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Brocade Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches vs MikroTik Routers and 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 September 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Brocade Ethernet Switches is 1.0%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 12.4%, down from 18.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of MikroTik Routers and Switches is 7.2%, up from 4.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches12.4%
MikroTik Routers and Switches7.2%
Brocade Ethernet Switches1.0%
Other79.4%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

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.
AnikIslam - PeerSpot reviewer
Cost-effective protocol support and a straightforward setup with room for login enhancements
In the network operations center, I manage our client's bandwidth. We connect with our clients through BGP and OSPF based on client demands. We also manage routing protocols, policies, internal firewalls, and other details like QE bandwidth, client manage bandwidth management, PoE, PPPoE, and DNS…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is easy to configure and provides good technical support."
"The initial setup was really straightforward and easy."
"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 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 switches last for a very long time."
"The technical support is good."
"I have not had any issues with our Brocade switches."
"The most valuable feature of Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides."
"One main feature of this solution is the POE switches."
"DNA Center is very interesting in automating the setup and monitoring as with each occurrence it gets easier to troubleshoot and provides an impression about what could be the problem."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco Ethernet Switches is their stability. They are rock solid, and that's the advantage of Cisco."
"The quality of service is one of the main reasons we use Cisco in our organization. It's quite high and very reliable. The switches also end up working for a long time, so there's less need to replace them as often as others. We have some switches in our company that has been running since 2006, for example. They are quite old, but they still work."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are stable."
"I'm satisfied with Cisco switches. It's stable and beautiful."
"The queue functionality is the solution's most valuable feature, specifically because we are delivering a lot of Layer 2 services. Layer 2 protocol tunnels work well on Cisco switches."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco Ethernet Switches is its hardware."
"The best part about MikroTik Routers is the price."
"MikroTik offers full enterprise capabilities at a very reasonable price."
"It's great for small businesses or home offices."
"It has a lot of features. I haven't explored them all yet."
"I like the routing features."
"The most valuable feature is its bandwidth management ability."
"The most valuable feature is the price because it's highly cost-effective concerning the functionalities provided within the box. The solution is stable. The solution is scalable. The initial setup is straightforward. I would recommend the solution because it provides value for money."
"We've enjoyed the fact that it has very good performance."
 

Cons

"The solution could be more secure."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions."
"These switches are no longer supported."
"It could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface."
"It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches."
"No graphical interface."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches need a better interface and centralized management."
"There are some performance issues."
"Better manageability and ease of use would be an improvement."
"The technical support should 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."
"I would like to see this solution automatically store multiple versions of the configuration file."
"When you contact support, they don't give you the expert at first, they give you the beginner. Only after going around in a circle do they give you experts. Why don't they just give the expert from the beginning?"
"I would like for the solution to have more more security features and be more user-friendly."
"There is a need for improvement on the ordering and delivery side for Cisco Ethernet switches."
"We'd like the pricing to be lowered."
"The initial setup is a bit complex."
"It could be more scalable. Product awareness could also be better. There's a lack of awareness when it comes to MikroTik. People only know about Cisco and others, and they won't rely on MikroTik. This is primarily because of hardware limitations. While this product is good economically, it's unsuitable for high-end projects. In the next release, I want this product to be more compatible."
"As far as improvements, there are basically only two things I would suggest. First, I think they should provide extensive training for the new releases of products, especially in the LTE space. Second, they could spend more time ensuring that their OS releases are more stable, rather than waiting for things to fall apart on the customer's premises before they make the necessary changes."
"Better security is always better. If they can continue to improve in this area, that would be ideal."
"MikroTik does not have a wireless solution. If they created a high-performance wireless solution we would deploy it in our infrastructure."
"The ports could be improved, as certain areas may need to be terminated with a greater number of Ethernet ports. We initially faced challenges that hindered our network usage, especially with third-party applications that were not certified or supported. It took some time to streamline and resolve these issues."
"If the reporting functionality of the solution is considered, I think it is not good."
"The tool needs to add more tutorials and documentation for new functions."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Brocade Ethernet Switches is expensive."
"When we want an extra feature then we need to purchase another license bundle."
"It is very expensive."
"The price of Cisco Ethernet Switches here in India is too high. There are other cheaper solutions available."
"The last time I bought a 24-port switch, which was a while ago, I paid about five or six thousand Euros. In this part of the world, that's quite expensive for us."
"The solution can be comparatively cheaper."
"The pricing is reasonable so I rate it a six out of ten."
"The price is a bit on the high side."
"The solution has different prices depending on the features that you want to have."
"There is a one-time license fee for the use of this solution and it is less expensive than Cisco products."
"This product is cheaper than competing products by other vendors."
"Pricing is not an issue."
"The pricing of the solution is significantly lower than other solutions. There are no additional costs involved."
"No fees are required for licensing."
"This product is a one-time purchase."
"The tool is cheap."
"It's reasonably priced. It's not the most cheap solution, but also, it's not the most expensive one."
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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
15%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Comms Service Provider
17%
Computer Software Company
14%
Hospitality Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business58
Midsize Enterprise36
Large Enterprise53
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business43
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise9
 

Questions from the Community

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...
How do Cisco Enterprise routers compare with Mikrotik routers and switches?
Cisco Enterprise Routers are very stable and easy to use. They offer a very solid performance and are very secure. Th...
Which are better - Ubiquiti UniFi switches or MikroTik routers and switches?
Ubiquiti Unifi is a great solution. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and doesn’t require a learni...
What do you like most about MikroTik Routers and Switches?
The price is a big factor. They are very affordable, and the quality is high.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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
ABB, Boingo Wireless, JPL, HP, Allied Telesis, iPass, Mips Technologies, MicroAge, Matsushita, Telia, undp, WFP, NASA
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: August 2025.
866,685 professionals have used our research since 2012.