We primarily use the solution for the switching capabilities.
Network Engineer at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Extremely stable and very high quality with pretty good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The quality of a Cisco switch is very high. They are extremely stable."
- "Cisco should work to lower its costs. It's quite expensive right now."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The initial setup of the product is pretty simple and straightforward.
The solution is adding more automation capabilities.
The quality of a Cisco switch is very high. They are extremely stable.
What needs improvement?
Cisco should work to lower its costs. It's quite expensive right now. They force the customer to buy the DNA license and that shouldn't be the case.
Instead of making automation cheaper, they are making it more expensive and clients don't like it.
They really need to simplify their licensing and simplify moving to a controller base.
The scalability is limited.
Cisco also owns Meraki, however, they keep these switches as separate products, and customers are confused by that. Meraki has a lot of features and a customer questions why those features are there and not here. Meraki also allows for more integrations with solutions such as HP, and it's harder to integrate Cisco.
The same is true of Nexus switches, which basically do the same thing and yet everything is siloed. It's confusing for the clients.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about 20 years. It's been two decades. I've had a lot of time to get to know the product.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
September 2025

Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
867,445 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco switches are of very high quality, which makes them very stable. It's a very strong selling point for the product. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches. It's very reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is limited. There are other solutions that can do it better. Cisco is not number one in this respect - especially as more companies head toward the cloud. Luxul, for example, offers better scalability - if that is what a company is looking for.
We tend to use the solution quite extensively.
How are customer service and support?
I've used Cisco for 20 years or so and therefore have had encounters with technical support. I would note that the first 15 or so years had been very great and I would describe them as very helpful and responsive. However, as of the last five years, I find they are going south. They aren't as good as they used to be. It's still okay. It's just not as good as it was.
Whereas in the past I've given them five out of five stars, now I would rate them at a four.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We didn't previously use a different solution. We're mostly a Cisco shop.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not overly complex. To set up a switch is not a big issue. I see Cisco is trying to go into the DNA to do some automation.
Every site is different in terms of deployment and the number of switches/users. On every site, we have two engineers and we're also doing web support. The setup is a one-time thing and the switches are pretty stable, and therefore it doesn't take us much time to do an implementation so long as there are no hardware failures.
What about the implementation team?
I handled the implementation myself. I did not need the assistance of a consultant or implementor. I have enough experience to handle it at this point.
What was our ROI?
I've used a few different switches and I wouldn't say that you necessarily get a better ROI just because you use Cisco.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost of the solution is quite high. There are other cheaper options. On Cisco, you're paying probably double or triple times the cost.
Many people don't like the complexity. It should be simpler and offer a low cost. The reason people are looking for automation is that they are looking to lower costs, however, if you go to Cisco solutions, the automation solution is very expensive. This is the opposite of the customer expectations.
I do not do the purchasing directly and therefore I can't estimate an exact cost for the product.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I've used Juniper and HPE switches, and, if you were to compare them, I'd say there isn't too much of a difference. The functionality is pretty much the same.
You can also compare the solution to Luxul, which has better scalability.
What other advice do I have?
We are a customer.
Cisco tries to move clients over to their own ecosystem so that they are only using Cisco from end-to-end.
The solution is very good for enterprises, however, it might be a bit much for a small company that may only need one switch.
If the costs are not a concern for an organization, I would recommend the product.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. We've been very happy with the stability on offer, however, the pricing isn't the greatest and the licensing is confusing.
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.

Pre-Sales Solution Architect at CtrlS Datacenters Ltd
Provides DNS feature but has high pricing
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco offers DNS features over other vendors."
- "The product could be cheaper."
What is most valuable?
Cisco offers DNS features over other vendors.
What needs improvement?
The product could be simpler and cheaper.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for over 5-10 years. We are using the 9000 series of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Switches are scalable in terms of logical configurations at VLAN. It is scalable because it depends on whether it is a manageable or non-manageable suite.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is expensive. They charge for support. It comes with many options that are not understandable.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Aruba and Dell are offering switches, too.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
September 2025

Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
867,445 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Sales project manager at Saraha
Works well, easy to use, and stable
Pros and Cons
- "These switches are stable. They work well and are easy to use."
- "Cisco switches are expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We work on level 2 and level 3 switches to connect many branches.
What is most valuable?
These switches are stable. They work well and are easy to use.
What needs improvement?
Cisco switches are expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been selling this solution for about 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
They are stable.
