2019-10-13T05:48:00Z

What needs improvement with Cisco Ethernet Switches?

Miriam Tover - PeerSpot reviewer
  • 0
  • 74
PeerSpot user
72

72 Answers

BO
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-12-01T14:41:53Z
Dec 1, 2023

There are instances where the commands you are familiar with might change or be replaced with newer syntax. They could provide details to know about the changed processes. Additionally, its pricing needs improvement.

Search for a product comparison
RN
Real User
Top 20
2023-08-17T08:03:49Z
Aug 17, 2023

The solution's reliability should be improved. We see that some ports must be reset when in the hang mode. Only after a reset can we make use of those ports. There could be some internal or external reasons for the hang. We are looking for an improved reliability aspect.

MD
Real User
Top 5
2023-07-11T06:54:36Z
Jul 11, 2023

We can easily integrate the product with any OEM solutions. But in the case of an already existing network, we encounter technical issues related to following protocols.

Vivek Makhijani - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5
2023-07-07T11:05:19Z
Jul 7, 2023

From a system integrator's perspective, Cisco must train system integrators, partners, and customers about their services. Cisco has many products like switches, routers, and now SD-WAN, and they need to educate the partners and customers about these services.

JW
Real User
Top 20
2023-04-04T15:07:33Z
Apr 4, 2023

The more expensive versions can be more expensive, and the switches cannot take the heat. Some of the rooms they are in are too hot for the switch. We need more management tools for the solution. I don't have any notes for new features. There should be fiber switches that could be capable of doing more things.

Kalyan  Chowdhury - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-03-30T11:42:00Z
Mar 30, 2023

We have experienced some issues with Cisco SG350 switches. We have not been able to use this switch at normal temperatures as it automatically reboots.

Learn what your peers think about Cisco Ethernet Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
AA
Real User
Top 5
2023-02-24T14:49:12Z
Feb 24, 2023

The technical support has room for improvement.

ERICK KAGWEZA - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 20
2023-02-24T13:28:47Z
Feb 24, 2023

Cisco can improve its supply chain. Currently, we have to wait up to eight months for a switch.

TC
Real User
Top 5
2023-02-23T12:04:49Z
Feb 23, 2023

The price of the solution has room for improvement.

Richard Hermogeno - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5
2023-02-06T12:09:19Z
Feb 6, 2023

The price of the solution could be reduced.

Jose-Rivera - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5
2023-02-03T17:58:43Z
Feb 3, 2023

To keep up with the market, the solution should have better evolution and innovation. More security features should be added.

Olajide Olusegun - PeerSpot reviewer
MSP
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-02-03T14:21:00Z
Feb 3, 2023

We often face issues with Cisco software, and while they do release patches to fix bugs, I believe they need to improve. Huawei, one of Cisco's competitors, is better in this regard. While I'm not a fan of Huawei due to my environment, clients insist on using it because it is cheaper. Despite this, I think Cisco could improve its software. Cisco should strive to improve the software for its switches. To make the switch more user-friendly, Cisco should create a system where a user can simply connect their cable and access the GUI interface without needing to configure the device first on the CLI.

PS
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-01-31T15:22:56Z
Jan 31, 2023

An area for improvement in Cisco Ethernet Switches is its command-line interface, for example, for Juniper, because it's not working if you want to do some implementation. Still, for any system integrator or simple integration, it works. Generally, an issue arises if you miss a semicolon or a space, for example, or if you add one word. It can be tricky because people usually forget minor details in a configuration. What could make Cisco Ethernet Switches better is a rollback feature. If you can quickly roll back the changes you made and revert to your old configuration, that would be helpful. Another area for improvement is the response time of the technical support team. It could be faster.

John Bayangos - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5
2023-01-11T19:42:15Z
Jan 11, 2023

Their firmware could be better secured against vulnerabilities or other exploits. Also, only selected catalyst switches are allowed to onboard to Cisco SD Access technology.

