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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 most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches."
"Enables direct access to clusters."
"The solution has a very good web interface, it makes it easy to manage everything, and the command-line interface is very powerful."
"The most valuable feature for me is the stability of the switches."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the wireless access points that enable direct access to clusters, and this is also a very stable and scalable solution."
"As someone with long-term experience with the product, I can say that you can trust the Alcatel switches."
"This is a dependable switch which will help you sleep at night."
"The product's initial setup phase is not complex. It is easy to install the tool."
"It integrates well."
"It is very stable."
"We are able to monitor everything that is happening on our network."
"The product's most valuable feature is its ability to manage switches from one central point."
"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."
"The FortiSwitch is used to manage traffic between our VMs and physical hosts across multiple data centers, and it is part of our network fabric that can support the amount of throughput we need to provide HA to service our clients."
"The main actual benefit that Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center brought to my customer's environment is secure connectivity while minimizing downtime from unexpected traffic or broadcasting."
"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."
 

Cons

"The commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco."
"The solution could be more user friendly and there are issues with technical support where the response time is sometimes very slow."
"There needs to be better integration with the interface."
"The network connection should be improved."
"I find the CLI hard to use. I wish we could do more in the GUI interface."
"In future versions, I would like to see improvements in networking speed."
"We had stability issues with Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches 6250. One issue is with licensing. When migrating from TDM to VoIP/ToIP solutions integrated on the same architecture, Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches don't have the same skill level or follow the same development path as companies like Cisco. They started integrating these solutions later, which is why there's a noticeable difference in advancement."
"The commands for the switches could be easier as I find them more complex compared to those of Cisco."
"The solution can improve by upgrading QSFP+, it is very limited and must be supported more than it is now."
"There could be more porting software options for easy deployment in the product."
"With IT products, there is always room for improvement."
"They could improve availability and security by detecting and preventing switch attacks."
"Enhancing security on the firewall and the switches, as well as focusing on price segment issues, would make it a better solution for the future."
"The solution can improve by upgrading QSFP+, it is very limited and must be supported more than it is now. If we need FortiSwitches to support all the QSFP ports our budgets would have to be very large."
"Fortinet could have the ability to authenticate users like Aruba offers because managing ten or twelve SSIDs for different clients is complicated."
"Managing the VLANs is an area where the solution lacks and needs to improve."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an expensive solution."
"The pricing is reasonable compared to Aruba and HPE."
"The licensing for OmniSwitch Ethernet Switches is a one-time purchase with no additional costs."
"Pricing is cheap compared to other vendors. When we benchmark the tool against Meraki, Cisco, and others, it is usually more affordable."
"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"It is reasonably priced."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
"This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."
"The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."
"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
"The product has a mid-range price."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Construction Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Government
13%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
8%
Retailer
7%
 

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.
889,955 professionals have used our research since 2012.