How are customer service and support?
I have not contacted their support. Another engineer has contacted them. We have our own two people for support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We also deal with the HP ProCurve switch, but it is not as good in Libya.
How was the initial setup?
It is not complex now because we have CCNA and CCNP engineers. We have two engineers who are certified with Cisco. Overall, we have three people who work with this solution.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented and finished a big project for a company. The company is still working with the same components that we installed. For deployment, I have two people with me, but in our company, we have a big team of 20 people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
They are expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend these switches to others. Cisco is a good company.
I would 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 Consultant & Administrator at ETCOM
High performance, helpful support, and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Cisco Catalyst Switches are that they are very common. If you talk to someone most likely they will have a Cisco Catalyst Switch, they will not mention other names, such as Juniper, ProCurve, Dell, or anything else. The most common product in networking in my country is Cisco. Everywhere you go they talk about Cisco."
- "The management of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I am using Cisco Catalyst Switches for my network.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Cisco Catalyst Switches are that they are very common. If you talk to someone most likely they will have a Cisco Catalyst Switch, they will not mention other names, such as Juniper, ProCurve, Dell, or anything else. The most common product in networking in my country is Cisco. Everywhere you go they talk about Cisco.
The overall performance of Cisco Catalyst Switches is very good.
What needs improvement?
The management of Cisco Catalyst Switches could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for approximately seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Cisco has superior technical support, but it has to be paid for.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used other solutions in the past similar to Cisco Catalyst Switches, such as Dell Switches.
Cisco Catalyst uses the standard CLI and you get used to it if you take some courses, such as CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE. They are all the same, but for Dell, they have their own commands. They differ a bit from Cisco.
How was the initial setup?
You have to have someone with extensive knowledge to do the implementation of the Cisco Catalyst Switches. You have to read a lot of manuals and the manuals, are segregated. It's not only one small manual that you need to read and you have all the information you need.
What about the implementation team?
You need someone with experience to implement this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
If you compare Cisco to other products, Cisco is more expensive. If you choose a 7000 series switch it will be a very pricy system. The support from Cisco is an additional service.
What other advice do I have?
Cisco Catalyst Switches uses jargon that is very much different from other vendors. If use a ProCurve solution or others, it seems every vendor has its own dialect of the command. There is no common ground, there are some similarities between each other, but in real management, they differ from each other.
Those wanting to implement Cisco Catalyst Switches should read a lot about them.
I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches a 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. Integrator
Senior Supervisor at MEPEQ
Professional, quick, simple to work with and requires little to no maintenance
Pros and Cons
- "With Cisco Catalyst Switches, everything is working perfectly. We have not had issues with this solution."
- "For the time being, Cisco Catalyst Switches are working well, but they are not PoE switches, which is why we would consider replacing them."
What is our primary use case?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is used for large networks with 48 ports for example.
More than just a few switches on a small scale, they can be used on the main switch of a small or medium-sized business. It is determined by the size. It's heavy-duty, you only need to configure it once, and it'll keep running for several years. We have run it for ten years with no problems.
What is most valuable?
With Cisco Catalyst Switches, everything is working perfectly. We have not had issues with this solution.
Everything I need is available.
What needs improvement?
For the time being, Cisco Catalyst Switches are working well, but they are not PoE switches, which is why we would consider replacing them.
If I were to change later, I would go with the PoE version.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches in my company for more than 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Catalyst Switches are scalable.
With the exception of WiFi, we have 40 users connected. We have small switches in some offices, and some users are connected to these small switches via a single cable that leads to the Catalyst.
Currently, we have no plans to increase our usage.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is easygoing.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have experience with Cisco and TP-Link.
How was the initial setup?
It is easy to implement on the network, and easy to work with. It is not complicated.
There is little to no maintenance required.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There are no licensing fees required.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I was looking for the UniFi switch or access point because it was the first time I heard of it, so I was looking for feedback on it in comparison to TP-Link and Cisco.
What other advice do I have?
It's one of the best switches, professional and fast. I would recommend these switches to others who are considering using them.
I would 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.
Network Administrator at Letshego
Scalable solution used for long connections
Pros and Cons
- "We haven't needed to contact technical support because we haven't had any issues so far."
- "Stability could be better."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for long connections. It is deployed on-prem.
We're using seven Cisco devices in the head office.
What needs improvement?
The stability could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for about three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's stable, but it could be better.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We haven't needed to contact technical support because we haven't had any issues so far.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we used Fortinet.
