Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000) vs. Cisco Catalyst Switches

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
The Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000) is a SD-WAN ready router.N/A
Cisco Catalyst Switches
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Cisco's Catalyst is one of that company's brand of network switches.N/A
Pricing
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Catalyst Switches
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Catalyst Switches
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details——
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Catalyst Switches
Considered Both Products
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)

No answer on this topic

Cisco Catalyst Switches
Chose Cisco Catalyst Switches
We used catalyst switches because they fit optimal in the customers needs.
Chose Cisco Catalyst Switches
More features than Cisco Nexus Series Switches
Cisco Catalyst Switches are suited for Enterprise networks compared to Cisco Nexus switches that are better suited for data center environments
Chose Cisco Catalyst Switches
Nokia turned out to be more expensive and Huawei was just marginally cheeper, so not really that complicated to choose. It was actually a bit suprising to see that Cisco was priced so good when you started to look on full software support (for MPLS PE functionality). Nothing …
Chose Cisco Catalyst Switches
We've used/evaluated Juniper EX series switches that stack up against Cisco Catalyst. However, Juniper did not offer as many features, especially around cloud compatibility and customization.
Chose Cisco Catalyst Switches
I've used many different platforms of Cisco switches, routers, firewalls, VMs, and more. The Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series Switches are great switches to upgrade to from almost any environment. These switches are pretty stable with frequent new stable software releases. These …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Catalyst Switches
Small Businesses

