Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches Reviews

I am still working with Cisco products, but not exclusively. I also work with HP, Aruba, and other products like Mellanox and HP. I am a senior network engineer and architect for an integrator.

I primarily deal with switching, routing, and security products.

Regarding Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches, there is nothing technically that needs improvement, but the support and cost are significant concerns. The main issue is that many customers are hesitant to purchase Cisco products because the support costs are very high. When I compare it to HP Aruba switches, for example, the support from HP is almost free. Cisco always charges for support, which is understandable because Cisco has a very large support organization like Cisco TAC behind it. Additionally, upgrades are not free with Cisco. Other vendors offer switch upgrades and firmware upgrades mostly free of charge. These are my main concerns.

I have been working with Cisco products for over 30 years. I am now 64 years old.

Technical support depends on which support organization you are referring to. If you are talking about Cisco TAC, it is always good. I would rate it an eight, as I never give a ten. However, if you are talking about Cisco Meraki, that is a different support organization, and that support could be much better. I would rate Cisco Meraki support a five.

Positive

Cisco is no longer the only option in my opinion. There are many competitors such as HP, Juniper, and Ubiquiti. Regarding switches specifically, they do not have advantages over Cisco in my view. If I were to choose another brand, I would say HP Aruba is in second place for me. HP is mainly the alternative, as the other vendors are more focused on small business products.

Cisco is doing a lot with artificial intelligence in the future, but I think that is a bit excessive for using AI in switch software. In my opinion, switches should focus on basic networking, and for me and my customers, speed and performance are very important. Adding many new features will always result in a lack of performance and performance degradation in my view. The focus should be on low latency switching. The switch itself has a web interface, and there are also management interfaces. Cisco Meraki has its own dashboard, and Cisco is integrating Catalyst Center into the Meraki dashboard, which is quite intuitive. However, in the Meraki dashboard, we always miss the command-line interface that we are accustomed to using, as we can do much more with the command-line interface than we can in the Meraki dashboard. I prefer the command-line interface, but regarding the intuitiveness of the web interface, it is sufficient for most people. I focus on Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches because it is my core business. I would rate this product an eight overall.

We mostly work with Cisco for network services. Our last project was specifically for TV broadcasting.

Cisco is the best on the Metro Solution side and also strong in the broadcast sector. Cisco and Arista support the IP standard, which is more in demand nowadays for TV broadcasting. Cisco is trusted by most broadcast customers for data centers due to their experience and knowledge. 

Cisco Linksys switches offer ease of management and experience, especially for engineers holding CCNA certificates. The functionalities and measurements are similar across switches, but Cisco offers a useful web interface.

There should be an improvement in Cisco's response time and overall competence. They should be more easily reachable in Turkey for technical support.

I have been familiar with Cisco Linksys Ethernet switches for five or six years.

The stability of the solution is good, as all the switches functionalities are similar and manageable for our experienced technical team.

This is a question more for users and operators. However, all the switches functionalities are very similar, so managing them is not an issue.

Cisco has a team in Turkey that provides technical support. They were easily reachable for technical support in our last project.

Neutral

Arista is a competitor for broadcast IP networking.

The setup depends on the users and operators, but Cisco is considered easy to work with on the management side. The availability of engineers with CCNA certification makes Cisco switches easy to manage.

As a general manager of an integrated system company, we have CCNA engineers on our team who work with Cisco, Dell, and Huawei equipment, ensuring smooth implementation.

Pricing can be high when compared to other solutions in the market. Despite this, most broadcast customers prefer Cisco due to trust, experience, and manageability. However, some are also considering Huawei for economic reasons.

I rate Cisco Linksys switches as nine out of ten overall. To make it closer to ten, integration with third-party solutions could be better.

At the Memphis airport, we were investigating a tool which was what we went to at Mueller Industries when we stopped using CyberArk because the management of CyberArk was complex compared to other tools. Keeping it up and running because of the configuration of it having multiple servers and requiring multiple servers to run it became too much, too expensive, and there were other tools that were easier to manage.

ManageEngine is the tool that I switched over to from CyberArk and was one of the ones that I used in the last 12 months.

The Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches are really easy to set up and get in place.

The recovery time on HPs is quicker for startup times regarding restarts and load times. HPs can be easier to get up and running as far as the configuration of them, and they're more flexible for going from a simple environment to more complex networking environments.

Cost savings and ease of use are benefits I've seen from using this, as it's less complex to set up and configure compared to Cisco switching.

Configuring QoS on the Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches is pretty easy, especially compared to Cisco QoS, which I am certified in. Configuring it to link towards areas such as voice comes in handy to make sure that the bandwidth for voice or whatever doesn't bleed over into the data links.

