Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] and Dell PowerSwitch N-Series are both solutions in the LAN Switching category. Additionally, 90% of Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 75% of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series users who would recommend it.

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

Read 34 Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] reviews

90% willing to recommend

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

Read 4 Dell PowerSwitch N-Series reviews

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1,117 Comparison Views

75% willing to recommend

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] and Dell PowerSwitch N-Series based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Extreme Networks and others in LAN Switching.

To learn more, read our detailed LAN Switching Report (Updated: October 2026).

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LAN Switching

October 2026

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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

Dell PowerConnect Switches ...

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

8.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

3.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

LAN Switching (9th)

Featured Reviews

LarsEvans

Chief Technology Officer / Chief Information Security Officer at Lorton Data, Inc.

Reliable and useful for network segmentation

The solution's most valuable feature stands up well. The tool is reliable, and it stands up well. The solution works fine and lasts a long time. I think if you speak about the features that have a flow and you can measure, it is hard to say. I don't spend a lot of my time with the tool, but I know that Dell APEX is the solution's cloud. I would say the VLAN features are important. The VLAN features are really useful because network segmentation is important. I would say the tool is easy to program. I don't know if the tool has any security features that I am aware of other than the fact that the solution is for networking. The VLAN and the ability to segment your networks are easy, which is its security feature.

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Mahendra Basera

Sr. Engineer at InterGlobe Technology Quotient

Reliable switching has supported secure audits and simplified long-term data center operations

Deploying Dell PowerSwitch N-Series on HA is very simple and easy. If we face any problem, we have our Dell support team to help us during the installation. They provide L2 engineers for supporting us on configuring the basic level configuration, stacking, and peering with others on HA. They have helped us with any faults or hardware issues, and we have taken high level care packs with three hour response time and same day hardware replacement. When we talk about the deployment of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series, when we extended our data center from starting from scratch, we had at that time nearly 170 physical servers. Then we virtualized it from mixed hardware, as we were using HCL, HP, or old heavy servers. Dell came to us and gave us a good solution with VMware, storage of Dell, and network devices. During the deployment, there were three team members from Dell and two from myself on the networking side, and one or two members from OS and server side. Almost five to six team members were there during the deployment from a hardware to a virtualized environment. The best advantages of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series is that it is very much similar to Cisco. There is a little bit of difference at the command level, and it is easy to handle. It is easy to handle whether it is a CLI base or a GUI base, and it is very easy to configure. It is also reliable. We had a low fault issue, and when we talk of switching level, in a time frame of 17 years, we faced a switching issue only one time, which was a hardware failure. That is it. It is as reliable as Cisco.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The setup is straightforward. It takes minimum time for deployment."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is simplicity."

"The technology is good and the interface is simple. We haven't had any bugs, disconnections or delays."

"The solution’s technical support is good."

"Dell PowerConnect Switches are very easy to configure with the GUI. Dell supports the solution even though it has been discontinued."

"The most valuable feature is stability."

"The most valuable feature of Dell PowerConnect Switches for me is the throughput. I also like that the product has more compatibility with Dell infrastructure, especially with EMC and new generation Dell servers. Dell PowerConnect Switches can also easily integrate with Dell servers, and this is another pro."

"This is a very good product, and it can be used lightly, but you have to understand how it works before implementing it."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pros

"Port density and port speed performance are both suitable. It has some appealing intangibles."

"For a customer, it is easy to configure and to add ports through the LAN the GUI."

"The best advantages of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series is that it is very much similar to Cisco, it is easy to handle whether it is a CLI base or a GUI base, it is very easy to configure, and it is also reliable, as in a time frame of 17 years we faced a switching issue only one time, which was a hardware failure, and it is as reliable as Cisco."

"Currently, I am using the Dell S4048; it's a nice switch and it gives you good results in terms of a broadcast station connection, with HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol) and bandwidth allocation that are very nice, and for a customer it is easy to configure and to add ports through the LAN GUI."

"The automated configuration management tools of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series help improve network traffic management."

Cons

"The product's infrastructure and connectivity features need improvement."

"I expect Dell PowerConnect switches to be a zero-touch or a plug-and-play device, but it is not so easy to implement and it is still not a plug-and-play or zero-touch device."

"Scalability can be a problem with these switches."

"The network features are not good."

"What's lacking in Dell PowerConnect Switches is SD-WAN integration, and this is what needs to be improved in it. All enterprises now move towards SD-WAN infrastructure, and because Dell PowerConnect Switches don't currently support SD-WAN, the product would be replaced, considered a secondary switch, or linked up to a different switch. Integration or support for SD-WAN is what I'd like to see in the next version of Dell PowerConnect Switches."

"Technical support tends to give conflicting advice on how to configure the product."

"An area for improvement would be that it's very hard to configure if you're not familiar with the UI or CLI of the product. The UI itself could also be improved."

"Their hardware is not reliable, it's faulty."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] cons

"Some features need improvements with stability."

"The disadvantages of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series is that only the booting time is a weak point."

"We have had problems in the past that needed a reboot of the switch."

"Instead of competing at the enterprise level with that product, they should probably scale it. With all of the ports, they should develop a good mid-level business to truly scale it and gain adoption before attempting to go after the enterprise."

