Even the configuration is difficult for our new engineers. Cisco has some weaknesses. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for 13 years. 

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is very good, but anything support-related is based on payment. Without paying you won't see any service from Cisco. The same goes for training which requires payment. Other solutions provide training without payment but not Cisco.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The technical support license is very difficult because you can only get support if you've purchased the hardware. After you own the devices you still have to pay for support and pay for the license. Everything is an added cost. 

What other advice do I have?

There are alternative solutions now penetrating the market and because of difficulties with configuration in this product, there are now more appealing options. 

I rate the solution seven out of 10. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
October 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2026.
915,817 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1672632 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of Production Information Systems/MES at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Oct 6, 2021
Stable and scalable but could be more secure
Pros and Cons
  • "Catalyst Switches are easy to install."
  • "Catalyst Switches could be more secure."

What is our primary use case?

Cisco Catalysts Switches can be useful for the future.

What needs improvement?

Catalyst Switches could be more secure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Catalyst Switches for about four or five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have room to expand.

How are customer service and support?

We haven't used Cisco support for this. For the technical aspect of Cisco products, we have some in-house support in this aspect.

How was the initial setup?

Catalyst Switches are easy to install. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

My company gets the quote from the provider.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches seven out of 10. I would recommend the solution to others. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Founder, Director at Tres Infosol Pvt. Ltd.
Reseller
Top 5
Oct 6, 2021
Stable and one of the easiest solutions to run and manage
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is stable."
  • "Everyone knows Cisco as a product. It is definitely one of the easiest solutions to run and manage."
  • "The solution offers a bit of complexity and you need a specialized workforce."

What is our primary use case?

Office network

How has it helped my organization?

Stable solution

What is most valuable?

Everyone knows Cisco as a product. It is definitely one of the easiest solutions to run and manage. 

It's a product that has dominated the marketplace for many years.

You have many professionals out there who are Cisco-certified, which makes them comfortable working with Cisco. Therefore, getting a trained workforce is easy when you look at Cisco from a deployment perspective.

The solution is stable.

What needs improvement?

The solution offers a bit of complexity and you need a specialized workforce.

The scalability can be a bit limited due to the stacking topology which limits the number of switches that can be added in a given stack

It's always a while before you can get through to technical support.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been dealing with the solution for a few weeks to a few months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. It's reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

When it comes to scalability, Cisco is the one who has been pretty heavy on the switch-stacking deployment topology, which hinders your capacity to scale, especially when you compare it against their arch-rival, Arista.

We have about ten clients who have been working with Cisco forever. 

I'd recommend the solution to other organizations. When it comes to the budget, everything boils down to that and that's where Cisco would take the cake compared to Arista.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support could be better. When you call, the wait times are quite long. They need to hire more support or to work to make the wait times lower in some way.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I also have some experience and knowledge of Arista products.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is something like Arista, as they do have a central deployment model. The only complaint about Cisco is that too many units have to be deployed to have things done in a much better way, which makes it costly. They could improve on that and make it easier for the administrators to implement Cisco.

The size of the technical team you need for deployment and maintenance depends
completely on the size of the network and the kind of operations that you carry out as a company. With Cisco, you likely would need at least one person for every 50 or 60 switches.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is less expensive than, for example, Arista.

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. The only complaint I have about Cisco is the wait time when you call tech support.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
PeerSpot user
Network Engineer at Saudi Customs
Real User
Sep 7, 2021
Stable, scalable, and it is easy to install
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to install."
  • "We don't have any issues with the stability of Cisco Catalyst Switches."
  • "The price could be improved."
  • "The pricing could be cheaper. There is a one-time license, but we pay for the smart net license every three years for support."

What needs improvement?

The price could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for 25 or 30 years,

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We don't have any issues with the stability of Cisco Catalyst Switches.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are scalable.

We have approximately 20,000 people who use this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not contacted technical support.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to install. Most of the engineers already know about it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing could be cheaper.

There is a one-time license, but we pay for the smart net license every three years for support.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user1655238 - PeerSpot reviewer
NOC Manager at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Real User
Sep 5, 2021
Easy to install and setup, but the price needs improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to use."
  • "It was very easy to install."
  • "The pricing needs improvement. Price stops entries in Africa."

What is our primary use case?

We use Cisco Catalyst Switches as access switches, for connecting to what we call the last mile within the office. We connect from the patch panel to the wall jack. 

We use layer three switchings to interconnect between branch sites.

What is most valuable?

It is easy to use. I have only had one course on Cisco Switches.

What needs improvement?

The pricing needs improvement.

Price stops entries in Africa. We are not at that level where IT is considered a very big business enabler.

When I compare with the competition, MikroTik or NETGEAR I can purchase the switch and use it for whatever I want. I don't have to add the license, or the BGP routing license, and an ERGP writing license. Other switches are the providers that work out of the box without additional hidden fees.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches since 2005.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 1,500 end users.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have only ever contacted Cisco support once in the time that I have been using it, but it was not related to the switches. Rather, I contacted them regarding Cisco ISE.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We started out with Cisco Linksys in 2006, now we are fully using Catalyst.

