Cisco Nexus vs Extreme VDX [EOL] comparison

Why PeerSpot?

The compared Cisco and Extreme Networks solutions aren't in the same category. Cisco is ranked #2 in LS , with an average rating of 8.4, and holds a 10.5% mindshare in the category. Additionally, 96% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Extreme Networks users who would recommend it.

Cisco Nexus

Read 108 Cisco Nexus reviews

6,860 Views
3,567 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Extreme VDX [EOL]

Read 3 Extreme VDX [EOL] reviews

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Nexus

Extreme VDX [EOL]

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Nexus and Extreme VDX [EOL] based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

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

To learn more, read our detailed LAN Switching Report (Updated: October 2026).

Buyer's Guide

LAN Switching

October 2026

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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 Nexus

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

108

Ranking in other categories

LAN Switching (2nd), Data Center Networking (3rd)

Extreme VDX [EOL]

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Featured Reviews

Fakhar Mahmood

Sr. Network Administrator at i2c

Migration between data centers has strengthened core connectivity and simplified segmentation

The biggest problems during migration were corporate issues, including dependencies on other devices such as F5, HSMs, and firewalls from Palo Alto. Everything was connected over the core switches, which made this a quite difficult part to manage and to onboard the teams and to understand the impact of the migration. We encountered an issue where we have two data centers, and unknowingly we were configuring the devices with the same VPC number on both devices. By doing that, we were not able to terminate the lease lines over those core switches. According to Cisco, we had to change the VPC number of one of the data center's core switches since they are in a VPC. We are still waiting, and it has been more than five to six years just to change the VPC number and migrate back the lease line. Now we are having cabin switches for the lease line and then the core switch. That VPC number issue was quite surprising for us. However, we have a very frequent issue with Cisco Nexus, particularly with the SFPs. Every time a port or the SFP heats up, it gets faulty. We have almost sixteen Nexus switches per data center. In a year, we experience one or two port issues per annum. We have standard Equinix data centers with standard installations, but somehow the temperature is always maintained and there is no ducting, yet the ports and the SFPs heat up or become faulty. This is a very frequent issue with the SFP-based port.

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Osama Ahmed LUBBAD

Systems Support Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

A stable, scalable, and problem-free solution

Software needs to be updated regularly in order to maintain security and performance. However, in some cases, it is necessary to stack switches in order to meet the needs of the network. Although Cisco switches are able to stack, other switches are not as simple to stack. I would like the ability to stack with different switch brands.

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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 most valuable features of this solution are scalability and reliability."

"The most valuable features are the great performance, high availability and easy administration."

"This is a very stable solution, and its stability means that we do not have any issues."

"There are many good things about this product including the reliability, scalability, and of course, security."

"The initial setup is easy."

"The Nexus platform is very stable, has a lot of features, and does not fail, so if you are looking for performance, stability, and reliability, the Nexus product seems to me to be the best solution."

"The most valuable features are the solution is robust, you are able to use it for fabric architecture as well as SPAN on exit with the controller."

"This solution is easy to set up and we haven't had very many problems with it."

More Cisco Nexus pros

"Its simplicity and web interface were most valuable. I also liked the two-factor authentication."

"The fabric of the solution and the management aspect are the solution's most valuable features."

"The most valuable feature of Extreme VDX is that we have had no problems and the solution's performance is excellent."

Cons

"We have encountered some software bugs."

"Data center access is stable and high speed but it is not compatible with Cisco's server hardware devices. The solution can be technically improved and can have features like automation, better visibility, better functionality, and cheap pricing."

"With some of the products we had before, we had a little more downtime than we would like."

"The implementation process could be easier, which is something that should be improved."

"In the next release of this solution, I would like to see a focus on backplane deployment, so you can stack more."

"They could improve on having different technologies between product models."

"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."

"Currently, the platform is heavy. I would like to see a lighter platform."

More Cisco Nexus cons

"I don't know if the solution has a future because the company doesn't seem to be investing in updates or improvements."

"I would like the ability to stack with different switch brands."

"Its scalability can be better. If possible, it can have Hyper POE. I am not sure if there is a fiber version."

"The only problem is that at the moment it's an Extreme product and Extreme is not really pushing it. They have to make up for weak innovation and I'm not sure if they want to do that."

