Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series, another winner for an access layer switch.
June 01, 2022

Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series, another winner for an access layer switch.

David Peck | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches

The Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switch is our current access control layer device in the network, replacing the previous 2960X series catalyst switches. These switches allow us to provide physical connectivity to end-users and devices like wireless access points, end-user PCs, and printers. While allowing us to provide that access in a controlled manner by doing things like DHCP snooping, and storm-control.
  • High availability, the only down time is during maintenance.
  • Feature set, they do all the things we need in an access layer device.
  • Expandability, you can stack multiple switches together.
  • As with a lot of Cisco gear, price is always an area that could improve.
  • Initial power on time, a typical stack can take five minutes to power up.
  • More flexibility regarding network modules would be welcome.
  • One positive is uptime, which allows users to stay productive.
  • Manageability, reduces the time require to make network changes.
  • Feature set, keeps potential problems from interrupting users work.
We automate a great number of things in the network. Access layer switching (of which these switches are a part) is an area where we derive quite a bit of benefit due to automation. With hundreds of switches in the network that might require a change, you have to automate or you will find yourself with crazy amounts of manual work. We don't use them in any kind of virtualization, so I can't comment on that feature set.
We certainly customize our Catalyst 9200 switches. We deploy them using a gold master template that incorporates the features that we wish to use like storm-control and logging to a central destination, and DHCP snooping to keep rogue DHCP servers off the network. Authentication to the device is tied to our Cisco ISE servers, and NTP is targeted to our internal authoritative sources. These switches have all the good bits that one needs to safely and efficiently operate a network.
We stopped using the Cisco Catalyst 2960X series due to its age. The Catalyst 9200 Series is an excellent upgrade from the 2960X series. All the features that we were using in the 2960X platform are in the 9200 series. The 9200 series also has an improved flash memory that is faster than the 2960X. Also, the 9200 series support newer management features.

Do you think Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches's feature set?

Yes

Did Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches again?

Yes

The Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches are a good fit for access layer needs. Put them on the edge of your network and you will have what you need to connect a physical device to your network. I would not deploy them in places at the core of a network. They can be used in data centers as an edge connection device.