It's hard for me to say if there's any room for improvement with them.

With Cisco, having tools that allow for easier management and configuration would benefit the Cisco switches because the Linksys switches are easier to manage, set up, configure, and get up and running than doing configs on Cisco switches.

I just have experience with those two tools, CyberArk and ManageEngine, not Log360 or Applications Manager.

I'd say they are fairly stable, not as stable as a full-blown Cisco switch, because I'm a Cisco guy by nature. I definitely believe in it. The Linksys depends on the environment; if it's an easy-going environment, they're pretty stable, but in more complex network environments, Cisco is definitely a lot more stable.

It has been pretty good at network protection in the past, segmenting off for those protections for those protocols.

Support has gotten better, as when Cisco first took over Linksys, it was more difficult to get support for them. They've integrated it over the last few years, and they don't differentiate with the support as far as the Linksys versus the full-blown Cisco switches.

Positive

At the Memphis airport, we were investigating a tool which was what we went to at Mueller Industries when we stopped using CyberArk because the management of CyberArk was complex compared to other tools. Keeping it up and running because of the configuration of it having multiple servers and requiring multiple servers to run it became too much, too expensive, and there were other tools that were easier to manage.

The Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches are really easy to set up and get in place.

ManageEngine is the tool that I switched over to from CyberArk and was one of the ones that I used in the last 12 months.

Cost is one of the best features compared to larger switches, Cisco switches and things, as Linksys tends to be more cost-effective.

They are easier than a full-blown Cisco.

I would recommend the Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches for simple LAN environments, while for more complex environments with a lot of VPNs, virtual networking, and connecting with a bunch of routers, or more wide area networks, WANs, I would suggest a solution other than Linksys.

As for the Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches, overall, if getting the environment up and running quickly is important, I'd rate it pretty highly. I don't think it handles the more complex configurations as a full-blown Cisco, but for a basic environment, it's quite effective.

I rate this solution 8 out of 10.

I use Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches, not their firewalls.

As a final user of Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches, I utilize their products in various applications.

I use Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches basically for LAN distribution.

The best feature I use the most is the 2950.

In the products, I don't use advanced functionalities; the only distribution feature is for LAN distribution.

The best feature I use the most is the 2950, which has served my needs excellently.

I utilize Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches primarily for LAN distribution, and they have been reliable in that capacity.

Although I don't use advanced functionalities, focusing solely on distribution for LAN purposes has proven sufficient for my requirements.

I see some areas for improvement, particularly for security. The reason for improvement is that we have some projects related to the segregation of the LAN and the establishment of a matrix of traffic.

I have been using Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches for approximately 10 to 15 years.

The product is stable; I haven't experienced any problems with latency or other issues, and I am satisfied with the product.

Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches are easy to scale up and scale out.

I don't have support from Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches, but I have a team with competencies to handle this type of product.

Neutral

The product is easy to install.

I have not been able to calculate the ROI for Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches.

Apart from Fortinet, I work with Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches.

There is no subject of advantage with Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches, but there is the history of use. If there was Fortinet or something other, I would consider the usage of the technology. I have never made benchmarking comparisons between Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches and Fortinet.

Regarding pricing for Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches, I think it is expensive, but they could make some efforts on the price. I don't know if Fortinet has the same pricing policy.

I rate Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches 10 out of 10.

I primarily use Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches and also recommend them to my customers.

Some of the most valuable features of Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches include their security features, the ability to automate network tasks, improve analytics with AI, and the ease with which these products can be recommended for various companies.

I would like Cisco to improve their technical support, and I have encountered challenges with Cisco Linksys switches. Additionally, I would like to see improvements in overall solution features in the future.

I rate Cisco's technical support at eight out of ten.

Positive

Before using Cisco Linksys Ethernet switches, I worked with something similar, but it's not specified. I suggest that Cisco Linksys Ethernet switches might be one of the best options on the market.

The product has provided a return on investment to my customers. It generally impacts their operational costs positively.

Regarding pricing, I take the cost of Cisco Linksys Ethernet switches into consideration.

I rate Cisco Linksys Ethernet switches around eight out of ten overall.

Cisco's switches are good for data center connectivity, small and medium-sized business connectivity, remote site connectivity, and enterprise data center as well. Cisco's switches as well as routers, both are good for any industry.

The solution's most valuable feature is its command line interface, which is very easy to use. Cisco's documentation is easily available over the internet. Most of the time, if we are facing any issue or some zero-day log that we have never seen before or some issues that occur on a zero-day basis, there are references available on the internet that lead us towards the cause of that issue. Unfortunately, I didn't find Cisco's features in Huawei.

