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Review of the features offered by the Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches -- Pro's and Con's (but mostly Pro's)
Updated August 03, 2023

Review of the features offered by the Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches -- Pro's and Con's (but mostly Pro's)

Garry Bowers | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Modules Used

  • Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Catalyst Switches

We are using the Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches at various buildings in our district. They are used at the IDF level and provide connectivity for labs and classroom environments. We have replaced [the] existing 2960-S series with these switches. Currently we have moved into the 9000 series switches which offer a tremendous bump in performance.
  • They provide affordable drops for classrooms and labs.
  • They provide PoE so we can supply our staff with VOIP phones without power bricks.
  • They easily replace existing 2960-S series switches.
  • If they could provide just a tad bit more PoE power that'd be great, but I do realize they are not the high-end switch solution.
  • ROI is very good and easy to obtain with Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches. They are an affordable solution.
  • Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches are an excellent choice for network density and PoE solutions.
  • The Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches are great replacement switches for older 2960 and 2960-S series switches.
We are now utilizing the back plane connectors on new switches we purchase, eliminating multiple management addresses, which has helped. Also we are moving into the ISE and DUO area's with the expectation of having a more secure environment. These will also allow us to monitor and manage almost all of our gear from a single console. We are quite excited about that.
We are just now starting to work with some of the management tools they have available. At this point I can not really offer much on this yet.
We considered Extreme Ethernet Switches and did ponder the option of purchasing one as a test unit. They made a comparable switch to the Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches, but we felt more confident in the fanless design of the Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches. Additionally, since we are a Cisco shop our technicians are very familiar with the Cisco line, and how to manage our Cisco gear. We did not want to introduce a new line of switch gear that would force them to learn how to manage them.

Do you think Cisco Catalyst Switches delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Cisco Catalyst Switches's feature set?

Yes

Did Cisco Catalyst Switches live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Cisco Catalyst Switches go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cisco Catalyst Switches again?

Yes

Cisco 9000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 9000), Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers, Cisco Firepower 2100 Series
These Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series switches are extremely affordable and do a very good job of providing multiple network drops and connectivity for labs, classrooms, and offices. Since they do provide PoE, they are excellent candidates for offices that require PoE for VOIP phones as well. They are easily managed and are great "replacement" switches. We have used them in certain scenarios where Access Points require PoE. In some instances, we have had to add a power brick, (long runs) but they will support AP's. A little more power per port would be better, but depending on the situation, they will work. Overall, I'd say they are a very good solution and would have no problem recommending them.

Cisco Catalyst Addtional Questions

  • Offer and provide network drop density.
  • Offer support and capability to provide PoE for VOIP services.
  • Be easily managed and configurable.
  • Price
Because of how our budget is managed and due to the fact that various pieces of equipment were scheduled to be replaced, we needed to find a solution that could provide the services we required and yet be the most economical. The Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches fit this need.

Using Cisco Catalyst Switches

1000 - Network connectivity to our students and staff, including VOIP phone services. They are an affordable replacement switch that can be slipped into IDF closes with very little pain or issues. They are easily managed and allow us to offer or maintain the level of connectivity a lab or classroom requires.
10 - A basic understanding of what the switch is doing or providing is required. Once they are comfortable with logging into a switch and recognize the basic code levels, it is fairly intuitive. With that said, it is much easier for someone who is familiar with the previous models of Cisco to just jump in.
  • We are able to place these fanless switches in areas that a normal switch may not be able to exist in.
  • They are affordable allowing us to offer network connectivity to areas that normally would not be offered network connectivity.
  • These switches work very well as replacement switches for our older Cisco 2900 series gear.
They are consistently reliable and this switch in particular is a very affordable solution. We can place the Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches gear in areas that we normally would not place a switch because it is affordable enough to make it justifiable. And because it is a reliable solution, we are confident it will continue to provide service over the long haul.

Evaluating Cisco Catalyst Switches and Competitors

Yes - We replaced our Cisco Catalyst 2960 and Cisco Catalyst 2960 S series switches due to age and end of life/support. We have several locations that simply needed network connectivity without the expense of the higher-level offerings. The Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches fit this need perfectly and was an affordable option.
If we had to do it again, the only real issue we have had is the power supplied via PoE per port. We would have possibly paid more attention to that. However, with that said, the Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches [do] provide adequate power for nearly all of our needs. Only on long hauls have we had any issues with Access Points.