Syed Basheer - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5
2022-09-02T14:08:00Z
Sep 2, 2022

The solution should offer a method for user-based load balancing. Load sharing exists but the only balancing available is for the server load and not the Internet. Most engineers now prefer a GUI that is not part of this solution. In my experience, GUI is not required because the solution's commands are very familiar, easy to understand, and available via Google or the solution's portal.

AK
Real User
Top 10
2022-03-31T09:49:42Z
Mar 31, 2022

The quality of Cisco Ethernet Switches could be better.

DM
Real User
2022-02-18T12:21:08Z
Feb 18, 2022

There's are other products that are better for network programmability. Cisco isn't as programmable as some others vendors. For example, on devices running iOS XE, you dont have candidate configuration datastore when you use netconf like you would have on arista, juniper or others. Changes are directly applied on running configuration so there is no room for error once you commit changes to devices. So it will be good for them to implement other config datastores because when it go to programming, review it's important so we need to be abe to have at least a candidate configuration datastore.

AS
Real User
Top 20
2022-02-16T17:55:49Z
Feb 16, 2022

Cisco Ethernet Switches could improve if they removed the command line interface and replaced it with a better GUI. It is too difficult at the moment, we always need to figure out the commands.

KS
Real User
2022-01-04T21:41:21Z
Jan 4, 2022

The pricing can be improved to make them more suitable for SMBs. In terms of features, they tick all the boxes as of now. That could be because we tailor the solution around the product. I have not seen anything that pulls me back or is not working well for me. However, there could be better integration with the network monitoring systems. It doesn't mean it is currently not there, but there could be better discoverability with some of the network monitoring systems to be able to have more visibility. When you're setting up a control room, you can have more visibility into what is going on in the network. It has been doing that, but it can do that more.

DB
Reseller
2021-12-21T13:10:00Z
Dec 21, 2021

Feature-wise, almost all the features are there, but an improvement would be to change their market intention. Almost all the Cisco switches are now coming with a license called DNA. D for Delta, N for number and A for apple. That feature is required, he must purchase it and it is a mandatory thing that has been introduced. This is not matching with the Asian market, because let's say you are purchasing a vehicle and you don't want to have a reverse camera, right? But if the manufacturer is forced, fully telling you that you definitely should buy it, this is not fair in that way. DNA licenses, in most cases, are not required, but it should be told to the customers and added to the quotation, because we cannot remove it. This is not matching or suitable for the Asian market. It is not a requirement of the customer and it is forcefully added by the vendor. It's just a license, which you have to purchase for one year or three years, and it will never be used in some cases. In some cases, some specific customers may require that there should be the option to add it. But if it is not required by the customer, it should be optional. In terms of what I would like to see in the next release, it would be good if they could introduce a switch which can work on cloud and on a local deployment. Maybe the same switch will work. Because some switches are only working alone with local deployments, and some switches are working with cloud based environments. So if the same switch could work on both cloud and from its node, that will be great.

CE
Real User
2021-12-21T12:52:00Z
Dec 21, 2021

In terms of what could be improved, there is the bulk issue that is sometimes experienced with the Cisco products we've used. I don't know how it could be possible to be done, but it would be very good if there was an automated patching system. It would be a very big and difficult one, because some of these routers or switches or products are not even within an internet environment. This is especially limited with the switches. Routers can be connected to the internet and switches might not even have internet access and might just be for the local area network. If it has an internet connection, that would be great and if it has an automated parking code inside of the POE this would help them to patch without the user's input. In the next release, I would like to see bulk fixing. That is basically what I do now. If we could have an automated patch for Cisco to just be standard for patching switches or routers or firewalls by default without the input of anyone adjusting, that would be great.

DS
Real User
2021-12-16T01:30:40Z
Dec 16, 2021

Network setup and Multicast are critical components for us and when you're also programming for video streams it can become quite complicated. It's more of an issue when you're dealing with public institutions and there might be a lack of tech-savvy people. When it comes to the video streams, if you're sending real-time video in a security system, and you drop packets, the information is lost and you can't get it back. That's a critical aspect for us. One of the issues we have is that the guy doing the video system knows how that works, and the network people know how the network works, but they don't know how to communicate with each other. The industry is trying to adapt to sort out that problem.

