Cisco Business Switch (CBS) vs. Cisco Enterprise/Catalyst

[whistleblower14]

Hi all,

maybe someone can briefly explain to me, what he technical difference between the Cisco Business vs. Cisco Enterprise components are? Taking the CBS350XS compared to the Cisco 9300-24T, according to the datasheets, the Cisco Business Switches are actually very good and the price is crazy in comparison! Of course the C9K can be used for DNAC, SDA, the TAC- and RMA support is probable more "enterprise-like" but what is the/is there a TECHNICAL DIFFERENCE when it comes to basic networking (e.g. Voice VLAN, STP, 802.1X Support, etc.)? There has to be a catch somewhere else...

thank you!

[KJK99]

I own a couple of CBS350 switches and my networking requirements are rather basic. These switches serve me well, but I wish the ACL implementation on those switches was more robust.

[whistleblower14]

hi @KJK99 and thanks for answering!
can you explain in more detail, what you mean with the ACL implementation could be more robust?

[KJK99]

CBS350 is a series of routing switches so IPv4-based ACLs are very important there. However those ACLs are just a subset of those you can find in enterprise class switches. That subset may be good enough for some. I find it too limited, but not to the point of deal braking.

[marce1000]

  - When it comes to technical differences you should look at  the Product highlights from  https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/catalyst-9300-series-switches/nb-06-cat9300-ser-data-sheet-cte-en.html 
         Basically the naming of the devices says it all , Catalyst devices will have more enhanced and internal architecture for fast switching  and packet forwarding and throughput , more ports , support for modules , more redundancy features , including a full fledges OS with much more configuring options (e.g.)

 M.

[whistleblower14]

@marce1000 thank you very much for your post, I should have come across this information myself - which honestly annoys me a bit now

I only looked at the specifications attached as .png and this was definitly at a to high-level and not technically deep enough! Based on just this information, I was a bit confused and really impressed by the CBS

What would interest me is how do these values come about, if the hardware components are not so high-performing and/or of high quality?

[Joseph W. Doherty]

". . . is there a TECHNICAL DIFFERENCE . . ."

Maybe, maybe not.

You might think what kind of answer is that?

The TRUTH.

Your OP also has ". . . price is crazy in comparison!" Yup, and if attend a business school you'll much study how to make a profit.

In the case of a CBS vs. Catalyst, IMO, there's very likely to be some technical differences, but how different, if different at all, might vary much per function and/or component.

Often, manufacturer doesn't want to reveal such differences unless they believe it is in their interest to do so, especially when it might appear the difference, again if any, doesn't validate a "crazy" price difference.

The foregoing is likely not the answer you're looking for.  Likely, you're looking for where can I obtain the deep technical specifications.  Those often exist locked away somewhere in the bowels of manufacturer.

Often the best you can do is study what others experience has been and/or plan for what you'll do if device doesn't work well for you.  (E.g. ideally something like if not 100% satisfied in the first 90 days, return for a full refund.)