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reviewer1781955 - PeerSpot reviewer
Hybrid Cloud & Infrastructure Operations at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
MSP
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.

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Catalyst Switches
June 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
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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
PeerSpot user
IT Infrastructure Manager at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Easy to set up, good support, and interchangeable with other switches
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Cisco equipment is reliability."
  • "These switches should have better compatibility with software-defined technology."

What is our primary use case?

We use Cisco switches as part of our network infrastructure. We have a LAN and we will be implementing an SD-WAN in the future.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Cisco equipment is reliability.

As we are a Cisco-based company, the interchangeability with other switches is something that is valuable for us.

What needs improvement?

These switches should have better compatibility with software-defined technology.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Cisco Catalyst Switches for approximately 25 years. Our current Cisco equipment is about five years old.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable product, which is why we use it. The majority of our equipment is more than five years old.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Cisco switches are very scalable.

We have two organic employees and we outsource between six and ten.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support that we get is great. We have another partner for support, rather than contact Cisco directly.

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

I have been working with similar products from Dell EMC for approximately 15 years. Our most recent Dell product is about five years old. There have been improvements made with some of the newer products that have been released since then.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy. We do have experience with Cisco products and also, our setup is not very difficult or complex. It's just a simple setup.

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

I cannot say that the pricing is reasonable because it's a little above our expectations. If we consider the recent price increases, it is not acceptable anymore. They are trying to price us out of our budget.

What other advice do I have?

We want to adopt SD-WAN technology at the switch level. We will be expanding the software-defined capabilities of Cisco equipment to the LAN side of our network. We expect that Cisco will be the primary vendor for the equipment we use to initiate that move. This is not just for the wide-area network, but also the local area network.

In summary, Cisco is a good vendor but they're quite pricey at the moment.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

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
June 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Catalyst Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1108698 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Administrator at a media company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Helpful technical support and highly reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "Cisco Catalyst Switches are highly reliable and stable."
  • "The solution could improve by having a video IP feature."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Cisco Catalyst Switches for corporate and production, such as offices. We have two networks running and the second one is an Everts network and it is more specialized in TV video broadcasting.

How has it helped my organization?

Cisco Catalyst Switches has been very useful in my organization because we do a lot of videos. My company is a TV station. 

What needs improvement?

The solution could improve by having a video IP feature.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches for approximately 30 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Cisco Catalyst Switches are highly reliable and stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 500 Cisco Catalyst Switches installed.

How are customer service and support?

The support of Cisco Catalyst Switches is very good.

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

We are a large company and the price is reasonable because we have received a discount. However, the full price is expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches an eight 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
Senior Network Consultant at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
Stable legacy switches with increasingly good performance
Pros and Cons
  • "When it comes to Cisco Catalyst Switches, one can say that the legacy switches are stable."
  • "All other modules have comparatively many more functions or power than regular Catalyst switches."

What is most valuable?

When it comes to Cisco Catalyst Switches, one can say that the legacy switches are stable. We have been using them for so long and there are many who feel comfortable with their use. This can vary with the business size, some being entry, medium or enterprise level, which means its use is geared towards every level. 

What needs improvement?

All other modules have comparatively many more functions or power than regular Catalyst switches.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Cisco Catalyst Switches since the outset, for more than 20 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Being legacy switches, Catalyst switches are stable. We have been using them for many years and there are many who are comfortable with their use. 

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

Nexus, which uses NX-OS, runs on a different operating system than CatOS, which means that the latter tends to run on OS - just like a Cisco router - only with the functioning being a bit different. While NX-OS is very different, even when it comes to the command line, most things are the same. 

However, NX-OS already introduced a different concept, which is more like a carrier level. They have a dedicated command management module. All other modules have comparatively many more functions or power than regular Catalyst switches. 

What other advice do I have?

Catalyst is a legacy system and we are already utilizing the 9000 series, including 9200, 9300 and 9800 for different use scenarios. As Catalyst covers all levels and areas, I cannot think of anything needing improvement. It is getting to be very good, performance-wise, at the moment.

We are talking about a network portion. Catalyst and Nexus switches are all part of the network domain. 

I rate Cisco Catalyst Switches as a nine-point-five out of ten, since it is a great, albeit imperfect, product. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Project Manager at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Great equipment with good performance and an excellent warranty
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to implement and quick to deploy."
  • "The technical support, in some cases, should be faster and could improve."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use it to provide a hierarchy in the data center, enterprise solutions, and high availability solutions.

What is most valuable?

The performance of this equipment is much better than other options. The warranty on offer is perfect for me as they attend to issues in a maximum of four hours or within the next business day.

The solution is easy to implement and quick to deploy.

The solution is very stable.

I found the scalability to always be good. 

What needs improvement?

The technical support, in some cases, should be faster and could improve.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for ten years. It's been a decade. I've dealt with Cisco for a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The product is stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability potential is very high. I can put many types of equipment on it and the solution will keep in the same level performance. It doesn't dip. 

