Arista Networks Platform vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] comparison

Arista and Dell Technologies are both solutions in the Data Center Networking category. Additionally, 100% of Arista users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Dell Technologies users who would recommend it.

Arista Networks Platform

Read 27 Arista Networks Platform reviews

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102 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

Read 34 Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] reviews

90% willing to recommend

Arista Networks Platform

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Arista Networks Platform and Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Juniper, Arista and others in Data Center Networking.

To learn more, read our detailed Data Center Networking Report (Updated: June 2025).

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Data Center Networking

June 2025

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Helped 859,687 peers since 2012

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

Arista Networks Platform

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Ethernet Switches (11th), Data Center Networking (3rd)

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

8.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

MarekSzafrański

Senior Core Network Engineer at Eurofins

Affordable for enterprise-sized companies

Speaking about whether the product enhanced our company's data center scalability, I would say that it was a solution that was used in a banking company, where it served as a replacement for Cisco. Though Arista Networks Platform is similar to Cisco IOS CLI, I feel that the former product offers better prices compared to the latter tool. Arista Networks Platform office is more efficient at a lower cost. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. The tool is stable and cheaper than Cisco. I would say that Arista Networks Platform is 100 percent compatible with the existing infrastructure in my company. The impact of the tool's network telemetry on our company's troubleshooting practices was just good for the scope for which I need the product. I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.

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LarsEvans

Chief Technology Officer / Chief Information Security Officer at Lorton Data, Inc.

Reliable and useful for network segmentation

The solution's most valuable feature stands up well. The tool is reliable, and it stands up well. The solution works fine and lasts a long time. I think if you speak about the features that have a flow and you can measure, it is hard to say. I don't spend a lot of my time with the tool, but I know that Dell APEX is the solution's cloud. I would say the VLAN features are important. The VLAN features are really useful because network segmentation is important. I would say the tool is easy to program. I don't know if the tool has any security features that I am aware of other than the fact that the solution is for networking. The VLAN and the ability to segment your networks are easy, which is its security feature.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"I like the spine as a leaf model and low latency. The hardware is robust and meets expected latency in all environments, mainly if you belong to the media or trading industry. For multicast-based solutions, Arista is number one."

"The solution is scalable."

"The most valuable features of the Arista Networks Platform are the EVPN and VXLAN. It has comprehensive features."

"It provides telemetry and visibility for many metrics that are not supported by most of the other vendors. Out of the box, no third party solutions are needed."

"The platform is easy to scale."

"They support open standard features."

"I find the operational system used by Arista to be very valuable, and the hardware is exceptionally nice. Arista has a unified operational system called EOS that is easy to set up and replicate on other devices. The ease of configuration and transition between devices is a significant advantage for me."

More Arista Networks Platform pros

"The features I've found most valuable are that the product is very easy to configure and inexpensive."

"Dell PowerConnect Switches have a VTL feature similar to Cisco's VSS. With VTL, using this technology, you can cluster two switches together to increase redundancy in the environment."

"Their support has been excellent, and it has been quite stable and easy to set up."

"There is high reliability since we have used them for close to twenty years and only had possibly one failure."

"The tool is reliable, and it stands up well. The solution works fine and lasts a long time."

"Dell PowerConnect Switches are easy to configure."

"The most valuable feature is its ability to multitask."

"The product is cheap."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pros

Cons

"The community is good but is not good enough. It still needs to grow more."

"Arista Networks Platform should focus on improving the compatibility or integration with Cisco solutions."

"Its price can be better."

"The solution needs to improve their product range."

"The overall price of the Arista Networks Platform is expensive. It should be reduced."

"My company does face issues in terms of interoperability when it comes to the product, making it an area that needs to be fixed."

"From VMware, I think the cost of the tools is very high."

"The solution is quite expensive. One of the negative aspects of it is the pricing."

More Arista Networks Platform cons

"When it comes to the configuration, there should be documentation and interactive help available to assist people who have experience with products from other vendors."

"What's lacking in Dell PowerConnect Switches is SD-WAN integration, and this is what needs to be improved in it. All enterprises now move towards SD-WAN infrastructure, and because Dell PowerConnect Switches don't currently support SD-WAN, the product would be replaced, considered a secondary switch, or linked up to a different switch. Integration or support for SD-WAN is what I'd like to see in the next version of Dell PowerConnect Switches."

