# Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN: how AI models rank it, September 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition. Named in 33 judge labels across 2 categories by 12 of 12 models. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/vendors/cisco-catalyst-sd-wan/

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD-WAN | 9% | 3 | 47% | 32 |
| SASE platforms | 0% | 39 | 100% | 1 |

## What the models said for it

- "Cisco is often the default choice.  
- Best for complex routing, large WAN hierarchies, and Cisco-centric environments." (GPT-5.4 mini, SD-WAN)
- "For the tightest budget with good features, Cisco SD-WAN (Viptela) or Fortinet SD-WAN would be your best choices" (MiniMax M2.5, SD-WAN)
- "The best SD-WAN platform for a company with a limited budget is Cisco SD-WAN (Viptela) at $20-$100 per site per month" (Llama 4 Maverick, SD-WAN)
- "Cisco SD-WAN (Viptela) and Fortinet SD-WAN are the most recommended options for budget-conscious companies" (Mistral Small, SD-WAN)

## And against it

- "Cisco SD-WAN systems have been actively targeted by malicious cyber actors globally, with attackers exploiting an authentication bypass vulnerability" (Claude Haiku 4.5, SD-WAN)
- "Some networking professionals actively advise avoiding Viptela in favor of alternative Cisco platforms (like Meraki) or competing vendors." (Qwen 3.7 Flash, SD-WAN)
- "Avoid single-vendor solutions that are essentially two separate platforms (like Cisco Secure Access and Catalyst SD-WAN)" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, SASE)
- "If a partner tries to sell you traditional Viptela hardware, avoid it." (DeepSeek V4 Flash, SD-WAN)

## Record

- Method: https://it-ai-index.com/methodology/
- Raw judge labels and full responses: https://it-ai-index.com/data/
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as IT AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, it-ai-index.com.