Updated: Dec 10, 2025
You plan for a refresh because you expect smoother operations, stronger security and room for new workloads. Yet many CIOs discover something else when the Cisco Catalyst 9350 enters the picture. The switch does not only upgrade performance, but it also exposes weak design choices, hidden bottlenecks and operational shortcuts that built up over the years.
So the real question is not whether the C9350 fits your roadmap. The question is whether your network can handle what the switch demands. Before you answer, ask yourself if you have ever examined your architecture without assumptions.
Enterprises across Noida, Pune and Chennai pick the C9350 for Wi-Fi 6E, dense user floors and identity-driven security. The hardware is strong, but many networks are not ready for what it brings. The switch expects clean routing paths, stable power planning, predictable segmentation and a structured operations model. Most networks only meet some of these, not all.
If you deploy the switch without a readiness check, you risk moving your bottlenecks, not removing them. What will break first when higher throughput hits an old access design? And will your teams spot it before your users do?
A 2024 IDC report finds that 58 percent of Indian firms planning Wi-Fi upgrades run into PoE and cabling limits. This shows up quickly when you bring in Wi-Fi 6E access points, cameras and sensors. A floor in Gurgaon with 100 hybrid workers finds that older copper cannot support power headroom, and the new switch exposes the mismatch.
C9350 brings deeper insights into identity and traffic patterns. Yet networks in Bengaluru often run conflicting segmentation rules that grew over time. You cannot expect clean visibility when your policy model is fragmented across VLANs and device groups.
Your racks may not be ready for flexible stacking even if the hardware is. In Mumbai and Hyderabad, firms often place access switches in cramped spaces that limit cooling and disrupt load balance. The switch performs well. The environment does not.
A mid-size engineering firm in Ahmedabad wanted a full C9350 refresh across three sites. They assumed their network only needed new switches. When Proactive ran a readiness review, the problems surfaced fast. Their fibre created long routing loops, their cabling could not support modern PoE loads, and their NAC rules conflicted across branches. The switch was never the issue. Their network was not designed for what they wanted it to do.
With a three-week redesign, they stabilised routing, rebuilt their access layer and aligned segmentation with real user behaviour. The refresh then delivered the value they expected on day one.
Does your network have similar gaps that you have not mapped yet?
After decades of designing and operating networks across Delhi, Bengaluru, Indore and Coimbatore, we see patterns that reveal the truth about readiness.
A 2024 Gartner study shows a 21 percent rise in connected endpoints in enterprise offices year on year. When meeting rooms, sensors and collaboration devices scale, your older switching fabric hits limits long before the refresh cycle ends.
Teams add VLANs, policies and exceptions. Over time, the routing layer becomes a patchwork that blocks the very performance you hope the C9350 will bring.
Buying strong hardware is easy. Running it without noise needs monitoring, change control, lifecycle care and someone who sees the full picture. This is where Proactive stands apart. While many partners only push hardware, we review design, stabilise operations and run networks so they stay ready for future upgrades.
Ask yourself the questions many leadership teams struggle with.
Your answers show if your network will deliver real improvement or only a visible refresh.
Proactive Data Systems supports refresh programs in major metros and high-growth clusters. Our engineers redesign access layers, stabilise routing, rebuild segmentation and plan power and cooling for long-term use. We bring experience that comes from full-stack operations, not just deployments.
This matters because Cisco Catalyst C9350 exposes gaps that only an operational partner can see. You need someone who understands the switch, the network around it and how both behave when your business scales.
Before you place the order, run a readiness assessment. It may confirm that you are ready or reveal small changes that produce far better results. You reduce rework, avoid downtime and get more value from the refresh.
When your network meets the switch halfway, you get predictable performance, stronger security and fewer surprises. Proactive helps you reach that state with design, deployment and operations tuned for the C9350 generation. Start with clarity and make your next upgrade count.
