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
15th
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
11th
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 May 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 3.1%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Ethernet Switches is 3.3%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Huawei Ethernet Switches3.3%
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center3.1%
Other93.6%
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

"It is very stable."
"The single pane of glass that helps us manage everything through FortiManager is the most important feature."
"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."
"What I like about the solution is that it can be accessed anywhere."
"FortiSwitch makes it easy to deal with many switches."
"All the features are necessary, like tracking evidence and IPS. However, I appreciate the ability to connect the logs and the dashboard functionality."
"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."
"We have the entire Fortinet FortiSwitch system - Secure Access, firewalls, and everything, and it integrates well into the entire Fortinet fabric."
"If you're a small one-on-one organization, then cost-effective-wise, I would recommend it."
"The most valuable features are the ease of configuration, availability of a GUI apart from the command line, and basic features such as VLAN configuration and routing between VLANs."
"They are very user-friendly. Handling Huawei is very easy."
"So far, so good when it comes to stability."
"The most important feature that our clients look for in this solution is that it will perform how it says it will perform for the best price and that it will provide good support."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches are very scalable - we can add on multiple net servers and integrate with third parties."
"The most valuable feature of Huawei is that it already provides integration with any automation tool."
"The most valuable feature is the audit systems. I also like that it can synchronize on the alternate configuration of products together at the same time."
 

Cons

"The solution’s pricing could be improved."
"The FortiSwitch product was initially quite complex."
"When there are many switches being used, the speed declines noticeably."
"With IT products, there is always room for improvement."
"We need to understand a bit more about certifications and knowledge for understanding capabilities. The solution should make that more clear to its users."
"There is room for improvement in customer support and device speed. Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging."
"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."
"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."
"I am not satisfied with the current one involving the use of magnetic tape."
"The customer support team for this solution are slow to respond."
"I would like to see some improvements in the access layer switch that is available in Aruba."
"In the future, incorporating AI features into Ethernet switches, particularly in the controller base, would be beneficial."
"Huawei Switch can make further advancements, as the current CLI lacks functionality. The majority of tasks are performed through the CLI, making it difficult for those without technical expertise to work with. They should enhance the CLI of the access switches to make them more user-friendly. The GUI of the Ethernet Switches should also be improved to allow non-technical users to perform technical tasks with ease. Additionally, the documentation of the solution could improve."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches have not automated its firmware."
"The documentation needs to be better."
"The availability and the speed of the firmware updates are the only things wrong with Huawei. There are some vulnerabilities on the hardware."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."
"It is reasonably priced."
"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"The product has a mid-range price."
"Huawei comes with a lot of features out of the box that you have to pay extra for with other products. They do charge extra in the licensing for certain additional features."
"The price of Huawei ethernet switches is cheap."
"The switch came as part of a package bundle that includes internet service."
"Huawei has the same licensing model as Cisco, so both are working on the subscription model."
"The solution's price is reasonable compared to other products like Cisco."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"From the initial purchase, you will pay for a license and you do not need to pay for a license again. The price depends on the size of the infrastructure."
"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.
893,438 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
15%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

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 primary use case for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
Currently, we are mostly working with Sophos and Fortinet. Before, we worked with XG, but now they have upgraded to the XGS series, and in Fortinet, we are working with FortiGate Firewall. In some ...
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.
What is your primary use case for Huawei Ethernet Switches?
The primary use case for Huawei Ethernet Switches is for network purposes, including SaaS services.
 

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.
893,438 professionals have used our research since 2012.