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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs H3C Ethernet 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
138
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
H3C Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
19th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 8.8%, down from 14.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of H3C Ethernet Switches is 2.6%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches8.8%
H3C Ethernet Switches2.6%
Other88.6%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Myint Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of the Solutions Department at BIM Group of Companies
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.
KanwarArsalan - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Pre Sales at Business It Solutions
Offers all routing protocols, functionality, and capabilities
H3C switches have strong port aggregation features including dynamic, static, and device aggregation. They also offer broadcast, multicast, or unique system suppression for PPS and BPS. These features are versatile and adaptable to various organizational scenarios, complemented by VLAN support. H3C switches offer VPN support along with various VLAN options like port-based, MAC-based, and protocol-based VLANs, including VLAN mapping and voice VLAN features. They support VLAN interfaces for both IPv4 and IPv6, ensuring compatibility and configuration flexibility. H3C switches are up to date with current market trends, offering features, routing protocols, capabilities, and functionalities that correspond to new trends in networking solutions. I strongly recommend that future users consider H3C switches for their designs, given their performance, specific features, and strong capabilities compared to competitors like Cisco. Overall, I would rate H3C Ethernet Switches as a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"A stable product that is absolutely dependable."
"The product is pretty much reliable and stable."
"For our setup here, it was pretty straightforward."
"This is a great solution for network switching and security."
"The power stacking feature in Cisco Ethernet Switches can be considered the most valuable."
"Its performance and reliability are valuable."
"The solution is compatible with many brands, such as VMware."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are the best switches I have used to date."
"H3C Ethernet Switches are priced at around $500 per unit, which is very cheap and one of the most competitive prices out there."
"To date, it has proven to be highly reliable. We have encountered no issues or challenges with it thus far."
"Offering a five-year warranty, compared to competitors' one-year warranties, is a unique advantage of H3C switches."
"A good high-performance solution."
"H3C is a well-known brand product and a good high-performance solution."
"The IMC feature is valuable."
"Network performance is very good, suggesting that stability has not been an issue."
"We can configure the switch stack on the internet. Other vendors do not offer this facility. It is fast and easy to manage."
 

Cons

"The SG thousand series has some downsides or weak points which require improvement regarding floor switch usage."
"It would be good for Cisco to provide certification to our engineers for our IT infrastructure, basically to train and certify our engineers."
"These switches are pretty expensive to put into place, so if they could bring the price point down then it would be really good."
"Sometimes businesses may not require those licenses because they are just using them as the third street. It's a business challenge which we're facing in the Asian countries."
"Cisco has a lot of propriety protocols compared to other products, such as Arista Networks."
"The most challenging part is connecting them through fiber for higher speed in the network."
"Cisco could also open the API up to work closely with other systems."
"The product is on the expensive side."
"I'd like to see better cloud management."
"The solution’s stability could be improved."
"H3C Ethernet Switches could improve by widening their product range."
"There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized."
"GUI needs to merge with CLI."
"The only improvement needed is the significantly better lead time for delivery compared to other American products. In terms of technology, there isn't much difference, especially since X3 is a subsidiary of XP, and they use the same technology. However, the delivery time is notably better."
"H3C Ethernet Switches could improve by widening their product range to include products like 16 port LT switches and industrial switches."
"To enhance H3C switches for the next release, improving the user interface is crucial."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is reasonable so I rate it a six out of ten."
"The solution’s pricing is reasonable."
"The price of Cisco Ethernet Switches is expensive."
"Not inexpensive. Price will vary widely depending on the chosen product and size of the deployment."
"Its price is very high, but it is a good device. Cisco must work on its price. Other solutions provide a better price for similar functionalities."
"The solution is highly expensive compared to other solutions. The prices get tripled when they arrived in my country of Angola."
"It is an expensive product."
"Price is a pain point for us. We've lost a lot of bids, and the reason has been that we majorly quoted Cisco devices. Some of our competitors quoted other devices like Ubiquity or Microchip. Some even quoted this Chinese product TP-Link, and they won the bid over us because we quoted Cisco. Meanwhile, the major reason why we quoted Cisco is reliability and stability from day one. They also last longer. The prices could be worked on so that they become more affordable. We had to deploy a city-wide WiFi network, and we were working in conjunction with Google. Because of the price, even Google recommended a product called Ruckus, so we used Ruckus over Cisco. Its price and license were the main reasons. You have to pay to renew the license every year. Even though you also renew the licenses for Ruckus, but they are much cheaper than Cisco. So, while I would recommend Cisco any time, the trouble remains with the pricing."
"H3C Ethernet Switches are reasonably priced."
"The pricing is very affordable, making it a not-so-expensive choice. On a scale from one to ten, where one is expensive and ten is cheap, I would rate it a seven."
"H3C Ethernet Switches is targeted for SMBs because it's cheaper compared to Huawei switches."
"H3C Ethernet Switches are priced at around $500 per unit, which is very cheap and one of the most competitive prices out there."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Construction Company
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business60
Midsize Enterprise35
Large Enterprise55
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise2
 

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 ...
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 FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...
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 us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...
What needs improvement with H3C Ethernet Switches?
There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized.
What is your primary use case for H3C Ethernet Switches?
The primary use case is about managing network infrastructure. The H3C Ethernet Switches are used internally as switches in the system.
What advice do you have for others considering H3C Ethernet Switches?
I would recommend H3C Ethernet Switches to others. I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
Ying Wa College, Centro Digital Pictures
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. H3C Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
896,202 professionals have used our research since 2012.