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Cisco Catalyst Switches
June 15, 2023

Cisco Catalyst Switches

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

Modules Used

  • Cisco Catalyst 3560 - CX
  • Cisco Catalyst 2960 X/XR Series
  • Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series
  • Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Catalyst Switches

We use Cisco Switches for our access layer to connect our end devices to the network.
  • They allow granular customization.
  • They have a world renowned CLI that is very easy to learn.
  • They are solid and reliable devices.
  • They do not seem to be progressing into the future as quickly as other switches with simple plug and play configuration.
  • The licensing is always a nightmare with Cisco.
  • Management does not seem to be getting easier either unless you are using something else to manage them.
  • The switches are reliable, which is positive if you don’t have to worry about them failing.
  • There is a lot of manual labor that goes into managing and maintaining this gear, which would be a negative ROI.
  • The customization aspect is there if you need it, which would be positive ROI depending on your business needs. For example, if you need fast convergence times for routing, you can configure Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP).
I prefer the simplicity of Meraki switches. They are cheaper, easier to use, and the licensing makes more sense to me. It was a bit harder to troubleshoot STP issues, but simple device troubleshooting was super easy. It was a better choice for an enterprise environment even if you lost the ability to dig deep into things.

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?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy Cisco Catalyst Switches again?

Yes

I think Cisco Switches are solid gear for small to mid-size environments, but they are becoming harder to maintain in large environments. Cisco has tools out there to try and help, but they have gone nuts with tools with a skewed view on what integration means to where the tools are more of a problem than they are helpful.

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