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Brocade Ethernet Switches vs HPE Ethernet Switches vs NETGEAR 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 February 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Brocade Ethernet Switches is 1.2%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Ethernet Switches is 3.5%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NETGEAR Switches is 7.5%, down from 9.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
NETGEAR Switches7.5%
HPE Ethernet Switches3.5%
Brocade Ethernet Switches1.2%
Other87.8%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

PB
Data Center Admin at Sysnet Global Technologies
Experience seamless configuration with secure and adaptable network solutions
I use Brocade Ethernet Switches because they are scalable. I recommend them since they are easy to configure. They are connected and used every day in our operations It is good and scalable. It is easy to configure and provides good technical support. Brocade Ethernet Switches are good to…
KK
General Manager at Zenith Business Solutions
Security, reliability, and cost-effectiveness drive success across different business scales
HPE Ethernet Switches are very much covered on the security front due to their ClearPass technology, which is exceptional. They are highly scalable and stable, which is vital for large enterprises that require reliable performance. Additionally, HPE Ethernet Switches offer a cost-saving advantage as they are approximately 40% cheaper than comparable Cisco solutions. The integration of the switches is very straightforward, making them an attractive choice for many organizations.
Tomas Devriese - PeerSpot reviewer
Teamleader Av Installers at solufak
VLAN support has improved audiovisual installations and secures network traffic for our projects
Our major use cases include audiovisual installations and we mainly use the AV line for that. We work with the VLAN support feature The best things about NETGEAR Switches are the support they provide and the ease of implementation. The ease of installation helps with network performance. It helps…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The switches last for a very long time."
"The most valuable feature of Brocade Ethernet Switches is the good range of access it provides."
"The technical support is good."
"There's a zone for each server and services in the storage."
"I have not had any issues with our Brocade switches."
"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 solution can scale."
"The security features of the HPE Ethernet Switches are good."
"We also get a couple of reports about the user or connected devices for prioritization."
"What I like the most is the management system integrated with the HP system."
"It is a stable product."
"The HPE Ethernet switches have very low latency."
"We can easily replace components without incurring significant costs in an error or failure."
"We found the installation process to be simple."
"This is a cost-effective solution."
"The company provides a lifetime warranty."
"It's nice, if there is an issue, to be able to go in through the remote. The fact that the remote doesn't require a static IP... is nice. They initiate the contact to the outside world, without requiring a static to get in."
"The tool is very easy to deploy as it is a very basic switch."
"The most valuable feature to me is the modular side of things, being able to replace a module and a transceiver at our beck and call. If something goes down, or a piece of equipment is broken, I don't have to replace the whole switch. I can just replace the part that's broken or the part that is no longer working. I can get them back up and working within a matter of minutes, versus having to replace everything and reprogram everything. It's a huge time-saver."
"The ability to manage them is the big valuable feature. The ease of use is great."
"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten. I have not faced any issues with the product whatsoever."
"NETGEAR offers a competitive pricing structure, which is beneficial for cost management."
 

