Brocade Ethernet Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Brocade Ethernet Switches and HPE Ethernet Switches based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Ethernet Switches solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Brocade Ethernet Switches vs. HPE Ethernet Switches Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Q&A Highlights
Question: Why does Cisco dominate the ethernet switching market?
Answer: We have used Zyxel and Netgear, Frankly the stability of Cisco, the scalability and ease of integration with other Vendors e.g VMware along with the training available make them far superior.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"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.""There's a zone for each server and services in the storage.""The technical support is good.""I have not had any issues with our Brocade switches.""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 most valuable feature of Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides.""The initial setup was really straightforward and easy.""The switches last for a very long time."

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"The main features of the solution I have found to be the interface and unique features other solutions do not have. Additionally, they have a lifetime warranty on the hardware.""I like that these switches are reliable, and the support is good.""It's fairly lightweight, they don't require a lot of maintenance.""They are affordable and very stable. They also have good performance.""We were able to onboard HPE Ethernet Switches easily to the cloud. It was fast and took only five minutes to complete.""The solution is highly stable.""The solution can scale.""What I like the most is the management system integrated with the HP system."

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Cons
"Brocade Ethernet Switches need a better interface and centralized management.""There are some performance issues.""It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches.""The solution could be more secure.""Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions.""No graphical interface.""These switches are no longer supported."

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"The pricing could be lowered.""The technical support does not match up to the standard of Cisco.""The solution's throughput should be increased because we often get stuck when it comes to IPTV streaming.""The quality of the service needs improvement.""The tool should be more stable.""The installation can be quite complex. However, that may not be the fault of HP and is rather more related to the way our infrastructure is arranged.""We haven't had any issues with this switch in the past 10 years. That's the reason we're still keeping them alive.""The solution is a bit expensive."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The price of Brocade Ethernet Switches is expensive."
  • More Brocade Ethernet Switches Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "There are free software updates and there is a lifetime warranty for a few of the switch series."
  • "Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."
  • "This is not an expensive solution."
  • "This is an expensive product."
  • "There are no licensing costs for this solution."
  • "The pricing is very good."
  • "The price is fair."
  • "They are affordable and less expensive than Cisco. Their price was the decider at the time."
  • More HPE Ethernet Switches Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Answers from the Community
    Avigail Sugarman
    it_user8178 - PeerSpot reviewerit_user8178 (Product Manager at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees)
    Consultant

    Have to agree with Durrell on the Cisco offerings and certifications. I would say Avaya is more on VoIP capability and have not heard about their switch portfolio. For HP networking, they are on par with Cisco. In terms of capability and support, I would say Cisco is there.

    Have you used any other vendors in the Ethernet Switch market?
    Answer: Yes, I have used Arista Networks as well.

    it_user117876 - PeerSpot reviewerit_user117876 (Network Engineer at a tech company with 51-200 employees)
    Consultant

    Have to agree with Durrell, while the equipment and support performs better than the competitors in my opinion, the shear volume of training that has been put out by Cisco has made it the leader. Other providers offer training of course, but none are as comprehensive and well known as the Cisco offerings..they have become THE standard for networking.

    it_user92235 - PeerSpot reviewerit_user92235 (Security System Engineer at a wholesaler/distributor)
    Vendor

    Hi,

    Cisco simply has very well working equipment and it's a huge company which has gold reserves bigger than fort knox :)

    I've used enterasys, juniper, noname and 3com switches, everyone has its advantages but cisco was what I liked most. Simply does its work and there is no place for failure. Only thing you need is vacuum machine from time to time.

    it_user139653 - PeerSpot reviewerit_user139653 (IT Engineer at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees)
    Consultant

    The emphasis that has been put on certifications is the biggest reason these vendors are not taking up a bigger share of the market. The industry standards for networking certs are the Cisco ones. Since the certs are catered to their equipment, it just makes sense that they have such a huge market share.

    it_user3039 - PeerSpot reviewerit_user3039 (Senior Systems Engineer at a cloud provider with 51-200 employees)
    Vendor

    For price/performance, I think HP and Juniper offer more than Cisco. HP typically comes in at a much lower cost for comparable features and throughput, and their switches have been very reliable for me. Juniper switches are similarly priced to Cisco gear, but they usually offer a much wider range of functions, along with equal or better performance.

    All of the reasons Nuno listed, above, are valid. In addition:

    4. High Performance - On balance, for most classes of switch, Cisco gear performs better. I've had great experience with HP Procurve switches, and their price/performance has been very good. But once in a while, they couldn't keep up with demanding traffic, like iSCSI, and we had to go back to Cisco gear.