Cisco Catalyst Switches Implementation

The implementation of the Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches is fairly seamless, especially if you are familiar with Cisco products. We have had Brocade switch gear in place too, and the differences between the manufacturers [are] not a major issue.
  • Implemented in-house
Change management was a minor issue with the implementation - We were prepared for some minor differences regarding configuration and the Cisco code. Once we learned the difference, it was not a difficult implementation.
  • Really the only significant issue we had was when we experienced the PoE issues on long-haul Access Point installations. We were able to work around the issue.

Cisco Catalyst Switches Training

  • In-Person Training
I prefer in person training. For me I understand things and the ability to ask someone helps. This particular training was a large class and it was a bit busy. However, I do prefer in person training to online. I have taken many online courses, and while they do offer a lot more info at an affordable price, there is sometimes a place for the personal touch.

Cisco Catalyst Switches Support

ProsCons
None
None
Because of the locations these switches were being placed into, we did not purchase the premium support. They are not placed in areas that are considered critical. We have spare gear in inventory that we will simply swap out and resolve the issue at a later date. It is a more affordable solution for us regarding the time to resolve a problem.
We've had no issue to date, so I can[not] provide an answer other than the product has been very dependable.
I honestly have not had to call upon Cisco support for any of our [Cisco Catalyst 1000 Series Switches] we've deployed at this point.

Using Cisco Catalyst Switches

ProsCons
Relatively simple
Easy to use
Technical support not required
Well integrated
Consistent
Quick to learn
Convenient
Feel confident using
Familiar
None
  • Basic management of the switch is very easy and simple to configure.
  • They are not particular[ly] difficult, just time consuming to setup ports, etc. The same that would be required for any manufacturer's configuration.
The fanless design is extremely handy [in] locations. We would not use this switch in areas that tend to get very warm over prolonged periods of time. The PoE is great especially for VOIP phones and does work with AP's. The only issue we have experienced with PoE that is possibly considered a negative is that on longer Access Point runs, we have had to add power bricks.

Cisco Catalyst Switches Reliability

We are exclusive Cisco at our organization. In truth part of the reason is, with one type of switch and one manufacturer, it is easier to support. It is also easier to give consistent training to our staff in our tech department.
We have very few is any outages due to a Cisco hardware failure. Some of our gear is exposed to some pretty harsh environments, and they keep on ticking!
My experience with the Cisco gear in our environment has been positive. Other manufacturers recognize our Cisco gear and we are able to integrate the different devices fine.

Integrating Cisco Catalyst Switches

It went well. I would not point fault to any of the manufacturers. It is simply an issue of going through the process with all of them and starting. Questions and issues come up with all of the them, but they do eventually come together.
  • Brocade
  • VMWare
  • Lightspeed
We integrated our Cisco core switches with our VM center environment which also included a Brocade core switch. All of those devices and systems did recognize each other, and allowed us to limit/allow traffic. All of the devices had no issue "talking" to each other. Once those devices were in place we needed to insert our Lightspeed web filter hardware in to our network. This required us to have the Lightspeed and the Cisco along with the Brocade to talk. There was initially some difficulty getting the Lightspeed to recognize the Brocade, so we routed through the Cisco to achieve the needed config.
We have no plans in the immediate future to expand. If we do, it will be to move our VM environment over to the Cisco blade services.
  • File import/export
  • Single Signon
Cisco offers a stable base the works exceptionally well with Cisco gear. With Cisco being a major player in the field, it is recognized by other major players and most smaller brands. Because of this, it integrates well with other manufacturers.

Relationship with Cisco

Because of our relationship with the State, we are eligible for "best" pricing. That combined with our Cisco partner we are pleased with the relationship. We negotiate service contracts that work hand in hand with the Smartnet offered by Cisco. This has made it much more comfortable for us when we run into issues that we need partner support, or even Cisco TAC support.
Every vendor and "customer" relationship is different. When we are required to bid out equipment we lean heavily on the partners location to our sites, as well as the size of the company. This comes into play later when emergencies crop up they have the ability to resolve the problem. Some smaller firms are excellent for specialized/custom support, often performing better than the big boys. The big boys have the advantage of getting gear, Cisco upper support and expanded hours of support. This is not to say smaller partners/vendors can not match the larger partners. It depends on the urgency of the repair and how quickly it has to be address and resolved.