HPE Ethernet Switches Reviews

I liked the scalability of the 5400 and 4200. It's ability to have different modules installed for different media types allowed for easy configuration.

Ease of configuration.

I found that the OS on these switches was a little difficult to manage at times. Configuration menus were not always user friendly even for someone with previous Nortel and Cisco experience. One Saving grace was the Procurve manager software. That made things a little easier to manage but I am still a command line person and would have preferred a more user intuitive command line.

I used the switches, HP Procurve 5400ZL and 4200VL as well as the 3500yl, for a little over a year.

I did not deploy these switches. They were in place when I started working with them.

No.

No. That is one thing I liked about them.

Never had to call HP - NA

Never had to call HP - NA

I had previously used Nortel and CIsco in a previous position. I switched due to a job change.

The initial set up of the switches was relatively easy. It has a list of questions that you answered similar to Cisco. The problem with this type of setup is it does not cover everything that should be set up on a switch when doing initial configuration.

All implementation and configuration was accomplished with in-house network engineers and administrators.

Unknown.

Unknown.

Make sure you are familiar with other vendors first. That will help give you the base knowledge on how to navigate and configure this equipment. When all else fails, use the Procurve manager software to manage the equipment.

• Power over Ethernet (PoE)
• Virtual LAN

PoE and VLAN allow for flexibility in our enterprise network because we can add VoIP and wireless access points if needed.

Graphical User Interface (GUI) needs enhancement. Also, using a controller to support multiple access points would help manage and monitor our wireless network. VoIP requires QoS and our switches can work with it. We just need time to really implement across the board.

I've used it for three to four years.

No issues encountered.

No issues encountered.

No issues encountered.

It was an upgrade from older HP models.

It was straightforward, but we aren't maximizing all the switch features for our enterprise.

We did it in-house.

We have years left on this device as well as GB ports, and PoE.

They have very aggressive pricing compared to Cisco.

We also looked at Cisco.

There are a lot of similar models, so check the features available.

The feature called IRF (Intelligent Resilient Framework) is unique in HP switching.

Switching functionality is the same as with other products, but the lifetime warranty makes HP preferable.

Customer support needs to improve.

I've used it for one year.

No issues encountered.

No issues encountered.

No issues encountered.

8/10.

6/10.

I've used many products, but switching to HP depends on the customers requirement and the lifetime warranty.

It was straightforward with basic, simple switching and good documents available for reference.

We used an in-house team assisted by easily-available technical documents and user-friendly CLI.

It's the best product and has a lower failure rate.

Pretty good in switching, and the pricing is also good in comparison with others.

No other options evaluated.

Refer to best practices and technical documents.

I would say, to start with, the most valuable feature is that HP is not too different from existing systems. You don’t have to change too much the mode of operation that the ops teams are used to, and the command interfaces are workable.

We’re still in the implementation phase.

We’ve been getting fixes for things that were missing initially, but v6 support is there and has everything we need.

Because this is a modular device, we feel we can use scale in the future. The IRF is also important to us.

Overall good. We’re running into some issues when looking at beta code, something HP isn't focused on. The support people don’t want to talk too much about that.

We’re basically trying to look at an openstack infrastructure solution. We’re using it on a voice-over-infrastructure, supporting IMS. We’re using a Cisco solution right now.

I would say it’s no more complex than anything else, so we’re learning that people are protecting systems a bit differently.

We looked at -

• Cisco
• Juniper
• Alcatel Lucent
• HP
• Aresta
• Erickson

We chose HP because they met most of the criteria that we were looking at, and they were able to come up with some solutions that were a little outside of the box when things didn’t quite fit. They were more proactive on the sales/engineering side and with pre-solution support.

You should look for high performance, low maintenance, open flow, and XLAN when choosing a solution. Compatibility with other products is also very important. Some routing protocols were required.

Overall, the solution is a little more complicated than we initially wanted, but it’s pretty good. It’s going to be a learning and teaching experience for service providers. Solutions are there, but they’re not always the same methodologies for the same businesses.

Manageability and interfacing with other various networking management platforms have been most valuable for us. We use SolarWinds and are looking at Omnivew.

The warranty is great and so is lifetime on most hardware. Both config and replicate configs are pretty easy on HP switches.

I would like to see a POE ability added to the devices. We’ve used a lot of POE switches recently, HP and non-HP, and we want to standardize on HP. Our requirements are often that we need a very small 8-port switch and would like a version like this.

Also, I’d like to see the functionality of higher-end switches and some features of the 2900 series on the lower-end ones as well.

I’ve put in a few solutions, including HP and others in the past. I had problems with Extreme and Cisco, but only minimal ones with HP.

It actually has great scalability. We have high-end switches and are putting in a core switch in the next few months. We also use managed switches. Every need has a solution.

It’s been great. I’ve reached out directly to the account rep who is very willing to help. With issues, they are able to help directly when our channel partners who can’t help. Support is timely, too, and it's easy to get to a live person.

We used a mixed bag of various vendors, but wanted to standardize on one platform that we knew was stable, reputable, and easily serviced by multiple channel partners if needed. We looked at others, but HP dominated.

We’ve engaged with many channel partners, and it has been very straightforward. We tweaked things here and there. We forgot a parameter, etc., but nothing big.

• Extreme
• Cisco
• Lower end switches – Linksys

Cost, reliability, serviceability, warranty, and not needing to purchase a support pack each year are important in helping choose the right vendor.

Depending on what you need to accomplish the different models of the switches, start at the bottom and work up. A lot of functionality in the lower end switches may not be a need for the higher ones. Also, look at the stacking on the lower end switches.

Support is great when needed, pricing is great, warranty can’t be beat, and lots of partners out there.

Some valuable features include cost per Gigabit Port, Layer 3 Capability, POE Support.

By reducing the need for an in-line power source over Ethernet using injectors for small devices, we are able to power wireless access points. Additionally, cameras, and telephones from a single device.

Additional Routing Protocols, such as OSPF could be implemented for larger scale Layer 3 capability.

I have been using the solution for 2 years.

No issues with deployment.

No issues with stability.

No issues with scalability.

Excellent

Excellent

Cisco Catalyst Switches – changed due to cost of POE ports in Cisco compared to HP.

Very straightforward. The system was pre-programmed with an ip address – simply attach to the ip address and program. The system acts as a normal switch before turning the other functions on.

In-house team.

350% due to stability in the product, low power use, and administrative requirements such as down time.

$3158 for the switch itself. $288 in costs over 3 years for Power and Cooling.

No, due to the cost.

IF new to HP, read the documents. The OS is different than Cisco.