No answers on this topic

No answers on this topic

Medium-sized Companies
Cisco Routers
Cisco Routers
Score 8.4 out of 10
Extreme Networks Wired Access - Switches
Extreme Networks Wired Access - Switches
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Routers
Cisco Routers
Score 8.4 out of 10
Cisco Nexus Series Switches
Cisco Nexus Series Switches
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Catalyst Switches
Likelihood to Recommend
8.7
(25 ratings)
9.1
(359 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(2 ratings)
8.4
(17 ratings)
Usability
9.9
(2 ratings)
9.7
(29 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
9.2
(8 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.4
(7 ratings)
Support Rating
9.3
(3 ratings)
8.6
(21 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.1
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
8.6
(7 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(5 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(4 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
9.4
(8 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(22 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.6
(23 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000)Cisco Catalyst Switches
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
- It is well suited for companies that have a big WAN environment, this devices can fit in there easily and have multiple provider circuits. - Well suited for private cloud environments where multi tenancy is required, - Device can be used as IPN/ISN device as it supports jumbo frames for an ACI multi-site/remote leaf deployment. - Device is well suited for branches that have their own DIA and MPLS circuits.
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Cisco
So in every scenario where you have to take one port and create, make it so that you can have more devices connected. So there will be like in a normal office area where you have an internet connection and you have to have 40 or 20 clients connected. That's where definitely Catalyst Switches becomes a very important part of this. The whole thing, scenarios where it's not very usable, I can't really see a scenario where you wouldn't be needing a switch to. There would be a very unlikely scenario because mostly you would need to connect more than one device to a router or something like that. So you would need to have a switch scenario I would say. Then it would be in some sort of scenario where you only had a need to have a directly connection to a router or something else where you wouldn't need to have more ports. So like a peer to peer connection or something like that. But I can't really see any other scenario where wouldn't you wouldn't be needing a switch.
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Pros
Cisco
  • These routers are very good at performing 24x7! This is key to running an organization where employees are working 24x7.
  • The ZBFW feature works especially well to help lockdown and protect your network.
  • Having the ability to perform in-service upgrades is a key feature in keeping your network up at all times.
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Cisco
  • I think the switch is a fast switch. What we also admire about it is the enhanced power over ethernet functionality. It has higher power levels to be used for wireless, for other products that use the power over ethernet, the quick uplinks, 10 gig uplinks, the possibility to run other applications on it, like a thousand eyes clients, and so on.
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Cons
Cisco
  • The ASR 1000 series routers can, as with most devices, improve with additional memory capacity and upgraded chip sets for faster processing.
  • There seems to be limitations on the number of routing sessions the smaller ASR devices can handle, which can be overcome with proper planning and placement within the network.
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Cisco
  • Smaller devices are always preferred due to high mobility needs.
  • Would benefit from having console cables provided with networking devices instead of separate purchase.
  • Transit case options for larger devices would benefit and keep us from having to source outside vendors for support.
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Likelihood to Renew
Cisco
The device without a doubts performs at the level required and expected, we can renew it and use it as we have been using it for years. The device can be used as DCI, IPN/ISN, or even private cloud for customer circuit handoff, it also supports IPSec properly. The device is well suited in multiple segments of the network.
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Cisco
They are consistently reliable and this switch in particular is a very affordable solution. We can place the Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches gear in areas that we normally would not place a switch because it is affordable enough to make it justifiable. And because it is a reliable solution, we are confident it will continue to provide service over the long haul.
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Usability
Cisco
All our modular contingency service exercises use this equipment, it allows us to perform this type of exercises very easily, in a controlled and effective way. It is used at least once a month for these types of events. It also allows configuration replication in computers that are under the same model.
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Cisco
The usability will feel natural to frequent Cisco users and a bit harder to navigate if you're new to the system. If you're limited to a small rack, maybe even in a not climate controlled environment the fan-less models with less energy consumption are a pro. With PoE you can deploy your network hardware anywhere you have a network socket: Thin Clients, APs, Sensors, you name it. The integrated power monitoring tells you how much power each client consumes and how much you have left.
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Reliability and Availability
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
We have had very few unplanned outages with all of our Cisco Catalyst products. The biggest issue I have seen is when a device has been powered on for a very long time and it gets powered off and reused later. Sometimes, the switch will not come back up. In most cases, these are switches that are way past end of life. I can't say we have really seen any other issues with the availability of the Catalyst family of switches
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Performance
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
No, the packets flow. Sometimes you will see collisions and broadcast storms can happen which will slow performance but that can be fixed and the packets will flow.
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Support Rating
Cisco
We have received training on the equipment, which has made us add more networks on our own, we provide first level support, we validate the publication of the equipment and we can satisfy the needs of our internal clients in terms of the prompt recovery of the affected services
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Cisco
So far we haven't had very many support issues with our Catalyst switches. When we have had issues TAC is always a pleasure to work with. They're prompt, knowledgeable, and take ownership of the case from open to close. Also, this isn't attributed to Cisco support directly. But because they are so widely known and have such a great market share you can find a solution to almost any issue with a quick internet search.
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In-Person Training
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
I prefer in person training. For me I understand things and the ability to ask someone helps. This particular training was a large class and it was a bit busy. However, I do prefer in person training to online. I have taken many online courses, and while they do offer a lot more info at an affordable price, there is sometimes a place for the personal touch.
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Implementation Rating
Cisco
Implementation was as per design and all best practice configuration was followed.
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Cisco
We upgraded from an older catalyst model to a newer one. The implementation was pretty much seamless as the newer switches supported all the features as the old ones. These features included OSPF, HSRP, MPLS, LDP, MP-BGP, etc. One issue we say with the newer switches was that the buffers needed to be tuned. The default settings were dropping packets to a slower link. Once we change the 'qos softmax' command settings, we were able to resolve that issue.
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Alternatives Considered
Cisco
Before standardizing on the Cisco ASR 1000 we had explored the idea of using Juniper routers. Ultimately we felt the Cisco ASR 1000 was a better fit at the time. We have been very happy with this decision, but it might not be the right decision for everyone. It fit our environment and our needs very well, Juniper is also a very good choice.
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Cisco
If I were to compare the Catalyst to the Meraki, I do feel more secure about the Catalyst, as Meraki was not originally a cisco product and was acquired. So, from the point of security and dependability, the Catalyst is a winner.
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Scalability
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Cisco
The product line is very complete and flexible. Supporting anything from small to larger modular solutions. Need PoE? Need 25Gb or faster fiber? Catalyst has you covered in all areas we can think of. Compact form factor? Industrial use? Cisco Catalyst has something that fits any scenario. And we can expect the same features, configuration and integrations to work no matter what.
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Return on Investment
Cisco
  • It is a healthy return on investment with planned packed size data. Average unicast latency is low and consistent with small and large packets (barring mid-sized).
  • Cisco devices last longer and also have a decent trade-in policy to recover some value when equipment is replaced.
  • Higher concurrent IPSec tunnels are offered, we tested for 1500+, fielding both encrypted and a mix of encrypted and cleartext traffic.
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Cisco
  • energy costs dropped by around 11 per cent on the access layer
  • management has become easier with DNA Center
  • ISSU software upgrades and fabric deployments have significantly reduced "planned" down times
  • network speed has increased, latency is at an all-time best within our own LAN
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ScreenShots

Cisco Catalyst Switches Screenshots

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