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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access 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

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
23
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 February 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 1.6%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 5.5%, down from 5.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

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.
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

"What I like about the solution is that it can be accessed anywhere."
"An affordable and stable solution for small-medium companies."
"I have found the solution to be scalable."
"A valuable feature of FortiGate is its management integrity."
"The product is stable."
"Configurations between FortiGate and FortiSwitch have to link to each other. We need configuration. The configuration is not like a Cisco switch. It has a unique configuration."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center's scalability is good."
"Based on my use cases, Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center was a great product that was easy to manage and work with while being a powerful tool."
"The most valuable feature of FortiSwitch is its user-friendly interface, which facilitates easy management and propagation of rules throughout the network."
"The solution is easy to scale."
"The most valuable feature would be network management, separating the network management component from security. It can do both but we promote it on its own. It's a good solution to do network management."
"It is easy to set up."
"I can say that the product is easy to use...The initial setup of the product was easy."
"The technical support has been very good."
"The most valuable feature is the breakability after integration with the FortiGate firewall."
"It is a cheap and secure solution. The job switching and security features are better than other solutions."
 

Cons

"Cisco is better in terms of price, scalability, and ease of management. Regarding resources, they are available in Pakistan to manage these systems."
"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."
"Does not have as many features as other solutions, such as segmentation and analytics engines."
"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 could always benefit from more security. It's of critical importance to organizations right now."
"The product must improve the latency in the management center."
"The UI of the firewall and reporting could be improved."
"Routing is an area in Fortinet FortiSwitch with certain shortcomings where improvements are needed."
"I'd like to see more integration with different platforms."
"The reporting capabilities should be included."
"The central management needs improvement. The initial setup could be easier."
"I believe that stacking, a feature that is available in Huawei and Cisco, is not available in Fortinet products."
"FortiSwitch requires periodic firmware updates. It can be a little difficult because the switches aren't connected to the internet, so you cannot upgrade the firmware remotely. You need to go to the site and do it manually because it's a closed network."
"Currently issues with some of the switches and problems with the firmware."
"The tool should improve its CLI."
"In Fortinet, the packet reconstruction in the SD-WAN solution needs a little bit of improvement. When it comes to the Secure Access to the switches or the mix of Fortinet solution, the very small ones do not have the capability to use fiber cables. So, the small FortiGates have to work with the copper cables and cannot use fiber cables. Even though they have the capacity and throughput on all technical connectors, they don't have the interfaces, which is one of the good things with Cisco. They just add models to it. You buy the independent models, and you add them."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is reasonably priced."
"The solution is not expensive."
"This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."
"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
"We have to pay for the solution's subscription."
"We have to renew and pay for the licenses."
"The solution is expensive but overall the cost makes sense."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch is a pricey solution."
"Price-wise, I find Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access to be an okay product. It is not an expensive product."
"The pricing is cheap and only a yearly licensing cost needs to be paid."
"The product's pricing is good."
"The product is costly for SMB customers compared to other brands available in the market."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
20%
Government
10%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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?
Compatibility with infrastructure from other vendors like Cisco and Sophos can be further improved. Sometimes there are bugs when integrating with Sophos and other products.
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?
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.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.