Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Huawei Ethernet Switches comparison

Cisco and Huawei are both solutions in the Ethernet Switches category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 9.0, while Huawei is ranked #12 with an average rating of 7.9. Cisco holds a 13.3% mindshare in ES, compared to Huawei’s 3.2% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 86% of Huawei users who would recommend it.

Cisco Ethernet Switches

Read 135 Cisco Ethernet Switches reviews

14,957 Views
12,256 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Huawei Ethernet Switches

Read 60 Huawei Ethernet Switches reviews

2,913 Views
2,140 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

Cisco Ethernet Switches

Huawei Ethernet Switches

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

Cisco Ethernet Switches and Huawei Ethernet Switches compete in the Ethernet switch category, each with distinct advantages. Cisco holds the upper hand with stability and advanced features, while Huawei offers competitive pricing.

Features: Cisco Ethernet Switches offer superior features such as active power management, Smartports for easy configuration, and comprehensive security with MACSec encryption. StackPower technology and advanced routing capabilities also enhance Cisco’s offerings. Huawei Ethernet Switches provide robust basic functions, integration with major brands, and a competitive cost-to-features ratio, making them suitable for cost-conscious buyers.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Switches have higher initial costs and require experienced personnel for optimal configuration. Issues with interoperability, reliance on CLI, and vendor lock-in are potential drawbacks. Huawei could improve interoperability and multilingual support, with documentation and update speed also needing attention.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco switches can be deployed across various environments, including hybrid and private cloud setups, and are supported by excellent customer service. Huawei switches offer versatile deployment options but can fall behind Cisco in support quality, though they maintain competitive pricing.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco products involve higher initial investments and licensing requirements, but they are seen as reliable with a high ROI in large networks. Huawei offers a more cost-effective pricing model, providing a cheaper alternative to Cisco, potentially delivering quicker ROI in cost-sensitive projects.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Huawei Ethernet Switches Report (Updated: June 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Huawei Ethernet Switches

June 2025

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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

1st

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

135

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Huawei Ethernet Switches

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

12th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 13.3%, down from 18.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Ethernet Switches is 3.2%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ethernet Switches

Featured Reviews

Myint Aung

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.

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Muhammad Kabir Salihu

Deputy Director at NITDA

Cost-effective performance enhanced by security features with easy configurations

I mainly use Huawei Switches and also work with Huawei Wireless. I deal with both Huawei and Cisco Switches, and I find Huawei to be more cost-effective Huawei has helped to save costs and is cost-effective, which also helps save time for the company. The performance of Huawei is good, and it…

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable features of Cisco Ethernet Switches for our network are speed, latency, and reliability."

"The solution is extremely stable."

"The solution effectively provides a stable connection for users."

"The power stacking feature in Cisco Ethernet Switches can be considered the most valuable."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches are stable."

"The quality, like all Cisco solutions, is very high. The fact that it's Cisco is one of the reasons we chose to use it."

"The initial setup was for Cisco Ethernet Switches was straightforward."

"I'd rate the solution ten out of ten."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pros

"Easy to use, flexible, stable, and offers great performance."

"The most valuable features are that it is easy to use, easy to configure, it's priced well, and the operating system is easy to understand."

"The HTTP features for security are very good. We use all of the regular features."

"It is cheap."

"Pricing-wise, Huawei is quite good."

"The CLI syntax."

"Huawei Ethernet Switches support multiple vendors. You can integrate them according to the network scenario. Their power consumption is low."

"Huawei Ethernet Switches are both scalable and stable."

More Huawei Ethernet Switches pros

Cons

"In the case of an already existing network, we encounter technical issues related to following protocols."

"The platform's management features need improvement."

"There could be an improvement in the licensing by reducing the price of the different types, such as essential, advantage, and premium."

"Technical support could be better. Firmware upgrades should be better. We have an issue with upgrading the firmware. It's not upgradable. I think it should be easy to improve and upgrade the firmware."

"Firewall features should be pre-enabled in Cisco Ethernet switches."

"The NX-API REST is not very good and should be improved."

"It would be nice if they had higher wattage for PoE+."

"The price of the solution could be reduced."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches cons

"The configuration could be improved and deployment should be easier."

"The solution's marketing could be better. It spends money on marketing but doesn't highlight the most important features. Sometimes, it provides too much information, which can confuse customers."

"I didn't like the Huawei Switches because of the different versions resetting the configuration issue. Huawei doesn't support Layer 3 modes while TOE and ARP have some issues."

"I would like to see more training opportunities available."

"The performance has been slow at times."

"Connectivity is an area that needs improvement in the solution. Interconnectivity with third-party versions or Cisco Meraki should be made available to users in future releases of the solution."

"Possibly more advanced features could need improvement."

"The stability can be improved."

More Huawei Ethernet Switches cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco offers annual and three-year license options."

"This is an expensive solution, but you are paying for stability."

"The solution is not too expensive."

"Not inexpensive. Price will vary widely depending on the chosen product and size of the deployment."

"Price-wise, Cisco Ethernet Switches is a product that falls a little bit on the expensive side."

"These switches are expensive, but they are an excellent buy and definitely have value for the investment."

"Quality comes at a price. I've been around the block a bit, and I know that good quality comes at a price. However, some of the organizations don't have big budgets, so you have to develop different solutions for them. They don't have the budget to get some of the high-end features. Cisco can consider providing entry-level hardware to suit SMBs."

"The price of Cisco Ethernet Switches is expensive."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pricing and cost advice

"The licensing costs depend on the negotiations that a user has with Huawei...There is a need to make some additional payments apart from the licensing costs attached to the solution."

"A cost-effective product"

"The switch came as part of a package bundle that includes internet service."

"I would say that the product is cost-effective."

"The price of Huawei ethernet switches is cheap."

"Huawei provides much better performance for the same price, even when taking into account very aggressive commercial policies."

"The tool's price is affordable and I would rate it a five out of ten. The prices are fixed with no additional cost involved."

"The initial setup is straightforward."

More Huawei Ethernet Switches pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user82779

Engineer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees

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…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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 ...

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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...

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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...

See all answers

What do you like most about Huawei Ethernet Switches?

The solution is scalable.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Huawei Ethernet Switches?

Huawei Ethernet Switches offer very competitive and aggressive product pricing compared to other brands.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Huawei Ethernet Switches?

Huawei should focus more on security. They need more products on the security side to improve the security portion.

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches

July 2025

Download Cisco Ethernet Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Huawei Ethernet Switches

June 2025

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Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches

No data available

Overview

Cisco Ethernet Switches scale to meet the needs of networks of all sizes. They are Secure, Reliable and Seamless.

Cisco

Huawei SOHO & SMB Switches, an Energy-saving Ethernet access switches with service features that are easy to install and maintain. It has a S1700 Series Enterprise Switches that caters from small- to medium-sized businesses and Internet cafes.

Huawei

Sample Customers

Linz AG

Newcastle University, Jingyang District of Deyang City in Sichuan Province, Southwest China, Glasgow Rangers Soccer Team, RMIT, Insurance Industry Association of Zhejiang Province, China, APT Satellite Holdings Limited (APT)

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Huawei Ethernet Switches

June 2025

Free Report: Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Huawei Ethernet Switches

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