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Cisco FabricPath vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series comparison

Cisco and Dell Technologies are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Cisco is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.3, while Dell Technologies is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 3.2% mindshare in LS, compared to Dell Technologies’s 5.1% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 75% of Dell Technologies users who would recommend it.
Cisco FabricPath
Read 31 Cisco FabricPath reviews
  • 571 Views
  • 560 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
Dell PowerSwitch N-Series
Read 4 Dell PowerSwitch N-Series reviews
  • 351 Views
  • 351 Comparison Views
75% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series and Cisco FabricPath compete in networking solutions. Dell PowerSwitch N-Series excels in pricing and support, while Cisco FabricPath offers advanced features that can justify its higher cost for some buyers.

Features: Dell PowerSwitch N-Series offers comprehensive Layer 2 and Layer 3 capabilities, energy-efficient technology, and extensive OpenFlow support, making it suitable for flexible network management. Cisco FabricPath provides scalable and high-performance networking capabilities, multipath redundancy, and seamless integration within existing Cisco ecosystems, beneficial for larger, complex environments.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Dell PowerSwitch N-Series emphasizes straightforward deployment with automated installation scripts and effective service support, streamlining the deployment process. Cisco FabricPath delivers robust deployment flexibility, supporting complex configurations requiring intricate planning, with access to Cisco's extensive technical support for environments needing detailed customization.

Pricing and ROI: Dell PowerSwitch N-Series generally needs a lower initial investment, offering a cost-effective solution with a faster ROI, appealing to budget-conscious buyers. Cisco FabricPath may entail higher setup costs but provides an extensive ROI through its enhanced network capabilities and long-term benefits of scalable solutions for enterprises aiming to future-proof their networks.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco FabricPath vs. Dell PowerSwitch N-Series Report (Updated: December 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco FabricPath vs. Dell PowerSwitch N-Series
December 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 FabricPath
Ranking in LAN Switching
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Dell PowerSwitch N-Series
Ranking in LAN Switching
9th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
3.9
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Cisco FabricPath is 3.2%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series is 5.1%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
LAN Switching Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco FabricPath3.2%
Dell PowerSwitch N-Series5.1%
Other91.7%
LAN Switching
 

Featured Reviews

AF
AmrFouad
Technical Project Manager at Cairo International Airport Co.
Offers seamless integration and boosts operational efficiency with minimum downtimes
I find stability to be the most effective feature of Cisco FabricPath; it is stable. Cisco FabricPath has good scalability; I don't have any problems with scalability as I can add any switches or distributors without any problem. I utilize the multipath routing architecture feature in Cisco FabricPath, and it's good in load balancing. Cisco FabricPath's compatibility to support Dynamic Layer 2 multipath routing in complex virtualized environments is good; I don't have any problems with it. Nothing comes to mind regarding metrics for using the Layer 2 multipath routing feature; it was good, and there were no problems at all with Cisco FabricPath. Cisco FabricPath's integration with Cisco Nexus works with virtual port channel (VPC) and is good for dual home servers and edge switches. We are using VPC in every layer of the Nexus center. Implementing Cisco FabricPath positively impacted my organization by providing minimum downtimes as the service is always up; everything is working properly with the VPC and Cisco FabricPath. I have experienced operational efficiencies with Cisco FabricPath that are 200% better than the old legacy equipment and protocols.
Read full review
Mahendra Basera - PeerSpot reviewer
Mahendra Basera
Sr.Engineer at Akara Capital Advisor Pvt. Ltd.
Reliable switching has supported secure audits and simplified long-term data center operations
Deploying Dell PowerSwitch N-Series on HA is very simple and easy. If we face any problem, we have our Dell support team to help us during the installation. They provide L2 engineers for supporting us on configuring the basic level configuration, stacking, and peering with others on HA. They have helped us with any faults or hardware issues, and we have taken high level care packs with three hour response time and same day hardware replacement. When we talk about the deployment of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series, when we extended our data center from starting from scratch, we had at that time nearly 170 physical servers. Then we virtualized it from mixed hardware, as we were using HCL, HP, or old heavy servers. Dell came to us and gave us a good solution with VMware, storage of Dell, and network devices. During the deployment, there were three team members from Dell and two from myself on the networking side, and one or two members from OS and server side. Almost five to six team members were there during the deployment from a hardware to a virtualized environment. The best advantages of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series is that it is very much similar to Cisco. There is a little bit of difference at the command level, and it is easy to handle. It is easy to handle whether it is a CLI base or a GUI base, and it is very easy to configure. It is also reliable. We had a low fault issue, and when we talk of switching level, in a time frame of 17 years, we faced a switching issue only one time, which was a hardware failure. That is it. It is as reliable as Cisco.
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 has excellent stability."
"It's very stable."
"We have found the solution to be stable."
"The best features of Cisco FabricPath is performance and reliability."
"The technical assistance is good."
"Cisco is the market leader in this space and it is a product that I recommend."
"Additional bandwidth is available when needed."
"We can also enhance our service line with disaster recovery."
More Cisco FabricPath pros
"The best advantages of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series is that it is very much similar to Cisco, it is easy to handle whether it is a CLI base or a GUI base, it is very easy to configure, and it is also reliable, as in a time frame of 17 years we faced a switching issue only one time, which was a hardware failure, and it is as reliable as Cisco."
"For a customer, it is easy to configure and to add ports through the LAN the GUI."
"The automated configuration management tools of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series help improve network traffic management."
"Port density and port speed performance are both suitable. It has some appealing intangibles."
 

