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Cisco Nexus 9000 Series vs HPE Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 1, 2026

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 Nexus 9000 Series
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
16th
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
4.6
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
Data Center Networking (7th)
HPE Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
10th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
104
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

Fakhar Mahmood - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Network Administrator at i2c
Has consistently supported high availability with reliable performance and minimal disruption
Cisco Nexus 9000 Series and the routers are good, but the FMC or FTDs still need some improvement. We have Palo Alto firewalls and Next-Generation Firewalls in our environment. In comparison to the main firewall, we moved from Cisco FTDs to Palo Alto. We still have FTDs in our environment, but the majority of the firewalls have been moved to Palo Alto. They are more user-friendly, give more visibility, and are more efficient. The performance is better than Cisco. With the new features, Cisco is having some improvement for the FTD. I am currently evaluating the FTDs. The new version has better features like the encrypted visibility engine and user-based changes in FMCs, and other things are quite useful for us. FTDs do have limitations and other issues. We communicated that limitation and feature support to the Cisco account manager. We do have support for the devices. We currently have a weekly call with Cisco and they are making progress regarding new versions of the FMCs and introducing new features. The performance of deployment has improved quite a bit compared to four or five years ago.
KK
General Manager at Zenith Business Solutions
Security, reliability, and cost-effectiveness drive success across different business scales
HPE Ethernet Switches are very much covered on the security front due to their ClearPass technology, which is exceptional. They are highly scalable and stable, which is vital for large enterprises that require reliable performance. Additionally, HPE Ethernet Switches offer a cost-saving advantage as they are approximately 40% cheaper than comparable Cisco solutions. The integration of the switches is very straightforward, making them an attractive choice for many organizations.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Cisco Nexus 9000 Series is quite a complex machine, but we are using a very simple configuration with basic Nexus switching, and we don't have many issues with Cisco Nexus 9000 Series at the moment in our present infrastructure."
"RealPresence works effectively."
"We are using the core capabilities of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Ethernet switches, and it is performing well."
"The stability and reliability of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series are robust, and once you put it on, it does not just fail; that takes a long time, maybe even years."
"Cisco Nexus 9000 Series is very durable and very reliable, and there has never been any issue with it."
"Performance has been great with no abnormal behaviors detected, and the network remains stable even in failover scenarios, supporting vast environments with high availability."
"I liked the scalability of the 5400 and 4200."
"After switching to HPE we have had no problem at all."
"We also get a couple of reports about the user or connected devices for prioritization."
"HPE is very reliable because it has a lifetime warranty, so the switches didn't give us any problems."
"They are very easy to deploy and manage, and offer a lifetime warranty."
"The Software-Defined Networking (SDN) features I find most valuable are directly programmable and configurable, centrally manageable, and can control traffic system-wide."
"It's straightforward to set up."
"It's easy to use for switch management."
 

Cons

"The SFP modules we are using have had issues. We have Cisco modules, but they frequently heat up or there are packet error issues."
"I would rate the technical support for Cisco Nexus 9000 Series an eight out of ten. This rating is not because of their lack of expertise, but just the assignment period."
"Cost-wise, Cisco Nexus 9000 Series is very expensive."
"We find that Cisco has been left behind by the other vendors. The other vendors have adopted new technology, and we find Cisco lagging behind."
"For Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches, I think we need to work on the HSRP. Whenever it flaps or something happens, it creates an issue."
"Some users might look for high-speed switching like Cisco or Nexus switches, which can handle larger volumes. HPE's current offerings aren't as robust in that area, but they could improve."
"The technical support does not match up to the standard of Cisco."
"The solution is a bit expensive."
"Things like a single window to manage all the devices and better integration make a product or a company competitive."
"Sometimes, we encounter the need for new technologies, especially when we require higher bandwidth. If we can't find what we need with HPE Ethernet Switches, we explore options from other vendors like Cisco."
"The scalability is limited."
"The cost could be better. HPE has to study it carefully with other vendors in the market, like Cisco or Juniper."
"They need a new way to manage the access control system. They do have a solution for this, but it is very complicated and not suitable for the SMBs."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"HPE Ethernet Switches is a fairly cheap solution."
"The licensing cost is set up annually or every three years."
"The price could be more competitive."
"The licensing cost is yearly, and there aren't any additional costs on top of the standard fee."
"The pricing is very good."
"There are free software updates and there is a lifetime warranty for a few of the switch series."
"It would be great if certain features, like licensing, were included in the base price of the switches."
"We have to pay for a yearly license for HPE Ethernet Switches."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
26%
Construction Company
15%
Outsourcing Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Construction Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business62
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise32
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Cisco Nexus 9000 Series?
At this point, not much could be improved about Cisco Nexus 9000 Series. Automation GUI based is not the core of the 9000, so this is a different device or a different solution. I do not find anyth...
What is your primary use case for Cisco Nexus 9000 Series?
My usual use cases for Cisco Nexus 9000 Series involve various companies, particularly when they are in need of a new automation solution or just an upgrade of the data center.
What advice do you have for others considering Cisco Nexus 9000 Series?
I am very satisfied with this solution. However, it is more about whether it is actually possible to do the solutions, and normally people already know what they want. They only need to have the ri...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Ethernet Switches?
When compared to Cisco, Aruba is about 40% cheaper. However, Huawei would be even cheaper than Aruba. We can't compare HPE Ethernet Switches with Huawei directly because of different price ranges.
What needs improvement with HPE Ethernet Switches?
HPE Ethernet Switches have room for improvement in the initial setup and integration process, especially when incorporating them into an existing infrastructure with competitor products. It's a cha...
What is your primary use case for HPE Ethernet Switches?
Our primary use case for HPE Ethernet Switches is in various business segments. I focus on the oil and gas segment, and I also work with private segment medium-sized organizations. My team handles ...
 

Also Known As

No data available
HP Ethernet Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Emirates Palace Hotel
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Nexus 9000 Series vs. HPE Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,988 professionals have used our research since 2012.