Item: Juniper EX Series Switches
Rating: 9
Author: Diego Carmignani

Overall Satisfaction with Juniper EX Series Switches

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are using Juniper EX as access switches. In the past we used Cisco catalyst and HP but we needed a unique solution with carrier class grade without spend a lot of money. Juniper EX introduced also L3 features and Virtual Chassis solve multiple IPs that we need to manage

Pros and Cons

Pros

Stack - Virtual chassis
Commit feature
Strong OS

Cons

Upgrading OS requires 10-12 mins of downtime
OS boot is slow (around 7mins)
Switch off/on requires a commit

Return on Investment

Bought EX2200 in 2016 and we dismissed them after 8 years without issue to new models (just replacing switch)
They are bigger than other brands like HPe so we replaced some racks

Usability

CLI is simple to understand due JunOS is a standard in enterprise company. There is a lot of documentation on Juniper Website that can help in the most of situation without open a support request

Alternatives Considered

HPE Aruba Ethernet Switches and Cisco Catalyst Switches

Key Insights

Do you think Juniper EX Series Switches delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Juniper EX Series Switches's feature set?

Yes

Did Juniper EX Series Switches live up to sales and marketing promises?

Did implementation of Juniper EX Series Switches go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Juniper EX Series Switches again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance, Zabbix, Cisco Meraki MR Wireless Access Points

Likelihood to Recommend

I suggest to use Juniper EX in enterprise environment due a carries class grade. It has got a solid OS, solid components and they are simple to manage. You can use them to replace Cisco Catalyst or if you need L3 features in campus. They are less appropriate in small/mid company due they are not so cheap as HPe or other brand.

Juniper EX Series Switches Support

Support Rating

When you open ticket, normally a L2 support engineer request support file and give you a valid fast solution. They replace switch if no solution are available due to minimize downtime

Juniper EX Series Switches Customer Support Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed No escalation required Immediate help available Support understands my problem Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response	None

Comments

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Juniper EX as an alternative for Cisco Catalyst

Modules Used