Cisco Catalyst Switches helps us with VPN connection.
Department Leader: Project Leadership Production Compact at SKODA AUTO a.s.
Useful in VPN connections but deployment is complicated and pricing is expensive
Pros and Cons
- "The tool's administration is easy."
- "Cisco Catalyst Switches' pricing can be cheaper."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The tool's administration is easy.
What needs improvement?
Cisco Catalyst Switches' pricing can be cheaper.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for a few years.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
885,286 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is scalable. My company has 20000 users. My company has plans to increase its usage.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment is complicated due to the VPN. We have a certified administrator who makes the deployment easier. You need ten resources to help with the deployment process.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You don't have to pay any additional costs while using the product.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Manager at CLOUDJET GROUP
Highly reliable solution that ensures stable and consistent network performance
Pros and Cons
- "I highly appreciate the durability and the availability"
- "Facilitating and adapting the security updates would be a good improvement, because usually it requires to reboot the router to get them"
What is our primary use case?
We mainly use it for user access in corporate offices, but we have been working on certain projects that require using XE access to support APIs and network connectivity.
What is most valuable?
I highly appreciate the durability and the availability. It is also proven to be a very reliable solution that ensures stable and consistent network performance.
What needs improvement?
Facilitating and adapting the security updates would be a good improvement because it usually requires use to reboot the router to get them. The whole process is slightly complex and it could be easier.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It offers excellent stability. There are some switches with twenty years of uptime which is quite an impressive number.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Catalyst Switches provide scalability and accommodate different network demands.
How are customer service and support?
The quality of the customer support that is provided depends on the line of the product and the model that is used. Sometimes, the first level of support is basic, but mostly it is good. Their customer service is available at all times. I rate it seven out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup might be significantly challenging for clients who are not familiar with its intricacies. Their advanced features and configuration options require knowledgeable IT professionals to implement them.
What about the implementation team?
Once the solution is set up, the process of deployment and configuration is almost seamless. It takes around one hour to be fully completed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I find the price to be just right, it is not cheap, but it is not expensive. The solution provides a good balance between the features and the cost structure. They offer many options regarding the licensing so it is easy to choose one option that adapts to the needs of the customer.
What other advice do I have?
I strongly recommend this solution because it delivers high-performance switching, enabling fast data transfer rates with minor to no bugs. I rate it nine and a half out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
885,286 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Founder & CEO at Malam-Team
Great features, good support, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
- "The solution offers great scalability."
- "The performance is great."
- "The product could always be more secure."
- "The product could always be more secure."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is primarily used for the access layer, distribution layer, core layer - the three layers as well as a signal fabric that is managed through the DNA center.
What is most valuable?
The performance is great.
The solution offers great scalability.
We have found the pricing to be okay. It's not overly expensive.
It has all of the features we need.
I've been pleased with the level of security.
The setup process is simple.
We've been happy with technical support.
What needs improvement?
We would like to see more automation integrated into the solution in future releases.
The product could always be more secure.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for many years. It's been a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the product is pretty good. There are no bugs or glitches. The performance is reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution scales well. If a company needs to expand it, it can.
We have customers on the solution that have 5- to 100 users and others that have thousands.
How are customer service and support?
We've been very satisfied with technical support. Overall, it has been good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not overly complex or difficult. It is simple and straightforward.
The number of people you need to maintain the product depends on how large it gets. Naturally, the bigger it is the more people you need. The size of the network will determine the maintenance requirements.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of the solution is good. It's reasonably priced. The licensing fee depends on the setup.
What other advice do I have?
I'm an integrator for Catalyst.
I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. I'd recommend it as a product to others.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
Easy to configure, but its pricing and stability could be improved
Pros and Cons
- "Since Cisco Catalyst Switches don't go online, they are secured."
- "The solution’s pricing and stability could be improved."
What is most valuable?
Since Cisco Catalyst Switches don't go online, they are secured. The solution is not on the same network as the users.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s pricing and stability could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for a couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven’t received any complaints from our customers regarding the solution’s stability.
