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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Linksys 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.5
Cisco Ethernet Switches offer reliability and efficiency, resulting in higher uptime, cost-effectiveness, and substantial long-term investment returns.
Sentiment score
8.0
Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches offer substantial ROI with enhanced functionality, security, and value, typically recouped in seven years.
Sentiment score
7.2
NETGEAR Switches offer cost-effective, reliable solutions with labor savings, minimal management, and enhanced efficiency for business growth.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
Cisco customer service is praised for responsiveness and efficiency, though support quality varies globally and integration issues exist.
Sentiment score
6.3
Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches customer service is mixed, with notable improvements and some users experiencing delays or regional accessibility issues.
Sentiment score
6.8
Customers find NETGEAR's support effective and responsive but face challenges with service navigation and understanding new products.
Cisco support is quick and responsive, often answering within an hour.
Currently, we don't have any technical support because our license doesn't allow for direct support.
It takes two to three days for Cisco support to address issues.
They've integrated it over the last few years, and they don't differentiate with the support as far as the Linksys versus the full-blown Cisco switches.
They were easily reachable for technical support in our last project.
I rate Cisco's technical support at eight out of ten.
There are issues distinguishing which switches support cloud features.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
Cisco Ethernet Switches offer flexibility and scalability, but some users are concerned about high costs and limited scalability.
Sentiment score
6.8
Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches offer scalability for small and medium setups, praised for adaptability but limited for enterprise needs.
Sentiment score
7.0
NETGEAR Switches offer adaptability and scalability, supporting various network sizes with easy expansion and robust connectivity features.
Cisco mainly provides security, patch management, hardware reliability, durability, scalability, and security features supporting my organization's expansion.
The latest products do not allow integration with the earlier environment.
The scalability depends on the model.
The scalability of NETGEAR Switches is easy and very beneficial for us.
NETGEAR's scalability through its Insight Cloud system is on par with Ubiquiti's, although it must offer features beyond its competitors.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.9
Cisco Ethernet Switches are praised for stability, reliability, and durability, offering minimal disruptions and consistent low-maintenance performance.
Sentiment score
8.4
Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches are reliable and stable, trusted by data centers and appreciated for dependable uptime despite rare issues.
Sentiment score
7.8
NETGEAR Switches are praised for their reliability and stability, making them ideal for demanding applications despite minor quirks.
The switches are very stable, rated ten out of ten.
The Linksys depends on the environment; if it's an easy-going environment, they're pretty stable, but in more complex network environments, Cisco is definitely a lot more stable.
We've experienced failures such as a 16-port dying after three to four years.
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Ethernet Switches need improved usability, security, pricing, support, integration, stability, scalability, and enhanced management features.
Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches struggle with pricing, scalability, user interface, stability, support, and integration, needing improvements overall.
Enhancing security, management, compatibility, and support while refining costs and integration could strengthen NETGEAR's position in enterprise networks.
In the data center portion, we need to provide the fiber channel and Nexus switch to use a more reliable solution.
For example, on switches, filtering specific sections isn't supported, whereas, on routers, you can do 'show run' with additional commands to filter.
FortiGate switches are considered more valuable because they have firewall capabilities.
There should be an improvement in Cisco's response time and overall competence.
Having tools that allow for easier management and configuration would benefit the Cisco switches because the Linksys switches are easier to manage, set up, configure, and get up and running than doing configs on Cisco switches.
I would like Cisco to improve their technical support.
They should introduce features like dual firmware or dual boot that allow systems to be updated without downtime.
They can improve on the commercial part, specifically the cost, as it is higher than other brands.
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Ethernet Switches are considered expensive but valued for quality and reliability, despite cheaper alternatives and licensing costs.
Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches offer competitive subscription pricing but vary in affordability compared to competitors and advanced feature costs.
Enterprise users praise NETGEAR Switches for competitive pricing, excellent performance, low costs, and strong warranties compared to rivals.
Cisco Ethernet switches are priced at a rating of nine, indicating they are expensive.
We need to pay for the subscription, as there are extra expenses after purchasing the product.
The tool is quite expensive.
Pricing can be high when compared to other solutions in the market.
Some high-end switches required for specific advanced features, like precision time protocols, can be more expensive.
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Ethernet Switches provide reliable performance, ease of management, advanced security features, scalability, and excellent support for diverse networking needs.
Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches deliver scalable, secure, cost-effective networking with user-friendly setup and high performance, ideal for SMBs and enterprises.
NETGEAR Switches offer affordability, ease, reliability, advanced features, robust performance, and strong support for diverse networking needs.
The Cisco Ethernet switches are sturdy products that do not require any kind of maintenance.
Cisco Duo is a great tool for increasing security within our company, making resources more protected.
Cisco is mainly known for its security, patch management, hardware reliability, durability, scalability, and security features which support my organization's expansion.
Cisco is trusted by most broadcast customers for data centers due to their experience and knowledge.
Some of the most valuable features of Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches include their security features.
Cost savings and ease of use are benefits I've seen from using this, as it's less complex to set up and configure compared to Cisco switching.
The precision time protocol feature caught our interest for future use in specific settings like churches, where low latency is required.
The most valuable features are routing and access control.
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 12.8%, down from 18.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches is 2.1%, down from 3.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NETGEAR Switches is 8.5%, down from 9.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches12.8%
NETGEAR Switches8.5%
Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches2.1%
Other76.6%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Myint Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Hakan Pehlivan - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced broadcast management with trusted support and intuitive interfaces
Cisco is the best on the Metro Solution side and also strong in the broadcast sector. Cisco and Arista support the IP standard, which is more in demand nowadays for TV broadcasting. Cisco is trusted by most broadcast customers for data centers due to their experience and knowledge. Cisco Linksys switches offer ease of management and experience, especially for engineers holding CCNA certificates. The functionalities and measurements are similar across switches, but Cisco offers a useful web interface.
Umang Shah - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient routing and access control with an easy setup
We use NETGEAR Switches for networking, particularly for switch-to-switch connectivity. We connect them with core switches, especially for camera installation NETGEAR Switches have increased the throughput and speed of internal communication, and have improved our network efficiency. The most…
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
865,985 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
University
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business57
Midsize Enterprise36
Large Enterprise53
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business41
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise24
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business41
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 func...
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...
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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches?
Regarding pricing, I take the cost of Cisco Linksys Ethernet switches into consideration.
What needs improvement with Cisco Linksys Ethernet Switches?
It's hard for me to say if there's any room for improvement with them. With Cisco, having tools that allow for easier...
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

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
Linksys Ethernet Switches
NETGEAR Insight Managed Switches, NETGEAR GC Series, NETGEAR M Series
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
Linz AG
Blaze Networks
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: August 2025.
865,985 professionals have used our research since 2012.