Cisco Calalyst Review
Updated June 14, 2022
Cisco Calalyst Review
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Catalyst Switches
- Catalyst 3650 Series
- Catalyst 3850 Series
- Catalyst 6800 Series
We are using Cisco Catalyst switches in our Local Area Network as well as for our Data Centre networking requirements. Cisco Catalyst switches provides us with the required Ethernet integration for connecting our end-users to our server infrastructure. Our access switches has Power over Ethernet (PoE) capability and can power our VoIP phones, wireless access points etc.
- Stability and Reliability - We have not had many failures over the past years using Cisco Catalyst switches.
- Flexibility - Cisco Catalyst switches offers a wide portfolio of switching equipment which can address a variety of needs. This includes switches with stacking and non-stacking capability, fixed rackmount and chassis options which can be mounted in data centre racks and and also compact switching which may be more feasible for small SOHO offices.
- Scalable Performance - Cisco Catalyst switches offers various port speeds from 1Gbps 10Gbps, 100Gbps etc. This is available in both copper (RJ45) and fibre (SFP). Many models also offer a variety of uplink speed options which future proofs the invest in Cisco technologies allowing us to upgrade depending on our changing business requirements and available budgets.
- Pricing - Cisco Catalyst typically costs more than other brands.
- Ease of Use - Cisco Catalyst still rely a lot on command line. Having a power GUI interface will be welcomed.
- Flexibility of the uplink port modules offered by some of the Catalyst models extends the use of these switches into the future.
- Flexibility of the line cards offered by the Catalyst chassis models extends the use of these switches into the future.
- The availability of Redundant Power Supplies on many Catalyst models makes these switches resilient in event a power supply fails.
- Redundant FANs are available on many Catalyst chassis models and prevents these switches from overheating in event a FAN fails.
- Cisco Catalyst switches can be integrated with both Cisco Prime Infrastructure and Cisco DNA Centre to provide Centralized Management of the environment.
We have only used the standard features of the Cisco Catalyst switches which were good for our requirements.
Cisco Catalyst provides a wide range of switches under the Catalyst portfolio which can be suitably deployed in many areas of the networking environment.
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?
I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process
Did implementation of Cisco Catalyst Switches go as expected?
Yes
Would you buy Cisco Catalyst Switches again?
Yes
Cisco Catalyst Addtional Questions
- LAN Connectivity
- PoE Connectivity to Phones
- Branch Office and End-User Connectivity
- Price
- Product Features
- Product Usability
- Product Reputation
- Prior Experience with the Product
Cisco Catalyst Switching have earned a very solid reputation and is known to be a reliable product. Due to the broad Cisco Catalyst portfolio there is a switch which can be used in most areas of an organization i.e. from the Data Centre wiring closet to providing end-user and wireless connectivity.
Follow Cisco's implementation guides.
No, I have experience with this product so I only read their online datasheets and referenced some Cisco user forums.
Using Cisco Catalyst Switches
100 - Accounting, Sales, HR and Consulting
2 - Cisco certified skills is preferred to support the Cisco Catalyst Switches. A resource(s) with a CCNA or CCNP certification would be sufficient in your support team.
- Cisco DNA
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Switch Stacking / Cisco Stackwise
- Digital transformation
- Security Enforcement
- Network Simplification and Consolidation
- Network Standardization on Cisco Catalyst Switches
Evaluating Cisco Catalyst Switches and Competitors
Spend some more time doing research on the latest technologies and compare features of each Cisco Catalyst model.
Cisco Catalyst Switches Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response | None |
Yes, we did in order to receive the latest updates and technical support from Cisco, thus protecting our investment.
There was a time when one of the switches became faulty and Cisco had it replaced with a new one.
Using Cisco Catalyst Switches
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Well integrated Quick to learn Feel confident using Familiar | Requires technical support |
- Initial Setup and Powering Up the Device
- Advanced System Configuration
- Ability to use the CLI or GUI Interface for configuration
- PoE Functionality is seamless when powering PoE devices
- Its abit more expensive than other brands
- Support Service is an optional addon and not included as a standard which can increase significantly the cost depending on the support service selected