cisco vs non-cisco network equipment

[jimmyhaha]

for administrator and ppl with expeience...

I realize that cisco product is more expensive than comparable product, which has similar feature

Is using cisco product worth the extra for its brand and reputation and its unique IOS configurability ?

 

[spidey07]

IMHO, yes. There are really only a few companies that can compete - foundry and extreme.

The features, performance and ease of use with cisco gear stands pretty good against the other two. All three offer good products, all three offer gear that might not match up against the competitors - but when you factor in interoperability, support and development, Cisco has a slight edge.

Then again...I'm biased. I've used stuff from every manufacturer out there - kalpana, cabletron, bay, wellfleet, proteon, cisco, foundry, extreme, 3com, asante (yuck).

 

[Rainsford]

Out of all the equipment I've used and trained with, I'd say Cisco is the "best" because of the easy to use, yet very powerful IOS. I'd also rely on Cisco equipment for anything and recommend it to others simply because I've never had a problem with it, or heard of others that have had major problems with it. When you start looking at cheaper companies out there, that is often not the case. And spidey is right, stay away from asante like the plague.

 

[pcmark]

If you're talking high end stuff, don't forget Juniper. They are Cisco's biggest competition for ISP class routers, and they just kick butt.