I rate the solution a seven or eight out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is a scalable solution, and two customers are working with the solution.
What about the implementation team?
We configure the solution for our customers within 30 minutes. You can open the switch console on the device and configure it.
What was our ROI?
The solution is too expensive for me, and I will never have a return on investment with it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very expensive solution. I do not pay for a license for the solution.
What other advice do I have?
We don't manage Cisco Catalyst Switches once it's configured. Two people from the tech support team are involved in the solution’s deployment and maintenance. I wouldn’t recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches to other users because it’s expensive.
Overall, I rate the solution a six 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.
Enterprise Network Engineer at IE Network Solutions PLC
High-performance solution that can accommodate growing network demands
Pros and Cons
- "It enables fast data transfer rates, while offering stable and consistent network performance."
- "With most of the Cisco devices and models, we faced a slight decrease in speed during the initial setup and while restarting the system"
What is our primary use case?
The main use case usually depends on the client itself. We are operating as system integrators with numerous customers and different software vendors.
What is most valuable?
When deciding on the system, most of the clients check for switching capacity and Cisco Catalyst Switches is a very good solution for that purpose. It enables fast data transfer rates while offering stable and consistent network performance.
What needs improvement?
With most of the Cisco devices and models, we faced a slight decrease in speed during the initial setup and while restarting the system. The performance of the solution itself is really good.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been employing this solution for a year and a half.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability depends on the device that is used and the client's requests, but overall, it is a scalable solution that can accommodate growing network demands.
How are customer service and support?
Cisco provides comprehensive support and advanced management capabilities, including remote configuration and monitoring options. We had a small issue with the data center so we had to engage with the tech team, and their service was exceptional. I rate it ten out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was not complex at all. The only issue with the setup is that it takes a lot of time for the system to be deployed.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment of the solution is based on specific networking needs so the timing and the whole process depends on the complexity of the project.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I would say that the pricing of the solution falls within the moderate to higher range. It is still quite reasonable for the provided service. I rate it seven out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I highly recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches as they facilitate the creation of network segments and VLAN configurations for smooth traffic management and security. I rate it ten 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.
They're balanced and highly reliable but don't integrate well with some solutions
Pros and Cons
- "Catalyst switches are highly reliable. They have a good product life, they are balanced overall compared to others."
- "Catalyst switches are highly reliable; they have a good product life, and they are balanced overall compared to others."
- "Cisco needs to improve compatibility with other solutions and other vendors like SolarWinds. We've had problems using Catalyst with SolarWinds. Some devices can't be put on SolarWinds due to some ID Values and so on."
- "Cisco needs to improve compatibility with other solutions and other vendors like SolarWinds."
What is our primary use case?
We are mostly using the Cisco Catalyst 2900 Series, but some are the new 900 Series and a mixture of a lot of solutions. More than 300 people are working on Cisco Catalyst switches.
What is most valuable?
Catalyst switches are highly reliable. They have a good product life, they are balanced overall compared to others.
What needs improvement?
We sometimes have issues using Cisco Catalyst switches in a mixed environment. For example, we are using Fortinet's firewall, so if we jump to Cisco, then we have a problem. If we need another solution for MAC filtering, we need to go for IEEE or AAA.
Cisco needs to improve compatibility with other solutions and other vendors like SolarWinds. We've had problems using Catalyst with SolarWinds. Some devices can't be put on SolarWinds due to some ID Values and so on.
They need to show some flexibility because no environment depends on one product. And when we add new solutions for monitoring, troubleshooting, etc., we need integration with our Cisco devices. I think it would be great if Cisco could improve its integration with other vendors in the future.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've used Cisco Catalyst for the last four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst switches are stable. No question about it.
How are customer service and support?
TAC is a wonderful service. They are cooperative and professional. They do great in the case of RMA or case of troubleshooting.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We tried Juniper HP and some other solutions.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Catalyst switches is complex. We have about four or five Cisco-certified technicians to look after these things.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Cisco Catalyst switches is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cisco Catalyst seven out of 10. I definitely recommend Cisco switches as a complete solution.
