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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 June 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, 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. The mindshare of MikroTik Routers and Switches is 6.7%, up from 4.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
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

"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."
"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 technical support is good."
"The initial setup was really straightforward and easy."
"There's a zone for each server and services in the storage."
"The most valuable feature of Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides."
"It is easy to configure and provides good technical support."
"I have not had any issues with our Brocade switches."
"The most valuable features of Cisco Ethernet Switches for our network are speed, latency, and reliability."
"Cisco switches have several valuable features like VLAN mapping. We seldom use that, but we find the security configurations helpful, like high availability with trading port channels and MAC filtering."
"The brand name and the service support by Cisco are most valuable."
"We have a good technical support provider in Turkey that offers support, and we work closely with Cisco. Everything is sorted."
"The most valuable features are network monitoring and management."
"In terms of most valuable feature, I would say the user interface."
"For me, the initial setup was easy and straightforward, but for some of our customers who are not as familiar with networking, it can be complicated."
"The most valuable features of Cisco Ethernet switches include plug-and-play capabilities, ease of deployment, and high reliability."
"The routing is nice and straightforward."
"It is a stable solution. I have been using the solution for a while, and I don't face any outages or trouble while using the solution."
"It's pretty stable."
"The most valuable aspect of this solution is the combination of value for money. They're extremely cost effective, yet they provide you with an extensive feature set of things you can do across the board. Also, they're pretty reliable, as far as equipment goes."
"These routers and switches are very stable."
"I think the tool's most valuable is its firewall. Cisco assisted them in developing it, making it easy to use. They expose a lot of background features, so you can go deep into integration, similar to Cisco switches. You can choose to use the command line interface or user interface."
"The solution is stable."
"They are very good at providing the bandwidth for multi-tenants and multi-dwelling units. We're managing WiFi hotspots for hundreds of locations, and the speed and performance are quite there. They also have very cheap 10G products that come with really good and flexible software. They are way cheaper than the top brands, and they're able to deliver the same performance and capabilities."
 

Cons

"No graphical interface."
"It could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions."
"It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches."
"There are some performance issues."
"These switches are no longer supported."
"The solution could be more secure."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches need a better interface and centralized management."
"The solution's pricing could be improved."
"There is room for improvement in terms of cost."
"Up to a certain network size, it is easy to scale, but after that, it becomes difficult."
"Cisco could also open the API up to work closely with other systems."
"Pricing could be lower."
"Switches should be made stackable, even if they are not of the same model."
"They need to offer free replacements until the end of life for devices."
"Previously, advanced features were included in the basic package, but now they are provided as add-ons that need to be purchased separately."
"The initial setup can be a bit difficult. The configuration can take a lot of time."
"MikroTik Routers and Switches needs to improve stability."
"Wireless throughput has not kept up with the competition."
"Better security is always better. If they can continue to improve in this area, that would be ideal."
"The batch management could be improved."
"In the Israeli market, we are in need of Hebrew support."
"This product could offer better integration with VPNs."
"MikroTik does not have a wireless solution. If they created a high-performance wireless solution we would deploy it in our infrastructure."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Brocade Ethernet Switches is expensive."
"Price-wise, Cisco Ethernet Switches is a product that falls a little bit on the expensive side."
"The price of this solution is high."
"We are happy with the pricing from Cisco."
"In some of the latest switches, the warranty is not included in the pricing and we have to purchase it separately."
"While Cisco's pricing can be a concern, particularly with support fees, its overall features and support community make it a solid choice."
"The price is a bit on the high side."
"There are different licensing based on the model of the solution."
"When we want an extra feature then we need to purchase another license bundle."
"Here in Bangladesh, MikroTik Routers and Switches cost 90,000 Taka, or converting that figure to dollars is $1,000."
"The price-performance is great."
"The product is cheap compared to Cisco."
"The pricing of the solution is significantly lower than other solutions. There are no additional costs involved."
"The price is affordable."
"MikroTik has very aggressive and competitive pricing."
"It's definitely worth the investment."
"The tool's pricing is competitive."
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
859,129 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

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
17%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
Comms Service Provider
15%
Computer Software Company
14%
Hospitality Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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: June 2025.
859,129 professionals have used our research since 2012.