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Cisco Enterprise Routers vs ExtremeRouting vs HPE Enterprise Routers 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 September 2025, in the Routers category, the mindshare of Cisco Enterprise Routers is 19.7%, down from 24.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ExtremeRouting is 1.6%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Enterprise Routers is 4.5%, down from 5.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Routers Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Enterprise Routers19.7%
ExtremeRouting1.6%
HPE Enterprise Routers4.5%
Other74.2%
Routers
 

Featured Reviews

Donald Ochanda - PeerSpot reviewer
Long-term reliability and high performance ensure seamless operations in challenging environments
Regarding the Wi-Fi connection and setup, we need superior coverage because our market has extensive vegetation. When setting up Cisco Enterprise Routers Wi-Fi in institutions such as campuses, there are always challenges. People often opt for Ubiquiti, not because of their features, but because of the Wi-Fi signal stability. Cisco Enterprise Routers has made improvements in making configurations more user-friendly with dashboards. However, they need to do more as many people prefer simpler configurations rather than using CMD or CLI. The process of procuring Cisco Enterprise Routers equipment through channel partners needs improvement. The partners are limited compared to other products. It's cheaper to purchase Cisco Enterprise Routers equipment from the UK than from a local distributor. When purchased off-channel, the equipment is much cheaper than through the channel. This affects our ability to compete in government tenders where price is crucial, even when we can provide warranty, licenses, and renewability.
Imran Taiyeb Ali - PeerSpot reviewer
A scalable tool that needs to improve its support, software resiliency, and software stability
The support team is not technically that strong. The previous company that owned the product, Nortel, went bankrupt, after which the transition phase of the product didn't go smoothly. Avaya did not do well with the product's design and engineering after taking the product over from Nortel, after which Avaya decided to outsource the tool to my company, meaning we have worked as a vendor with third-party access to the tool in the name of Avaya. The support was very bad initially, but my company could fix the problems of the customers on time since we had better communication skills than technical-solving skills due to our limitations related to the area of device engineering. When it comes to a feature of the product, my company could enable it for the customers or users of the product. If, by any chance, my company found a bug in the tool, then it was a hectic task for our support team to deal with it since it took months to fix it. Currently, Extreme Networks takes care of the support part, and it might have improved. I rate the technical support a four out of ten.
Chi-Zhang - PeerSpot reviewer
Has excellent scalability and is cost-effective compared to its competitors
The solution is reasonably priced and easy to configure. By collaborating with Aruba, they have integrated more products to streamline the porting process. Our project team comprises two or three network engineers for regular maintenance and troubleshooting. The workload is not heavy. I rate the solution as an eight and recommend it to network engineers and solution providers.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The operating system is good and well-made."
"One of the most valuable features of this solution is performance."
"They have a good lifespan and they are easily managed."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco Enterprise Routers is that they are robust and resilient."
"The feature that I have found most valuable is its ability to implement layer three protocols and layer two protocols like OSPS in BSS and BSC environments, with the Nexus Cisco 7000."
"Cisco Enterprise Routers are easy to use and configure through the CLI."
"The solution is easy to use, stable and scalable."
"The solution is scalable."
"The routing protocol is the solution's most valuable aspect."
"What I like about Extreme Routing is its impressive performance."
"Provides a good redundancy technique."
"It is a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"Looking at the robustness, I do not know whether it would be carrier grade – let's say for hundreds of thousands of users – but it certainly doesn't balk at 10,000 users or less."
"It is very easy to set up."
"These routers help us to provide high availability to our clusters."
"It has good scalability."
"The solution's initial setup is straightforward."
"It is more durable than other products in the market."
"Extensive support for cellular range for Wi-Fi technologies"
"HPE routers are easier to manage than any other router I've used."
"It makes it easy to update the network technology and manage multiple deals, all without needing technical knowledge."
 