What about the implementation team?
We integrated the solution ourselves.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution 8 out of 10.
I would recommend these switches for those who want to start using them.
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.
SOC Expert at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Reliable with good security and helpful technical documentation
Pros and Cons
- "Its implementation is quite simple as there's good documentation you can reference."
- "There's a ban on my country and therefore I can't get Cisco support if I need it. It's not allowed."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for switching. Some devices are used for ethernet connections. Some we're using with our data center. For example, it's what's in use in the data center. It's got quite a few different applications.
What is most valuable?
I work in security with various switches and routers, and I find the product, without getting into too much detail, quite secure.
It's a stable solution.
We find the product to be scalable.
The device itself is quite good and reliable.
The security is very good.
Its implementation is quite simple as there's good documentation you can reference.
What needs improvement?
The cost of the product is a little high. They should work to lower it a bit.
There's a ban on my country and therefore I can't get Cisco support if I need it. It's not allowed.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for more than 15 years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In terms of stability, the solution has been reliable. We haven't had issues with bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. the performance is pretty good overall.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
For our purposes, the solution has been scalable. You can expand it if you need to.
We have more than 1,000 people using the switches.
How are customer service and support?
We tend not to have to worry about dealing directly with technical support. If we run into issues, we tend to reference the technical documentation and that always has included any information we've needed to find the answers we need ourselves.
That's important as Cisco does not offer direct support to my country. We are banned from getting support services delivered to us.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm also familiar with Huawei devices.
That said, we only really technically deal with Cisco switches.
How was the initial setup?
The installation of Cisco is easy. They have great official documentation and have a good design overall which makes it easy for everyone who needs to run the installation.
It takes about five to ten minutes to install a switch for our technical personnel.
The team that can deploy and manage the switches include ten to 20. That includes managers and technical support people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution can be a bit pricey. That said, I can't speak to exact pricing as a different department handles licensing details.
What other advice do I have?
We are using various versions of the solution. We don't just use one kind. We have many different ones.
I'm not sure if I would recommend the solution to others. Cisco is a large and technical company. A switch that is just as good with less trouble is Huawei.
That said, I've had no issues with it and would rate the product at 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.
Hybrid Cloud & Infrastructure Operations at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
A stable and easy-to-deploy solution with quick support and DHCP feature
Pros and Cons
- "I recently discovered the DHCP feature. There is a feature with which you can make the core act as a DHCP server, and it will distribute the IPs for every device. I discovered this feature recently, and it is very nice."
- "Its price can be improved. Some devices can be very expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We are supporting many clients. Some of them have Cisco switches, and some of them have HPE. We are supporting their network and solving any requests. We are doing troubleshooting for them. For most of the clients, we do full support of the network, but it also depends on the service that they took from our company. Some of them don't give us access to their core switches, which is very rare. Most of the clients give us full access. If they need, for example, a new route, we edit the VLAN port configuration, port channels, etc.
We are also managing the wireless controller for all clients. We are supporting them by creating the wireless connection and changing the password periodically.
What is most valuable?
I recently discovered the DHCP feature. There is a feature with which you can make the core act as a DHCP server, and it will distribute the IPs for every device. I discovered this feature recently, and it is very nice.
What needs improvement?
Its price can be improved. Some devices can be very expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with this solution for around two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
If you follow the recommendation of Cisco, it is scalable. Sometimes, when there is anything wrong with it, we open a ticket with Cisco, and they recommend upgrading the IOS.
We have many clients here. Most of them have Cisco. We have three clients with HPE.
How are customer service and support?
They are very nice and very quick.
How was the initial setup?
Most of them are easy, especially if you have a stack solution. If it is arranged as a stack, it would be very easy to do an installation, and it also takes a shorter time than the standalone. One of the clients I worked with had a stack solution, and it was very easy. We just had to erase everything, put the new switch in there, and connect the stack cables and power cables. That was it. Sometimes, it can take the configuration from the flash.
The number of people required depends on the topology. If it is a big topology, you need two or three people. If it is a small topology, you need less number of people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is overpriced. Some devices can be very expensive.
Most of the clients have a contract with Cisco for two or three years.
What other advice do I have?
There are different categories of switches. There are Layer 2 and Layer 3 switches. In Layer 2 switches, 2650 is nice. It is a good switch. In Layer 3, most of the switches are good.
I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.
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

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Updated: September 2025
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