Cisco
Cisco's Catalyst switches, routers and firewalls are what most network engineers learned on, so IOS is the closest thing the industry has to a common language. Beyond switching and Wi-Fi the US company also owns Webex, Duo MFA, ThousandEyes and Splunk.
- Headquarters
- United States
- Positioning
- Mid-marketEnterprise
- Official website
- www.cisco.com
Who it suits
Banks and head offices whose IT staff already hold CCNA, and who want a core network that any replacement engineer can pick up.
Overview
Cisco today
Cisco is a US company headquartered in San Jose, California. Most people know it for switches and routers, but today it also sells firewalls, Wi-Fi, Webex meetings, Duo for MFA and ThousandEyes for measuring internet and cloud performance. In 2024 Cisco completed its purchase of Splunk, which puts large-scale log collection and security analytics under the same roof.
How the product families fit together
- Catalyst 9000 is the campus switch range: 9200 for the access layer, 9300 for access that needs stacking and fast uplinks, 9500 for the core. In 2025 Cisco launched the C9350 and C9610 Smart Switches as the next generation. All of them run IOS XE.
- Nexus covers data center switching.
- Wi-Fi 7 access points such as the 9176 series use one hardware model that can be run either from an on-site wireless controller or from the Meraki cloud dashboard.
- Catalyst 8000 Edge routers and Catalyst SD-WAN connect branches.
- Cisco Secure Firewall (200, 1200, 3100 and 4200 series) is managed from Firewall Management Center, from the on-box web manager, or from Security Cloud Control in the cloud.
- Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center) manages and monitors the whole campus network from one place.
Licensing
Current switches and access points are sold with a term subscription, usually 3, 5 or 7 years, at Essentials or Advantage level. For the newest hardware Cisco has merged this into the Cisco Networking Subscription, which works with cloud, on-premises or mixed management. Budget for the renewal on the day you buy, not the day it expires.
Cisco fits banks, head offices, large hospitals and mining companies that have their own IT team and want a network that any newly hired engineer can pick up on day one. For a shop or a 20-person office it is usually more than you need to pay for.
Strengths
- Most network engineers in Laos and Thailand learned on CCNA material, so if your administrator leaves, finding someone who can read an IOS XE config is not hard.
- Switching, Wi-Fi, routing, SD-WAN and firewalls all come from one vendor, with Catalyst Center or the Meraki dashboard giving a single view of the network.
- The new Wi-Fi 7 access points can be managed on-premises or from the cloud without changing hardware, so changing your mind later doesn't strand the equipment.
- Cisco publishes end-of-sale and end-of-support dates years ahead. The Catalyst 2960-X, for example, stopped selling in 2022 but stays supported until 2027, which gives you time to budget a replacement.
Things to know before choosing
- Current switches and access points come with a term subscription. Budget for the renewal, and ask the distributor exactly which features stop working if you don't renew.
- Cost per port is clearly higher than mid-market brands. For a small branch with a couple of switches and access points it is often hard to justify.
- Spares and RMA normally go through distributors in Thailand. Without a valid support contract and a spare unit kept in Laos, a replacement can take weeks.
- Product and licence names change often (DNA Center became Catalyst Center, licences were merged into the Cisco Networking Subscription). Make sure every quotation lists the SKUs and the licence term in full.
Using it in Laos
Most Cisco equipment used in Laos comes in through distributors in Thailand. Models in stock reach Vientiane quickly, but anything built to order or with special modules can take several weeks including customs. For core switches and firewalls we recommend keeping a spare unit, or at least a spare power supply, in Laos.
What we see on sites:
- Power: voltage sags between 17:00 and 19:00 and rainy-season lightning kill more power supplies than software bugs do. A core switch should have two power supplies on two separate UPS feeds.
- Heat and dust: at mines and factories, use Catalyst IE industrial switches for points outside air-conditioned rooms, in cabinets with filters.
- People: engineers who know Cisco are easier to find in Vientiane than for most brands, but people with real SD-WAN and Catalyst Center experience are still few.
