Cisco Catalyst IE3300 Rugged Series Switches vs. Dell PowerConnect Switches

Cisco Catalyst IE3300 Rugged Series Switches are what I would say a primary option if you are already a Cisco house that has software such as DNA Centre (they are compatible with it) or the future Catalyst Centre. This is great as it can be integrated into your existing infrastructure without compromising manageability or having to retrain staff to work on new equipment. Managing the switches is effectively the exact same. In my opinion, it is also more suited to small industrial needs in certain climate zones that are not extremes, as there are bespoke vendors that may be better hardware-wise than Cisco, but of course software wise Cisco does take some beating.

Incentivized

We work in the electric industry. These should not be used in a high-heat environment. We like to keep the temperature of the room in the low 60's so they are not suited for our Substation locations due to extreme heat and cold. However, they perform great in a server room.

Incentivized

• small form
• switching
• Climate control

Incentivized

• Reliable.
• Excellent hardware support from Dell including 4 hour parts/replacement.
• Excellent technical support from Dell on software, troubleshooting, and configuration.
• More affordable than its main enterprise competitors.
• Easy to use CLI.

Incentivized

• Mounting unit kit provided at sale
• Better DC power connection cabling
• More aesthetically pleasing to look at

Incentivized

• Precarious graphical (GUI) mode, needing to be updated for more efficient technologies such as HTML5
• Short support time, given how much these devices support in terms of use. I have owned the devices for years, but no longer have a warranty

Incentivized

Dell ProSupport is outstanding. Dell ProDeploy is likewise outstanding. I prefer them even over traditional Cisco support. I've had repeated cases where Dell immediately addressed or fixed an issue with US-based support, including firmware hotfixes. Not even Cisco can boast that.

Incentivized

Overall, a few vendors like Siemens, Moxa, Versitron. We were only after a simple solution, so Moxa could have seemed a good option but overall being a Cisco house is a no brainer for the organisation and teams. Comparisons weren't really in the decision. But these Cisco Catalyst IE3300 Rugged Series Switches are working great.

Incentivized

I selected Dell mainly due to previous experience using them in a business environment. I've never had a unit fail on me and when my budget for equipment like network switches has been less than a training class on how to use those switches, it's incredible to be able to find quality equipment at the price point Dell offers and even more so when their enterprise support has been as excellent as I have been accustomed to dealing with. In all honesty, even if I had a larger budget, I would have bought these same switches since they were exactly what I needed to suit my needs. We looked into HPE/Aruba network switches, and while they would have performed everything we needed and more, they were almost four times the cost of these Dell network switches. That's a hard sell when it comes to planning a tight budget.

Incentivized

Easy to add additional modules.

Incentivized

• over priced
• Tac support is horrible
• Cisco has given up on hardware

Incentivized

• Reports are easily created and very useful.
• Quick creation of different network connections.
• Excellent and secure channels for multiple data management.
• Great data visualization options offered by Dell PowerConnect Switches.

Incentivized