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.
Network Architect at Syriatel Mobile Telecom
Reliable and stable catalyst switch; can be easily installed
Pros and Cons
- "Scalable, stable, and reliable product that's easy to install. Technical support is dependable and can be contacted in a variety of ways, e.g. through their ticketing system, hotline number, and community forum."
- "I like Cisco Catalyst Switches because most of the time, we can do what we want with the product."
- "Pricing for this product is on the higher end, and is something that could be improved. Security could also be increased."
- "Pricing for Cisco Catalyst Switches is on the higher end, compared to its competitors, and is something that could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I've utilized Cisco Catalyst Switches on a DNA center. I've also used it for many solutions, e.g. in universities, telecom companies, and other commercial institutions.
I've implemented many solutions that contain Cisco Catalyst Switches, call switches, abbreviation switches, and access switches on Cisco design solutions. I worked on a network that contained more than 100 Cisco Catalyst Switches in some of the universities.
I use Cisco Catalyst Switches and I implement most of the technology with that content in IOS.
What is most valuable?
I like Cisco Catalyst Switches because most of the time, we can do what we want with the product. Cisco has good guidelines that enable us to implement anything, so we can have a multiple ability product on most of the network equipment worldwide.
Cisco has communities or forums that help us implement more complicated areas in terms of network, so in addition, Cisco is not just a network equipment company, because they provide us most of the solutions, development, protocols, and new technologies, more than any other company in the world.
I also like the availability of Cisco Catalyst Switches, including scalability and reliability. You can find all these in this product.
What needs improvement?
Pricing for Cisco Catalyst Switches is on the higher end, compared to its competitors, and is something that could be improved. Security could also be increased.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Cisco Catalyst Switches for 15 years, and still working with it and other Cisco products currently.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I find this product stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This product is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We count on the technical support of Cisco in many ways, and we have different ways of contacting them. We can open a ticket, use the Cisco community forum online to provide us support, and give them a call to solve any problems that arise.
How was the initial setup?
I've installed a lot of Cisco Catalyst Switches and I never had any problems with the installation, including the installation of other Cisco products, e.g. routers, firewalls, etc.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Some switches need a license, while some don't. Cisco Catalyst Switches has different types of licenses that could count as versions, e.g. version 12.4. 12.4 is a version we can't provide because we don't have a license for it, but Cisco Catalyst Switches from IOS version 15 and up, we need to purchase a license for all features if you want to run them on Cisco Catalyst Switches. Version 15 is better than 12.4, and version 15 has a better license, when compared to other Cisco Catalyst Switches licenses.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are not one of the cheapest switches in the market. There are a lot of products that are cheaper, e.g. HP, Huawei, Netgear, but they don't provide us with the availability, possibility, etc., we need, which Cisco can provide.
HP could provide us with cheaper switches, with a lot of security features and stability, but it's not absolute, compared to what Cisco Catalyst Switches can provide.
Juniper switches can also provide us with more security and stability without any problem, so it can be a Cisco competitor product we can use.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I was able to evaluate HP, Netgear, and Juniper switches.
What other advice do I have?
I've worked with all Cisco products, e.g. routers, ASA firewall, switches, etc. I started working with them 15 years ago.
More than 500 employees in our company use this product. We have more than 1,000 network equipment that utilize Cisco Catalyst Switches.
My rating for Cisco Catalyst Switches is a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior System Engineer at Itworks srl
Versatile, reliable, has many features, and the support is fast and knowledgeable
Pros and Cons
- "I like the management of streaming both audio and video."
- "Cisco products have been shown to be very reliable and stable."
- "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."
- "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."
What is our primary use case?
We have not deployed on the cloud because the company's core business is on yachts. Yachts are not familiar with the cloud and online solutions.
We have been integrating Cisco Catalyst Switches in yachts that are 100 feet in length to 100 meters in length. With simple infrastructure such as two or three switches connected with copper, and with large infrastructures we use a three-layer level with the backbone of a multimode fiber.
