Brocade Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches vs NVIDIA Mellanox comparison

Broadcom and Cisco are both solutions in the Ethernet Switches category. Broadcom is ranked #24 with an average rating of 8.0, while Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.8. Broadcom holds a 1.0% mindshare in ES, compared to Cisco’s 12.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Brocade Ethernet Switches

Read 11 Brocade Ethernet Switches reviews

1,144 Views
1,144 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Ethernet Switches

Read 136 Cisco Ethernet Switches reviews

12,875 Views
12,875 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

NVIDIA Mellanox

Read 8 NVIDIA Mellanox reviews

1,955 Views
1,955 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Brocade Ethernet Switches

Cisco Ethernet Switches

NVIDIA Mellanox

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Brocade Ethernet Switches, Cisco Ethernet Switches, and NVIDIA Mellanox based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches.

To learn more, read our detailed Ethernet Switches Report (Updated: August 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

August 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 866,685 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:

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 NVIDIA Mellanox is 2.1%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches	12.4%
NVIDIA Mellanox	2.1%
Brocade Ethernet Switches	1.0%
Other	84.5%

Ethernet Switches

Featured Reviews

Youssef Ezzerouali

System infrastructure engineer at Capgemini

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…

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Myint Aung

Head of the Solutions Department at BIM Group of Companies

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.

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Nurudeen Suleiman

CEO at Tekpulse Ltd

Automation and integration improve operations efficiently

We wanted to utilize the advanced InfiniBand and Ethernet solutions offered by NVIDIA, but the users are not too familiar with the InfiniBand environment, which is why we are using the Linux Cumulus 5.6, which is usually the normal Ethernet. I am familiar with NVIDIA Mellanox, as I have products from NVIDIA on review here on our website. I use enhanced multi-tenancy features. Currently, within the data center, we have mixtures of both Cisco Nexus switches, NVIDIA switches, and Huawei switches, so eventually, we are changing all the switches to NVIDIA. On a scale of 1-10, I rate NVIDIA Mellanox an eight.

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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

"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 initial setup was really straightforward and easy."

"There's a zone for each server and services in the storage."

"I have not had any issues with our Brocade switches."

"The switches last for a very long time."

"The technical support is good."

"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 most valuable feature of Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides."

More Brocade Ethernet Switches pros

"The solution's valuable features are the speed of network transfer, it can transfer four to six gigabits per second."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches is a very stable product."

"Cisco switches are trouble-free. They are reliable, and their performance is excellent."

"The features that I have found most valuable with Cisco switches are that once you get your configuration you can rest assured that it will work. The OS is not going to be failing intermittently or anything like that. Once you get your configuration end-goal right, the firmware and the OS are usually very stable enough to work a long time without support. Support is needed once in a while. My experience is that the Cisco switches are usually rocket."

"The most valuable features of Cisco Ethernet switches include plug-and-play capabilities, ease of deployment, and high reliability."

"We have found it to be scalable. We have approximately three million subscribers."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches are stable."

"As I am Cisco certified, I like the way that I can program them."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pros

"From what I've been told, a valuable feature of Mellanox switches is they're quite user-friendly."

"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the size, power consumption, and the vast amount of features."

"The most valuable features of this solution are its functionality."

"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the powerful hardware and the software is open. They're using Linux operating system. You can do and install many things, and it performs well."

"The tool is very configurable because it runs on a Linux operating system."

"It is a very easy-to-use product."

"The biggest advantage is that the vendor is the only one providing no-drop traffic."

Cons

"No graphical interface."

"There are some performance issues."

"The solution could be more secure."

"It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches."

"Brocade Ethernet Switches need a better interface and centralized management."

"It could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface."

"These switches are no longer supported."

"Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions."

"It would be good for Cisco to provide certification to our engineers for our IT infrastructure. Basically to train and certify our engineers."

"The NX-API REST is not very good and should be improved."

"From a system integrator's perspective, Cisco must train system integrators, partners, and customers about their services."

"Switches should be made stackable, even if they are not of the same model."

"Cisco should consider adding a GUI as most vendors now offer the ability to manage switches via a graphical user interface, while Cisco switches are managed using pure CLI."

"There is room for improvement in terms of cost."

"Its management should be improved."

"The price could be lower. It's quite expensive."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches cons

"If you compare this solution with Cisco, utilization in Cisco is more popular and it is more friendly."

"Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed. They started with Ennui, and now they only use Linux. If they returned to their previous CLI it would be a good option for starters. The new CLI is more difficult to use but more powerful than the older one. It has its advantages."

"The scalability is working fine at the moment, but there's always room for improvement. As of right now, I don't know of any improvements to suggest."

"Mellanox Switches could improve by adding some features that can make it easier for integrating the switches in some managing and monitoring platforms, such as Elastic or similar software for monitoring data with the data center in a more holistic way."

"Sometimes, it can have some bugs from the past if I am an old user. However, it is stable now."

