No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs Huawei Ethernet Switches 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
14th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Huawei Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
9th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
60
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 3.1%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Ethernet Switches is 3.4%, up from 3.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Huawei Ethernet Switches3.4%
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center3.1%
Other93.5%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Rutul SHah - PeerSpot reviewer
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
Provides seamless traffic control and secure connectivity while minimizing downtime and optimizing resource allocation
There is always room for improvement in Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because with this switch, they can reduce downtime due to broadcasting issues by denying specific traffic on particular ports. Currently, I am not identifying any weak points of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because it meets the customer's use case. However, the commercial aspect presents challenges, particularly with pricing, as customers often ask for Juniper or Cisco, brands they are more aware of, which makes awareness about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center another weak point.
Muhammad Kabir Salihu - PeerSpot reviewer
Deputy Director at NITDA
Cost-effective performance enhanced by security features with easy configurations
I mainly use Huawei Switches and also work with Huawei Wireless. I deal with both Huawei and Cisco Switches, and I find Huawei to be more cost-effective Huawei has helped to save costs and is cost-effective, which also helps save time for the company. The performance of Huawei is good, and it…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center offers flexibility and control over the entire network from a single pane of management."
"The product's most valuable feature is its ability to manage switches from one central point."
"The FortiSwitch is used to manage traffic between our VMs and physical hosts across multiple data centers, and it is part of our network fabric that can support the amount of throughput we need to provide HA to service our clients."
"The main actual benefit that Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center brought to my customer's environment is secure connectivity while minimizing downtime from unexpected traffic or broadcasting."
"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."
"The security fabric of Fortinet is really a game-changer for us."
"The cost of FortiNet is affordable and good for price-sensitive accounts."
"In terms of the most valuable features, LAN switching is more comfortable and valuable in the network. It is easy to configure and easy to deploy. It is helpful for the installation and it is easy to troubleshoot issues. It's an easy product to understand. It's a good solution."
"In terms of the most valuable features, LAN switching is more comfortable and valuable in the network; it is easy to configure and easy to deploy, helpful for the installation, easy to troubleshoot issues, and an easy product to understand, making it a good solution."
"They have the ability, since they have a very big R&D team, to create an upgrade for any feature or patch very easily."
"The functionality is basically the same as Cisco."
"So far, so good when it comes to stability."
"When you buy a switch from Huawei, the switches come along with a lot of features that you do not need to pay extra money for."
"Huawei switches come in small, medium, and large capacities and can be used for monitoring and switching."
"There aren't any licensing costs, it's a one-off payment at the beginning and then you can use them for as long as you like."
 

Cons

"The main difference between FortiSwitch and Aruba Switches is the price. The prices of Aruba are higher and they have unlimited features that FortiSwitch does not, like segmentation and analytics engines."
"Managing the VLANs is an area where the solution lacks and needs to improve."
"The UI of the firewall and reporting could be improved."
"Enhancing security on the firewall and the switches, as well as focusing on price segment issues, would make it a better solution for the future."
"The FortiSwitch product was initially quite complex."
"With IT products, there is always room for improvement."
"We need to understand a bit more about certifications and knowledge for understanding capabilities."
"Compatibility with infrastructure from other vendors like Cisco and Sophos can be further improved."
"The interoperability of the devices, in general, on the Huawei switches is not good and is known to be not good. Maybe they can improve this a bit."
"The interoperability of the devices, in general, on the Huawei switches is not good and is known to be not good."
"The performance has been slow at times."
"The only thing that could be better is the security module."
"I didn't like the Huawei Switches because of the different versions resetting the configuration issue. Huawei doesn't support Layer 3 modes while TOE and ARP have some issues."
"Huawei should focus more on security."
"The durability of the device can be improved."
"The licensing cost attached to the solution is atrocious, so from an improvement perspective, it should be made cheaper."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."
"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
"It is reasonably priced."
"The solution is not expensive."
"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"The pricing is good so is rated an eight out of ten."
"The tool's price is affordable and I would rate it a five out of ten. The prices are fixed with no additional cost involved."
"The price is one of the only issues I have regarding this solution."
"Huawei provides much better performance for the same price, even when taking into account very aggressive commercial policies."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches are very competitively priced, almost 4 out of 10.However, the low price point may sometimes raise concerns about quality for some companies."
"A cost-effective product"
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"The solution's pricing is in the middle, but you will be charged when you upgrade the tenant."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
889,855 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
13%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
8%
Retailer
7%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise13
Large Enterprise20
 

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?
The performance is basic only, and we cannot compare Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center with Aruba or Cisco switches. Regarding security policies, I did not configure that many policies in Fortinet...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Huawei Ethernet Switches?
Huawei Ethernet Switches offer very competitive and aggressive product pricing compared to other brands.
What needs improvement with Huawei Ethernet Switches?
Huawei should focus more on security. They need more products on the security side to improve the security portion.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Newcastle University, Jingyang District of Deyang City in Sichuan Province, Southwest China, Glasgow Rangers Soccer Team, RMIT, Insurance Industry Association of Zhejiang Province, China, APT Satellite Holdings Limited (APT)
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. Huawei Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
889,855 professionals have used our research since 2012.