What is most valuable?
The switches are related to simple switching infrastructures, without the implementation of routing protocols. The routing protocols are referring to routers and layer three switches. They are not required with this kind of infrastructure.
I like the management of streaming both audio and video. On a yacht, the network infrastructure is not related to data usage, it is mainly for audio, video management, and distribution.
When compared with other brands, they are not as reliable as Cisco Catalyst Switches.
What needs improvement?
There is always something better. The price could be better.
The service contract for technical support should be included for at least the first year of purchasing the product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Cisco Catalyst Switches for more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches are reliable. It is very stable and performant. There have only been a few failures. In general, there is a very low level of failure.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
If we refer to shipyards, then we have six or seven shipyards in Italy and outside of Italy. When referring to Yachts, I have installed these switches on more than 100 to 200 Yachts.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is very fast and highly skilled.
The only issue with the support is that without an active service contract, they will not address any of your concerns. Even if you are a Cisco partner, they will not address your concerns without an active technical contract.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
For networking and switching, we have used most Cisco solutions.
For Unified Communications, we have used BE6000 and 4000.
Switching solutions we the new brand 9000.
We started with the low level 9200 to 9500. We use the Cisco Firewall ASA 2100 and we have Wi-Fi solutions such as the Wireless LAN controllers 2500,3500, and 9800.
At one time, we also integrated Nexus switches.
In the past, my company used to propose low-level Cisco products such as Linksys. They were not reliable and the return on investment was not as high as Catalyst. This strategy was a failure.
How was the initial setup?
The physical installation is not difficult. There are four factors for all devices that are almost the same. The main factor is the configuration.
If you speak with someone who has five to six years of experience in Cisco products, it is really fast. If you have someone with little experience then it takes longer. Cisco Catalyst Switches can be configured using the command-line interface and not the web interface. The web interface would be fine for people who do not have a lot of experience with the product.
Using the command-line interface is a faster way to configure for skilled people who have experience, and not for technicians who are not as experienced.
It requires a complete team from the beginning. This includes the system engineer, the installer technician, the standard technician, and two or three IT engineers to configure and maintain these switches.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price for Cisco Catalyst Switches is not cheaper than other solutions.
Licensing fees are something that you pay at the time of purchase. During the year, I have not had any customers request to renew the license. I have only had customer requests to activate our systems contract when there has been an issue with the device. Cisco products have been shown to be very reliable and stable. It's something that rarely has to be activated.
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.
Oftentimes, when my company purchases the Cisco products, they are not installed until three or four months after the date of purchase. The installation is done at least one year after the building and delivery of the Yacht which makes the warranty is not useful.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend these switches to others. Over the years, I have been working with Cisco, and Aruba HP Enterprise devices. I can say that if you use Cisco, you will have good results and reliability. With comparisons, I would suggest not to use Linksys products if you don't have a stable environment, and you have an environment that is moving all over the world such as a Yacht.
I would rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a nine 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. Integrator
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2026
Popular Comparisons
Dell PowerEdge R-Series
Aruba Switches
NETGEAR Switches
MikroTik Routers and Switches
Ubiquiti UniFi Switches
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access
D-Link Ethernet Switches
TP-Link Omada Switches
Arista Networks Platform
Meraki MS Switches
HPE Ethernet Switches
Huawei Ethernet Switches
Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches
H3C Ethernet Switches
Cisco Nexus
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
- Is it necessary to stack power cables while stacking switches in Cisco Catalyst 9300 into HA mode?
- Cisco Catalyst Switch 3560 is not working - looking for advice
- Juniper vs Cisco ethernet switches: Which one is better?
- When evaluating Ethernet Switches, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
- Which Ethernet switch do you use? Why?
- What are your recommended Layer 2 and Layer 3 network switches if the main consideration is performance?
- Does anyone have statistics on how often a fire occurs in a computer room?
- Why does Cisco dominate the ethernet switching market?
- Juniper EX4600 vs. Cisco 3850





