"I would not recommend it to smaller businesses because they could not afford it."

"Customers do not prefer this to connect to multiple cities."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"If you want to purchase a new Dell PowerConnect Switch, you will pay up to $1,600, but I bought them used. I bought the four Dell PowerConnect Switches that I used for $1,000."

"If one is the cheapest price and ten is the most expensive, I rate the product price as an eight or nine. The tool is not cheap."

"The product is cheaper than Cisco and licensing is yearly. We have to pay additional costs for support."

"The initial cost was high but since they have lasted for over ten or twenty years they are worth it."

"The product has a low price for the features it provides."

"The price of these switches is okay."

"Its price is okay. Sometimes, it is lower than a Cisco solution."

"Dell PowerConnect switches are cheaper than Cisco switches. Cisco's higher capacity switches (100 or 200 gigs) are super-expensive. With the higher capacity, the price of the switches and the price of the architecture go high. Dell is cheaper and modular. So, I don't need to invest 100% upfront. I can invest as I progress. That is an option because the chassis will not be populated with all the pluggables. I have a choice because it is modular. I can go for 25 gigs today, and after four months, I can go for 100 gigs, and after that, I can go for 200 gigs. I have a choice when it is not a fixed switch."

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] pricing and cost advice

"You are selling it to larger customers and in larger environments, where it's a less expensive model than Cisco, which is attempting to use the same approach Arista did, but with a completely different programming language."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

26%

Outsourcing Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Retailer

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	21
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	6

No data available

Questions from the Community

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What needs improvement with Dell-Force10 Campus LAN Switches?

The disadvantages of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series is that only the booting time is a weak point. When we reboot that switch, it takes time. As compared to Cisco, it takes almost three to five minutes,...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Dell-Force10 Campus LAN Switches?

We are using McAfee XDR solution rather than Cisco XDR. On Cisco products, we are using Cisco routers and Cisco switches. We work with Dell, specifically Dell switches, and we are using PowerEdge i...

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What advice do you have for others considering Dell-Force10 Campus LAN Switches?

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series is the one we have been working on. There was an advanced Layer 3 configuration on Dell PowerSwitch N-Series, and we have almost every security which can be configured on ...

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Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 24% of the time

HPE ProCurve vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 17% of the time

Arista Networks Platform vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 12% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 12% of the time

Enterasys Campus LAN Switches vs Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

Compared 10% of the time

More Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] Competitors

Cisco Catalyst Switches vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

Compared 29% of the time

Cisco Nexus vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

Compared 17% of the time

Aruba Instant On Switches vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

Compared 10% of the time

Arista Campus LAN Switches vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

Compared 9% of the time

ExtremeSwitching vs Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

Compared 9% of the time

More Dell PowerSwitch N-Series Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL]

October 2026

Download Dell PowerConnect Switches [EOL] product report

Buyer's Guide

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series

October 2026

Download Dell PowerSwitch N-Series product report

Also Known As

PowerConnect Switches

No data available

Overview

PowerConnect Switches family offers a set of flexible, manageable and comprehensive switch solutions supporting up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and optimized Internet iSCSI (iSCSI) performance with Dell Storage solutions, ideal for enterprise and campus LAN environments alike.

Dell Technologies

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series offers efficient and scalable networking solutions tailored for modern enterprises. Designed to enhance performance and streamline management, these switches support demanding business environments with seamless integration and advanced features.

With advanced Layer 2 and Layer 3 functionality, Dell PowerSwitch N-Series meets the high-speed connectivity requirements of dynamic network systems. Its flexible security options and energy-efficient performance make it ideal for supporting cloud connectivity and virtualization. The series ensures reliability and minimizes downtime with its robust architecture and efficient troubleshooting mechanisms.

What are the key features of Dell PowerSwitch N-Series?

High-Performance Switching: Delivers excellent throughput and latency characteristics for demanding applications.
Energy-Efficient Design: Reduces energy costs without sacrificing performance, catering to green data center initiatives.
Scalable Architecture: Supports network growth with modular uplinks and stacking capabilities, allowing adaptation to changing requirements.
Comprehensive Security: Protects network integrity with features like Access Control Lists and Secure Boot.

What benefits should you look for when evaluating Dell PowerSwitch N-Series?

Cost Savings: Competitive pricing combined with reduced energy consumption offers substantial long-term savings.
Easy Management: Simplified configuration and management enhance operational efficiency, saving time and resources.
Enhanced Network Performance: Delivers robust connectivity and reliability, optimizing overall network productivity.
Future-Proof Investments: Supports future growth while maintaining compatibility with existing infrastructure.

Dell PowerSwitch N-Series is effectively implemented across industries such as education and retail, where reliable and flexible network infrastructure facilitates data-driven operations and customer engagement. Healthcare organizations utilize its secure and efficient features to enhance patient data management and telemedicine services, ensuring reliable connectivity in critical care environments.

Dell Technologies

Sample Customers

Amerijet Holdings Inc., CGD Securities, MavenWire, Tulane University

Norwich University of the Arts, Shelby American, City and Islington College

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Extreme Networks and others in LAN Switching. Updated: October 2026.

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