Cisco Catalyst 3560-CX Series Switches vs HPE Networking Switches

Likelihood to Recommend

They are best suited for edge switching applications. We do have a couple in the data center doing legacy copper VM hosts that perform ok. But edge switching is most definitely the best suited, at least in our specific situation. I know that some of the higher end catalyst switches have the ability to do layer 3 functionality, but that's not something that we've personally delved into with the catalyst line.

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Matthew Cable

Network Engineer II

Hall County SchoolsEducation Management, 1001-5000 employees

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HPE Networking Switches are great for most any scenario. They are great with low network load and also high network load. They are not exactly the cheapest solution, so they aren't suited for budget conscious users. They are made to work 24/7 with no interruptions, and they have lived up to that promise for us.

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Verified User

Professional in Information Technology

Consumer Goods Company, 51-200 employees

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Pros

Connects various switches via trunks for network accessibility to departments
Ability to do routing network packets
VLANS for departments have been created successfully
Servers, printer and PCs have been able to connect to the each other via the Cisco Switch

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Olumayowa Mosuro

Systems Admin

MultiChoiceBroadcast Media, 1001-5000 employees

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Well priced. There's something for all budgets.
Choice of managed and unmanaged models. Not all of our customers require (or want to pay for) managed switches, but many do.
Tons of features on the higher end models.

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Verified User

Employee in Information Technology

Information Technology & Services Company, 1-10 employees

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Cons

The switches can run hot at times, but it is managed well
Very few bad issues to report--occasional failures but very infrequent

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Verified User

Professional in Information Technology

Oil & Energy Company, 1001-5000 employees

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The Enterprise management software always seemed less intuitive than the default software.
More of the parts could be supported across a wider variety of models.
Add-on modules should be cheaper than buying a new switch with modules already installed. So they could really do to serve their customers better with pricing options.

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Verified User

Engineer in Information Technology

Hospital & Health Care Company, 51-200 employees

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Likelihood to Renew

Cisco Catalyst 3560-CX Series Switches 1.6

Based on 2 answers

We are extremely happy with the Cisco Catalyst series and don't have any reason to switch. As long as we continue to get great use and service out of the products we'll continue to use them for the foreseeable future.

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Matthew Cable

Network Engineer II

Hall County SchoolsEducation Management, 1001-5000 employees

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No score

No answers yet

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Usability

Cisco Catalyst 3560-CX Series Switches 9.0

Based on 2 answers

Cisco by and far does a great job with the Catalyst line. From a layer 2 dumb switch all the way up to ISP carrier grade switching within the Catalyst portfolio. The best part about it is command parity among the various tiers of product. The only differences are going to lie in what features are available per switch.

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Matthew Cable

Network Engineer II

Hall County SchoolsEducation Management, 1001-5000 employees

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No score

No answers yet

No answers on this topic

Support Rating

Cisco Catalyst 3560-CX Series Switches 8.4

Based on 3 answers

Most of the time, the TAC is totally on their game. Occasionally, we run into a support person that either wants to hold on to the ticket, or seems to be disinterested. Language can sometimes be a barrier.

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David East

Director - IT Security

Build-A-Bear WorkshopRetail, 5001-10,000 employees

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HPE Networking Switches 8.4

Based on 2 answers

We have had very little experience with support and nothing for years really. But when we have needed support we always got what we needed in a timely fashion. Basically good support that you would expect from an enterprise class business. Definitely less hoops to jump through getting help or parts than their desktop or printer divisions.

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Verified User

Engineer in Information Technology

Hospital & Health Care Company, 51-200 employees

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Alternatives Considered

The familiarity and leadership of Cisco is always something that will be considered when choosing new network equipment. Though some of the Aruba equipment we have worked with is very good, there is always that trust with Cisco ( especially the Cisco catalyst switches) that you are using the latest and most reliable technology.

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Matt Rees

Support and Operations Technician

NPTCBCGovernment Administration, 1001-5000 employees

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HP is a Great balance of everything you need, from cost, quality, and manageability. I have worked with Cisco, Dell, and Ubiquiti, as well as many other brands. Each come with their own Pros and Cons, but are all good products. In the end, I go with HP because the product has never done me wrong. Perception is everything. Downtime makes people question the credibility of the IT managing the systems. HP has never put me in a bad spot where the quality of IT is questioned.

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Jeff Allen

Director of Information Technology ★ Strengthening IT Operations through Processes and Programs

Beavers HoldingsFood Production, 201-500 employees

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Return on Investment

Expansion has been made in our organization. We recently use a 24 port switch but as the company grew, we required a more robust switch
Core switches are able to do MPLS to reach other locations
Most switches are now 48 port and support fiber ports not only Gigabit ports

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Olumayowa Mosuro

Systems Admin

MultiChoiceBroadcast Media, 1001-5000 employees

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I really like the idea of paying for the switches one time and just pay for support going forward. The prices are on the high end but I think it is worth it. I wish they would include all the features in one go so we would not have to pay for every new feature.

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Thayer Ramahi

Director, IMIT

Calgary Foothills Primary Care NetworkHospital & Health Care, 51-200 employees

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Pricing Details

General

Free Trial

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Free/Freemium Version

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Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Entry-level set up fee?

No

General

Free Trial

—

Free/Freemium Version

—

Premium Consulting/Integration Services

—

Entry-level set up fee?

No