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Cisco FabricPath vs NETGEAR Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 6, 2025

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
8.1
Cisco FabricPath ensures cost efficiency and stability in networks, enhancing ROI through seamless setup and strategic upgrade cycles.
Sentiment score
7.5
NETGEAR Switches offer cost-effective, reliable solutions with labor savings, minimal management, and enhanced efficiency for business growth.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.1
Cisco FabricPath support is praised for responsiveness, professionalism, and effectiveness, though delays occur, usually leading to favorable resolutions.
Sentiment score
7.0
Customers find NETGEAR's support effective and responsive but face challenges with service navigation and understanding new products.
Based on my experience with technical support from Cisco, they are helpful and responsive; they respond based on severity.
Cisco provides excellent support.
There are issues distinguishing which switches support cloud features.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Cisco FabricPath excels in scalability and adaptability, handling various user volumes efficiently with high user satisfaction ratings.
Sentiment score
7.0
NETGEAR Switches offer adaptability and scalability, supporting various network sizes with easy expansion and robust connectivity features.
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
8.5
Cisco FabricPath is highly rated for stability and reliability, despite minor compatibility issues with integrating different services.
Sentiment score
8.0
NETGEAR Switches are praised for their reliability and stability, making them ideal for demanding applications despite minor quirks.
Cisco FabricPath is stable.
We've experienced failures such as a 16-port dying after three to four years.
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco FabricPath requires better integration, affordability, improved UI, comprehensive support, and enhancements in features like AI and security.
Enhancing security, management, compatibility, and support while refining costs and integration could strengthen NETGEAR's position in enterprise networks.
Additionally, parts availability in these regions needs improvement to address hardware failure situations, such as the availability of parts like a power cable.
In future updates, I would prefer to see features such as more AI functionality or better integration added to Cisco FabricPath.
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 FabricPath's pricing is seen as high, but its performance and features attract enterprises despite cost concerns.
Enterprise users praise NETGEAR Switches for competitive pricing, excellent performance, low costs, and strong warranties compared to rivals.
Additionally, many products have subscriptions, making it very expensive when you bundle all together.
While pricing is slightly on the higher side, the overall assessment, which includes cost and technical capabilities, often favors Cisco.
Some high-end switches required for specific advanced features, like precision time protocols, can be more expensive.
 

Valuable Features

Cisco FabricPath is praised for its scalability, security, simplicity, and reliability, integrating seamlessly with Cisco Nexus to enhance performance.
NETGEAR Switches offer affordability, ease, reliability, advanced features, robust performance, and strong support for diverse networking needs.
Cisco is the best choice in terms of cost, quality, and post-procurement services.
I have experienced operational efficiencies with Cisco FabricPath that are 200% better than the old legacy equipment and protocols.
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.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco FabricPath
Ranking in LAN Switching
6th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NETGEAR Switches
Ranking in LAN Switching
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (4th), AV Over IP Switching (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the LAN Switching category, the mindshare of Cisco FabricPath is 2.7%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NETGEAR Switches is 7.5%, up from 7.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
LAN Switching
 

Featured Reviews

SanjitAchary - PeerSpot reviewer
Delivers comprehensive assessments and superior post-procurement service
In Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, and in the Latin America region, delivery times can be quite lengthy. This is challenging in terms of logistics and customs. Additionally, parts availability in these regions needs improvement to address hardware failure situations, such as the availability of parts like a power cable.
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…
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which LAN Switching solutions are best for your needs.
863,651 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
15%
Computer Software Company
13%
University
12%
Performing Arts
8%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
University
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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.
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...
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.
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, and are AV-over-IP ready. NetGear switches also have a command line interface and...
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 require a learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfi...
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

FabricPath
NETGEAR Insight Managed Switches, NETGEAR GC Series, NETGEAR M Series
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bellevue, Calligaris, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Management Science Associates, Multi-Customer, Oediv, Roper St. Francis, SNAM
Blaze Networks
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco FabricPath vs. NETGEAR Switches and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
863,651 professionals have used our research since 2012.