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Cisco Catalyst Switches

Score9.3 out of 10

1,056 Reviews and Ratings

What is Cisco Catalyst Switches?

Cisco's Catalyst is one of that company's brand of network switches.

Read more details.

Categories & Use Cases

Media

Cisco Catalyst Switches
Screenshot of Catalyst 9200 Series
Screenshot of Catalyst 9300 Series
Screenshot of Catalyst 9400 Series
Screenshot of Catalyst 9400 Series Additional View
Screenshot of Catalyst 9500 Series
Screenshot of Catalyst 9600 Series
Screenshot of Catalyst 9600 Series Additional View

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Pros

  • Robust reliability and consistent uptime in mission-critical environments
  • Straightforward deployment and configuration, including simplified code upgrades
  • Extensive connectivity options for diverse network access and device integration

Cons

  • High pricing and overall cost compared to competitor offerings
  • Prolonged boot times, especially during patching or power cycling
  • Software bugs and stability issues, particularly with IOS-XE and stacking

Cisco Catalyst Switches Secure and Connected!

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use the catalyst switches everywhere! They keep us connected from the core to the edge. And configuring was fairly easy. We are upgrading pretty much all of our switches to Catalysts. With module connections at 10+ Gig we are set for years to come. Also with multigig we can connect our wireless and know that our endpoints are at the best connection!

Pros

  • Connection Speed
  • initial setup is fairly easy
  • Replacement is easier

Cons

  • I know they are trying to be compact, but do they have to be so tight? Hard to get your fingers in once all the cables are wired up!
  • LED lights could be positioned differently to make it easier to see them.
  • Power cable management could use a little better design.

Return on Investment

  • I wish things didn't go end of life, but I understand the fast-paced, ever-evolving technology.
  • Being able to easily deploy quickly is key
  • Having support right there for issues makes like you made a good investment.

Alternatives Considered

Vidcast by Webex Leap, Webex App, Webex Calling, Webex Contact Center, Webex Meetings, Cisco Catalyst 9100 Access Points, Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers, Cisco Catalyst Switches, Cisco Room Series, Cisco Headsets and Deskpro

Other Software Used

Cisco Desk Camera, Webex App, Vidcast by Webex Leap

Cisco product review

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are using Cisco Catalyst Switches 9300/Cisco 9500 in our Campus environment, they are helping us keep the production environment up 100% and the hardware failure rate is super low which helps us achieve our SLA.

Pros

  • c9300
  • c9200
  • c9500

Cons

  • Chassis switches should be introduced
  • Switches with higher poe should be introduced as now the requirements are changing

Return on Investment

  • Uptime is super important for us, with Cisco we have been able to achieve that so far
  • Negative impact, Cisco is introducing golden image with bugs in them which causes issues, they need to work on IOS testing before recommending to the customer

Alternatives Considered

Aruba Cloud Data Center Outsourcing

Other Software Used

IP Fabric, SolarWinds Access Rights Manager (ARM), NetFlow Optimizer

Cisco C9300X-24Y Review

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Currently, at our multi-building school district, we are utilizing a Cisco C9300X-24Y as our main fiber distribution switch to the rest of the locations. Honestly this has been a wonderful change since the previous switch we had implemented started to have PSU/ board issues and no options for expansion modules or PSU swaps. We're planning on introducing another Catalyst series switch at another location hopefully in the near future!

Pros

  • Reliability
  • Modular
  • Ease of use

Cons

  • Price
  • More modular expansion bays

Return on Investment

  • N/A

Alternatives Considered

Cisco Meraki Dashboard, Cisco Meraki MR Wireless Access Points and Cisco Meraki MS

Other Software Used

Cisco Meraki Dashboard

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are using them for access, distribution, and core switches across our customer's enterprise networks. They offer great flexibility to support both simple and complex solutions. They are also very reliable with very few issues or downtime.

Pros

  • Flexibility to support many solutions or designs
  • Very reliable with low failure rates
  • Verify scalable, stacking technology allows for easy growth options

Cons

  • Ease of software upgrades and maintenance
  • Native cloud management

Return on Investment

  • ROI by allowing us to stack switches as needed and better meet requirements based on port density
  • Less downtime, the newer Cisco Catalyst Switches have had a much better Mean Time Between Failures. Our maintenance windows with software upgrades has also been much improved.
  • Great resiliency options to help with keeping everything up and running

Cisco Catalyst Switches

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We have two for the front end of our internal network. We have used Cisco Catalyst Switches for years and cannot say much against them. Their products are easy to use, and they have great support. Their scalability is also a reason why we went with them.

Pros

  • Ease of use
  • Speed
  • Reliability
  • Scalability
  • Support

Return on Investment

  • Worth the Money
  • Reliable
  • Salability

Other Software Used

Cisco AnyConnect, Cisco Meraki MS, Cisco Duo, Cisco Meraki Dashboard