LD
Real User
2021-12-13T11:00:00Z
Dec 13, 2021

Its management should be improved. It is not easy to scale.

Imtiyaj Jamadar - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
2021-11-22T20:06:57Z
Nov 22, 2021

The management of the solution could improve.

MD
Real User
2021-09-01T13:37:32Z
Sep 1, 2021

If we can have fewer bugs on our switches, that would be great. We had bugs that caused the switch to reboot. There is probably a problem with the software. Their technical support can be improved in terms of response time and overall efficiency.

JP
Reseller
Top 20
2021-07-22T15:09:09Z
Jul 22, 2021

In terms of features, all features are there. I can't find anything new that needs to be added. Its price, however, is a bit higher than other brands and can be improved.

DK
Real User
2021-06-05T13:49:39Z
Jun 5, 2021

The number of bugs that come up on Cisco Ethernet Switches can be reduced, and the stability can be improved, in particular with the recent iOS. The scalability can be improved as well. Up to a certain network size, it is easy to scale, but after that, it becomes difficult.

LW
Real User
2021-05-19T19:25:37Z
May 19, 2021

The interface and dashboard could look better.

JD
Real User
2021-03-04T00:57:19Z
Mar 4, 2021

The biggest pain point we had was getting the switches delivered. However, that likely was due to COVID and everything else. I don't think it's a Cisco issue. It's just a supplier issue, as they seem to have a hard time getting deliveries in order. One thing we did have to work around is, on the broadcast side, we're reliant on the PTP protocol, precision time protocol, and the Cisco switches in general, don't support that. Some do, however, the majority of ones we're using did not. We worked around it, however, that would be one area for us that would have been simply solved with more capabilities for PTP on Cisco's end.

MR
Real User
2021-03-02T09:47:00Z
Mar 2, 2021

I think the price should be cheaper to be able to afford more.

YF
Real User
2021-02-22T19:52:15Z
Feb 22, 2021

Cisco doesn't do everything 100% perfect. There are competitors that have developed simpler and cheaper options, for example. The solution really should offer better pricing. It would help them stay competitive. The product is a bit difficult to manage as there's a different management system now. The network management system could be improved.

TM
Real User
Top 20
2021-02-18T10:13:41Z
Feb 18, 2021

Cisco can improve its stability for the BGP protocol. It is not stable while recalculating the BGP table. Its price should also be improved. It is very expensive.

RR
Reseller
2021-02-10T20:20:16Z
Feb 10, 2021

Typically, mid-range customers don't have a need for all of the features embedded in Cisco's software. The solution is a bit difficult. I don't like the new way the licensing is set up. I don't like that you have to have a license of 10 years to use the switch. I don't understand that policy. It's not useful for the customer. There are some features in previous versions or previous models that were automatically included in the software. However, now, in the new switches, they don't have it included. You have to go to an advanced version.

SK
Real User
2021-02-05T09:02:13Z
Feb 5, 2021

The price could be better. It should be affordable for any organization.

NW
Reseller
2021-02-04T07:51:01Z
Feb 4, 2021

Cisco has a lot of propriety protocols compared to other products, such as Arista Networks.

MN
Real User
2021-01-29T16:26:54Z
Jan 29, 2021

Technical support in India needs to be improved.

MS
Real User
2021-01-25T12:09:04Z
Jan 25, 2021

It could be cheaper. It'll also help if it can support more network utilization.

SV
Real User
2021-01-16T11:08:56Z
Jan 16, 2021

It needs to be more secure. They have to find a more secure way of action. They should have ways to stop the attacks. Because of the cyber attacks, they should focus more on VoIP.

DP
Real User
2021-01-14T10:32:46Z
Jan 14, 2021

I don't really have a complaint about the features that the solution has. It can be a bit expensive, however, it's not as expensive as Meraki switches. The user interface, the UI, could be better. Going command mode to make hardcore changes to the config. It's not so futuristic environment for configuration purposes. While you can scale the solution, it can get expensive.

