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Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

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

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
6th
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 March 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 16.3%, down from 18.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 5.4%, down from 6.0% 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

"We don't need any support from Cisco since there are a lot of materials and training about Cisco available online. I feel Cisco's support is good."
"One main feature of this solution is the POE switches."
"The solution is compatible with many brands, such as VMware."
"The most valuable aspect of the solution is the ability to manage the switches and the ability to have a certain level of familiarity with setting up and configuring the switches."
"Multicast is an advanced feature that helps alleviate some of our work challenges."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches have great enterprise features like Cisco DNA Assurance. Cisco DNA Assurance features advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning. Cisco AI Network Analytics, a capability within Cisco DNA Assurance, allows easy management of all devices and services, prioritizes and resolves network issues, and ensures a better user experience across the network."
"The most valuable feature is that we create a network as a villain."
"The quality of service is one of the main reasons we use Cisco in our organization. It's quite high and very reliable. The switches also end up working for a long time, so there's less need to replace them as often as others. We have some switches in our company that has been running since 2006, for example. They are quite old, but they still work."
"The most valuable feature is the breakability after integration with the FortiGate firewall."
"It is a stable solution from the security front."
"The most valuable feature of this product is its simplicity."
"What stands out is the effective management and enhanced security provided by the solution's function as an extension of the firewall."
"It works really well, I think the equipment is solid, and the help is great."
"I can say that the product is easy to use...The initial setup of the product was easy."
"The visual scope of the solution is very good. It allows me to see and download all of the network information."
"The integration with the whole platform, so there's one dashboard for everything. It is one of the most valuable features."
 

Cons

"The price of the solution could be reduced."
"Technical support for integrations with other network products is insufficient and should be improved."
"We need more management tools for the solution."
"Integration with third-party products could be improved."
"The price could be improved by being reduced."
"The platform's management features need improvement."
"Cisco could definitely work on delivering improved pricing to its customers."
"There are instances where the commands you are familiar with might change or be replaced with newer syntax."
"The scalability and technical support can be improved."
"The introduction of AI integration could be valuable for detecting abnormal traffic directly on the switch."
"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."
"They could provide integration with Fortinet Authenticator."
"I believe that stacking, a feature that is available in Huawei and Cisco, is not available in Fortinet products."
"One of the main challenges was integrating FortiSwitch with FortiGate, as the switches are managed through FortiGate rather than independently."
"When we started using the solution, it was quite complex but then it became easier to use. It takes a while to get used to the interface."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is confusing with too many add-ons."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Users have to pay an annual licensing fee for Cisco Ethernet Switches, which is expensive."
"The price of this solution is high."
"Cisco now has more products that are priced for small businesses, so they do have some cheaper models."
"The pricing is reasonable, and for small business it is acceptable."
"The product is expensive."
"The solution is not too expensive."
"The product is very expensive"
"The price is a bit on the high side."
"The cost appears to be high in comparison to other competing products although with this product you are paying for what you get."
"The product pricing seems to be mid-range."
"Licensing is easy: FortiCare and that's it."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch is a pricey solution."
"It's affordable compared to other switching products, like Cisco switches."
"Price-wise, I find Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access to be an okay product. It is not an expensive product."
"The solution is expensive but overall the cost makes sense."
"You can buy this equipment in a multitude of ways. You can buy just the hardware, or you can buy the hardware and the licenses."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
841,431 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
14%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
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?
Currently, I don't have an opinion about the price as I focus on implementation and am not informed about pricing in comparison to other vendors.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
Currently, compared to other vendors, there isn't a feature that stands out as needing improvement. However, the introduction of AI integration could be valuable for detecting abnormal traffic dire...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
No data available
 

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: March 2025.
841,431 professionals have used our research since 2012.