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Aruba Switches vs Brocade Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Aruba Switches is 10.3%, down from 12.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Brocade Ethernet Switches is 1.1%, down from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 14.0%, down from 19.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Eunice Thirikwa - PeerSpot reviewer
Stable hotel networking enhances return on investment with valuable modular features
There are issues with the distribution side of Aruba Switches. For instance, the distributor in our country cannot sell to neighboring countries, creating complications in project execution. Improving the distribution network across regions would be beneficial. Also, the SFP modules are significantly more expensive than industry peers, which affects cost-effectiveness.
Youssef Ezzerouali - PeerSpot reviewer
Effective range, scalable, and simple implmentation
The most valuable feature of Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions. I have been using Brocade Ethernet Switches for approximately three years. The solution is…
Myint Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
Exceptional network support and AI integration drive performance while suggesting enhancements for future use cases
I work with both HyperFlex and other Cisco products. I prefer to make online support available because I can utilize my CCIE architect, solution consultant, and engineer team along with our account manager and product sales team. We can clarify requirements and decide how to support you. We should arrange a conference call about Cisco Ethernet Switches where I can invite my architect and consultant to clarify more about the features that are most beneficial for improving network efficiency. Today is AI day, and all the new firmware includes AI to optimize the performance, traffic, and security of Cisco Ethernet Switches. It's performing very well. With many solutions and vendors available, you have to decide on one. I am extremely satisfied with the licensing cost for Cisco Ethernet Switches. For the price of Cisco Ethernet Switches, I would rate it a 7. My overall rating for Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10 out of 10.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is easy to use and quick to deploy."
"The durability of Aruba Switches is essentially beneficial since, once installed, we can forget about them for years."
"The cloud configuration is the most valuable feature of this solution. Watching in the cloud, propagating the actual devices themselves and the management of devices that are remote."
"This is a very stable product with good performance."
"It's an excellent product. They're high-quality switches, and nothing has failed in the time that we've had them."
"The technical support is fantastic!"
"The solution's stability is really great. We found it very solid."
"The most valuable feature of Aruba Switches is its performance."
"It is easy to configure and provides good technical support."
"I have not had any issues with our Brocade switches."
"The technical support is good."
"The most valuable feature of Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides."
"It has good integration with HPE Primera. They have smart zoning in which the administration is very easy. You don't have to do anything. Zoning and other things are done automatically if you just enable the smart zoning. That's one very good thing in HP."
"The initial setup was really straightforward and easy."
"The switches last for a very long time."
"The reliability of Brocade is the most valuable feature. The solution has been up and running for over ten years without any fail, fixes required, or breakdowns. It is a very strong piece of equipment."
"The solution effectively provides a stable connection for users."
"Its performance and reliability are valuable."
"The solution is highly reliable."
"Good and stable operational experience with nearly no loss of hardware and very few software bugs."
"The most valuable features are network monitoring and management."
"The command-line interface is easy to use."
"It's all-encompassing and can help you in all these different areas. If people realize that they want something that's going to work, that's pretty foolproof, then Cisco's always worth the investment."
"What we love about the Cisco switches is that they are very reliable. You can deploy them and go to sleep, and you can be sure that nothing is going to go wrong. Our initial equipment was installed by a Chinese manufacturer named Fiberhome a couple of years ago. Their switches were called S engines. They worked, but some days, you just wake up, and the switch has popped up. It was a lot of crisis. Therefore, we are in the process of trying to take out all their switches and replace them with Cisco switches. We are getting good results in terms of reliability and even technical support."
 

Cons

"The initial setup is relatively complex."
"This product could be improved with additional security features."
"A challenge is the process required to reset the switches, which involves using two pins in tiny holes. An easily accessible button for resets would be a better design."
"It takes a long time to import Aruba switches to Ecuador."
"I would like to see something like a Cisco Prime, an application controlling the entire system, switches, and access points."
"The written documentation, all the available documentation, is often a little bit hard to find. The solution lacks documentation, especially on recent features. We have access directly to Aruba, Germany, so they are always helpful, but if you start, for instance, with something a little bit more complex like zero-touch provisioning, that would require a more comprehensive written piece."
"The initial setup is not easy."
"Aruba is still losing out to Cisco, which continues to dominate the space. Aruba needs to continue to improve its product range in order to compete with Cisco's dominance."
"There are some performance issues."
"It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches."
"These switches are no longer supported."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions."
"It could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches need a better interface and centralized management."
"No graphical interface."
"The solution could be more secure."
"The SG thousand series has some downsides or weak points which require improvement regarding floor switch usage."
"Technical support in India needs to be improved."
"We have experienced some issues with Cisco SG350 switches. We have not been able to use this switch at normal temperatures as it automatically reboots."
"Previously, advanced features were included in the basic package, but now they are provided as add-ons that need to be purchased separately."
"In terms of what could be improved, there is the bulk issue that is sometimes experienced with Cisco products we've used."
"The initial setup can be simplified."
"The technical support should be improved."
"The pricing and hardware warranty renewal costs are more expensive than other products."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing was still affordable compared to Cisco, which is usually less affordable for most companies. We are using the solution in a school, we need the price to be affordable."
"The pricing is perfect."
"Cost-wise, you get some good savings as compared to Cisco."
"Our customers may want better pricing but we are a reseller and a partner, and the pricing that we get is good."
"Pricing for this product is reasonable."
"There is a license to use the solution."
"The product is a bit expensive."
"The cost is very cheap when you compare it to CISCO."
"The price of Brocade Ethernet Switches is expensive."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are expensive, and you have to pay for a warranty and technical support."
"Cisco offers annual and three-year license options."
"The solution is not too expensive."
"This is an expensive solution, but you are paying for stability."
"There are different licensing based on the model of the solution."
"Cisco is an industry leader, but the price is very high."
"The cost of the solution is by unit."
"The cost of Cisco Ethernet Switches is expensive."
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
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Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
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
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
Educational Organization
7%
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Switches?
Aruba lives up to the expectations of the tech giant hewlett packard enterprise providing excellent networking capabi...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Switches?
Pricing really depends on the model. For instance, a high-end model with Aruba is about five thousand, while another ...
What needs improvement with Aruba Switches?
The only problem with Aruba Switches is the pricing.
What needs improvement with Brocade Ethernet Switches?
To improve, it could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface.
What is your primary use case for Brocade Ethernet Switches?
I use Brocade Ethernet Switches because they are scalable. I recommend them since they are easy to configure. They ar...
What advice do you have for others considering Brocade Ethernet Switches?
I would recommend Brocade Ethernet Switches because they are easy to configure and have good technical support. I'd r...
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 func...
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 F...
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...
 

Also Known As

8400 Series, 8320 Series, 5400R Series, 3810 Series, 2930M Series, 2930F Series, 2920 Series, 2540 Series, 2530 Series
No data available
Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University
Ajubeo, Akquinet AG, Big Data Analytics Provider Boligkontoret Danmark Bristol is Open, CDE Lightband, Cicero School District 99, City and County of San Francisco, Department of Emergency, City of Chattanooga, Cloudscale.sh
Linz AG
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: June 2025.
859,129 professionals have used our research since 2012.