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2960-X in Print Manufacturing
December 08, 2020

2960-X in Print Manufacturing

Jamie Bibbs | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Modules Used

  • Cisco Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Catalyst Switches

  • Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series
We have 4 Catalyst switch stacks (12 2960x's total).

These allowed us to achieve 10gb links back to the main stack across the facility. Simple vlanning and link aggregation configurations are pretty easy to get up and running. Spanning Tree protocol features were another feature we were looking for, but it can be a pain point sometimes getting devices links to come up.
  • Throughput.
  • Uptime.
  • Feature rich.
  • Spanning Tree weirdness. A single device attached to my switch often won't get a link until it's restarted while attached to the switch. Reached out to support and got no traction.
  • Network stays up, so workers can keep working.
We are in print manufacturing, we really don't use many of these features. The only automation I ever use is scheduling tasks to fire off at a later time. I didn't originally purchase these switches, and if I had been part of the purchase decision I may have opted for another product for this use case. I really enjoy Catalyst switches but for what they're used for here, they are likely overkill.
I have a few vlans and port channels set up, being able to change those parameters on the fly and bring interfaces up and down remotely has been a huge time saver. The information you can get on each port and their attached clients has also been a priceless tool.
I actually wasn't part of the purchase decision on these devices. I have been purchasing Ubiquiti switches for personal usage, and might consider doing that when the time comes to refresh. I'll of course take a look at what Cisco has to offer, as I've had a good experience with their products. Cisco Switches are great but Ubiquiti management is much more user friendly. I guess it depends on the use-case and the operator's comfort level.

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

Not sure

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

Yes

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

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Cisco Catalyst Switches go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy Cisco Catalyst Switches again?

Yes

Any situation where you need reliable stackable switching devices that support 10gbe uplinks. Catalysts are kind of my go-to.

Cheaper options available that do the same thing by other vendors, so I guess they may not be appropriate for companies on a budget. Also the Cisco stuff seems to be a bit less user friendly and require more of a learning curve, so I suppose the operating IT Staff's skill level is a factor too.