Extreme Networks Switches

Does anyone know what is up with Extreme Networks? I needed to buy a Summit x150 48t for a job, so I emailed the rep for our area listed on their web site asking how I could get one. He replied by asking me to tell him "a little about" myself.

That seemed weird to me, so I assumed he wanted to know if I was qualified to operate a managed switch? I sent him my list of credentials and certifications and next thing I know I'm getting called by a distributor. Apparently, I can't buy from Extreme directly, because I'm not a distributor. But it doesn't say that on their web site.

I have to buy from the distributor that is assigned to the territory that I am in. So I get a quote, the thing really is too expensive but my client insisted on this switch as part of our installation with them so I don't really have any choice in the matter. I sign a contract with my client for performance and I quote-to-order with the distributor.

Then I get a call from the distributor (who is very nice, by the way) saying that Extreme won't sell the switch to them to sell to me because I'm going to resell it and they "only allow" their distributors to resell. And I can't buy it direct because I'm not a distributor. Are you kidding me!?

A note to Extreme Networks: I know you think that your switches are better than everyone else's, but they aren't. I know you think that a managed network switch is not a commodity, but it is. You need to accept this and get over it. And get over yourselves.

A note to anyone who is thinking of buying an Extreme switch: Buy Cisco or HP. You'll save money, you can shop between competitive vendors in the market, and once it's installed you'll never know the difference anyway.

Just for the record, I've personally bought a LOT of managed and unmanaged switches in my life time.

There is a procurve by HP with 48 ports (they don't make it anymore but it was a very tight 1U design) that I've installed about 10 of, a larger blade version (10 blades with 8 ports each) that I've put in about 20 of (also with gigabit blade modules) and over the course of 10 years I think we had one power supply go out. (we had dual power supplies in the blade chassis, so we're talking about 1 out of 40 power supplies failing in 10 years -- that is pretty good in my book.)

Cisco's catylist line is also very reliable. The only thing I've ever seen go wrong with any Cisco switch was a 48-port stackable 10/100 poe that had the poe go out "all of the sudden." Cisco overnighted another while we swapped the cables to the cold spare on the shelf.

As far as speed and reliability go (I'm sure that is Extreme Network's "selling point") I've never had any issue with speed or reliability in any decently manufactured switch, and I've done a fair bit of testing with a variety of brands and models. I found a tiny latency issue with a DLink (or was it linksys?) switch, but even that wasn't serious under the circumstances. If you're buying an 8 port DLink or Linksys switch then I can bet latency isn't your major concern (cost is or you'd buy something nicer!)

If you happen to have a Extreme Summit x150 48t for sale, please contact me. :)

UPDATE: Here's an interesting side note. The distributor, after I told them not to, shipped the switch directly to my client, with my name on the attn: line. Crazy. I had already ordered the model I needed from CDW (for LESS than what the distributor was going to sell it to me for) after the distributor said that the only way they could sell it to me was to address it to my client, whom I should have never given contact info to. Actually, I didn't give them "contact info", I mentioned a name and they had sold to them before. The point: don't bother with these switches. The pain is not worth it. I've had the thing in my lab against a comparable cisco and you just can not tell the difference in performance.