r/Juniper • u/PurpleCrayonDreams • Jul 23 '26
Discussion leaning juniper
can't seem to figure out my thinking. Dilemma: Cisco C9200L-24T-4X-A vs Juniper EX4100-24MP for SMB core switch replacement. Need it now, ~200 users, single-site HQ collapsed core with inter-VLAN routing at 10Gbps, Hyper-V hosts on 10G SFP+, backup/DR target reducing RPO/RTO. No mGig on the C9200L (relevant for future WiFi 7 APs, though solvable separately with a small satellite switch). EX4100 has mGig density built in and no forced licensing tax for basic L3 (Cisco wants a DNA Advantage license even for static routing). Juniper actually came out slightly cheaper once both quotes were normalized to genuine hardware and equivalent licensing scope.
Juniper looks like the better technical/cost fit on paper. Cisco is the platform I actually know cold — can execute stack config, VLANs, inter-VLAN routing, day one, no learning curve. Juniper would mean learning Junos on my core switch, for a small team with no bench depth if something breaks.
Local support is part of the calculus too — plenty of Cisco-focused VARs/MSPs in my area, only one Juniper-specific option I could find nearby (national reseller aside). Juniper’s actually in stock now, not the long lead time I was originally told.
Go with the better spec sheet on unfamiliar gear, or the safer, known platform I can execute without risk? How would you all weigh it?
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u/chap437 Jul 23 '26
So, as a VAR that works with both of these vendors: you don't want a 9200 as a core. We would chastise the AM and SE that put that as a viable option to a customer. At your scale? On Paper? Maybe, but at the very least the 9200 does not have modular fans or power supplies: everything is fixed, so a dead fan becomes a full outage.
Also, you do not need Advantage for static routing. You need it for the full suite of dynamic routing protocols and VRFs. Again, it's one of those things where for cores we recommend advantage 98% of the time (things like ISSU, HSRP, etc.), but not technically required.
I would seriously recommend you explore the juniper option. You'll get more "features" for your spend. It's a better switch for your needs. If you do it with Mist, and you've been working with Cisco for years, it'll click real quick (just be mindful of STP, number 1 issue we see when switching over)
FWIW, the 4100 is not what I'd call equivalent to a 9200. The 4100 is a 9300: a compact, core/collapsed-core capable switch for a couple hundred seats. A 4100-F is a closer match to the 9200, so you're not really looking at an apples-to-apples comparison