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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs D-Link Ethernet Switches comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
135
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
D-Link Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
13th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 14.0%, down from 19.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of D-Link Ethernet Switches is 5.6%, up from 5.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Q&A Highlights

MW
May 02, 2021
 

Featured Reviews

Myint Aung - PeerSpot reviewer
Exceptional network support and AI integration drive performance while suggesting enhancements for future use cases
I work with both HyperFlex and other Cisco products. I prefer to make online support available because I can utilize my CCIE architect, solution consultant, and engineer team along with our account manager and product sales team. We can clarify requirements and decide how to support you. We should arrange a conference call about Cisco Ethernet Switches where I can invite my architect and consultant to clarify more about the features that are most beneficial for improving network efficiency. Today is AI day, and all the new firmware includes AI to optimize the performance, traffic, and security of Cisco Ethernet Switches. It's performing very well. With many solutions and vendors available, you have to decide on one. I am extremely satisfied with the licensing cost for Cisco Ethernet Switches. For the price of Cisco Ethernet Switches, I would rate it a 7. My overall rating for Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10 out of 10.
Daniel Kivuthi - PeerSpot reviewer
Fits well in networks, integrate well but initial setup needs trained people
I did not face any major challenges, but the only thing is that D-Link has to invest in training technicians or engineers who install their products. They have to keep training them. D-Link can offer free training, or maybe even if they are charged, it's some fair charge. That way, D-Link encourages many technicians to take that training. And when the team has trained technicians or trained engineers, then it becomes very easy to install the devices and put them in the network. The solution integrates very well with our existing network infrastructure. The initial setup is straightforward. But, again, I will insist: If it is handled by trained personnel, then you find that the integration and installation are easy. But when people try to install the switches or the solutions and they do not have the technical know-how, then it becomes a challenge. People start saying that it's not a good solution, that they are not working. Yet, it is the technician who does not know how to handle them.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The most valuable feature of Cisco Ethernet Switches is its hardware."
"Technical support is excellent. They are very helpful."
"Very stable solution with a very low failure rate."
"The product offers very good customer support. It's likely the best in the industry."
"The features that I have found most valuable are the core reliability and the switching group. All the features are very generic switching features with high reliability. That is the main key point I can highlight."
"As I am Cisco certified, I like the way that I can program them."
"The quality of service is one of the main reasons we use Cisco in our organization. It's quite high and very reliable. The switches also end up working for a long time, so there's less need to replace them as often as others. We have some switches in our company that has been running since 2006, for example. They are quite old, but they still work."
"In terms of most valuable feature, I would say the user interface."
"The initial setup of D-Link Ethernet Switches is very easy."
"The product is simple to manage."
"The main selling point for me was the pricing. Moreover, the performance is good. I haven't had any issues so far."
"D-Link has a graphical interface that is easy to use. It is simple enough that our junior technicians can configure the switches."
"There are no stability issues with D-Link Ethernet switches."
"These switches are very easy to install because there is no configuration."
"There are many good points about this product. Number one, they are very stable, and easy to configure and manage."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
 