"The product price is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"The IOS software that is used on the switches could be improved."

"There should be more port options in this switch. Currently, it has 24 or 48 ports. However, some of our customers require only 8 ports, but I have to put a switch with 24 ports. They should provide smaller solutions and complimentary access point for companies like ours with a low quantity of work. The main issue with this product is branding. They should improve their branding and promote their brand more in Mexico. Customers are more aware of brands like Cisco as compared to Dell."

"Accessibility and management could be improved."

"It would be great to have modules that integrate with SDN solutions such as Cisco ACI, Arista SDN, Huawei Agile, and IBM."

"A user can take care of the product's installation part, but it may not seem to be an easy process."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Specific tools definitely require a license for the subscription. But we are not using these tools in our environment. In terms of licensing, you need to spend approximately $10,000 per month."

"The customer price for an Arista router is approximately $7,000 USD, while Cisco's is around $18,000."

"It is pretty pricey for a networking platform. It is on par with Cisco."

"Arista is very expensive. Not everybody is in a position to spend $70,000 to $80,000 for one switch."

"The price of the Arista Networks Platform could be less expensive for the hardware and license."

"Cost wise, Arista Networks Platform is more expensive than other networking solutions."

"If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the product price as seven out of ten."

"There is an annual license required to use the Arista Networks Platform."

More Arista Networks Platform pricing and cost advice

"I would rate the pricing as a seven or eight."

"The initial cost was high but since they have lasted for over ten or twenty years they are worth it."

"Inexpensive"

"PowerConnect Switches are priced well."

"The product has a low price for the features it provides."

"The product is cheaper than Cisco and licensing is yearly. We have to pay additional costs for support."

"If you want to purchase a new Dell PowerConnect Switch, you will pay up to $1,600, but I bought them used. I bought the four Dell PowerConnect Switches that I used for $1,000."

"The price of these switches is okay."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

University

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

Government

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Arista Networks Platform?

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Networks Platform?

Arista products are perceived as costly, especially compared to competitors like Cisco.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Arista Networks Platform?

Currently, Arista is too costly for its customers. Feature-wise, it addresses most customer requirements. However, we sometimes face challenges when integrating with proprietary protocols and solut...

See all answers

What do you like most about Dell PowerConnect Switches?

Dell PowerConnect Switches have a VTL feature similar to Cisco's VSS. With VTL, using this technology, you can cluster two switches together to increase redundancy in the environment.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerConnect Switches?

The solution is cheaper than Cisco.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Dell PowerConnect Switches?

Some proprietary commands available in Cisco are preferred by users accustomed to Cisco systems. These users might hesitate to switch because they want to continue using familiar commands and see t...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 20% of the time

Aruba Switches vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Nexus vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 9% of the time

Meraki MS Switches vs Arista Networks Platform

Compared 9% of the time

More Arista Networks Platform Competitors

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 67% of the time

Cisco Nexus vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 13% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 8% of the time

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 6% of the time

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Arista Networks Platform

June 2025

Download Arista Networks Platform product report

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

June 2025

Download Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] product report

Also Known As

7000 Series

PowerConnect Switches

Overview

Arista Networks Platform is a stable and reliable solution for data center features, specifically for non-blocking switches used for spine-leaf connectivity with servers hooked to these switches. It also provides multi-layer switches for client networks, particularly in the banking sector.

Arista products are preferred for their stability, good hardware, ease of adoption and configuration, responsive and helpful support, and high throughput ratings. The solution has helped prevent screen loss and business outages in the media industry and is designed for next-generation data centers.

Arista

PowerConnect Switches family offers a set of flexible, manageable and comprehensive switch solutions supporting up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and optimized Internet iSCSI (iSCSI) performance with Dell Storage solutions, ideal for enterprise and campus LAN environments alike.

Dell Technologies

Sample Customers

American Internet Services

Amerijet Holdings Inc., CGD Securities, MavenWire, Tulane University

Buyer's Guide

Data Center Networking

June 2025

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