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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 107 Cisco Nexus reviews
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  • 970 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: October 2025).
Buyer's Guide
LAN Switching
October 2025
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Helped 873,085 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
7.5
Number of Reviews
107
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (5th), Data Center Networking (4th)
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

Mohammed Faisal Ikram - PeerSpot reviewer
Has experienced high costs in core deployments but continues to appreciate strong support and switching performance
Cisco Nexus may not be very popular because of the requirements that we come across, as it will go into the core data centers, whereas we work with most of the corporate sectors, so Cisco Nexus is not a frequent seller, and you'll find more edge switches selling in the market. It might be pretty expensive for other companies. I don't think there are any other particular disadvantages of Cisco Nexus besides their pricing.
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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 consolidation of all of the layer two ports into one rack is very valuable."
"The solution has introduced VPC, Virtual Port Channel, which allows for more redundancy and flexibility."
"It is a scalable, reliable, stable and efficient solution."
"This solution has given us the ability to use Cisco ISE for security."
"Nexus has improved my organization in the way that it provided enhanced security in a point in the network that was critical."
"This solution has allowed us to better prepare our network for 10-gigabit."
"Cisco is refining the features all the time and you can see this in all the different vendors."
"Solid product, communications and support from a well-known dependable company."
More Cisco Nexus pros
"The technology is good and the interface is simple. We haven't had any bugs, disconnections or delays."
"The product is cheap."
"The tool is reliable, and it stands up well. The solution works fine and lasts a long time."
"It's easy to set up. We can put it in production in a couple of minutes."
"The most valuable feature of Dell PowerConnect Switches for me is the throughput. I also like that the product has more compatibility with Dell infrastructure, especially with EMC and new generation Dell servers. Dell PowerConnect Switches can also easily integrate with Dell servers, and this is another pro."
"The most valuable features are the jumbo frames and the stacking."
"Dell offers very good support."
"Dell PowerConnect Switches are easy to configure."
More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pros
 

Cons

"The initial setup was somewhat complex."
"Initially, the codes I received through ACI were quite unstable, causing me to frequently replace them, which led to significant issues."
"It would be great if they could make the interface a little more user-friendly, but not trade power off for simplicity."
"The installation process lasted too long, taking 16 to 24 hours for full completion."
"The product lacks options for integration with other market products that would allow us more flexibility."
"There is an ongoing problem with the limitation of the TCAM table, which is that it doesn't have enough memory to allow you to be really granular with your policy."
"The initial setup of the Cisco Nexus platform takes a long time. It's a complex system because we have a lot of security layers."
"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
"The solution could provide more integration to focus on targeting the network as a whole rather than a unified environment. It is meant for a built environment, so integration with other third-party vendors will likely be necessary."
"Not a ten because I have to do a lot of testing on it. The correlation is okay."
"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 solution's ROI for generic networking is not extraordinary."
"Accessibility and management could be improved."
"More stable firmware releases would be an improvement because we have had them randomly power on and off."
"It would be great to have modules that integrate with SDN solutions such as Cisco ACI, Arista SDN, Huawei Agile, and IBM."
"The pricing could always be a bit lower."
More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Our licensing costs for this solution are approximately $200 USD per month."
"Costs more than most, but the reliability pays for the difference."
"Our licensing fees are paid annually."
"We only have a yearly support contract, as we do not use any of the subscription-based functions at this time."
"All of our costs including subscription, licensing, and support services are bundled together, and the cost is approximately $100,000 USD per year."
"We consider Juniper switches to be more affordable."
"The solution should be more cost-effective in general."
"We have three hundred to four hundred data centers of Nexus. So the coverage associated with Smart Net is 27 by 4, is basically what we spend each year. If the incentives get better, which I know they're working on, it would be great but right now we're buying year to year."
More Cisco Nexus pricing and cost advice
"PowerConnect Switches are priced well."
"If you want to purchase a new Dell PowerConnect Switch, you will pay up to $1,600, but I bought them used. I bought the four Dell PowerConnect Switches that I used for $1,000."
"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."
"The solution is less expensive and more cost-efficient."
"Its price is okay. Sometimes, it is lower than a Cisco solution."
"The product has a low price for the features it provides."
"The initial cost was high but since they have lasted for over ten or twenty years they are worth it."
"This solution is much cheaper than comparable products by Cisco."
More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
5%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Energy/Utilities Company
10%
Government
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise17
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?
We are a reseller, and we sell products to our customers.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Cisco Nexus?
Cisco Nexus may not be very popular because of the requirements that we come across, as it will go into the core data centers, whereas we work with most of the corporate sectors, so Cisco Nexus is ...
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 36% of the time
Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Nexus Logo
Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Nexus
Compared 15% 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 7% of the time
Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs Cisco Nexus Logo
Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs Cisco Nexus
Compared 6% 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 100% of the time
More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] Competitors
 

Product Reports

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