Cons

"Cisco switches are good as they are, but it would be a major feature if they have built-in routers. Some of the Microchip switches have routers built in the same device. They have a router switch. For some of the sites, we deploy such switches because the client does not want a separate router and a separate switch. So, we go for a router switch with maybe 24 ports. Some of them are fiber, and some of them are ethernet. It would be a major improvement to what Cisco is already doing. Behind the scenes, a lot of scripting and stuff like this is happening. A lot of workload can be lifted if Cisco had a good GUI. If you look at Microchip switches, they have a good GUI in addition to the CLI."
"Cisco needs to include new features to attract new customers."
"We are less in the Cloud because the Cloud technologies didn't work so well. That happened in all of the companies where I've been engaged."
"Cisco has a lot of propriety protocols compared to other products, such as Arista Networks."
"The product could improve in the area of simulated switches."
"I haven't heard from my engineers that they said it's excellent."
"We'd like the pricing to be lowered."
"They need to offer free replacements until the end of life for devices."
"Currently, D-Link Ethernet Switches are often not used in large data centers due to issues with performance and scalability."
"The technical support needs a lot of improvement."
"There is room for improvement in terms of stability."
"The solution needs better local support."
"Areas of the solution that have room for improvement include scalability, as it should improve both scaling and security."
"This solution is not good for distribution at the core."
"It should be more stable, and it should have good integration with the cloud. It should support configuration, supervision, and control through the cloud."
"They need to have some more high-end switches."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The last time I bought a 24-port switch, which was a while ago, I paid about five or six thousand Euros. In this part of the world, that's quite expensive for us."
"We get the SMARTnet and one of the switches has that Cisco ONE licensing. It's probably running about $12,000 a year right now."
"When you compare with other products, they are more or less the same price."
"While Cisco's pricing can be a concern, particularly with support fees, its overall features and support community make it a solid choice."
"Customers have to pay for some of the L3 switches licenses, which are expensive."
"The pricing for individual use is expensive but partners receive discounts of 70-80 percent for high-end use."
"There are different licensing based on the model of the solution."
"The product is expensive."
"The solution is budget-friendly"
"It has a good return on investment. It has indeed saved us resources significantly."
"The solution's pricing is reasonable."
"These units vary in price from $200 to one thousand dollars. They're available for a one-time purchase."
"They were cheap. We were not paying for any license."
"It is an affordable solution."
"This product is very affordable, especially compared to Cisco."
"The price of D-Link Ethernet Switches is in the 4,000 to 5,000 rupees or 65 to 100 USD range. The price of the solution is not expensive."
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Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Answers from the Community

MW
May 2, 2021
May 2, 2021
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the other hand, which model of the Dlink brand do you want to use?1) is equivalent in functions?2) are all the functions of the Cisco equipment used?3) Do you already have the IT expert to install and con...
2 out of 5 answers
EB
Apr 28, 2021
Hi @Manish Nalawade , @Phillip Peerman ​and @Devanand PR. Could you assist @Mesfin Workneh?
Luis Apodaca - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 28, 2021
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the other hand, which model of the Dlink brand do you want to use?1) is equivalent in functions?2) are all the functions of the Cisco equipment used?3) Do you already have the IT expert to install and configure it?4) Will the new equipment suggested in Dlink use all the functions you need?Most of the time, the consideration of changing the equipment is because its useful life has come to an end, the technology is no longer the best available, or it broke down due to some overload, in these cases the first criterion to decide is always the cost economic, but the ideal is to see the big picture and look at the overall cost-benefitIt does not matter that the Dlink equipment is more economical, in these times many brands have economic equipment and that rival in capabilities with the leading brands you can have confidence in itAs a result of this, the same Cisco brand already has a line (Catalyst 1000) that presents the same cost benefit as the equipment of the others with lower price rangesfinally my personal recommendation is any brand of the followinga) Ubiquiti Edge or ubiquiti Unifib) Cisco Catalyst 1000c) TPLink Omadad) Aruba instant onGood luck.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Healthcare Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...
What do you like most about D-Link Ethernet Switches?
D-Link has a good VPN feature and quality of service.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for D-Link Ethernet Switches?
D-Link Ethernet Switches are 30% cheaper than Cisco switches. Pricing has not been a concern since it is already included in the capex.
What needs improvement with D-Link Ethernet Switches?
Currently, I have no issues with D-Link Ethernet Switches nor any new features needed at the moment.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
George Mason University, Somerville House, Hiperwall, New Brunswick School District 16, The Fulcrum Group, Bremond Independent School District, University of Texas Health Science Center, Grand Canyon Skywalk, SUN Area Career & Technology Center, Abington Senior High School
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. D-Link Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
856,278 professionals have used our research since 2012.