Sectors that usually choose Cisco: banks, foreign-owned mining companies, large hotels, and organizations whose overseas head office already sets the standard.
Compared with alternatives
If you want everything managed from the cloud and have no one comfortable on the command line, look at Cisco Meraki, Cisco's own cloud-managed line. HPE Aruba makes sense when Wi-Fi and network access control matter more than switching. Huawei often comes in lower per port on large projects and has teams in the region, but check first whether your parent company or lender has a policy on the brand. Pick Cisco when your IT team already knows CCNA and you want a standard that is easy to staff.
Product lines
- Catalyst
- Nexus
- Catalyst 8000 Edge
- Cisco Secure Firewall
- Duo
- Webex
- ThousandEyes
- Splunk
Solutions that use this brand
Enterprise LAN & SwitchingA core–access LAN with VLANs, redundant uplinks and enough PoE. One looped cable no longer takes down the whole building.
Enterprise Wi-FiWi-Fi 6/6E/7 with APs placed from real measurements. Works in a full meeting room, holds calls while you walk, secured with WPA3.
SD-WAN for BranchesProvincial branches run two internet links at once. If one fails, the other takes over within seconds, and everything is…
Fiber Backbone & Campus LinksFiber between floors, buildings and sites at 10–100 Gbps. It doesn't conduct, so lightning can't ride it from one building to the…
Industrial Networking (OT)Hardened switches that survive dust, heat and vibration, with ring redundancy and IT/OT separation for plants and mines.
Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)A firewall that knows which app and which user, with IPS, web filtering, HTTPS inspection and VPN, sized on real all-features-on…
Secure Remote Access (VPN/ZTNA)Staff and contractors reach internal systems from anywhere through VPN or ZTNA with MFA, seeing only what they need.
Zero Trust & Network Access Control (NAC)Check every user and device before it joins, with 802.1X and NAC. Plugging into a LAN port no longer means reaching the servers.
IP-PBX & VoIP Phone SystemBusiness IP-PBX: extensions, trilingual IVR, call transfer, recording and internal calls between Lao and Thai branches over VPN.
Video Conferencing RoomsTeams, Zoom and Google Meet rooms that start with one tap, with cameras, mics, speakers and displays chosen for the room's size…
Network Monitoring (NMS)Every device, link and internet circuit on one screen, with alerts that reach IT before the first user calls.
Email SecurityStop phishing, fake boss and fake supplier emails (BEC) and malicious attachments with filtering, SPF/DKIM/DMARC and sandboxing.
Contact CenterContact center with ACD queues, IVR, recording, live dashboards and chat for banks, hospitals, logistics and customer service…FAQ
If the licence on our Cisco switches expires, will the network stop?
For on-premises Catalyst switches, traffic normally keeps flowing, but subscription features such as Catalyst Center analytics stop. Devices managed from the Meraki dashboard have stricter rules. The exact behaviour depends on the model and licence type, so get the answer in writing before you buy.
We still run Catalyst 2960-X switches. Do we need to replace them urgently?
That model stopped selling in 2022 and Cisco support ends in October 2027, after which there are no security patches and no RMA. It doesn't have to go today, but it belongs in next year's budget. The usual replacement is the Catalyst 9200 or 9200L.
Can we use Cisco switches with another brand of firewall, such as Fortinet?
Yes. VLANs, LACP, OSPF and 802.1X are open standards that both brands support. What you give up is shared management and reporting in one screen. Plenty of organizations in Laos run Cisco switching with a different firewall brand.
Should we choose cloud or on-premises management?
With many provincial branches and a small IT team, cloud helps a lot because you can see and fix things from Vientiane. If policy requires management data to stay in-house, or the internet link is unreliable, use Catalyst Center or an on-site controller. With the new Wi-Fi 7 access points you can switch later without buying new hardware.
All brand names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Mention does not imply official partnership unless explicitly stated. Products are sourced through legitimate distribution channels.
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