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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs NETGEAR Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.0
Cisco Catalyst Switches provide high ROI with consistent performance, durability, and operational reliability, despite initial cost concerns.
Sentiment score
6.9
NETGEAR Switches offer cost-effective, reliable solutions with labor savings, minimal management, and enhanced efficiency for business growth.
From an investment standpoint, deploying Cisco Catalyst Switches offers tangible benefits, including cost reductions.
Unit Nos at Orange
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.9
Cisco Catalyst Switches support is mixed; users praise documentation but criticize slow responses and varying expertise levels.
Sentiment score
6.8
Customers find NETGEAR's support effective and responsive but face challenges with service navigation and understanding new products.
When requesting an RMA, they replace defective items in just one day.
Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX
On a scale from one to 10, I would rate the technical support of Cisco at 10 out of 10.
student at St. Joseph's College of Engineering
Cisco support is very good and responsive.
Unit Nos at Orange
There are issues distinguishing which switches support cloud features.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Cisco Catalyst Switches provide scalable solutions for diverse deployments, supporting seamless network growth and expansion in varied environments.
Sentiment score
7.0
NETGEAR Switches offer adaptability and scalability, supporting various network sizes with easy expansion and robust connectivity features.
The scalability of Cisco Catalyst Switches is very much scalable, as it supports the stacking feature and growth; for instance, with 94K modular switches, based on the requirement, we can even increase modules for more bandwidth.
Unit Nos at Orange
Cisco Catalyst Switches are scalable, and I would rate them eight to nine out of ten for scalability.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
The scalability of NETGEAR Switches is easy and very beneficial for us.
Assistant Manager ICT at IHS
We used to use a lot of the 4300 switches and they're not completely compatible with the new AV line.
Teamleader Av Installers at solufak
NETGEAR's scalability through its Insight Cloud system is on par with Ubiquiti's, although it must offer features beyond its competitors.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
Cisco Catalyst Switches are praised for their reliability and stability despite occasional minor hardware issues, making them a preferred choice.
Sentiment score
7.8
NETGEAR Switches are praised for their reliability and stability, making them ideal for demanding applications despite minor quirks.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are stable.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
We've experienced failures such as a 16-port dying after three to four years.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
I rarely see glitches, but we had some minor glitches over the past years, and they were easily resolved.
Teamleader Av Installers at solufak
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Catalyst Switches need improved third-party integration, simpler licensing, better documentation, user-friendly configurations, and enhanced security and AI features.
Enhancing security, management, compatibility, and support while refining costs and integration could strengthen NETGEAR's position in enterprise networks.
It is the highest cost in the market.
Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX
Currently, I don't see much AI integration with Cisco Catalyst Switches; though they've started, it still needs improvement.
Unit Nos at Orange
Cisco Catalyst Switches could be a little bit cheaper as they are very costly.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real-time analytics would be helpful regarding the analytics aspect, and this feature is not yet present and would be an improvement regarding analytics.
Teamleader Av Installers at solufak
They should introduce features like dual firmware or dual boot that allow systems to be updated without downtime.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
They can improve on the commercial part, specifically the cost, as it is higher than other brands.
Assistant Manager ICT at IHS
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Catalyst Switches are reliable but costly, with complex licensing; potential buyers seek competitive pricing and bulk purchase discounts.
Enterprise users praise NETGEAR Switches for competitive pricing, excellent performance, low costs, and strong warranties compared to rivals.
Cisco provides unique features that justify their pricing.
Product Manager at Uop Ipl
Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors.
Unit Nos at Orange
Cisco Catalyst Switches are quite pricey.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
Some high-end switches required for specific advanced features, like precision time protocols, can be more expensive.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
It is an expensive product.
Teamleader Av Installers at solufak
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Catalyst Switches are robust, versatile, and scalable, featuring advanced management and supporting diverse network infrastructures with excellent documentation.
NETGEAR Switches offer affordability, ease, reliability, advanced features, robust performance, and strong support for diverse networking needs.
Cisco Catalyst Switches are valuable for their reliability and performance.
Product Manager at Uop Ipl
The most beneficial features for our network management are their stability and good customer support.
Network Manager at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
It is friendly and easy to use. Everyone is familiar with their commands.
Network Engineer at General Authority OF ZAKAT & TAX
The precision time protocol feature caught our interest for future use in specific settings like churches, where low latency is required.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
The most valuable features are routing and access control.
Assistant Manager ICT at IHS
The best things about NETGEAR Switches are the support they provide and the ease of implementation.
Teamleader Av Installers at solufak
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Catalyst Switches
Ranking in LAN Switching
1st
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
5th
Ranking in AV Over IP Switching
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
178
Ranking in other categories
Data Center Networking (2nd)
NETGEAR Switches
Ranking in LAN Switching
6th
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
4th
Ranking in AV Over IP Switching
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
57
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Cisco Catalyst Switches is 22.8%, down from 30.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NETGEAR Switches is 7.7%, up from 7.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
LAN Switching Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Catalyst Switches22.8%
NETGEAR Switches7.7%
Other69.5%
LAN Switching
 

Featured Reviews

AG
Unit Nos at Orange
Reliable support boosts confidence while initial setup complexities highlight improvement areas
Challenges I've encountered mostly involve the RMA part for hardware replacement, which doesn't happen regularly, but sometimes I face challenges due to limited parts in India; they offer different model devices as a stopgap arrangement. It's quite difficult to specify features I would want to see in future updates because that varies from model to model. I would definitely recommend Cisco Catalyst Switches to other users. We do maintenance for Cisco Catalyst Switches. For maintenance, we usually need three people from different regions working as a single team; our engineers handle both projects and maintenance, so there isn't a specific engineer just for maintenance. I work with firewalls and next-generation firewalls. Overall, I would rate the solution as an eight out of ten.
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…
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which LAN Switching solutions are best for your needs.
879,853 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Educational Organization
6%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business79
Midsize Enterprise29
Large Enterprise79
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business43
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise11
 

Questions from the Community

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 functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
What do you like most about Cisco Catalyst Switches?
We are a vendor for the healthcare sector, especially hospitals, and normally, we use a full Cisco solution for stability, especially for the stability of the Access Points and the security of swit...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Catalyst Switches?
For pricing satisfaction, I'd say it will be six to seven because Cisco usually is costly compared to other vendors. Regarding pricing, there is indeed room for improvement.
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, and are AV-over-IP ready. NetGear switches also have a command line interface and...
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 require a learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfi...
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

Cisco Catalyst, Catalyst
NETGEAR Insight Managed Switches, NETGEAR GC Series, NETGEAR M Series
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Afni, Anilana Hotels and Resorts, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Del Papa Distributing, Explorer Pipeline, Mindtree, Omaha World Herald, Radio 538, Sony Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor Arena
Blaze Networks
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Catalyst Switches vs. NETGEAR Switches and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,853 professionals have used our research since 2012.