    5. OEM Testing and Validation - If you're introducing new network gear - firewalls, storage, servers, etc. - you will make sure it works with Cisco switches because the installed base is huge. This is a vicious cycle - more Cisco interoperability and validation means fewer issues with Cisco gear.

    it_user114549 - PeerSpot reviewerit_user114549 (Onsite IT Support/Engineer)
    MSP

    I have used Netgear and 3com switches.

    it_user98859 - PeerSpot reviewerit_user98859 (Consulting Engineer EMEA at a computer software company with 201-500 employees)
    Consultant

    I have tried a few other vendors on the Ethernet switch market, especially HP, Huawei and SMC switches. Haven’t used Alcatel personally, but have had interesting feedback for them from colleagues.

    Regarding Cisco however, I believe there are three main reasons for it:

    1) Integration on the “cisco environment”, with a structured offer from basic switches, up to multi-layer equipment, allowing a consistent platform all through the enterprise.

    2) Management interface – ranging from graphic management (through local web interface, CiscoWorks modules, etc.), to CLI, with the Cisco IOS, provides great flexibility for remote management, configuration backup, and monitoring.

    3) Expertise of in-house personnel – Both the training provided by Cisco itself, and the fact that Cisco has a strong base for the remaining network infrastructure (routers, and other network devices).

    There is also the issue that, sometimes, some mixed vendor environment can bring issues with 802.1q trunking (I’ve seen issues with HP Switches while having problems with a VLAN 1 on the HP mixing with a native VLAN on Cisco for instance…), and other proprietary protocols (CDP for instance) that can have implications with the way management or configuration is done…

    Also, in some cases, the use of other technologies that cisco has brought along over the years – Network access control, that interfaces with Cisco switches for instance, and the buildup of different interactions with other technologies, ends up creating a technical barrier on top of the barrier for change on things like:

    “our other 30 switches are Cisco, and now I’ll place another vendor one?”.

    And on that question, price is not likely to be the most important factor, but TCO, existing expertise, and applications running on the network (that need QoS for instance), and integration with existing monitoring, configuration management, and infrastructure, may be the most important factor on the decision…

    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:The most valuable feature of Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides.
    Top Answer:Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions.
    Top Answer:Our organization has almost all of the financial institutions in Puerto Rico connected simultaneously to our system. We have a firewall first, and then the Brocade system. All of our switches are… more »
    Top Answer:The solution's interface is helpful, and you can see the traffic.
    Top Answer:HPE Ethernet Switches is a fairly cheap solution. The solution does the job well for its price. You have to pay a lot more money for higher features, but then you are probably better off looking at… more »
    Top Answer:The solution lacks certain protocols and has a limited warranty. You have to pay extra to get more warranty on it.
    Ranking
    19th
    out of 34 in Ethernet Switches
    Views
    2,729
    Comparisons
    2,072
    Reviews
    3
    Average Words per Review
    434
    Rating
    8.7
    10th
    out of 34 in Ethernet Switches
    Views
    4,653
    Comparisons
    4,342
    Reviews
    24
    Average Words per Review
    378
    Rating
    8.3
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    HP Ethernet Switches
    Learn More
    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.

    HP has created the most open, integrated and software-defined networking portfolio and ecosystem of its kind – driving simplification with networks that understand, adapt to and protect your business applications in real-time. Only HP extends the momentum of software-defined networking everywhere–from the mobile edge to the heart of data centers.

    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
    Emirates Palace Hotel
    Top Industries
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Government9%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    REVIEWERS
    Government7%
    Computer Software Company7%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    Financial Services Firm7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company20%
    Government9%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    Manufacturing Company6%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise30%
    Large Enterprise40%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise56%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business52%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise30%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business36%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise48%
    Buyer's Guide
    Brocade Ethernet Switches vs. HPE Ethernet Switches
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Brocade Ethernet Switches vs. HPE Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Brocade Ethernet Switches is ranked 19th in Ethernet Switches with 10 reviews while HPE Ethernet Switches is ranked 10th in Ethernet Switches with 91 reviews. Brocade Ethernet Switches is rated 8.2, while HPE Ethernet Switches is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Brocade Ethernet Switches writes "This solution has been up and running for over ten years without any fail". On the other hand, the top reviewer of HPE Ethernet Switches writes "They're solid and can last for up to 15 years". Brocade Ethernet Switches is most compared with Cisco Ethernet Switches, Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches, Aruba Switches, Mellanox Switches and Arista Networks Platform, whereas HPE Ethernet Switches is most compared with Cisco Ethernet Switches, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches, H3C Ethernet Switches, Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches and NETGEAR Switches. See our Brocade Ethernet Switches vs. HPE Ethernet Switches report.

    See our list of best Ethernet Switches vendors.

    We monitor all Ethernet Switches reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.