Cisco can do better as it can modify the OS to be able to handle the Python script from CLI. As I was reading about the features of Huawei, I saw that Huawei has a feature with which we can write a Python script into Huawei's switches and set the trigger condition in Python script to perform the action according to the log generated by the event, but such a feature is not available in Cisco. With Cisco, you can use Cisco IOS Embedded Event Manager (EEM), which is an old technique that most people don't know how to handle. Python or some automation tools should be incorporated into the CLI shell of devices.

I have been using Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches for fifteen years.

Cisco is good and stable enough.

The tool's scalability depends on the design you opt for at the time of deployment. If I am designing a network or a large-scale large-scale network, I have to be very curious about the design or consider whether it will be scalable in the future.

I use it in an enterprise organization.

The solution's technical support is professional, and they answer our questions or raise a request to help our company.

When it comes to the product installation phases of Cisco and Huawei, I don't think it is complex, as both are simple enough. If a person is familiar with the basic routing and switching techniques, he will be able to handle the tool's installation. All you need to know is the command of that specific feature you want to enable, and if you know that feature, you can easily configure the device.

The solution has a very simple process for the deployment of any device. First, when we receive the device, we have to harden the device according to our organization's minimum benchmark document or the recommendation compliance document, like AAA, TACACS, SNMP, ACL VTY, or restriction control, and then we will place that coupon in the respective location, either on back offices, branches, as well as data center. We then start migrating services from the old device to the new device.

Cisco and Huawei have the same licensing models, as both migrated from perpetual to subscription-based licensing models. Cisco and Huawei are presenting their devices with the subscription based licensing. If you want any feature, you have to go with the subscriptions offered by the tool.

Others can choose between Cisco or Huawei. The only thing is you should be familiar with the basic routing and switching concepts. I face some support issues with Huawei. Both the vendors, Cisco and Huawei, work very well, and both have very good devices with great features. All of the defined features of the tool are working.

I rate the tool an eight out of ten.

I have used it with multiple clients. I have used Linksys Switches for Ethernet in Hotel Regency located in Pakistan, which utilises Linksys switches across its three floors and approximately twenty rooms and Ramada Portal, a four-star hotel, which also employs Cisco switches. 
The Linksys Switches offer simplified network management and scalability. These switches can be easily managed with basic networking knowledge without requiring CCNA level expertise for Cisco.

In a previous use case, we deployed Linksys Switches for blocking unwanted signals within a premises with the help of their clean air technology. This was one of the notable advantages of Linksys Switches over Cisco. For SMBs, Cisco and D-Link are a better option. In terms of enterprise-level companies, Cisco is preferred due to its optimisation quality during high traffic. There are many valuable features of Linksys Switches which include speed support and manageability. This makes them comparative with local brands and also much secure due to its security features. In terms of reliability and time, Cisco still ranks higher than its' competitors.

The additional features which I would like to suggest is to implement the user friendly GUI for easier network management. It should also have the functions of automating the firmware upgrade process, thus eliminating the need for technical expertise. Apart from this, I cannot pinpoint any other features that I am missing in the current model.

I have been using Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches for the past 3 to 4 years.

For the price that we pay, it is a stable solution in terms of performance. 

It is a scalable solution.

We are offering the support ourselves because we have engineers at different levels for handling various tasks. Level 1 engineer handles simple installations and configurations on site. Level 2 engineers manage more complex setups. Level 3 engineers work on the issues involving routers, VLANs, and terminals. The support also depends on the client's needs. Enterprise level plans might need configuration assistance. We also arrange for parts locally, as well as through import whenever there is a need for one.

The setup process or configuring access points include two types of devices. One of them is a wireless LAN controller, and the other is a stand alone device. Setting up an access point with WLC is simpler because the controller handles the configurations. On the other hand, standalone devices require more manual configuration. 

It's our recommendation that training be provided by D-Link for engineers interested in deploying Linksys switches or routers. As for the overall rating, I would rate Cisco Linksys Ethernet switches a 9 out of 10.

I use the solution in my company for our normal work. We have the tool as a wireless connection. The tool is used for normal purposes, and there are no special use cases attached to the tool.

In our business environment, the tool is utilized not in all the sites but only in a few buildings where we have it.

There is nothing I find to be specifically valuable in the solution since we are a company with engineers who are experts in Cisco. The tool has normal features, so there isn't any area the tool has improved in our company.

In our company, we haven't explored the tool much. We are using the tool as a normal product.

I didn't experiment to see what are the features that are required in the product. As long as the tool works, everything will be fine with our company.