Cons

"Improvements could be made on specific technical issues such as implementation."
"The management features are in need of improvement."
"The solution should offer better reporting."
"There is room for improvement in terms of pricing for the Cisco solution. They are somewhat good at the starting point, but when you get the license and such, it becomes very expensive."
"Currently, there are no issues or suggestions for improvement as everything is working smoothly."
"The cloud version of Cisco Fabric Path could be improved."
"They should consider upgrading the memory feature of the product."
"Lack of security features for which we need to use another solution."
More Cisco FabricPath cons
"Instead of competing at the enterprise level with that product, they should probably scale it. With all of the ports, they should develop a good mid-level business to truly scale it and gain adoption before attempting to go after the enterprise."
"Customers do not prefer this to connect to multiple cities."
"The disadvantages of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series is that only the booting time is a weak point."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing for this product is good."
"The solution falls under the pricier category, but it provides value for the price charged."
"The price of Cisco FabricPath could be reduced, it is expensive in the market here in Sri Lanka. The solution is subscriptions based, if the customer wants any future integrations, or if there are any future enhancements they will have to pay. There are different license options available, such as one or three years purchases."
"The pricing of Cisco FabricPath can be quite high depending on the architecture, but it's justified by the stability it offers."
"I rate the product's pricing a ten out of ten. Cisco switches cost around 15,000 dollars, and DNS licenses cost around 25,000 dollars. The total amount is 45,000 dollars, which is too expensive."
"FabricPath is very reasonably priced."
"It is very expensive."
"I rate it seven out of ten on pricing as it's a bit expensive. It would be better if the price were lower, but we prioritize quality over cost."
More Cisco FabricPath pricing and cost advice
"You are selling it to larger customers and in larger environments, where it's a less expensive model than Cisco, which is attempting to use the same approach Arista did, but with a completely different programming language."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
University
13%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
9%
Performing Arts
9%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Educational Organization
11%
Computer Software Company
11%
University
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise14
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco FabricPath?
The tool makes it easy to manage multi-layer networking and increases network efficiency. I haven't faced any challenges in integrating it into our existing infrastructure.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco FabricPath?
Cisco is somewhat expensive, but it provides good quality products and operations, so I can't complain about licensing cost and setup costs. There is room for improvement in terms of pricing for th...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Cisco FabricPath?
In future updates, I would prefer to see features such as more AI functionality or better integration added to Cisco FabricPath; more AI would be useful.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Dell-Force10 Campus LAN Switches?
We don't leverage the open networking standards of this Dell PowerSwitch N-Series capability. In the high availability direction, better clustering or stack functionality to connect all Dell switch...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Dell-Force10 Campus LAN Switches?
The main use case for this product is network switch for all network, including management network, network for the user, and network for the SAN.
See all answers
What advice do you have for others considering Dell-Force10 Campus LAN Switches?
We don't work with solutions such as Aruba or Cisco. There are routers in our infrastructure, but they are not our responsibility or accountability. We work with servers and storage, specifically s...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Juniper QFabric vs Cisco FabricPath Logo
Juniper QFabric vs Cisco FabricPath
Compared 45% of the time
ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco FabricPath Logo
ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco FabricPath
Compared 32% of the time
Arista Campus LAN Switches vs Cisco FabricPath Logo
Arista Campus LAN Switches vs Cisco FabricPath
Compared 23% of the time
More Cisco FabricPath Competitors
Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series Logo
Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series
Compared 51% of the time
Cisco Nexus vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series Logo
Cisco Nexus vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series
Compared 21% of the time
Aruba Instant On Switches vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series Logo
Aruba Instant On Switches vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series
Compared 17% of the time
Juniper QFabric vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series Logo
Juniper QFabric vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series
Compared 12% of the time
More Dell PowerSwitch N-Series Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco FabricPath
January 2026
Cisco FabricPath reportDownload Cisco FabricPath product report
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerSwitch N-Series
January 2026
Dell PowerSwitch N-Series reportDownload Dell PowerSwitch N-Series product report
 

Also Known As

FabricPath
No data available
 

Overview

Cisco FabricPath is a Cisco NX-OS software innovation combining the plug-and-play simplicity of Ethernet with the reliability and scalability of Layer 3 routing. Using FabricPath, you can build highly scalable Layer 2 multipath networks without the Spanning Tree Protocol. Such networks are particularly suitable for large virtualization deployments, private clouds, and high-performance computing (HPC) environments. The benefits of Cisco FabricPath include: Minimal commands per switch ease configuration and operation, Autodiscovery simplifies addition of new links and switches, Provision additional network bandwidth without impacting network, Supports one-, two-, or three-tier architectures, VLAN extensibility across the data center.
Cisco

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series bring users efficient connections to the network with highly functional access and aggregation switching. Products consist of: Dell EMC Networking N1100 Series, Dell Networking N1500 Switches, Dell Networking N2000 Series, Dell Networking N3000 Series and Dell Networking N4000 Series.

Dell Technologies
 

Sample Customers

Bellevue, Calligaris, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Management Science Associates, Multi-Customer, Oediv, Roper St. Francis, SNAM
Norwich University of the Arts, Shelby American, City and Islington College
Buyer's Guide
Cisco FabricPath vs. Dell PowerSwitch N-Series
December 2025
Free Report: Cisco FabricPath vs. Dell PowerSwitch N-Series
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