Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Switches vs HPE Networking Switches

Likelihood to Recommend

Even with the higher price point compared to other vendors, we highly recommend [Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Switches] to all of our clients. These switches are built to last. [They] make network management very easy and will benefit any business in the long run. Cisco stands behind its product. It is very easy to add additional switches as a network grows.

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Verified User

Technician in Information Technology

Information Technology & Services Company, 11-50 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

Cisco Catalyst Switches are very easy to use and manage.
Cisco support it top notch.
Very easy to scale up as [the] network infrastructure grows.

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Michael Kerzner

Lead Systems Engineer

Nettology, LLCInformation Technology and Services, 11-50 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

Programming is different from other providers; this has caused some issues with staffing
The training opportunities do not provide the basics of programming or migration from other vendors' products.
Unless you are willing to purchase renewed switches, cost can be out of line with other vendors

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Verified User

Executive in Information Technology

Government Administration Company, 201-500 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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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

Starting Price

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General

Free Trial

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Free/Freemium Version

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Premium Consulting/Integration Services

—

Entry-level set up fee?

No

Starting Price

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Support Rating

No score

No answers yet

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HPE Networking Switches 8.3

Based on 3 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

Cisco is top of the class when it comes to comparing them to other vendors in the network hardware environment. They may have a higher price-point, but they justify it with great support and a very long lifecycle.

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Michael Kerzner

Lead Systems Engineer

Nettology, LLCInformation Technology and Services, 11-50 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

[There is a] high price point, but [Cisco Catalyst Series Switches] will save [you] in the long run because these switches are reliable and last a very long time.
Cisco offers very good support so you can depend on them to keep everything running smoothly.
Once techs are trained on Cisco devices, they will be able to save time making changes to networks.

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Matt Raup

Senior Help Desk Technician

NettologyInformation Technology & Services, 11-50 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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Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Switches vs HPE Networking Switches