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Cisco Nexus vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] comparison

Cisco and Dell Technologies are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Dell Technologies users who would recommend it.
Cisco Nexus
Read 106 Cisco Nexus reviews
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  • 1,121 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between Cisco Nexus and Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Netgear and others in LAN Switching.

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To learn more, read our detailed LAN Switching Report (Updated: August 2025).
Buyer's Guide
LAN Switching
August 2025
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Helped 867,497 peers since 2012

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
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
106
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (3rd), Data Center Networking (3rd)
Dell PowerConnect Switches ...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
8.2
Number of Reviews
34
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

DeepakYadav1 - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers good processing power to users
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a four to five out of ten. I rate the stability of the product as four to five out of ten based on the fact that I have checked the tool's features. I also know that there are many more options available in the market, like Palo Alto, Check Point, Fortinet, and other devices, which offer affordable, configurable, and scalable devices that I should plan to buy. Cisco is not providing tools for everything my company needs, but it is a good product. The market competition is high nowadays. Cisco is still handling some old parts. Cisco's old products make up approximately 67 percent of the devices offered in the networking industry. Despite the competition from products like Palo Alto, Check Point, and Fortinet, Cisco is not very scalable, but all its devices are updated regularly.
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LarsEvans - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable and useful for network segmentation
The solution's most valuable feature stands up well. The tool is reliable, and it stands up well. The solution works fine and lasts a long time. I think if you speak about the features that have a flow and you can measure, it is hard to say. I don't spend a lot of my time with the tool, but I know that Dell APEX is the solution's cloud. I would say the VLAN features are important. The VLAN features are really useful because network segmentation is important. I would say the tool is easy to program. I don't know if the tool has any security features that I am aware of other than the fact that the solution is for networking. The VLAN and the ability to segment your networks are easy, which is its security feature.
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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 solution is very expensive. Currently, we pay an yearly licensing cost. I rate the pricing a nine out of ten."
"In terms of stability, this solution is rock solid."
"The initial setup is easy."
"The most valuable feature is the Bluetooth console."
"The most valuable features of this solution are scalability and throughput."
"The solution is stable."
"A very solid and reliable solution."
"Cisco Nexus and Cisco Catalyst have processing power and offer good utilization of Cisco devices."
More Cisco Nexus pros
"The tool is reliable, and it stands up well. The solution works fine and lasts a long time."
"PowerConnect Switches' stability is satisfactory."
"The most valuable feature is stability."
"Dell offers very good support."
"Their support has been excellent, and it has been quite stable and easy to set up."
"The security is the most valuable aspect of this solution. It also has good storage and resource handling."
"The features I've found most valuable are that the product is very easy to configure and inexpensive."
"Its throughout and compatibility are the most valuable."
More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pros
 