"The configuration is a bit different from Cisco, and therefore, for me at least, there's a bit of a learning curve."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Brocade Ethernet Switches is expensive."

"The product is expensive."

"Cisco products are not cheap, which is something that can be improved."

"We are happy with the pricing from Cisco."

"The pricing for individual use is expensive but partners receive discounts of 70-80 percent for high-end use."

"We get the SMARTnet and one of the switches has that Cisco ONE licensing. It's probably running about $12,000 a year right now."

"The price is very high though it is priced right for the level of quality."

"The price is a bit on the high side."

"Not inexpensive. Price will vary widely depending on the chosen product and size of the deployment."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pricing and cost advice

"It's an open-source solution."

"The pricing is very competitive. The licensing costs are fine."

"The price of Mellanox Switches is reasonable compared to other solutions. The price and quality ratio was very good. There is a one-time license purchase that is needed."

"There is a license to use the switch ports of Mellanox Switches."

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Comparison Review

it_user82779

Engineer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees

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…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	58
Midsize Enterprise	36
Large Enterprise	53

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Brocade Ethernet Switches?

To improve, it could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface.

See all answers

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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mellanox Switches?

The pricing is competitive. For its performance, it's cheaper, so I would rate it a four if cheaper is lower.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Mellanox Switches?

The feature we would want to see in future updates of NVIDIA Mellanox is improved accessibility for normal users, as ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Mellanox Switches?

NVIDIA Mellanox is usually used for numerous purposes, but in our case, we are using it in a data center for high-end...

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba Switches vs Brocade Ethernet Switches

Compared 11% of the time

Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs Brocade Ethernet Switches

Compared 8% of the time

Huawei Ethernet Switches vs Brocade Ethernet Switches

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Brocade Ethernet Switches

Compared 6% of the time

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Brocade Ethernet Switches

Compared 6% of the time

More Brocade Ethernet Switches Competitors

Aruba Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 20% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 15% of the time

D-Link Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 9% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 7% of the time

MikroTik Routers and Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco Ethernet Switches Competitors

Arista Networks Platform vs NVIDIA Mellanox

Compared 11% of the time

Broadcom StrataXGS vs NVIDIA Mellanox

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs NVIDIA Mellanox

Compared 5% of the time

HPE Ethernet Switches vs NVIDIA Mellanox

Compared 5% of the time

Aruba Switches vs NVIDIA Mellanox

Compared 5% of the time

More NVIDIA Mellanox Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

August 2025

Download Brocade Ethernet Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches

August 2025

Download Cisco Ethernet Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

August 2025

Download NVIDIA Mellanox product report

Also Known As

No data available

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches

Mellanox Switches, Mellanox SN2700

Overview

From the world's first Ethernet fabric technology, to an open controller that eliminates vendor lock-in, to a switch stack that you can distribute throughout your campus, Brocade Ethernet Switches give you choices. Whether that means functionality, vendors, or even locations beyond the wiring closet, every option is secure, economical, and easily manageable.

Broadcom

Cisco Ethernet Switches scale to meet the needs of networks of all sizes. They are Secure, Reliable and Seamless.

Cisco

NVIDIA Mellanox is used for LAN in data centers, deployed on-premises for private clouds and HPC with large data needs. It includes switches for network, data centers, edge, and spine-and-leaf topology, serving as public switches, top-of-rack, core devices for infinite bands, EVPN solutions, and more.

NVIDIA Mellanox provides robust functionality with unique RDMA features, stability, and user-friendliness. Known for its compact size, low power consumption, powerful hardware, and open Linux-based software, it allows extensive customization and installation flexibility. Training documentation needs improvement, as do installation and configuration processes, which have steep learning curves. Integration with managing platforms could be smoother, and faster support response times are necessary.

What are the key features of NVIDIA Mellanox?

RDMA Features: Unique Remote Direct Memory Access capabilities.
Stability: Consistent and reliable performance.
User-Friendliness: Easy to use with an intuitive interface.
Compact Size: Space-efficient design.
Low Power Consumption: Energy-efficient operation.
Powerful Hardware: High-performance components.
Open Software: Runs on Linux, allowing flexibility.
Highly Configurable: Extensive customization options.

What benefits do users find in NVIDIA Mellanox?

Customization: Tailors to specific needs.
Performance: High throughput and low latency.
Energy Efficiency: Reduced power costs.
Scalability: Adapts to growing demands.
Flexibility: Multiple deployment options.

In industries like finance, healthcare, and telecommunications, NVIDIA Mellanox is implemented to support high-performance computing clusters, manage large data volumes, and enhance data center operations. Its switches enable efficient networking setups, facilitating edge computing solutions and optimizing spine-and-leaf topologies for enhanced performance.

NVIDIA

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

CNPC, Korea Consumer Agency, Nutanix, Roxo Systems, StorPool, Atlantic.Net, INFN, StarWind, NYSE Technologies, Creative Consultants, ENKI

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: August 2025.

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