Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches

Likelihood to Recommend

[Cisco] Catalyst Switches are not cheap so they are great option if you have enough budget, also your network administrators will need deep technical knowledge (Cisco offers a wide range of technical resources though) but if you want to have a less specialized team you may want to check other options like Meraki (other high profile Cisco products)

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humberto martinez

CIO (Chief Information Officer)

desarrollos deltaConstruction, 201-500 employees

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I believe the PowerConnect Switch is recommended and fits best in access and distribution for its capacity and performance. For Core, I would recommend the Dell Force 10 line. The switches have power over ethernet and can power IP phones and access points at Vivo branches. The support on the Portuguese line and face-to-face service are some differentials that I found.

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Carol Moreira

Especialista em TI

Vivo (Telefônica Brasil)Telecommunications, 5001-10,000 employees

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Pros

One thing that is fascinating about Cisco Catalyst Switches is that they really do last
The CLI configurations is fun once you get used to it
It's effective in securing access layer devices with ACLs
The IOS is very stable and can be trusted

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abdulai-fadiga ccnp

Technical Support Consultant

Moov NigerTelecommunications, 1001-5000 employees

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Easy to configure
Rock solid. Have only had 1 fail out of dozens in over 6 years.
Great features and interface.

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Troy Smith

Vice President of Information Technology/Network Administrator

VFCUFinancial Services, 51-200 employees

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Cons

Would like to see a second power supply so it can get power from two different sources.
Hard to find a USB flash drive that will work when loading images for upgrade.
IOS upgrades are a pain to perform. Upgrades should be an easy process. Would like to perform the upgrade through a web browser.

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Verified User

Engineer in Information Technology

Transportation/Trucking/Railroad Company, 10,001+ employees

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I've had fans burn out after the warranty period. In a way that is a positive and tells you just how long the fans last. However, it would be nice if the fans lasted a bit longer.
In a perfect world, it would be nice if the switches were not so loud.

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Steve P

Information Technology Manager

Human Resources FirmHuman Resources, 51-200 employees

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Support Rating

Cisco Catalyst Switches 9.0

Based on 1 answer

We rarely have issues with the product. I have only had to contact support one time since we put it in and that was to see if another vendor was giving me accurate information on an issue I was having.

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Ryhlen Schoeberl

Systems Administrator II

Vast BroadbandTelecommunications, 201-500 employees

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Dell PowerConnect Switches 10.0

Based on 2 answers

Top-grade because it is a switch that never presented any major problems for us. It has always been easy to install, configure, customize. It is a device widely used in access to connect computers, phones, access points

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Carol Moreira

Especialista em TI

Vivo (Telefônica Brasil)Telecommunications, 5001-10,000 employees

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Alternatives Considered

* Arista Switches** Arista switches are great, don't get me wrong, but the lack of PoE support, the lack of stacking, has really hindered their entry way into the campus market, 99% of my use cases are campus switching for end users, not data center, in this market, cisco wins hands down every time.

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Dustin Reeves

Network Engineer

Wilks Brothers LLCOil & Energy, 1001-5000 employees

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They stack up very well against Cisco products. I feel you pay a lot for the Cisco name. Dell has most of the same functions for a lot less.

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Troy Smith

Vice President of Information Technology/Network Administrator

VFCUFinancial Services, 51-200 employees

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Return on Investment

Cisco catalyst switches have allowed our networks to run smoothly with no interruptions.
These switches are scalable so we were able to add more switches as needed, without interrupting the network activity.
Automation techniques allowed us to deploy configuration with minimum effort.

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Andrew Yudin, MBA/CCNP

Principal Network and Security Engineer

Cheetah DigitalMarketing & Advertising, 1001-5000 employees

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The ROI is great. Lost of ports and features for the money.
The Dell PowerConnect has allowed us to interconnect our core networking devices for a reasonable price.

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Steve P

Information Technology Manager

Human Resources FirmHuman Resources, 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

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches