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December 15, 2020
We have dedicated [Cisco] Catalyst Switches handling the connection of our ESX hosts and SANs to the network, it manages all the traffic from our VMs to the core switch and to the end users.
- They are reliable, i have never seen a catalyst switch fail
- They do what they are suppose to do, they are reliable and easy to setup
- Lots of resources available: vendors, professional services, training
- Some of them does not offer power supply redundancy
- Web interface is not the best, you need to use cli
- They are not easy / cheap to stack
December 13, 2020
- Catalyst 9500 Series
Cisco Catalyst Switches are being used throughout all of our data centers globally. From 100 megabit all the way to 40 Gigabit these switches are workhorses that move all of our data traffic within and across data centers. These switches are capable of providing incredibly reliable and fast connectivity while offering great performance.
- Great performance. Incredibly fast and reliable.
- Automation. Template based, programmable pipeline.
- Scalable and highly redundant.
- Better cloud integration
- More automation features
- Better compatibility with ACI
- Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series
- Catalyst 2960-L Series
- Catalyst 3850 Series
- Catalyst 9200 Series
- Catalyst 9300 Series
- Catalyst 9500 Series
- Catalyst 2960-L Smart Managed
- CATALYST 3850
- Utilizing the layer3 routing functions to have both our router/switch converged into one platform
- VLANS
- BGP
- EIGRP
- LAYER3
- LAYER2
- MULTICAST
- MULTICAST WITH AV
- 2960
- Using them as strictly LAYER2 devices with layer3 ip mgmt and ip vlans only
- Simplicity / scalability (stacking) @ remote locations where simple switching is only thing that is needed, and some intervlan routing.
- 9500 series @ datacenter
- 40gbit throughput is huge for us.
- Layer3/Layer2 functionality really helps us in the datacenter space with these switches
- VLANS
- LAYER3
- EIGRP
- BGP
- DYNAMIC ROUTING
- MULTICAST
- STP
- STORM CONTROL
- ACL
- 3RD PARTY SFP TRANSCIEVERS
- SUPPORT
- TAC
December 10, 2020
- Catalyst 3650 Series
- Catalyst 3850 Series
- Catalyst 9200 Series
- Catalyst 9300 Series
- Catalyst 9400 Series
- Catalyst 9500 Series
We are using [Cisco[ Catalyst Switches for Core, TOR and Edge switching. We also have a selection of older switches that we use for testing and training purposes. The switches provide high performance and resilient network for our servers and user access. A reliable and well performing network is the backbone of any good IT system.
- Configuration - Its very well documented and easy to understand
- Reliable - The hardware rarely fails and support is good
- There is lots of diversity in the product range
- The CLI is great for seasoned pros, but daunting for new users
- Cost, they are not known for their affordability
December 09, 2020
- Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series
- Catalyst 2960-L Series
- Catalyst 3650 Series
[Cisco Catalyst Switches] provide network access to just about every end-user network device - a PoE VoIP phone, a computer, security IP camera, ETC. They are in our main data center, MDF's and IDF's in all of our buildings throughout the company. Without them, our business would not be able to function as it does now.
- They are extremely stable and reliable
- Extremely easy to manage once you are familiar with Cisco IOS
- They are probably on the higher end as far as costs
- Some IOS firmware upgrades can get a bit hairy
December 09, 2020
- Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series
We utilize the [Cisco] Catalyst Series Switches in 4 IDFs and our MDF. We are using QoS for our VoIP infrastructure as many VLAN features to segregate the traffic on the network. We are running 12 VLANs for multiple purposes, as well as video surveillance. We haven't had any issues with performance with layer 1.
Being able to investigate the ARP table easily to determine port mapping is also a great feature.
Being able to investigate the ARP table easily to determine port mapping is also a great feature.
- VLAN Security
- QoS
- Port Blocking
- Contract Cost
- Integration of more models with Cisco Network Assistant
December 07, 2020
- Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series
Cisco Catalyst Switches are the most reliable switches we used for many years. From a security standpoint to it's invaluable reliability, Cisco always deliver more than expected. We needed to minimize data transfer problems, excellent technical support and a well known interface. The Catalyst series give us a greater peace of mind.
- Easy to use and well known interface
- Solid security features
- Better control over traffic than other brands
- Aesthetics! The housing looks the same since the 90s
- Cpu usage seems too high when used in distribution layer
- Free trainings to better train non Cisco Certified users.
- Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series
- Catalyst 2960-L Series
- Catalyst 3650 Series
- Catalyst 9200 Series
- Catalyst 9300 Series
They are the standard base structure for our station and Data Center networks. We are able to route and manage the network easily, creating VLANs and routing priorities, QoS and general data management such as permit or deny multicast.
- Layer 2 and 3 routing in particular with the CAT 9200 and 9300 series
- VLAN management
- Standardization of SNMP data for monitoring
- Security
- Generally last well beyond the expected life of the devices.
- Licensing can be difficult
- The basic archetectural design could use some impovement. Get rid of the concept of a new box and just purchase modules that can repopulate the case. Saves them money that can be passed on to the purchaser, not to meantion recycling.
- Having to dig for this last one. Boot time is a little excessive.
December 14, 2020
- Catalyst 3650 Series
In my organization, Cisco Catalyst Switches are at the core of L2 and L3 communication. At Layer2 we use the switches to interconnect all of the access-layer devices including PCs, IP phones, printers, etc. One of the main advantages of these switches is their POE feature set, which allows us to save hugely on power costs. We also have a pair of redundant Cisco Catalyst Switches serving as our OSPF backbone, this pair of switches is used to terminate all connections coming in from branch locations around the country, enabling stable communications throughout the company.
- 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
- Overall cost--Cisco licenses are expensive
- They could bring some uniformity to the design for ease of integration
- The command line is very complex if you're not familiar with it
- Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series
- Catalyst 9200 Series
We have a large campus and these Cisco Catalyst Switches are extremely reliable and are used in various environments from server rooms to maintenance garages. Their failure rate is extremely low and that helps with our tight budgets. They are an industry standard so it is quick to get new support staff up tp speed.
- Solid performance, even with questionable wiring.
- Great reliability; I had a switch that had a AC unit dripping on it for weeks before it failed.
- Stacking allows greater backbone bandwidth between switches.
- More or expandable flash storage.
- Faster software bug fixes.
- Ordering process is cumbersome.
December 08, 2020
- Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series
- Catalyst 3560-CX Series
- Catalyst 3650 Series
- Catalyst 3850 Series
- Catalyst 9300 Series
Cisco Catalyst Switches have been a staple in many organizations I have been at. They are a great switch for your access layer that is easily expandable as needed with Stackwise cables. In addition, there are many versions of the Cisco Catalyst Switches line with varying port capacities and port types, so there is something for everyone. At my current company we use these switches to form our access layer.
- Very granular configuration available; IOS of all flavors; is still the tried and true switch/router OS
- Cisco Catalyst Switches are resilient; while probably not best practice, we have switches that have been running for years.
- A lot of options available in switches (copper to fiber ratio)
- As with most to all Cisco products, there is little room for just anyone to rack and stack the device and start setting it up; it is going to take someone with some training and experience, of course. This might make any IOS product (Catalyst or otherwise) not as accessible to smaller businesses without the IT resources or without getting consultants/outside help involved
- Sometimes Cisco documentation/support/tehcnical docs are a bit heavy and become difficult to navigate, much like Microsoft and probably any technical giant. There is just a ton of information that can be hard to go through without ending up in the weeds.
- Contacting support can be slow at times and sometimes language barriers make troubleshooting slow.
December 05, 2020
- Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series
- Catalyst 2960-L Series
- Catalyst 3560-CX Series
- Catalyst 3650 Series
- Catalyst 3850 Series
- Catalyst 6800 Series
For our organization, Cisco Catalyst has helped us a lot to segment in a logical way and increase the policies of access to the network, being able to complete the segmentation at a physical and logical level of all the departments of the corporation has been an achievement thanks to this product.
- Network segmentation
- Port security
- VLAN segmentation
- Network access
- GUI administration
- SSH interface
- Web security administration
December 04, 2020
- Catalyst 9300 Series
We use the Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series Switches in our business as access-layer switches and for some of our smaller offices as core switches. The Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series Switches are a great solution. We also have Cisco DNAC, which we use to manage these switches, though we also manage some of these individually. We like stacking the 9300s for reliability.
- Switching
- L3 Gateway
- EtherChannels
- Cost
- Too new, potential issues
- Potential bugs due to how new they are
December 03, 2020
- Catalyst 3850 Series
We are using Cisco Catalyst Switches to provide network access to our managed server network where we house our hosted servers and equipment. We are able to then use our ASA firewall to prevent our hosted servers from communicating with each other and back to our corporate network by limiting access by a couple IPs to that network.
- Able to have a failover setup
- Easy to set up and install
- Great support
- Can be pricey
- Catalyst 3650 Series
Cisco Catalyst Switches are the backbone of our infrastructure. We depend on these for connecting servers and storage on our virtualization platform. They are an industry standard and our engineers are able to support them easily. You will know the hardware support on the server and storage will easily handle the workload.
- They are dependable
- Sends traffic efficiently
- Monitored easily
- Vendor support can be difficult
- Pricing can be high without buying in volume
- Resellers can be difficult to negotiate with
December 05, 2020
- Catalyst 3560-CX Series
- Catalyst 3850 Series
We use both the 3850 and 3560-CX switches as endpoint switches and cores for remote locations. Due to the nature of construction, uptime and quick deployment are some of our highest priorities. We deploy these for our remote locations connect via microwave link. In many of these places dynamic routing is required to ensure uptime is maintained, even if a power outage occurs at one of the other locations.
- Switching/Routing
- Stability
- High tolerance to environmental conditions
- Cost!
- Physical size
- Flexibility with port types
December 15, 2020
- Catalyst 6800 Series
Overall, the majority of our switching is being handled by the different models of Cisco Catalyst Switches. About 2 years ago we were tasked with upgrading our central/core switch. This project was meant to solve the problem of having a strong network core that has some built-in redundancies.
- Compact (as far as core switches go) but with lots of expansion options.
- Typical good Cisco hardware quality.
- A strong Support team (Cisco TAC) to stand behind the device.
- The disparate expansions and plugins can be hard to mange license-wise.
- The costs for a fully loaded Catalyst core switch is massive.
- Doing upgrades and patches can be a major project.
- Catalyst 2960-L Series
- Catalyst 3850 Series
- Catalyst 9300 Series
The different models of Cisco Catalyst Switches service different features of our company. The 9300 is our core system, where we utilize the VXLAN feature between numerous sites. The 3850 and 2960 are used in multiple locations for L2 transport. The 3850 gives us the ability to use L2 and L3 functionality where needed.
- VXLAN gives us the ability to present the same environment over a L3 connection
- L2 traffic
- L3 traffic in the retail locations to cut back on the amount of equipment needed
- Cost is always an issue
- DNA licensing required when not needed
- Command line interface
December 14, 2020
- Catalyst 3560-CX Series
- Catalyst 3650 Series
At our organization we are using Cisco Catalyst Switches (mostly 3560s and 3650s, both the regular and X models) for our main switching backbone for the network. We chose these because they are known industrywide as the top-end switches. They have that reputation because they are rock solid and work for years without needing to be serviced.
- Absolutely solid switches that run for years
- Cisco TAC (Support) is fantastic and knowledgeable
- Compatible with the majority of connected devices
- Cisco is always going to be toward the top price wise
- Could use more intuitive GUI for newer users not used to command line
- More accessories could be included
December 11, 2020
- Catalyst 9400 Series
We have three office locations and we use Cisco Catalyst 4507 Switches at all three locations. They are extremely reliable, have double supervisors (for failover), a dual power supply, and room for 4-5 switch-blades. We have had them for about four years now and had no issues with them at all. Cisco SMARTnet support is great - fast response and solution. We have multiple VLANs setup. The Cisco Catalyst switches are rock solid.
- Dual supervisor, dual power for resiliency.
- Ease of changing out switch blades.
- Network segregation abilities.
- High network bandwidth.
- Software updates and patching.
- GUI can be improved.
December 10, 2020
- Catalyst 3850 Series
Cisco is a leader in the networking industry. We utilize Cisco switches in instances we need guaranteed reliability and dependability. Using Cisco switches I can say with confidence that the product is more than likely to provide a high level of uptime. In addition, Cisco IOS is popular among network engineers and the pool of talent that know Cisco is greater than other organizations.
- Reliability.
- Excellent feature set.
- Cutting edge of networking.
- Higher pricing.
- Higher skillset required to effectively manage.
- No other cons that I can think of and the 2 above aren't necessarily cons.
December 09, 2020
We primarily use Cisco Catalyst Switches for aggregation and demarcation of networks. Due to port density concerns, a cost-effective solution is required to act as an access layer operating on the customers' premises. The Cisco Catalyst Switches provide this with an array of features that can facilitate both basic and more complex deployments.
- Switching
- Routing
- Feature rich
- Some severe IOS bugs
- EOL/EOS components
- TAC support can be spotty at times
December 08, 2020
- Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series
We are currently using Cisco Catalyst Switches in a few of our site. These are great for IDF purposes, which is how we are leveraging them in our environment. These help us to ensure network uptime because they are rock solid and stable, from a known leader in networking equipment solutions.
- Great for IDFs
- They have amazing reliability and run uninterrupted for years
- Cisco products are great, but they generally are more expensive than other brands
- Perhaps reduced noise is something that can be improved upon
December 08, 2020
- Catalyst 9200 Series
- Catalyst 9500 Series
We are using Cisco Catalyst 9500 Switches for our core infrastructure and 9200s for our Edge. We had been running Brocade hardware for quite some time and needed to refresh our network infrastructure to enhance performance, security and to position us for the future.
- Fairly simple to configure.
- Works seamlessly as one unit when multiple switches are stacked.
- Very robust.
- While being fairly simple to configure, some of the commands can be tricky.
- Definitely the all of the ports should be labeled.
- Stacking modules should be in the front of the switch instead of the back of 9200.
- Console port should be in the front instead of the back of the 9200.
- Catalyst 9500 Series
They are forming the core switching for main branch corp office in the US region. They address the problems of converging the network core and linking our main hub sites.
- Reliability is key for 24/7 core network.
- Consistency of code structure and command base for configuration.
- Moving towards cloud based management with out complex software stack.
- Designated web UI where you can build config scripts with a GUI like on a ASDM.
Cisco Catalyst Switches Scorecard Summary
What is Cisco Catalyst Switches?
The Cisco Catalyst family of switches includes enterprise LAN access, distribution, and core switches. The vendor says the switches are designed for an entirely new era of intent-based networking, deliver stellar performance and functionality, and prepares a network for the future with breakthrough innovations for security, mobility, IoT, and the cloud.
Cisco Catalyst switches offer advanced security capabilities, scale for IoT, and cloud readiness.
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