No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch E...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
20th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
14th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is 1.3%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 3.1%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center3.1%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches1.3%
Other95.6%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

MK
Operational Manager at Astrah Technologies
Has enabled reliable access control with good scalability
The primary use case is access control and normal LAN usage, including internet and email. For example, I have deployed the solution in airport scenarios where there are many users The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches. They do not hang often and are very reliable,…
Rutul SHah - PeerSpot reviewer
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
Provides seamless traffic control and secure connectivity while minimizing downtime and optimizing resource allocation
There is always room for improvement in Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because with this switch, they can reduce downtime due to broadcasting issues by denying specific traffic on particular ports. Currently, I am not identifying any weak points of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because it meets the customer's use case. However, the commercial aspect presents challenges, particularly with pricing, as customers often ask for Juniper or Cisco, brands they are more aware of, which makes awareness about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center another weak point.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The solution doesn't have many proprietary protocols like Cisco's. It mainly uses standard protocols like VRRP (similar to Cisco's HSRP), Spanning Tree, and Rapid Spanning Tree, which can sometimes cause integration issues."
"All of the features in these switches are good."
"Enables direct access to clusters."
"As someone with long-term experience with the product, I can say that you can trust the Alcatel switches."
"OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches' best features are it's easy to deploy, manage, and maintain, with services coming through one vendor."
"Overall, everything worked as they said it would."
"The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches."
"This is a dependable switch which will help you sleep at night."
"We are able to monitor everything that is happening on our network."
"This is a product that I would recommend."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center offers flexibility and control over the entire network from a single pane of management."
"The solution has made configuration and setup very, very easy."
"A valuable feature of FortiGate is its management integrity."
"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."
"The product's most valuable feature is its ability to manage switches from one central point."
"Configurations between FortiGate and FortiSwitch have to link to each other. We need configuration. The configuration is not like a Cisco switch. It has a unique configuration."
 

Cons

"The network connection should be improved."
"My customer's team is not able to understand the loophole with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches, but apart from that, there are no issues."
"The solution could be more user friendly and there are issues with technical support where the response time is sometimes very slow."
"OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches would be improved if cloud-based technology was provided in the Gulf region."
"There needs to be better integration with the interface."
"The price should be lowered so that we can capture more of the market for Ethernet switches."
"There needs to be better integration with the interface."
"Sometimes I feel that the Alcatel switches are not working harmoniously with some of the Cisco switches."
"Does not have as many features as other solutions, such as segmentation and analytics engines."
"The tool is not easy to use."
"The solution’s pricing could be improved."
"The performance is basic only, and we cannot compare Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center with Aruba or Cisco switches."
"There is room for improvement in customer support and device speed. Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging."
"Managing the VLANs is an area where the solution lacks and needs to improve."
"The FortiSwitch product was initially quite complex."
"Routing is an area in Fortinet FortiSwitch with certain shortcomings where improvements are needed."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive solution."
"The pricing is reasonable compared to Aruba and HPE."
"Pricing is cheap compared to other vendors. When we benchmark the tool against Meraki, Cisco, and others, it is usually more affordable."
"The licensing for OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is a one-time purchase with no additional costs."
"The solution is not expensive."
"The product has a mid-range price."
"This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
892,287 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Construction Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Government
15%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
8%
Retailer
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise3
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise4
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
In terms of pricing, Alcatel is cheaper than Cisco, however, MikroTik is the cheapest. I cannot comment on the pricing reasonability as I am a technical person, and decisions are made by those who ...
What needs improvement with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
The commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco.
What is your primary use case for Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches?
The primary use case is access control and normal LAN usage, including internet and email. For example, I have deployed the solution in airport scenarios where there are many users.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
The Fortinet switches come with no additional cost as they are open source, with only hardware warranties applicable.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
The performance is basic only, and we cannot compare Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center with Aruba or Cisco switches. Regarding security policies, I did not configure that many policies in Fortinet...
 

Also Known As

Alcatel-Lucent Ethernet Switches, OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bayonette, California State University (CSU), Centre Hospitalier Carcassonne, Centro Universitšrio de Brasilia (UniCEUB), China Tianchen Engineering Corporation Co. LTD, Citta Della Speranza, City of Frankfurt, City of Ogden, City of Vila Franca de Xira
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
892,287 professionals have used our research since 2012.