Cons

"No graphical interface."
"It should be simpler. There are still some things that can be simpler in the Brocade switches."
"The solution could be more secure."
"There are some performance issues."
"It could be made easier to configure with a graphical interface."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches need a better interface and centralized management."
"Brocade Ethernet Switches could improve by having better compatibility with web management of older versions."
"These switches are no longer supported."
"The scalability is limited."
"Price is an area for improvement. Cisco is very competitive on price, considering future business. HPE Ethernet Switches and Aruba need to think about their pricing. Aruba's price was 25 percent higher than Cisco's in a recent Central Bank project in Sri Lanka."
"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."
"The solution is very comparable to Huawei, however, it could be more scalable. Huawei is easier to scale."
"In the next release, I would like to see them include more features like the Aruba solution, to have more possibilities concerning the software design."
"We'd like better support for situations where we need troubleshooting."
"I would also like to see a more centralized private management console for the series of devices. Most solutions are adopting centralized cloud-based management, but my client base believes cloud solutions are too insecure. You've got a few dozen switches, so it would be nice to have the ability to manage them on a "single pane of glass.""
"The product could always use better technical support."
"Netgear switches could be cheaper."
"One thing I would like to see improved is the response time for technical support."
"It is an expensive product."
"NETGEAR Switches must look into their competitors since they have all available models."
"Centralized monitoring is there, but competitors like Cisco Prime are at a higher level of centralized monitoring."
"The tool is good, but we probably need another model with PoE connections. Our office plans to switch from analog phone lines to VoIP next year, and we need a model that supports this transition and can handle the required technology. Additionally, improved support for newer technologies like Wi-Fi would be beneficial."
"They can improve on the commercial part, specifically the cost, as it is higher than other brands."
"The solution needs centralized management and centralized configuration."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Brocade Ethernet Switches is expensive."
"This is an expensive product."
"This is not an expensive solution."
"All the solutions have a license for the QSFP. Additionally, there is a one-time license fee to increase the interface speed."
"The pricing is very good."
"I like HPE switches because you get a perpetual license with the hardware. The initial cost is about the same as other switches, but it starts beating the competitors after three or four years because you don't have to pay for additional annual licensing costs."
"HPE costs almost the same as Cisco."
"The tool's pricing is very cheap."
"There are free software updates and there is a lifetime warranty for a few of the switch series."
"From a price perspective, the solution comes in higher than a small business product from their competitors. The solution is a bit higher, but it's a fraction of the cost compared to an enterprise switch. For example, a Cisco Catalyst can run approximately $13,000, where their Small Business Series may run $800 on the Cisco side. With NETGEAR, it falls in around the $1,000 to $2,000 range for most of what we use it for. Essentially, at this price point, you're getting a lot of enterprise grade features (e.g., that you would on a Catalyst) on an M4300."
"Another issue, when it comes to NETGEAR's competitors, is that other companies are offering the cloud management at no extra charge, whereas NETGEAR charges for it. You have to pay per-device for licenses."
"For the price, they're good. If you look at Ubiquity switches (which have cloud features too) or even the regular NETGEAR GS switches, these are still price-competitive and come with the cloud features, which is just amazing."
"The solution is expensive. You need to pay the costs one-time."
"The product has the best price in the market."
"I believe that the pricing is reasonable."
"The price to performance of the switches is excellent. The price point of these switches is great compared to big brands, like Cisco or Extreme Networks, with approximately the same functionality."
"You get what you pay for. From a price comparison, there are cheaper switch makers on the market that are definitely less expensive than NETGEAR. They give you the same functionality, but they don't come with a name. There are solutions like Ubiquiti that are very good. They have the ease of setup, and I find NETGEAR battling a little bit in comparison to Ubiquiti."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
14%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

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 Business62
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise31
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business43
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise11
 

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...
What do you like most about HPE Ethernet Switches?
The solution is very stable and easy to use.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Ethernet Switches?
When compared to Cisco, Aruba is about 40% cheaper. However, Huawei would be even cheaper than Aruba. We can't compar...
What needs improvement with HPE Ethernet Switches?
HPE Ethernet Switches have room for improvement in the initial setup and integration process, especially when incorpo...
How do NETGEAR switches compare with Cisco ethernet switches?
NetGear switches have a lot to offer. They have high availability, zero-downtime stacking, L2 and L3 functionality, a...
Which switches are better - Ubiquiti Unifi or Netgear?
Ubiquiti Unifi offers a great set of features. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and also doesn’t ...
What do you like most about NETGEAR Switches?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten. I have not faced any issues with the product whatsoever.
 

Also Known As

No data available
HP Ethernet Switches
NETGEAR Insight Managed Switches, NETGEAR GC Series, NETGEAR M Series
 

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
Emirates Palace Hotel
Blaze Networks
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ubiquiti and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: February 2026.
881,928 professionals have used our research since 2012.