Cisco 550X Series Stackable Managed Switches vs. D-Link Ethernet Switches

It works very well as stack of core switches in small/medium company with 4x 10Gbit SFP+ interfaces. Native stacking is simple and in ring topology every switch has 2 redundant connections. They support maximum of 8 units per stack. You could use Cisco SG500X in hybrid stack with other series of switches, but make sure if other switch is compatible with hybrid mode stacking. Hybrid stack mode lower the number of units in stack. You should consider other model of switches if you need more then four SFP+ ports to connect more access switches using fiber cables.

Incentivized

In our head office where there is a low dust environment, it best suits this use. But in a plant where there is a dusty environment, you may face in and outs and the Network team may be in a bit of a hurdle.

Incentivized

• Easy to create stacking
• Easy to configure using web interface or command line
• Similar command line to Cisco IOS

Incentivized

• Pricing for sure. You get leading industry equipment but affordable prices.
• Warranty. Even tho it is affordable Dlink does not skimp on your warranty.
• Performance. Again even tho it is affordable you are getting a top performing network.

Incentivized

• Missing command line options like show running-config "| include, exlude"
• Possibility to connect to switch using usb console cable or usb dongle
• Missing vtp protocol support, only gvrp available

Incentivized

• VLAN's management could be easier if POS for management were available.
• Configuration in CMD mode like Cisco.
• There are issues when configurations are complex. A little network monitoring tool (GUI based) must be used.

Incentivized

Overall, the product is great and we have configured it at our plant and head offices. It is a great product to use and can be configured with minimal efforts and minimal qualifications required. The network engineer doesn't;t need to be a specialized person but needs to be a well aware person so that he may configure it.

Incentivized

We have never used D-Link support services for our ethernet switches. We only looked for new firmware from their website, which was available for most of the models that are being used in our environment. Other than that, the official blogs and community pages of D-Link support were very helpful for small issues related to different features like NTP, stp, etc.

Incentivized

Cisco 550X switches stack using 10Gbit SFP+ ports on the front, while Dell N Series has dedicated ports (with cables) on the back of the unit. On the other hand dell N switches has number on small digital display showing stack member number, which is easier to identify. The cisco switches has dot beside the number of the switch member. I think Cisco devices are more reliable and stable than dell switches.

Incentivized

For the use we have proposed for DE-Links (use in locations with difficult access, or for expanding the network inside rooms), its main advantage is its low price. It has a large part of the competitors' functionalities, of course, in a simpler way, but serving efficiently and at a lower price.

Incentivized

• Money savings as they are cheaper than competative Cisco IOS switches
• Cisco Business Switches has limited lifetime warranty
• Good switching capacity, and reliability

Incentivized

• It has low impact on budget.
• It has caused loops in the network.
• Sometimes the GUI hangs and switch becomes unavailable.

Incentivized