LM
Real User
2021-01-12T18:43:32Z
Jan 12, 2021

For people who are new, the interface can be confusing. For me, however, I don't think that there's anything that can be simplified because I'm used to the command line and the old way of working with Cisco switches. I find them simple.

AR
Real User
2021-01-08T13:11:35Z
Jan 8, 2021

There are some GUI configuration improvements that they can implement in the future for the product models.

AK
Real User
2021-01-08T13:09:25Z
Jan 8, 2021

In the future, some of the features could be updated to support the latest functions.

SA
Real User
2021-01-04T12:38:50Z
Jan 4, 2021

The GUI is not that easy. They need to work on the CLI, and to do that you have to have technical resources in-house if you want to do it yourself.

JM
Real User
2020-12-30T15:21:42Z
Dec 30, 2020

Ease of configuration for none cisco experts would be an improvement. Pricing can also do with some improvement to make it more competitive with competitor products with similar functionality.

DB
Real User
2020-12-29T19:12:05Z
Dec 29, 2020

I don't have any issues on the technical aspects, but on the business side of things, I see that almost all the Catalyst and high-grade switches are now required to have a VMA license. Sometimes businesses may not require those licenses because they are just using them as the third street. It's a business challenge which we're facing in the Asian countries. Customers don't require a VMA environment at the moment, but it's essential to purchase a VMA license for some of the switches. It's a challenge that we're facing during sales or presales because when it comes to the competition like Cisco SSL and the others, they don't have that kind of a restriction. If I would like to purchase a new switch, it can be a higher-end switch like a Chassis switch or a basic L2 or L3 switch—any switch where we can purchase a support bundle and install and use it. But with the VMA license, we need to activate the license, or the Ethernet switch will not perform. It won't work. If Cisco Ethernet Switches can work both on-prem and in the cloud, it would be an advantage. Other vendors are already offering this option. It would be a great added advantage to use the same switch in standalone mode, as a local MM or VMA, and for cloud control.

HI
Consultant
2020-12-29T15:59:14Z
Dec 29, 2020

You can only configure both switches and routers via the command-line. They should work to take on the newer HP and Aruba approach where you can configure from a URL or command line. It could be useful if they developed the GUI interface to enable us to configure all features such as VLANs, port assignment, routing, DSP, through the GUI. That would make it easier for beginners. Cisco products are expensive compared to any other solution. Now, there are many competitors that give the same level of services - such as Juniper or Aruba.

IM
Real User
2020-12-23T18:24:00Z
Dec 23, 2020

We are less in the Cloud because the Cloud technologies didn't work so well. That happened in all of the companies where I've been engaged.

PB
Real User
2020-12-18T16:50:03Z
Dec 18, 2020

The initial setup can be simplified.

MP
Real User
2020-11-26T23:17:43Z
Nov 26, 2020

Cisco switches are good as they are, but it would be a major feature if they have built-in routers. Some of the Microchip switches have routers built in the same device. They have a router switch. For some of the sites, we deploy such switches because the client does not want a separate router and a separate switch. So, we go for a router switch with maybe 24 ports. Some of them are fiber, and some of them are ethernet. It would be a major improvement to what Cisco is already doing. Behind the scenes, a lot of scripting and stuff like this is happening. A lot of workload can be lifted if Cisco had a good GUI. If you look at Microchip switches, they have a good GUI in addition to the CLI.

SD
Real User
2020-11-06T13:05:25Z
Nov 6, 2020

The pricing should be reduced so that they are more competitive.

SP
Real User
2020-11-03T20:57:34Z
Nov 3, 2020

The price could be improved by being reduced. The new software has been released in Cisco Switches, which is meeting with the market's demands. Earlier they used to have many different models. This solution is still lacking in some areas.

ME
Real User
2020-07-19T08:15:46Z
Jul 19, 2020

The solution could always benefit from some more security features. For example, they need something which is mainly used for enterprise networks that allow for identity-based security or authentication. The pricing of the switches could be lowered. Right now, they are quite expensive. The enterprise-level switches should have a simpler deployment. They should make it possible for lower-skilled workers to be able to deploy the product. It should be just as easy as turning them on, powering them up, and connecting the PCs, which would be the same as or similar to a generic simple switch. Many users can't use Cisco's advanced features and won't be able to deploy Cisco's advanced CLI or other management tools otherwise.