"Its scalability is quite limited. We had four buildings merging into one building, and scalability was probably the reason why they didn't proceed with buying more Brocade switches and routers."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The Nexus 9000 is very competitively priced."

"We consider Juniper switches to be more affordable."

"It is very expensive. Its licensing is on a yearly basis."

"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."

"We only have a yearly support contract, as we do not use any of the subscription-based functions at this time."

"The subscription model and price could be better."

"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."

"Cisco Nexus is not cheap compared to Fortinet, Palo Alto, and Check Point."

More Cisco Nexus pricing and cost advice

"It was around $1500 a year. It is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Ruckus."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Outsourcing Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	17
Large Enterprise	83

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Nexus?

Cisco Nexus switches are generally priced at the higher end of the market, but their performance, scalability, and reliability make them a strong option for enterprise data centers. The overall cos...

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What needs improvement with Cisco Nexus?

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What is your primary use case for Cisco Nexus?

Cisco Nexus is used in data centers with a simple Nexus OS deployment model. In our environment, we do not use programmability with Cisco Nexus. The switches are used very basically in our infrastr...

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Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Cisco Nexus

Compared 12% of the time

Juniper QFX Series Switches vs Cisco Nexus

Compared 9% of the time

Arista Networks Platform vs Cisco Nexus

Compared 8% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Cisco Nexus

Compared 7% of the time

Dell PowerEdge R-Series vs Cisco Nexus

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco Nexus Competitors

ExtremeSwitching vs Extreme VDX [EOL]

Compared 19% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs Extreme VDX [EOL]

Compared 14% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs Extreme VDX [EOL]

Compared 12% of the time

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Extreme VDX [EOL]

Compared 11% of the time

Arista Networks Platform vs Extreme VDX [EOL]

Compared 11% of the time

More Extreme VDX [EOL] Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus

October 2026

Download Cisco Nexus product report

Buyer's Guide

Ethernet Switches

October 2026

Download Extreme VDX [EOL] product report

Also Known As

No data available

VDX, Brocade VDX

Overview

Cisco Nexus delivers flexibility, scalability, and performance for data centers, offering stability and ease of management. The integration with third-party security and high port density support are key features, making it ideal for core network infrastructures.

Cisco Nexus stands out in data centers for backbone switching and network management, known for its modularity and Virtual Port Channels. Organizations value its capacity for handling large data volumes and automation capabilities. The system's redundancy features enhance reliability in complex network environments. Despite its strengths, technical support, licensing complexity, and integration require improvement. Users benefit from features like Active/Active FEX connectivity and wish for enhancements in routing support, interface usability, and documentation. Cost concerns and port overheating issues are noted, with calls for better training and simplified configurations.

What are the key features of Cisco Nexus?

Modularity: Enables customization and upgradability.
Virtual Port Channels (VPCs): Offers resilience and high availability.
Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF): Supports routing domains within a network device.
High Port Density: Allows connection of multiple devices in a compact space.
Automation: Simplifies network management and operations.
Redundancy Features: Provides network reliability and uptime.

What benefits and ROI should users expect from Cisco Nexus?

Scalability: Supports growing network demands.
Stability: Offers a reliable operational environment.
Efficiency: Enhances data center connectivity and management.
Security Integration: Works seamlessly with third-party security solutions.
High Performance: Optimizes data handling and throughput.

In enterprise settings, Cisco Nexus is essential for switching, routing, and server connection aggregation. It's integral in spine-and-leaf architectures for scalability in multi-tenant environments, often integrated with hyper-converged technology to ensure reliable, secure server connectivity. Implementations span industries, each leveraging its strength for improved network efficiency.

Cisco

Brocade VDX Switches support Layer 2 and Layer 3 fabrics with open standards and extensive scalability to deliver high performance, capacity, and reliability for data center spine and leaf deployments. It includes the following products: Brocade VDX 6740 SWITCHES, Brocade VDX 6940 SWITCH and Brocade VDX 8770 SWITCH.

Extreme Networks

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

Niagra Falls Bridge Commission, Medien System Partner, CDE Lightband, MaximumASP

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Extreme Networks and others in LAN Switching. Updated: October 2026.

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We monitor all LAN Switching reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.