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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
134
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
47
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 18.9%, down from 20.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 6.0%, down from 6.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Ronald Van Rees - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers a power stacking feature and enhances port speed with impressive stability
The vendor is presently working with large digital network architectures and additional software, as it is now willing to become a software-focused company instead of a hardware one. Cisco Ethernet Switches presently provide two options, either the user can utilize the basic features or the advanced software. Previously, advanced features were included in the basic package, but now they are provided as add-ons that need to be purchased separately for an extensive period of three or five years. As part of the advanced features in the solution, there is Digital Network Architecture (DNA) that provides insights, multiple dashboards and monitoring capabilities over Nexus and Catalyst switches from Cisco. Sometimes, customers need to buy features for Cisco Ethernet Switches that they do not require or use. The basic switches like the C1000 from the vendor don't have the DNA feature, but advanced version switches like Cisco Ethernet Switches have made the add-on purchases mandatory to avail certain features, which makes it difficult for several users.
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

"The solution effectively provides a stable connection for users."
"The product is pretty much reliable and stable."
"The solution can scale."
"The stability is 100%."
"The features that I have found most valuable with Cisco switches are that once you get your configuration you can rest assured that it will work. The OS is not going to be failing intermittently or anything like that. Once you get your configuration end-goal right, the firmware and the OS are usually very stable enough to work a long time without support. Support is needed once in a while. My experience is that the Cisco switches are usually rocket."
"These switches help to build the best network, the way we want it."
"The most valuable feature of Cisco Ethernet Switches is their stability. They are rock solid, and that's the advantage of Cisco."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are stable."
"Stability and scalability for this product are very good. Setup is easy and deployment can be completed within minutes. The technical support for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is good."
"It is a stable solution from the security front."
"One of the most feature-packed switching solutions you can implement."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access has good scalability."
"Integration is good, as well as price and technical support."
"What I really love in FortiSwitch: its usability, the graphical user interface, and the ability to be managed by FortiGate."
"The policies are very good."
"The tool's VLAN feature is easy to understand. It was very good."
 

Cons

"The technical support could improve, they are about average quality."
"The price could be better."
"The high price of the tool is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"Technical support in India needs to be improved."
"There could be an improvement in the licensing by reducing the price of the different types, such as essential, advantage, and premium."
"In the future, some of the features could be updated to support the latest functions."
"In terms of what could be improved, there is the bulk issue that is sometimes experienced with Cisco products we've used."
"Cisco could also open the API up to work closely with other systems."
"I'd like to see more integration with different platforms."
"I give the stability a seven out of ten because we have noticed when we hook up phones the switching of ELANs et cetera doesn't work as it should."
"The central management needs improvement. The initial setup could be easier."
"I don't like the way it's managed."
"It could be simpler but compared to the competition, it's not so bad."
"They could provide integration with Fortinet Authenticator."
"The installation is not difficult. However, some features have to be activated from the CLI."
"The range of products could improve from Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is expensive."
"We get the SMARTnet and one of the switches has that Cisco ONE licensing. It's probably running about $12,000 a year right now."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are expensive, and you have to pay for a warranty and technical support."
"The solution has different prices depending on the features that you want to have."
"These switches are expensive, but they are an excellent buy and definitely have value for the investment."
"The cost of this solution is expensive."
"The price is a bit on the high side."
"It's a little expensive."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access requires a license and the price is expensive."
"I rate the product's pricing an eight out of ten."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch is a pricey solution."
"The price is good."
"The price of the solution could improve, it is expensive."
"The pricing is cheap and only a yearly licensing cost needs to be paid."
"The pricing for Fortinet FortiSwitch is not expensive."
"We have to pay for the solution's subscription."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
825,399 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
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...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...
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.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
It's okay for me; I don't have anything specific in mind that needs improvement.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
No data available
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
825,399 professionals have used our research since 2012.