TW
Real User
2020-07-14T08:15:56Z
Jul 14, 2020

REST API should be first priority than traditional CLI.

VM
Reseller
2020-07-13T06:55:00Z
Jul 13, 2020

Cisco is now competing with companies that are putting out cheaper switches so the price could be something that could be improved upon. However, if you want the best in the industry then you need to pay for it. Cisco could also open the API up to work closely with other systems.

IS
Real User
2020-06-25T10:49:15Z
Jun 25, 2020

Integration with third-party products could be improved.

SC
Real User
2020-06-17T10:56:02Z
Jun 17, 2020

There is a focus on improving the UI for managing the higher-end switches and routers, but not the traditional ones. Putting in a more complete management infrastructure would help when it comes to handling lower-end switches. These switches are pretty expensive to put into place, so if they could bring the price point down then it would be really good.

MB
Real User
2020-06-15T07:34:05Z
Jun 15, 2020

The cost is very prohibitive both for us as well as other organizations. It's very expensive to buy Cisco switches. Among our colleagues, we find that we're not alone in thinking it's too high. Everyone's complaining about this. We have many switches that we've used sine 2006 and that are on the old OS, but we don't want to switch them out because the cost to do so would be quite high. The graphical user interface could be a bit better. When we have new employees, we want them to onboard quickly and to be able to understand the switches. Having a better graphical interface would help us do that and help them understand the switches faster. While I prefer command line, many are not good with it or do not prefer that method.

NA
Real User
2020-06-15T07:33:00Z
Jun 15, 2020

We are only using Cisco for switches and for the IP telephony call center. It needs to be manageable, easy, and fast with Windows and other GUIs. They must improve their interface and stability.

PP
Reseller
Top 5Leaderboard
2020-06-03T11:55:00Z
Jun 3, 2020

The typical areas of concern for Cisco Ethernet Switches are not technical but cost including support costs. I’ve never liked the fact that end users cannot download security patches without a support contract. I’ve had trouble getting approval to renew Cisco support contracts due to the cost. The additional charges for the DNA capabilities of the switches further prices the switches are out of contention for a lot of IT shops. I understand the development of this technology is expensive but costs are sometimes borderline ridiculous.

CR
Real User
2020-03-06T11:36:00Z
Mar 6, 2020

Cisco needs to include new features to attract new customers.

AS
Real User
2019-10-23T05:52:00Z
Oct 23, 2019

Cisco has a layer three rugged switch. I don't know if they have it. The one I use is layer 2 only. Cisco should provide field switches, outdoor switches that have the capability for layer 3. We've had hardware problems like SSDS, ports, networking, things like that. They should maximize the number of ports. For me, that's important because we have some sites that the industrial switches lack ports so we have to install two industrial switches.

it_user1199781 - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
2019-10-22T04:42:00Z
Oct 22, 2019

Cisco has a licensing procedure that is very complicated and it changes every six months.

it_user1162803 - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
2019-10-22T04:42:00Z
Oct 22, 2019

The interface needs improvement. The solution could use more features and more functionality. The price could be lower. It's quite expensive.

PinchasAlbalya - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 20
2019-10-22T04:42:00Z
Oct 22, 2019

We would like to have the option of two power supplies on these switches. It is important for us because these switches are installed in our data center and critical departments. These units have to be available all of the time. I would like to see this solution automatically store multiple versions of the configuration file. For example, Juniper switches will save forty versions of the configuration, while Cisco will only store one. If you want to keep more than one then you need to make it manually. If you need to restore it then you will have to use the saved file to do that manually, as well. In the large switches, they do keep one primary image and the backup image, which is good, but it is not like Juniper. I can roll back to any version within the last forty that have been committed. It's a very, very nice feature that I would like to see in Cisco equipment.