Currently, we have 1,000 people on the solution. 

I do plan to implement the solution in future projects, as, so far, it has been issue-free and works very well. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support could be a bit more responsive. 

How was the initial setup?

in terms of the initial setup, and how easy or hard it is, it depends on the technical knowledge base and on the person that will be implementing the solution.

I was working with data center providers, and, for us, with our level of knowledge, every time it was very easy to implement this equipment.

The deployment is pretty fast. After a couple of hours, you should have it up and running. We had a big team as well, which helped ensure it didn't take us long.

We have about 15 people at three technical levels that can handle maintenance tasks. 

What about the implementation team?

I implemented the solution myself. I did not need an integrator or consultant to assist. 

What was our ROI?

Likely, after three or so years, you may see an ROI. 

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

The licensing costs vary. If you buy a lot, the costs are lower, however, if you only need a few, the costs are very, very high. 

You can also pay for additional support that guarantees four-hour or next-day resolutions. 

What other advice do I have?

I am a solutions provider. We're consultants and we help other companies implement this solution. 

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. 

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
reviewer1597503 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Coordinator - Networking Team at a maritime company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Reliable but not very flexible
Pros and Cons
  • "Catalyst Switches are reliable. We don't have major problems like lost connections, and we only have a minor issue with something every few months. In the last five years, a switch broke down once, and that was due to human error."
  • "I can't use older Cisco devices with newer versions of the controller or switches. For example, if a switch was manufactured in 2014, I can't use it with a controller made in 2019. I have to change the switch so that I can upgrade my network or my devices. I don't have the option to update the version I have on the image of the AP or the controller."

What is our primary use case?

We use Catalyst switches to extend our network throughout the facility. It's a big facility, so we need to use switches the ABS to get the signal out to the entire facility.

What is most valuable?

I like Cisco because you are dealing with something old that the new generation doesn't know about, like telnet or how to configure the switch. I don't like simple GUIs where you can do everything with a click. 

What needs improvement?

I can't use older Cisco devices with newer versions of the controller or switches. For example, if a switch was manufactured in 2014, I can't use it with a controller made in 2019. I have to change the switch so that I can upgrade my network or my devices. I don't have the option to update the version I have on the image of the AP or the controller.

Also, in the K5 Series of the switches —  Cisco calls them "Core" switches — they have some commands that Catalyst doesn't support, so you have to know the command lines for two different devices to configure them. It's a bit confusing when you are working on both at the same time, and you have some problems, then you notice that you didn't use the correct command for that switch.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Cisco Catalyst for five years, but I've only been working with the solution in-depth for the past few months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Catalyst Switches are reliable. We don't have major problems like lost connections, and we only have a minor issue with something every few months. In the last five years, a switch broke down once, and that was due to human error.

How are customer service and support?

Cisco customer service is excellent. We had some issues with devices, and Cisco replaced them for us. We had some significant problems with one of the switches because they changed the image. It took a while, but overall, the support is good.

How was the initial setup?

It's not hard if you have some networking experience. I didn't deploy the switches by myself. We had some help from the vendor, and I supervised them.

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

With some competitors, yes, it's about, let's say very high price. Half the price you can get Jupiter, or I think also, I forget the brand, TP-Link, you can have something like that, but half the price with it, with maybe also advanced features to deal with it.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Cisco Catalyst switches seven 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
PeerSpot user
reviewer930072 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Easy to configure, scalable, and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "We find the product very easy to configure."
  • "The solution is expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for our server. It's a network solution as well.

What is most valuable?

It's a very popular solution.

We find the product very easy to configure.

The stability is very good.

The product can scale quite well. 

What needs improvement?

Cisco is basically the number one switch in the market. It makes it hard for other options to compete. 

The solution is expensive. Sometimes we will choose some cheaper options even though they are not as stable as Cisco's offering. However, if it is a small project, it may not be worth paying Cisco prices to get it done.  

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for two or three years at this point. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have found the solution to be very stable. The performance is good. It doesn't crash or freeze. it's reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability has been excellent. A company shouldn't have any issues with expanding it if they need to.

We have three to five people that directly work with this product.

We already use so many Catalyst switches. I'm not sure if we intend to add any more. 

How are customer service and support?

We don't really need any support as we have a network engineer on staff that can help us troubleshoot if we have issues. 

How was the initial setup?

I can't speak to the initial setup. In terms of the installation process, we have a network engineer that will help us to install the switches when we need them.

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

The solution is expensive. There are other cheaper switches on the market. However, they may not necessarily be as stable as this option. 

When you buy the Cisco, the price already includes a software license.

What other advice do I have?

I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using. It might be the latest.

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. I've been pleased with its capabilities overall. 

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
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."
  • "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
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: June 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Catalyst Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.