Cons

"Nexus switches should be able to support network function virtualization (NFV)."
"Our only complaint is about the licensing because it can always be a little more cost-effective."
"Nexus is a costly solution."
"They should make it easier to update the code on it."
"We have encountered some software bugs."
"There is no feature parity between the 9K and the 5K or 7K, which means that it is harder to position the 9K to future proof them."
"The software is not as mature as it could be and needs some integration improvements with other orchestrators."
"I would like to see Duo directly integrated with the Nexus hardware, instead of it being through the proxies, like how Duo works today."
More Cisco Nexus cons
"Dell is sometimes slow to provide updates to firmware."
"You have to build the stackable interface by yourself in Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL], making it an area that can be considered for improvement."
"The IOS software that is used on the switches could be improved."
"We've only been using the solution for half a year. We haven't run into any issues, but maybe over time, that may change. It's too soon to tell. Offhand, there aren't any features that are lacking."
"The product needs to improve in terms of reports and backups."
"The configuration should be improved."
"When it comes to the configuration, there should be documentation and interactive help available to assist people who have experience with products from other vendors."
"It would be great to have modules that integrate with SDN solutions such as Cisco ACI, Arista SDN, Huawei Agile, and IBM."
More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco Nexus is not cheap compared to Fortinet, Palo Alto, and Check Point."
"Costs more than most, but the reliability pays for the difference."
"Our licensing fees are approximately $2,000 USD per year."
"Our licensing fees are paid annually."
"This solution should be made more affordable."
"Cisco Nexus is not a cheaply priced product."
"The solution is relatively expensive when compared with Cisco Catalyst."
"In most cases, there is a need to secure perpetual licenses to be able to use the product. When I set up the product, there isn't just a one-time cost that is involved."
More Cisco Nexus pricing and cost advice
"PowerConnect Switches are priced well."
"On a scale of one to ten, if one means it is a cheap solution, and ten means it is a very expensive tool, I rate the product's price as seven. The tool is a bit pricey."
"In my opinion, it is a product that is priced somewhere in the middle, making it a well-priced solution in the middle. It is not a very cheap product."
"Its price is okay. Sometimes, it is lower than a Cisco solution."
"If one is the cheapest price and ten is the most expensive, I rate the product price as an eight or nine. The tool is not cheap."
"Pricing for Dell PowerConnect Switches is quite competitive compared to Cisco and HP pricing. Dell has cheaper pricing and the company is trying to push for sales for its switching infrastructure because right now, the current market is dominated by Cisco. In the US market, there's Cisco, HP, Juniper, and Arista which you can buy for data center switching meant for different kinds of enterprises and ISPs. Dell PowerConnect Switches, on the other hand, is a product for people who need smaller setups or individual switches, especially those looking for a cheaper product and basic switching, though you can also buy a complete suite packaged with the switches."
"Dell PowerConnect switches are cheaper than Cisco switches. Cisco's higher capacity switches (100 or 200 gigs) are super-expensive. With the higher capacity, the price of the switches and the price of the architecture go high. Dell is cheaper and modular. So, I don't need to invest 100% upfront. I can invest as I progress. That is an option because the chassis will not be populated with all the pluggables. I have a choice because it is modular. I can go for 25 gigs today, and after four months, I can go for 100 gigs, and after that, I can go for 200 gigs. I have a choice when it is not a fixed switch."
"The price of these switches is okay."
More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
6%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Government
9%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise82
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business21
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise6
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco Nexus?
The product's initial setup phase is very easy.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Nexus?
All solutions are very expensive and not an economy solution.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Cisco Nexus?
All solutions are very expensive and not an economy solution. The solution is on-premises and stable. We haven't tried integration with the network software.
See all answers
What do you like most about Dell PowerConnect Switches?
Dell PowerConnect Switches have a VTL feature similar to Cisco's VSS. With VTL, using this technology, you can cluster two switches together to increase redundancy in the environment.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Dell PowerConnect Switches?
The solution is cheaper than Cisco.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Dell PowerConnect Switches?
Some proprietary commands available in Cisco are preferred by users accustomed to Cisco systems. These users might hesitate to switch because they want to continue using familiar commands and see t...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Juniper QFX Series Switches vs Cisco Nexus Logo
Juniper QFX Series Switches vs Cisco Nexus
Compared 38% of the time
Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Nexus Logo
Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Nexus
Compared 16% of the time
Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Cisco Nexus Logo
Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Cisco Nexus
Compared 7% of the time
Juniper QFabric vs Cisco Nexus Logo
Juniper QFabric vs Cisco Nexus
Compared 6% of the time
Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs Cisco Nexus Logo
Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs Cisco Nexus
Compared 5% of the time
More Cisco Nexus Competitors
Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] Logo
Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]
Compared 88% of the time
More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Nexus
September 2025
Cisco Nexus reportDownload Cisco Nexus product report
Buyer's Guide
Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]
September 2025
Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] reportDownload Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
PowerConnect Switches
 

Overview

The Cisco Nexus family of switches is designed to meet the stringent requirements of the next-generation data center. Not simply bigger or faster, these switches offer the following characteristics: infrastructure that can be scaled cost-effectively and that helps you increase energy, budget, and resource efficiency, transport that can navigate the transition to 10 Gigabit Ethernet and unified fabric and can also handle architectural changes such as virtualization, Web 2.0 applications, and cloud computing and operational continuity to meet your need for an environment where system availability is assumed and maintenance windows are rare if not totally extinct.
Cisco

PowerConnect Switches family offers a set of flexible, manageable and comprehensive switch solutions supporting up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and optimized Internet iSCSI (iSCSI) performance with Dell Storage solutions, ideal for enterprise and campus LAN environments alike.

Dell Technologies
 

Sample Customers

Advanced Medical Transport, Banco de Guayaquil, Baylor Scott & White Health, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Calligaris, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Del Papa Distributing, Department of Justice, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Hertz, K&L Gates , LightEdge, Lone Star College System, Management Science Associates, Mindtree, NBC Olympics, Quest, Sony Corporation, The Department of Education in Western Australia, Valley Proteins
Amerijet Holdings Inc., CGD Securities, MavenWire, Tulane University
Buyer's Guide
LAN Switching
August 2025
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