Depends on the type of network element required. If I were doing data center switching, I'd buy something Broadcom based on which I could run something like Cu

Depends on the type of network element required. If I were doing data center switching, I'd buy something Broadcom based on which I could run something like Cumulus Linux. For wifi, I like Unifi. For routers, Juniper is fine. Arista seems to be well-regarded in the switching space as well. Basically anything but Cisco. That said, I haven't had to think about network elements for quite a few years.