How was the initial setup?

It was very easy to install. The last switch I implemented took me 15 minutes to install and set up a complete network.

We have 15 admins to manage this solution

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We love Cisco, but the price is very prohibitive. We don't require any licensing, we scaled down to 2960.

What other advice do I have?

I would not recommend using this solution in Africa.

I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a six out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user1456230 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head Cyber Security at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Sep 1, 2021
Straightforward, scalable and stable solution
Pros and Cons
  • "They are pretty good. They are stable. Cisco has been around in the industry for a long time, so they are reliable, as well."
  • "Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite scalable, stable, and reliable, and our organization strength is around 15,000 using it."
  • "In terms of what could be improved, more integration is the main thing they should be focused on."

What is our primary use case?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are pretty straightforward. They offer LAN and internal networking. They are for network segmentations and LAN and WAN perimeter networks.

What needs improvement?

In terms of what could be improved, more integration is the main thing they should be focused on.

For how long have I used the solution?

I believe the sets of Cisco Catalyst Switches are being used in our company for more than five to seven years.

I myself have been using this for the last two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

They are pretty good. They are stable. Cisco has been around in the industry for a long time, so they are reliable, as well.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite scalable.

Our organization strength is around 15,000 using it.

How are customer service and technical support?

We are pretty happy with customer service. As far as my experience with Cisco is concerned, they are pretty up-to-date in terms of their responses.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy. They are very easy to install.

What about the implementation team?

We generally do a first model and we have an execution team. They take care of the implementation and everything.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale of one to ten, I would give Cisco Catalyst Switches around an eight.

I think they're pretty okay. Cisco is pretty straightforward.

I would absolutely recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches for others.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1572795 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Production Engineer at a consultancy with 201-500 employees
Real User
Sep 1, 2021
Highly scalable, helpful technical support, and installation reasonable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution highly scalable."
  • "The solution is highly scalable, and we have approximately 650 users using this solution in my organization."
  • "The solution was stable 10 years ago, there is room for improvement in this area."

What is our primary use case?

We use Cisco Catalyst Switches to connect devices to a network.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution was stable 10 years ago, there is room for improvement in this area.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution highly scalable.

We have approximately 650 users using this solution in my organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support experience has been mixed, it depends on the subject. There are occasions when we have a quick resolution and for others, there can be long discussions to receive a resolution.

How was the initial setup?

The installation was not difficult for me but I have been working with these types of solutions for a long time. It could be difficult for those with limited experience.

What about the implementation team?

We have a team of 10 engineers that do the implementation and maintenance of the solutions.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost of this solution could be less expensive, and we are on an annual license.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
JOHNOKUNADE - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Support Engineer at Nigeria LNG Limited
Real User
Aug 20, 2021
Easy to set up with good support and excellent stability
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to use."
  • "The solution is easy to use, very stable, and the performance has been very reliable."
  • "The price of the product is very expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for ethernet WAN connectivity, LAN connectivity, wireless, then integration with other third-party solutions. That's all we use it for, for the most part.

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use.

It is very stable and the performance has been very reliable. 

The installation process is fairly straightforward. 

Technical support has been helpful.

What needs improvement?

The solution should work to become more scalable. 

The price of the product is very expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for a long time. It's likely been 15 years or more. It's well over a decade at this point. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very good. The performance is great. It doesn't crash or freeze and there are no bugs or glitches. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable enough. It could be better.

We have around 2,000 users on the switches currently.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support has been good overall. We've been in touch in the past. They were helpful and responsive and we've been satisfied with them in general. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not previously use a different solution. We've been using Cisco switches for a very long time. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty straightforward. If I need to do a new deployment, for example, we just go to the store, get a new one, and install it. We have 40 right now. The installation is very easy.

Due to the fact that we have another of the Cisco products in our environment, Cisco Prime, it helps to deploy switches faster. It's very easy. It doesn't take much time to deploy.

We have five engineers that are able to handle any deployment or maintenance.

What about the implementation team?

I was able to handle the implementation process myself. I did not need the assistance of an integrator or consultant. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We do find the cost to be quite high. They should work to lower it if possible. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the product itself at a nine out of ten. It's been very good so far and we are satisfied with its capabilities. The cost is quite high, however. 

I would recommend the solution to other users and organizations. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
DevOps System Engineer at Monash University
Real User
Aug 19, 2021
Good technical support, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very stable."
  • "The solution could improve security."

What is our primary use case?

The solution can be used to connect the internet and servers, such as databases.

What needs improvement?

The solution could improve security.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco Catalyst Switches is scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

We are satisfied with the technical support from Cisco.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is easy and takes approximately 10 minutes.

What about the implementation team?

I did the implementation myself.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: October 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.