Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Nokia Ethernet Service Switch comparison

Cisco and Nokia are both solutions in the Ethernet Switches category. Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.8, while Nokia is ranked #23 with an average rating of 8.3. Cisco holds a 12.4% mindshare in ES, compared to Nokia’s 0.9% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Nokia users who would recommend it.

Cisco Ethernet Switches

Read 136 Cisco Ethernet Switches reviews

12,875 Views
12,875 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Nokia Ethernet Service Switch

Read 7 Nokia Ethernet Service Switch reviews

809 Views
809 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Ethernet Switches

Nokia Ethernet Service Switch

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Cisco Ethernet Switches and Nokia Ethernet Service Switch compete in the field of network switching technologies. Data indicates that while Cisco leads in pricing and support, Nokia offers advanced features and customization.

Features: Cisco Ethernet Switches provide robust performance, reliability, and extensive security options, making them suitable for large and small businesses. They ensure seamless compatibility with numerous network protocols. Nokia Ethernet Service Switch excels in high-capacity throughput and advanced traffic management, making it ideal for environments needing customization and scalability.

Room for Improvement: Cisco could benefit from enhancing its feature set to match the advanced functionalities offered by competitors. Improving customization tools and further reducing downtime during deployments might help. Nokia may look into expanding support networks to ensure prompt issue resolution and could work on making initial deployment costs more appealing to budget-conscious buyers.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco's deployment is straightforward, supported by a comprehensive network of certified professionals that ensures quick and efficient setup with minimal downtime. Nokia offers simplified deployment with flexible services beneficial for unique environments, though its support network is less extensive compared to Cisco's.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco offers competitive pricing with excellent ROI, credited to its reliable longevity. Although Nokia's initial setup is more costly, its robust customization and advanced functionalities provide significant long-term benefits. Cisco's pricing and long-term cost-effectiveness make it a compelling choice for budget-conscious buyers.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Nokia Ethernet Service Switch Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Nokia Ethernet Service Switch

September 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

136

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Nokia Ethernet Service Switch

Ranking in Ethernet Switches

23rd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

3.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 12.4%, down from 18.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Nokia Ethernet Service Switch is 0.9%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Ethernet Switches	12.4%
Nokia Ethernet Service Switch	0.9%
Other	86.7%

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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Montassar Turki

Tech Lead - R&D at Numeryx

Empowering networks with enhanced scalability and reliability

It provides excellent scalability capabilities, as well as the flexibility to work with different cost structures. It supports a large number of switches very well and meets the specific requirements. In our enterprise, we currently have two hundred servers, and this technology accommodates our growing user base, which may reach millions of users.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is compatible with many brands, such as VMware."

"The hardware is rugged. We use it for the basic configuration."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches is a very stable product."

"You can tap into all of the features for your virtual workload environment."

"It is a scalable solution."

"The queue functionality is the solution's most valuable feature, specifically because we are delivering a lot of Layer 2 services. Layer 2 protocol tunnels work well on Cisco switches."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches are pretty reliable, and I have rarely seen one of them break."

"The initial setup is really easy."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pros

"The most valuable feature is the product's availability."

"The most valuable features are user functionality and interoperability."

"Despite initial hindrances, once understood, these differences help in forming a good career foundation."

"On several occasions we encountered major issues with the solution and have found the Nokia technical support to be quite supportive."

"The performance and reliability are the solution's most valuable features."

"The highest value lies in aggregating the data to improve both traffic management and device utilization, emphasizing the importance of engagement and liability."

Cons

"There are instances where the commands you are familiar with might change or be replaced with newer syntax."

"It'll also help if it can support more network utilization."

"In the future, some of the features could be updated to support the latest functions."

"The technical support should be improved."

"One thing we did have to work around is, on the broadcast side, we're reliant on the PTP protocol, precision time protocol, and the Cisco switches in general, don't support that."

"To keep up with the market, the solution should have better evolution and innovation."

"The pricing and hardware warranty renewal costs are more expensive than other products."

"The high price of the tool is an area of concern where improvements are required."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches cons

"I would prefer that all the licenses be open for our use."

"I would suggest improvements regarding enhancing support response times and implementing user interface modifications for quicker and more user-friendly interactions."

"The solution needs more monitoring tools."

"I would like to see more collaboration with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) vendors, such as Itron."

"The documentation needs improvement for better accessibility, as there isn't proper documentation currently available."

"The segment routing could be improved, and they could also transfer a lot of legacy to the cloud domain."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Customers have to pay for some of the L3 switches licenses, which are expensive."

"The price of this solution is fair."

"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."

"When you compare with other products, they are more or less the same price."

"Pricing for this product is high but the cost is worth it if you can afford it."

"The price is very high though it is priced right for the level of quality."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches are more expensive than Huawei Ethernet Switches."

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

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pricing and cost advice

"It is quite expensive compared to alternative technologies."

"The price of the solution is very competitive in comparison with that of the competition."

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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.

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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

12%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Comms Service Provider

11%

Performing Arts

10%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	58
Midsize Enterprise	36
Large Enterprise	53

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

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 Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?

The highest value lies in aggregating the data to improve both traffic management and device utilization, emphasizing the importance of engagement and liability.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?

We can understand the customer network better and propose products accordingly as areas for improvement. Engaging with customers directly would improve how that could be done easily. Many times the...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Nokia Ethernet Service Switch?

I am a system integrator working for different customers. My clients use this product for their network, either for network upgrade or new rollout.

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 20% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 15% of the time

D-Link Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 9% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 7% of the time

NVIDIA Mellanox vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 3% of the time

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Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Nokia Ethernet Service Switch

Compared 20% of the time

Arista Networks Platform vs Nokia Ethernet Service Switch

Compared 9% of the time

Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches vs Nokia Ethernet Service Switch

Compared 8% of the time

Huawei Ethernet Switches vs Nokia Ethernet Service Switch

Compared 8% of the time

NVIDIA Mellanox vs Nokia Ethernet Service Switch

Compared 7% of the time

More Nokia Ethernet Service Switch Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches

September 2025

Download Cisco Ethernet Switches product report

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

August 2025

Download Nokia Ethernet Service Switch product report

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches

Nokia ESS, Nokia 7450 Ethernet Service Switch, Nokia 7450 ESS

Overview

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

Cisco

The Nokia 7450 Ethernet Service Switch (ESS) family of Carrier Ethernet switch routers is designed to deliver advanced Carrier Ethernet services. It also provides the ideal platform for the metro Ethernet aggregation of fixed and mobile networks.

Nokia

Sample Customers

Linz AG

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Nokia Ethernet Service Switch

September 2025

Free Report: Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Nokia Ethernet Service Switch

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