Cons

"The cost is the biggest drawback of Cisco products. They say you'll never get fired for buying Cisco, but it's going to cost you."
"The solution's cloud management capabilities could be better."
"The solution needs to offer some security features in a future release."
"Cisco Enterprise Routers could improve by making their solution more user-friendly. Currently, users need to have extensive knowledge of networking to use them because there is only a command-line interface for the configuration. They should add a graphical interface to allow junior users guidance and more flexibility when doing the configuration."
"It would be better if Cisco had a User Interface (UI) that we could configure from a web browser. Right now, we only have a Graphical User Interface (GUI). I would like to see a new UI with a dashboard for configuration in the next release."
"Sometimes, I find it hard to learn how some features of the router work. So, these are the issues that may arise when a user might not have knowledge about the product."
"The solution is difficult to implement without a broad knowledge base."
"I would like to see better reporting and also integration with other products."
"Some of the latest protocols are unavailable."
"It's not evolving as quickly as we would like it to."
"My advice for those looking into ExtremeRouting is: right now all switch manufacturers are backed up for months. If you're looking to implement quickly, I would say shop around a bit because it might be difficult."
"The support, software resiliency, and software stability are areas of concern where improvements are required."
"The solution is far too unstable. It's completely unreliable."
"One area for improvement with Extreme Routing is the need for more accessible and comprehensive training."
"Compatibility with other platforms could be improved."
"Technical support could be better."
"The solution is expensive."
"Its customer service could be better for older equipment models."
"I'd like to see more security features, like support for different types of encryptions."
"They should work on lowering their prices in Brazil to stay competitive with rivals and offer customers more affordable options."
"Better management tools are needed."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would rate the solution's pricing a nine out of ten and it is yearly."
"There is a router-only, perpetual license available for this product, but additional features will mean additional charges."
"Cisco routers are very pricey."
"It's not probably the best solution if you have a very limited budget, as it can become very expensive to have robust equipment."
"The price of Cisco Enterprise Routers is good for the service that you get."
"This solution is expensive compared to competitors. There are additional costs if you want to have their support."
"The solution is costly for small businesses."
"There are licensing costs and they are expensive."
"We have no issues with the price."
"It is more reasonably priced than other vendors."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Educational Organization
7%
No data available
Computer Software Company
26%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Energy/Utilities Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business45
Midsize Enterprise24
Large Enterprise41
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise1
 

Questions from the Community

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...
What do you like most about Cisco Enterprise Routers?
The most valuable feature of the solution is that it makes it possible for users to use encryption and decryption sin...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Enterprise Routers?
The pricing is not cheap. When we provide quotations to clients, they often comment on the expense. However, we recom...
What do you like most about ExtremeRouting?
It is a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What needs improvement with ExtremeRouting?
I think that all the devices included in Avaya fall under Extreme Networks currently. I am not sure how much Extreme ...
What is your primary use case for ExtremeRouting?
My company uses ExtremeRouting for a big LAN environment, where there is a need for ERS switches, including Extreme N...
What do you like most about HPE Enterprise Routers?
It makes it easy to update the network technology and manage multiple deals, all without needing technical knowledge.
What needs improvement with HPE Enterprise Routers?
They should work on lowering their prices in Brazil to stay competitive with rivals and offer customers more affordab...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Avaya Enterprise Routers
HP Enterprise Routers
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Aegean Motorway, Boingo, Chartwell School, Children's Hospital of Orange County , Department of Justice, Explorer Pipeline, Linz AG, National Rugby League, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Telecom Italia, Transwestern
Breakthrough Urban Ministries, Black Oak Casino, Glamorgan County Cricket Club, University of San Carlos, Holland Hall School, South Euclid Lyndhurst Schools, Prairie View Networking Academy, City of Troy, Ryerson University, Linamar, City of Redondo Beach, York Region District School Board
Transdanubian Regional Waterworks Corporation (DRV)
Find out what your peers are saying about MikroTik, Cisco, Juniper and others in Routers. Updated: August 2025.
867,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.