GS
Real User
2019-10-22T04:42:00Z
Oct 22, 2019

The licensing needs to be improved. You have to know upfront what kind of license you require. If you want to check quality assurance then you need to use an IP-based license. You can get that done, but sometimes it's a nuisance. For example, if you want to run certain commands then they are not all available because it depends on your license. On the new switches, it is a bit hard to do the SPANning. The SPAN ports on the 9K series should be improved.

RI
Real User
2019-10-22T04:41:00Z
Oct 22, 2019

At the moment the switches that you have can't scale because they've got their control plane and data plane in the same device. The problem with that is you're limited to the number of switches you can string along because of limitations with VLAN. VLAN does have limitations, but with Software-Defined Networking there is no limitation. This is bringing about changes in the networking field that are long-needed. Ultimately, I would like to see all of the switches support SDN. Switches should be made stackable, even if they are not of the same model. Now stacking is another technology that a lot of switches can benefit from, but not all switches are capable of stacking. There are some switches that are capable of stacking, but not all switches. As a rule, in my view, I feel stacking should work between different switches and at the moment it doesn't. For example, if you want to build a stack, all the switches in the stack have to be literally the same. So that another area of technology which could be different. You could stack switches, even if they're not exactly the same, but they have a way of operating such that they can work together. It would be nice because it means people don't have to throw away things just because they can't meet what they want.

CC
Real User
2019-10-16T06:52:00Z
Oct 16, 2019

The solution needs to work on lowering the amount of bugs. We find them quite regularly. Cisco should offer different equipment. Some features which are needed at present, for example, require making ethernet loopbacks for testing purposes are not available. They need to offer something like this.

it_user1011525 - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
2019-10-13T05:48:00Z
Oct 13, 2019

What I would improve in this product is simulation. You can simulate switches, but you cannot really simulate industrial Cisco switches. The ability to use industrial switches is missing and I would like to see compatibility with industrial switches. I would like to see an updated feature search toolkit. The ability to look for certain features and select the features that you want or need would help to target desired results and workflow. To know what a tool is able to provide for you and the devices that can be used with those features would make research and configuration a lot easier.

US
Consultant
2019-10-13T05:48:00Z
Oct 13, 2019

The dashboard needs some minor improvements. Sometimes it is difficult to find items, other times it is quick, it just depends. Most of the feedback we receive are not complaints but suggestions or ideas about the dashboard. The stability could be improved.

EK
Real User
2019-10-13T05:48:00Z
Oct 13, 2019

Pricing could be lower. It is difficult to look for additional features to be added because there a lot of different switches, different models, and usually each model is designed according to the number of ports. It's a satisfactory unit within the usage area for that model.

MA
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2019-10-13T05:48:00Z
Oct 13, 2019

Lower the pricing to compete with Aruba and HPE. If they could provide a management solution for all systems then it would be an improvement. They have a product, but it's a license, and I have to pay for it. It is difficult to manage one hundred switches in many areas, without having a managing board. I would like a management product to manage both the small business and the Catalyst. In my business, I have all of these products and I have to configure them one by one, so the troubleshooting and the monitoring of each can be challenging. Also with a managing board, it would improve the scalability as it would be easier to handle the traffic and monitoring several users. This may be something that they are already working on, but it would be an improvement if they could add a layer of security to layer two and layer three to protect the server and to protect the data.

it_user1180785 - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
2019-10-13T05:48:00Z
Oct 13, 2019

For Cisco, the interface between fiscal small business switches and the Cisco Catalyst or Enterprise switch is a little bit different. So, I needed to take some time to understand how this will impact the network if we plan to scale it in the future and to learn the different interfaces. I think it would be better for Cisco to unify the interfaces between their products. It might make it easier for users to use different models concurrently as different versions of switches and improve scalability. It is not really a feature of the solution itself, but I also think that the technical support directly from the company should be better in the area of handling integrations.

Cisco Ethernet Switches scale to meet the needs of networks of all sizes. They are Secure, Reliable and Seamless.
Download Cisco Ethernet Switches ReportRead more