TrustRadius Insights for HPE Networking Switches are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, third party data sources.
Pros
Durable Build: Several users have praised the HP switches for their solid construction and durability, with many stating that they have proven reliable even in challenging environments such as manufacturing plants and hot deserts.
Dependability: Numerous reviewers have highlighted the dependability of HP switches, mentioning that they have experienced no issues with lockups, unknown transmission, dead ports, or firmware updates. This reliability has instilled confidence in users when it comes to the performance of these switches.
Affordability and Ease of Deployment: Many customers appreciate the affordability of HP switches compared to Cisco alternatives. Additionally, they value the fact that these switches do not require proprietary training, allowing for quicker deployment and cost savings. This combination makes them a suitable choice for various budgets and ensures a wider range of support options.
We have a few HPE Networking Switches deployed across our organization. They are used as the backbone switches in our main network. They are an more of an enterprise level switch for high traffic load, which is the reason we chose to use them at the points with the highest average load.
Pros
Easy to configure
Easy to manage
Fast network switching
Cons
Not always fully intuitive
Likelihood to Recommend
HPE Networking Switches are great for most any scenario. They are great with low network load and also high network load. They are not exactly the cheapest solution, so they aren't suited for budget conscious users. They are made to work 24/7 with no interruptions, and they have lived up to that promise for us.
Verified User
Professional in Information Technology (51-200 employees)
We've used a number of different HPE switches over the years, mainly for some of our customer premises where we provide some networking support. The large number of different models and feature sets means there's something for all use cases, and they tend to be well-built and reliable. We use everything from fully managed, 48-port models to small, low power 4 port devices, depending on what level of complexity is required. We're so used to them, it makes network management and maintenance pretty painless.
Pros
Well priced. There's something for all budgets.
Choice of managed and unmanaged models. Not all of our customers require (or want to pay for) managed switches, but many do.
Tons of features on the higher end models.
Cons
I'd love to see some form of command-line access and management be introduced to the lower-end models. That's pretty much goes for all manufacturers, to be fair.
Some of the models with fans can be quite loud. This won't be much of a problem if it's tucked away in a server room with other equipment, but you should do some research if you want something for the office.
Multiple product lines and large variety of models can lead to some overlap in product choice. This isn't a bad thing as such, but if you mix product lines you lose some of the benefits of having unified management tools, etc.
Likelihood to Recommend
People with more specialist requirements than myself may have more reason to look elsewhere, but in general, we tend to pick a HPE switch of one model or other for most office deployments we do. The choice of managed, unmanaged, advanced features, etc., means there's something for everyone. We support several offices relying on them, and no disasters yet!
Verified User
Employee in Information Technology (1-10 employees)
We use HPE network switches in our data closets as well for our layer 3 routing. We have been very happy with their high up time and low maintenance. As an industry standard and ease of management I find it hard to beat an HPE switch. As a small to medium sized business being able to deploy a device and just have it work is very reassuring and a time saver for limitted IT resources.
Pros
They have a great warranty, and we rarely need to use it.
Always been professional class even on the lower end models. Giving us the management and control we wanted.
Ease of management. The combination of GUI, and command menu, made learning to manage HP switches easy.
Cons
The Enterprise management software always seemed less intuitive than the default software.
More of the parts could be supported across a wider variety of models.
Add-on modules should be cheaper than buying a new switch with modules already installed. So they could really do to serve their customers better with pricing options.
Likelihood to Recommend
In our small to medium business we made HPE switches our staple data closet switch and also our core layer 3 for routing. The reliability, stability, and ease of management were all key factors for our size business with limited IT resources. Many of the switches would be up for over a year, and then only down for patching. Several of our switches are probably 7 or 8 or more years old and still doing what we need them to do.
Verified User
Engineer in Information Technology (51-200 employees)
We use HPE switches throughout our entire organization campus wide. We chose HP because of their quality and dependability but most importantly was their affordability. HP provides an affordable solution which meets our needs in our entire network. They are very well built and hold up to some very warm temperatures we experience in our summer months. They have well exceeded their life expectancy.
Pros
They are easy to configure using CLI or GUI interfaces.
They are very reasonably priced.
Cons
The ability to find firmware images or other resources could be a lot easier.
Nothing else I can think of.
Likelihood to Recommend
Our HPE Networking Switches work and hold up well in our hot and humid environment. Even in some of our closets with poor ventilation, our HP switches have seemed to hold up.
We use a range of HP switches across all of our companies, from our Data centers, remote office locations, and to network manufacturing equipment. HP Provides a quality, dependable, affordable solution that gives us the needs expected of a network today, without the burden of a heavy expense or proprietary training.
Pros
Quality: The HP switches are built very well. In the 12 years that I have been working with Procurve, I have deployed them in challenging environments. Some of these environments include manufacturing plants, rooms where ventilation is somewhat poor, causing the switch to work at warmer temps, and inside of control panels for various engineering projects located in hot deserts. These switches have lasted me for 10+ years. 6-Months ago I had to replace a switch for a friend that was installed in 2010. The switch was still working when we pulled it from the rack, we just needed to move to a POE model.
Dependability: Working with HP switches, I have never had issues with lockups, unknown transmission, dead ports, or firmware updates. Once you put one in, it stays up until you are ready to replace it.
Affordable: My motivation of going with HP is because I don't care for the cost of Cisco or the need for a proprietary training. I am a big fan of the open platform. This means that we are able to deploy these quicker, save money on the expense, and have a greater range of support. We get everything we need from a modern switch, without breaking the bank.
Cons
The product itself is great! Where I would like to see a major improvement is the HP web site. The ability to find firmware images or other resources could be a lot easier.
Would love a software or tools that streamlined the upgrade of the firmware. Not that it is hard now, but something that would work in the middle for getting the new firmware, and then pushing it to the switch.
Likelihood to Recommend
My experience with HP switches is that there is a solution for every need, whether it be in a clean Datacenter, dusty environment with poor ventilation, or the desert, HP holds up.