The tool is only 75 percent efficient and not 100 percent as expected, making it an area where the tool can be improved.

I have been using Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches for twenty years.

It is a very stable solution.

The reliability of the tool has affected our network uptime. There has been no hardware failure, and everything has been perfect in the tool.

My company has not seen any AI integrated into the tool for any of the use cases.

The tool offers easy integration. We didn't have any issues or a tough time with the product.

I recommend the tool to others.

I rate the tool a seven to eight out of ten.

I have not escalated any issues to the solution's technical support.

I work with switches from Aruba and HPE. Aruba and HPE are more advanced, but we are using the old Cisco tools. At my company, we did a PoC with Aruba, and it was very good. Aruba is cheaper than Cisco. Aruba is more advanced in terms of integrations and monitoring.

The tool was deployed by the local partner, the one who supplies it.

I have not calculated the benefits of the use of the tool since it has been a long time since we got it into the company.

The tool's pricing doesn't matter because it is purchased on a tender basis.

The tool's price is reasonable.

I have only evaluated Arba against Cisco.

My company has not seen any AI integrated into the tool for any of the use cases.

The tool offers easy integration. We didn't have any issues or a tough time with the product.

I recommend the tool to others.

I rate the tool a seven to eight out of ten.

We are using it as an unmanaged product to which we can't take access, so we just play L2 switches. At the branch access layer, we are using the aforementioned feature.

Right now, I'm unsure where we have and how much we have of the solution since they are L2 switches. Currently, I don't have an available inventory.

I can't think of any specific feature in particular. We use it as a simple L2 switch. The solution is flexible to use because the solution consists of unmanaged switches. One needs to just plug in and play it. However, I am not sure about the performance because we are using unmanaged switches, so I can't comment on the performance part, including its commercial part.

Pricing is an area with a shortcoming since the solution is expensive. Pricing needs to be improved.

I have been using Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches for more than five years.

Since I am not aware of its stability, I rate the solution's stability a six out of ten.

I have faced no issues in the last year. I am not seeing any issue with Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches.

Cisco is scalable, but speaking of Linksys, I am not sure of its scalability.

It's very hard to confirm how many users are using the solution. We are not maintaining an inventory for unmanaged switches.

The setup is a small set. Basically, we have branches near about 50 to 100 users using the solution. The L2 switches are installed in the access layer, and further, it is connected to our Citrix SD-WAN box, and Citrix SD-WAN terminates the appliance. So this is the setup. This is a small setup.

It will not take much time to deploy it. It can be done in five to ten minutes. One just needs to unbox Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches, terminate the power supply, and connect to the Citrix router.

Seven or eight of our resources, with one person as their leader, are involved in managing Citrix to look after the deployments and maintenance of Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches. Speaking about the rest of the resources and the organization structure we have, one person is involved in technical follow-up, and three are involved in the technical part.

The deployment can be done in-house without any consultant.

I am not sure about the price because it was deployed six or seven years ago, and it's in use currently.

Licensing cost has not been much for the last five years. We have the same license working for Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches. So it's very easy and not much complex.

Cisco is expensive, but I am not aware of Cisco Switches, especially in terms of what prices were paid during the installation.

Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches are stable since no issues have been reported. The solution is scalable, and the performance is accurate. Therefore, there has been no need to involve technical support or something like that. So, it's handy and scalable.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

We use the solution to add a node to network devices in the organization.

The solution is quite stable.

Integration is not easy since the device component is separate.

Integration with other solutions should be made easier.

I have been using the solution for around 30 years.

The product is stable. I would rate the stability a nine or ten out of ten.

The solution is scalable. It is quite easy. Less than 20 employees from the DevOps team use the solution. Cisco is not the only solution used in our organization. We also use Brocade switches. We might increase the number of users, but not more than 20 percent.

When we face issues with the solution, we connect with Cisco’s technical support. The engineers in the support team are quite qualified. They can resolve problems effectively.

The setup is quite complex. We need technical knowledge about the devices to set up a new device in the infrastructure.

The deployment of the solution is quite fast. It can be done in half an hour. To deploy the switch, we need to set up the switch IP and ensure the versions are right. Then we should set up the VLAN. We must also take care of the authentication method. Some users might need to authenticate themselves with certificates.

When we need to set up a device in a new building, we can copy the relevant configuration to speed up the setup.

The product is worth its money.

The solution has a yearly subscription fee. The license is not expensive.

I have used Cisco switches from various series, including 2900, 3700, 3800, 4500, and 6500. Nowadays, most solutions are cloud-based. Cisco switches are more suitable for someone like me who is quite familiar with traditional devices. I would recommend the solution to others. I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.