Works as expected
Updated March 13, 2025
Works as expected
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Modules Used
- Cisco Network Convergence System 2000 Series
- Cisco Network Convergence System 4000 Series
Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Optical Networking
We use Cisco Optical Networking solutions to manage high-capacity data transmission across our organization’s network infrastructure. The product plays a key role in ensuring reliable connectivity between data centers and remote sites, supporting both internal operations and customer-facing services.
Our primary use case involves leveraging Cisco’s dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) technology to maximize bandwidth efficiency. This allows us to transmit large volumes of data over existing fiber infrastructure without the need for additional physical cabling. As a result, we’ve improved network scalability while controlling costs. The solution addresses several critical business problems, such as reducing downtime through enhanced redundancy and ensuring low-latency data transfer for performance-sensitive applications. It has also improved our ability to meet growing bandwidth demands without overhauling our core infrastructure.
Our primary use case involves leveraging Cisco’s dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) technology to maximize bandwidth efficiency. This allows us to transmit large volumes of data over existing fiber infrastructure without the need for additional physical cabling. As a result, we’ve improved network scalability while controlling costs. The solution addresses several critical business problems, such as reducing downtime through enhanced redundancy and ensuring low-latency data transfer for performance-sensitive applications. It has also improved our ability to meet growing bandwidth demands without overhauling our core infrastructure.
Pros
- Convergence of IP and optical networking
- Port scalability especially using 400G ports
- Packet optical solution
Cons
- Bugs on software IOS XR
- Migration from legacy gears
- Cost of NCS and new gen is too steep compared to competitors
- Evpn superior convergence
- End-to-end service orchestration
- Recent QSFP-DD has helped with line card port density
- Reduced price/port has helped to increase capacity
- Cheaper port cost has enhanced more redundancy and lesser downtime
- Optical Network management has lowered man-power for maintenance
- Ciena Waveserver, Cisco 5000 Series Enterprise Network Compute System (ENCS 5000) and Nokia 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS)
We selected Cisco Optical Networking after evaluating alternatives such as Ciena, Nokia, and Infinera. Cisco stood out for its seamless integration with our existing network infrastructure, which already relied heavily on Cisco solutions. This made deployment and management significantly easier. The Cisco NCS 2000 series offered flexible ROADM capabilities, allowing us to scale bandwidth dynamically without extensive infrastructure changes. Additionally, Cisco’s Evolved Programmable Network Manager (EPNM) provided intuitive management and automation, streamlining provisioning and monitoring tasks. While Ciena’s WaveLogic Ai impressed us with its adaptive modulation and Nokia’s 1830 PSS offered strong scalability, both required more complex configurations that didn’t align as well with our existing setup. Infinera’s GX Series excelled in long-haul capacity, but Cisco’s modular design better suited our evolving bandwidth needs. Ultimately, Cisco Optical Networking provided the best combination of scalability, integration ease, and operational efficiency, making it the ideal choice for our organization.
Do you think Cisco Optical Networking delivers good value for the price?
Yes
Are you happy with Cisco Optical Networking's feature set?
Yes
Did Cisco Optical Networking live up to sales and marketing promises?
I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process
Did implementation of Cisco Optical Networking go as expected?
Yes
Would you buy Cisco Optical Networking again?
Yes
Using Cisco Optical Networking
40 - Cisco Optical Networking supports critical business functions such as data center interconnection, disaster recovery, and high-speed data transport for enterprise applications. It plays a key role in ensuring seamless connectivity between remote offices, supporting cloud services, and enabling bandwidth-intensive tasks like video conferencing, large-scale data backups, and real-time analytics. By providing reliable, low-latency communication across sites, it helps maintain business continuity, improve collaboration, and enhance overall network performance for both internal and customer-facing services.
50 - Supporting Cisco Optical Networking requires a team with expertise in network engineering, optical technologies, and system administration. Network engineers with experience in DWDM, ROADM, and fiber optics are essential for designing, deploying, and troubleshooting optical links. Professionals skilled in Cisco platforms, particularly those with certifications like Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) or Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) in service provider or optical networking tracks, are valuable. Additionally, administrators familiar with Cisco’s Evolved Programmable Network Manager (EPNM) are crucial for managing and automating network operations. Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to handle complex network configurations are also key to ensuring optimal performance and uptime.
- Cisco Optical Networking plays a crucial role in several key use cases. First, it supports data center interconnection, ensuring high-capacity, low-latency communication between multiple data centers to maintain seamless data replication and disaster recovery.
- enables high-bandwidth connectivity for critical applications, such as real-time analytics, large-scale data transfers, and cloud services.
- One unexpected yet innovative way we’ve leveraged Cisco Optical Networking is by utilizing its flexible ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer) capabilities to dynamically allocate bandwidth during peak demand periods.
- This allowed us to prioritize critical applications, such as video conferencing or large data transfers, without manual intervention.
- Support 5G network backhaul for faster, low-latency mobile data transfer.
- Enable edge computing with high-capacity, low-latency connections.
Evaluating Cisco Optical Networking and Competitors
- Cloud Solutions
- Scalability
- Ease of Use
If we had to do it again, we would place more emphasis on conducting pilot tests with multiple solutions to evaluate real-world performance under our specific conditions. We would also engage with vendor support teams earlier in the evaluation process to better understand integration challenges and long-term serviceability. Additionally, we would focus more on cost-benefit analysis, including long-term operational costs and scalability, to ensure we choose the most efficient and cost-effective solution for future growth.
Cisco Optical Networking Implementation
- Third-party professional services
Infosys
Change management was a big part of the implementation and was well-handled
- Aligning Cisco Optical Networking with existing non-Cisco systems required additional customization.
- Setting up advanced features like ROADM and DWDM involved a steep learning curve.
Cisco Optical Networking Training
Cisco Optical Networking Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Quick Resolution Knowledgeable team | Poor followup |
Yes, we purchased premium support for Cisco Optical Networking. The decision was based on the need for faster response times, prioritized access to expert resources, and more comprehensive troubleshooting. With critical network infrastructure depending on the product, premium support ensures minimal downtime and quicker resolution of issues, which is vital for maintaining business continuity. The added value of proactive monitoring and early issue detection also made it a worthwhile investment.
There was a time when we faced a critical network outage due to a configuration issue in our Cisco NCS 2000 series optical network. The issue was affecting our data center interconnect, and we needed an immediate resolution. We reached out to Cisco’s premium support, and within hours, they provided us with a dedicated expert who guided us through the troubleshooting process. They quickly identified the root cause, helped us implement a solution, and ensured that the network was back online with minimal downtime. Their expertise and fast response prevented any major disruption to our operations, and the follow-up support ensured everything continued running smoothly.
Using Cisco Optical Networking
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Easy to use | Unnecessarily complex |
- Bandwidth provisioning – Easily scale bandwidth with flexible ROADM capabilities.
- Network monitoring – Intuitive dashboards and automated alerts through EPNM.
- Integration with third-party systems
- Troubleshooting under load
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