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Aruba 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

Aruba Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
83
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Aruba Switches is 11.3%, down from 12.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 1.7%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Eunice Thirikwa - PeerSpot reviewer
Stable hotel networking enhances return on investment with valuable modular features
There are issues with the distribution side of Aruba Switches. For instance, the distributor in our country cannot sell to neighboring countries, creating complications in project execution. Improving the distribution network across regions would be beneficial. Also, the SFP modules are significantly more expensive than industry peers, which affects cost-effectiveness.
Rias Majeed - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables easy management of traffic and enhances security
FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface. This integration makes network management streamlined and secure. Additionally, the controllers are built into the firewall, which enables easy management of traffic and enhances security. Unlike some solutions, a Fortinet firewall is not just a firewall; it also acts as a full-fledged router.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Scalable and reliable solution for your network connectivity needs, with a straightforward setup."
"Aruba is more stable than Netgear."
"With Aruba, I like its stability and lifetime warranty."
"Aruba Central is valuable."
"The technical support is fantastic!"
"Aruba has a good switching solution. It has some basic security features and full switching features for the company. It’s not used as a security device, but it has some basic features like configuring ACL. However, it cannot be used as a complete security solution. The primary thing our clients look for in Aruba, or HPE now since HP acquired Aruba, is cost-effectiveness. Aruba is a good choice if the customer has budget limitations. We recommend Aruba switches because they are less expensive than Cisco but provide the same features."
"The solution is very reliable. It's easy to use with other solutions."
"It can scale well."
"SD-WAN and the security fabric are essential features of the product."
"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."
"It is very stable."
"Using Fortinet's whole range, including FortiSwitches, is cost-effective compared to Cisco and beneficial for network security."
"It integrates well."
"We are able to monitor everything that is happening on our network."
"The product is stable."
"When configuring FortiSwitch with a FortiGate firewall, I can consider all FortiSwitch's ports as a part of the FortiGate firewall."
 

Cons

"Aruba Switches' price could improve, if they were less expensive it would be beneficial."
"There are some growing pains with Aruba Central. When you first launch the wireless access points or switches, a lot of updates are needed to get Aruba Central ready, especially on the access points, so the initial deployment time could improve. I would hope that I could just turn it on and leave the updates until later on. The switches themselves probably did okay. I'm primarily referring to the wireless access points. There was a lot of back and forth before everything was in sync. It took hours."
"Aruba should be made more user-friendly."
"The endpoint capabilities could be improved."
"There are issues with the distribution side of Aruba Switches."
"The initial setup is relatively complex."
"I would like to see the data center area improving by some added features in the future."
"Aruba Switches don't need licenses to activate features and work straight out of the box, which is an advantage over some competitors. This implies less room for complaints compared with other solutions."
"There could be more porting software options for easy deployment in the product."
"FortiSwitch should improve the FortiGate map. The diagram cannot move automatically to show the switch. The map does not map the physical location. It cannot move or touch the diagram."
"The stability of the solution is impacted when integrating parts from different vendors such as Cisco, which can lead to performance problems and disconnections."
"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."
"Compatibility with infrastructure from other vendors like Cisco and Sophos can be further improved."
"The tool is not easy to use."
"The UI of the firewall and reporting could be improved."
"There is room to improve the integration between FortiSwitch and other third-party solutions, as challenges arise when integrating with different vendors."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Aruba Switches are less expensive than Cisco."
"The price for Aruba is quite a bit cheaper than it is for similar products by Cisco."
"Aruba's switches are priced lower than Cisco's by about 30%."
"The cost is very cheap when you compare it to CISCO."
"I don't know the exact cost of the licensing, but based on what I have heard from my sales team, Aruba is affordable. Aruba switches are cheaper than the switches from Cisco and other vendors."
"There is a license to use the solution."
"Cisco has a higher cost than Aruba Switches."
"Pricing for this product is reasonable."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"It is reasonably priced."
"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"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."
"The solution is not expensive."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
19%
Government
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Retailer
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Switches?
Aruba lives up to the expectations of the tech giant hewlett packard enterprise providing excellent networking capabilities at a very affordable price compared to the equivalent from another tech g...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Switches?
I find it to be middle to high. It's not always affordable, but they're losing the pricing market against Huawei, let's just put it like that.
What needs improvement with Aruba Switches?
There isn't much room for improvement. A more granular breakdown in debugging would be beneficial. Apart from that, not much is needed.
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?
There is room for improvement in customer support and device speed. Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging. Additionally, improving the speed of th...
 

Also Known As

8400 Series, 8320 Series, 5400R Series, 3810 Series, 2930M Series, 2930F Series, 2920 Series, 2540 Series, 2530 Series
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Switches vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
844,944 professionals have used our research since 2012.