Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

3Com H3C Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

3Com H3C Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
22nd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
136
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of 3Com H3C Switches is 0.9%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10.6%, down from 17.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches10.6%
3Com H3C Switches0.9%
Other88.5%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

AA
Manager at Necsol
Has improved operational response times and reduced downtime across departments
There is no negative impact, but to some extent their software side needs improvement because most people are familiar with iDRAC for the Dell product. Their software product is quite different and is new software. You have to take some time to learn their programming and other things such as installation of the media, Windows or office applications, or anything else. It is not complex. It is because it is a new thing and we had to face a little more problem for the installation at first. But now after some time, it has become easy for us because we have been working with Dell and listening about Dell for a long time, about decades. 3Com H3C Switches has occupied our market and has been working now for the last two to three years. 3Com H3C Switches has gained this much reputation and the brand is at its peak. It will be a matter of time and with the passage of time the learning stage will improve.
PM
IT Manager at Decorgel
Reliable equipment offers seamless integration and management simplicity
I really appreciate Cisco Ethernet Switches and currently don't have any improvements to recommend. The switches have technology that has worked fine over the years. An improvement for all players in the market would be to have a website or service to manage all equipment from all brands, not just Cisco. There should be a platform to manage all the equipment.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The installation is quite straightforward."
"The hardware side is a very big advantage. We use it 24/7 and we haven't had any problems so far with the switches."
"3Com H3C Switches products are available at a low price, and the second most important factor is their services, availability of parts, and warranty claims, with main service centers in all major cities of Pakistan."
"Their customer service is instant with a tracking system and follow-ups for human access."
"The reliability of the solution has been the best feature."
"They are easy to use, they are cheaper, and it's a trusted brand."
"They're straightforward and stable."
"The user interface is upgraded to the latest GUI technology, allowing configurations like VLAN to be done through the interface rather than the command line, making it more efficient."
"The IP routing is the most important feature."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches is a very stable product."
"The initial setup was for Cisco Ethernet Switches was straightforward."
"The product offers very good customer support. It's likely the best in the industry."
"The Cisco Ethernet switches are sturdy products that do not require any kind of maintenance."
"The solution is highly reliable."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are stable."
"Cisco is the world leader in these systems. The expertise they have is very good compared to others. We can trust Cisco from a technical perspective."
 

Cons

"When we try to do configuration changes sometimes it malfunctions."
"The configuration of 3Com H3C Switches could be better."
"The company should come up with new security features and new management and log recording systems, helping customers to analyze issues and prevent future incidents."
"The cost and the integration with other solutions could be better."
"To some extent their software side needs improvement because most people are familiar with iDRAC for the Dell product."
"The technical support services need improvement in terms of communication."
"I think there's nothing that needs to be improved because the company is no longer in existence."
"The company should come up with new security features and new management and log recording systems, helping customers to analyze issues and prevent future incidents."
"Integration with third-party products could be improved."
"Cisco has a licensing procedure that is very complicated and it changes every six months."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches is a very expensive solution."
"AI technology must be involved in the future."
"Switches should be made stackable, even if they are not of the same model."
"Technical support could be better. Firmware upgrades should be better. We have an issue with upgrading the firmware. It's not upgradable. I think it should be easy to improve and upgrade the firmware."
"The typical areas of concern for Cisco Ethernet Switches are not technical but cost including support costs. I’ve never liked the fact that end users cannot download security patches without a support contract. I’ve had trouble getting approval to renew Cisco support contracts due to the cost."
"It'll also help if it can support more network utilization."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"3Com H3C Switches have a competitive cost. I rate the pricing a nine out of ten."
"The cost could be improved, but it is cheaper than the others."
"The product is expensive."
"The pricing is reasonable, and for small business it is acceptable."
"It's a little expensive."
"We get the SMARTnet and one of the switches has that Cisco ONE licensing. It's probably running about $12,000 a year right now."
"The solution’s pricing is reasonable."
"The solution does not require a license. However, it is expensive and the price could improve."
"In some of the latest switches, the warranty is not included in the pricing and we have to purchase it separately."
"Quality comes at a price. I've been around the block a bit, and I know that good quality comes at a price. However, some of the organizations don't have big budgets, so you have to develop different solutions for them. They don't have the budget to get some of the high-end features. Cisco can consider providing entry-level hardware to suit SMBs."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
University
6%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
7%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business59
Midsize Enterprise36
Large Enterprise53
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about 3Com H3C Switches?
The installation is quite straightforward.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for 3Com H3C Switches?
Price is the major factor. You cannot say it is much better because all servers and all products have a few things in common, which are the processor, storage, and RAM and other things. Mostly the ...
What needs improvement with 3Com H3C Switches?
There is no negative impact, but to some extent their software side needs improvement because most people are familiar with iDRAC for the Dell product. Their software product is quite different and...
Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

British Columbia Assessment Authority, DreamWorks, DRV
Linz AG
Find out what your peers are saying about 3Com H3C Switches vs. Cisco Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.