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Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Catalyst Switches comparison

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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

Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch E...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
24th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
193
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (1st), Data Center Networking (1st), AV Over IP Switching (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is 1.4%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 4.4%, up from 3.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches4.4%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches1.4%
Other94.2%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

MK
Operational Manager at Astrah Technologies
Has enabled reliable access control with good scalability
The primary use case is access control and normal LAN usage, including internet and email. For example, I have deployed the solution in airport scenarios where there are many users The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches. They do not hang often and are very reliable,…
Md Rafique - PeerSpot reviewer
it support at a outsourcing company with 51-200 employees
Reliable switching has improved segmentation and reduces downtime with faster troubleshooting
One area I would like to see improvement is making configuration and troubleshooting more straightforward, especially for engineers managing a large number of switches. Some tasks can require multiple CLI commands and checking different outputs to identify an issue. Better centralized visibility, more intuitive automation tools, and clearer troubleshooting information would make day-to-day operations more efficient. That said, the CLI gives experienced network engineers a lot of control, so I would see these improvements as making the existing capabilities easier and faster to use rather than replacing them. For on-premises deployment, I would like to see easier centralized management and more automation for larger switch environments. Firmware upgrades, configuration changes, and troubleshooting can take significant time when they have to be handled across many physical devices. Better zero-touch provisioning, simplifying firmware management solutions, stronger integration with monitoring and IT management platforms, and more proactive hardware health alerts would make operations easier. I would also like better visibility into hardware capabilities and lifecycle status from a single dashboard so we can identify potential issues before they affect users.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches' best features are it's easy to deploy, manage, and maintain, with services coming through one vendor."
"The product is stable. It does have only one power supply. They don't have a redundant power supply."
"As someone with long-term experience with the product, I can say that you can trust the Alcatel switches."
"This is a dependable switch which will help you sleep at night."
"We are able to customize this solution based on the customer's requirements."
"The product's initial setup phase is not complex. It is easy to install the tool."
"The fibre ports that are 10 Gb capacity helped with the travel of a lot of regular as well as video data. Fibre can handle a lot more virtual data than copper twisted-pair, so we got a lot more data and a lot more traffic signals back through the fibre ports, faster, than with copper."
"The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches."
"I like the management of streaming both audio and video."
"The product is stable, and it performs well."
"Cisco has a really good option, a one-dashboard option for maintaining and surveilling your entire network."
"As a customer, what I like the most in the product is the peace of mind and quality."
"The availability of resources for learning about the product and doing evaluation of any issues is excellent."
"It is a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The technical support is at an expert level."
"A very expandable solution."
 

Cons

"My customer's team is not able to understand the loophole with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches, but apart from that, there are no issues."
"The solution could be more user friendly and there are issues with technical support where the response time is sometimes very slow."
"In future versions, I would like to see improvements in networking speed."
"I could see them possibly creating a more intuitive software. It's very user-friendly, but there are some things that aren't very intuitive when programming the switches."
"The network connection should be improved."
"There needs to be better integration with the interface."
"I find the CLI hard to use. I wish we could do more in the GUI interface."
"Sometimes I feel that the Alcatel switches are not working harmoniously with some of the Cisco switches."
"We are not working off the latest version so the switches on the product are very old and that could be improved."
"I would like to see hosting multiple applications on the existing IOS."
"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."
"Cisco tech support is really slow. In the time it takes them to actually understand a scenario, we have mostly found our way out on our own."
"An area for improvement would be the high price."
"The price is high and it should be improved."
"It's quite an expensive product and it would be helpful if they reduced the cost."
"Cisco should work to lower its costs. It's quite expensive right now."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is reasonable compared to Aruba and HPE."
"The licensing for OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is a one-time purchase with no additional costs."
"It is an expensive solution."
"Pricing is cheap compared to other vendors. When we benchmark the tool against Meraki, Cisco, and others, it is usually more affordable."
"The cost could be reduced."
"It's expensive."
"Cisco products are not that cheap."
"They are a little bit expensive. We are a public institution, so we go through other traders, and sometimes, they put in their own surplus price because it is a government contract. Cisco products are expensive, especially when you compare them to Huawei."
"It would be great for the user if Cisco lowered the prices for their routers and switches."
"The product is quite expensive."
"The price of a Cisco Catalyst Switches license is expensive."
"Pricing could be cheaper as well."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Outsourcing Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise3
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business85
Midsize Enterprise31
Large Enterprise87
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
In terms of pricing, Alcatel is cheaper than Cisco, however, MikroTik is the cheapest. I cannot comment on the pricing reasonability as I am a technical person, and decisions are made by those who ...
What needs improvement with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
The commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco.
What is your primary use case for Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
The primary use case is access control and normal LAN usage, including internet and email. For example, I have deployed the solution in airport scenarios where there are many users.
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 ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
The price is very high. Compared to others, I find the price a bit high when compared to Juniper and Allied Telesis.
What needs improvement with Cisco Catalyst Switches?
I cannot identify specific disadvantages with the product. However, the areas that have potential to be better are the timeline for the system and switch delivery. The delivery timelines for the pr...
 

Also Known As

Alcatel-Lucent Ethernet Switches, OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches
Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bayonette, California State University (CSU), Centre Hospitalier Carcassonne, Centro Universitšrio de Brasilia (UniCEUB), China Tianchen Engineering Corporation Co. LTD, Citta Della Speranza, City of Frankfurt, City of Ogden, City of Vila Franca de Xira
Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena
Find out what your peers are saying about Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
915,287 professionals have used our research since 2012.