Guides
Written by our network consultants, with prices from our own range. Can't find the answer? Ask us – it costs nothing.
Switch, access point and firewall – and whether the network is managed from the cloud or on-premises.
The number of ports is rarely the hard part. What matters is the PoE budget, the uplink to the server and whether the network will grow. Here are three ready-made starting points with products we actually sell.
50 users rarely means 50 ports. Here we work through a typical office – desks, access points, phones and cameras – and show which switches are enough, with prices from our range.
Both are business switches with Cisco IOS XE and the same licensing model, but they differ in uplink speed, stacking and PoE budget. Here are the differences that actually affect the choice – and what they cost with us.
Three switch families that often end up on the same shopping list for smaller offices. They look similar on paper, but differ in management, licensing and stacking – and therefore in what they cost over time.
Cisco offers two ways to run the network: Meraki, managed entirely from the cloud, and Catalyst, managed locally or through Catalyst Center. The choice affects licence cost, skills required and how you troubleshoot.
Cisco access points come in two families: Meraki MR and Cisco Wireless CW91xx, where the new models can run with either Meraki or a Catalyst controller. Here is how to choose generation, model and mode.
Cisco has two firewall families with different philosophies. Meraki MX is simple and cloud-managed with built-in SD-WAN. Secure Firewall is a traditional next-generation firewall for those who want full control.
The Catalyst 2960-X, 3650 and 3850 are no longer sold, and support has ended or ends soon. Here is what Cisco names as successors, what is different – and the same for the Meraki MR access points that are being discontinued.
The C9350 and C9550 are Cisco's new Smart Switches: the same hardware can be managed locally or from the Meraki dashboard. Here is what they are, how they differ from the Catalyst 9300 and 9500, and when they fit.
What is needed on top of the hardware, what is already included and what it costs over time.
Many Cisco products need a licence or subscription on top of the hardware. Which one depends on the product. Here is an overview of the licences you see when adding products to the quote basket.
The Catalyst 9200 and 9300 switches require a subscription – Cisco DNA Essentials or Advantage (DNA-E and DNA-A in the part number). The price depends on tier, term and port count. The table shows our current prices for a 24-port Catalyst 9300, straight from our range.
Every Catalyst switch requires a subscription. The choice between Essentials and Advantage affects the price considerably, especially over 5 and 7 years. Here is what differs and when the more expensive option pays off.
What happens if a switch fails? Some cover is already included with the hardware and the licence. A support contract (Cisco Smart Net) adds help around the clock and faster replacement. Here is how the levels differ and which one suits you.
Part numbers, PoE, modules and transceivers – what decides whether the delivery works right away.
Cisco part numbers look cryptic, but every part means something: series, port count, port type, uplinks and licence. Once you can read them you can see at a glance whether a switch has PoE, how fast its uplinks are and what is included.
PoE lets access points, cameras and phones get power over the network cable. But every port has a maximum and the whole switch a total budget that depends on the power supply. Here is how to calculate.
Catalyst 9200, 9300 and 9300X ship without uplink ports – they sit on a module chosen separately. That lets the switch move from 1G to 10G, 25G or 100G without being replaced. Here is how to read the module names.
The wrong module is one of the most common reasons a delivery cannot be put into service right away. Here is how to choose correctly from the start.
The quickest way
If you are unsure what fits, just tell us how many you are and what you have today. We will get back to you with a proposal and price, usually the same business day.
