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Arista Networks Platform vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Arista Networks Platform
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
9th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
Data Center Networking (2nd)
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
46
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Arista Networks Platform is 2.6%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 6.1%, down from 6.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

MarekSzafrański - PeerSpot reviewer
Affordable for enterprise-sized companies
Speaking about whether the product enhanced our company's data center scalability, I would say that it was a solution that was used in a banking company, where it served as a replacement for Cisco. Though Arista Networks Platform is similar to Cisco IOS CLI, I feel that the former product offers better prices compared to the latter tool. Arista Networks Platform office is more efficient at a lower cost. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. The tool is stable and cheaper than Cisco. I would say that Arista Networks Platform is 100 percent compatible with the existing infrastructure in my company. The impact of the tool's network telemetry on our company's troubleshooting practices was just good for the scope for which I need the product. I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.
SherifAbdelrahman - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient integration allows streamlined network management with a straightforward setup
I use it for retail business. We are using the FortiSwitch solution for our voice switches and access points as well It has helped us by providing easy management from a single platform through the firewall interface. It's very easy to manage and provides all the insights and vulnerabilities,…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's an extremely reliable platform for the network switches we use."
"The solution is very stable."
"We find the CloudVision switching feature of this solution really useful."
"The best part is the single operating system that they have. Regardless of your model, it's the same operating system functioning across the board, which means you don't have to worry about backward compatibilities between your older switches and the new ones that you deploy."
"It is very stable. It has good hardware and very stable code. It provides good value for its price. They are a very lean type of organization, so they are very responsive, and they're able to focus more on their platform versus having multiple products out there."
"Arista Networks Platform has a feature that helps with monitoring and management."
"I like the spine as a leaf model and low latency. The hardware is robust and meets expected latency in all environments, mainly if you belong to the media or trading industry. For multicast-based solutions, Arista is number one."
"The solution has good load latency. They're the market leader in this aspect right now."
"It is easy to set up."
"The software is very stable."
"What stands out is the effective management and enhanced security provided by the solution's function as an extension of the firewall."
"With FortiSwitch, you can easily identify who is connected to each port, disable ports as needed, and retrieve configurations from FortiGate when required."
"Integration is good, as well as price and technical support."
"What I actually use in this deployment are Forti APs (Fortinet Access Points). So, I can see all my office infrastructure from a single console, which is handy. One FortiGate, one FortiSwitch, and five access points, everything under good control. It's really nice to see it all together like this."
"The tool's VLAN feature is easy to understand. It was very good."
"The solution is easy to scale."
 

Cons

"The stability of this solution needs to be improved as part of the next upgrade."
"Arista Networks is currently less popular as they were initially more focused on data centers than campus networks. They should expand further into campus networks."
"They need to enhance their code and their EOS. They need to improve some security features, and there are quite a number of bugs in their system. So, they need to work on that piece. In the next release, we need to have a modular feature. Instead of providing an integrated solution, they should go for something modular. They need to come up with modular highly scalable models. Even at the chassis layer, I want to see some improvement."
"An area for improvement in Arista Networks Platform is its integration, e.g. it needs to have more integration with its new products. Incorporating more security and cloud is also another area for improvement in the platform."
"Its price can be better."
"The CVP management platform needs to be improved."
"A weakness would be that in our company, we don't have many people within our team who support the product because there are different vendors, and most of them are not tier-one vendors, so the skills required sometimes are just not there."
"I want the solution to include a unified controller."
"If you contact Fortinet, it's a bit difficult. Most of the time, they send you just links and documents to read for troubleshooting. When you contact support, you don't need documents. You want someone that can understand your problem, give a hand, and help you. I'm not impressed by the support really."
"The product must improve its prices."
"The range of products could improve from Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access."
"They could provide integration with Fortinet Authenticator."
"It would be easier if Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access could be managed via cloud, and this is something that could be improved in this product. Bandwidth display could also be better."
"One of the main challenges was integrating FortiSwitch with FortiGate, as the switches are managed through FortiGate rather than independently."
"The installation is not difficult. However, some features have to be activated from the CLI."
"While Fortinet is good for school boards and mid-sized businesses, enterprise-class networks require a zero-trust solution. If you're building a zero-trust network with end-to-end security, that's where Fortinet falls behind Cisco, HPE, and Aruba."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Specific tools definitely require a license for the subscription. But we are not using these tools in our environment. In terms of licensing, you need to spend approximately $10,000 per month."
"Arista is very expensive. Not everybody is in a position to spend $70,000 to $80,000 for one switch."
"The customer price for an Arista router is approximately $7,000 USD, while Cisco's is around $18,000."
"Arista Networks Platform was cheaper than Cisco. I have heard that the product is affordable for enterprise-sized companies."
"If one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the product price as seven out of ten."
"There is an annual license required to use the Arista Networks Platform."
"Network devices are generally expensive. However, during the evaluation, Arista was the most inexpensive vendor."
"I remember that when our customers were offered the Arista Networks Platform, they used a checklist to compare the prices between Arista and Cisco for their requirements, and found that the prices were almost the same."
"The product pricing seems to be mid-range."
"We have to pay for the solution's subscription."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access requires a license and the price is expensive."
"The solution has reasonable pricing. The firewall costs around 500$ annually."
"The price of the solution could improve, it is expensive."
"We have an annual licensing cost. There are no additional costs."
"The solution is expensive but overall the cost makes sense."
"I rate the product's pricing an eight out of ten."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Arista Networks Platform?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Arista Networks Platform?
Compared to Cisco, Arista routers are significantly cheaper. The customer price for an Arista router is approximately $7,000 USD, while Cisco's is around $18,000.
What needs improvement with Arista Networks Platform?
Arista Networks is currently less popular as they were initially more focused on data centers than campus networks. They should expand further into campus networks.
Which would you choose - Fortinet Fortiswitch secure access or Cisco Ethernet Switches?
We researched Cisco but ultimately chose Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access, mostly because of the price. Fortinet FortiSwitch is an ethernet switch solution that provides security and performance...
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
With FortiSwitch, you can easily identify who is connected to each port, disable ports as needed, and retrieve configurations from FortiGate when required.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
The pricing is considered high due to the currency exchange changes in our region. It has increased by about two hundred percent over the past three years.
 

Also Known As

7000 Series
No data available
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

American Internet Services
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Arista Networks Platform vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
823,795 professionals have used our research since 2012.