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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs Huawei Ethernet Switches comparison

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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
17th
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
14th
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 October 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 2.7%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Ethernet Switches is 3.2%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Huawei Ethernet Switches3.2%
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center2.7%
Other94.1%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Sujith Pazhancheeri - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Technology Infrastructure Engineer at REYADA IT SOLUTIONS CO. LLC
Integrated firewall connectivity has simplified on-premises projects and supports reliable SMB switching
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 FortiSwitch - Data Center. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is on-premises, and the negative of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is that it is costly compared to other switches. In Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center, I did not see that many features compared to Cisco and Aruba.
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

"I like the solution's technical support. I rate the technical support a ten out of ten."
"The initial setup was straightforward; it wasn't complex at all and we found it to be relatively painless."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center's scalability is good."
"An affordable and stable solution for small-medium companies."
"SD-WAN and the security fabric are essential features of the product."
"We have the entire Fortinet FortiSwitch system - Secure Access, firewalls, and everything, and it integrates well into the entire Fortinet fabric."
"The solution has made configuration and setup very, very easy."
"The technical support has been very good; they are responsive and helpful, and I would recommend this support to anyone using their solutions."
"The most valuable aspect of Huawei Ethernet Switches is their excellent scalability."
"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 but you can use these features to build out similarly to something like Cisco switches."
"The solution is easy to use, flexible, stable, and it offers great performance."
"The tool's valuable features are easy to deploy and troubleshoot with available documentation. They are cost-effective and can reduce operational expenses. Huawei Ethernet Switches have built-in AI features for monitoring and analytics. These are the tool's solutions, not third-party integrations."
"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."
"If you're a small one-on-one organization, then cost-effective-wise, I would recommend it."
"For small shops and IT businesses, this solution comes at an affordable price point."
"What I like about Huawei is that it has a very fast response to troubleshooting problems and regulates reports with very great production."
 

Cons

"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 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."
"With IT products, there is always room for improvement."
"The tool is not easy to use."
"The FortiSwitch product was initially quite complex."
"Does not have as many features as other solutions, such as segmentation and analytics engines."
"Fortinet could have the ability to authenticate users like Aruba offers because managing ten or twelve SSIDs for different clients is complicated."
"We had a slight issue with the device when it was working as a standalone product in an environment where there wasn't any FortiGate in place."
"The OS, features, and usage aren't great. There's a lack of resources and support."
"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."
"Connectivity is an area that needs improvement in the solution. Interconnectivity with third-party versions or Cisco Meraki should be made available to users in future releases of the solution."
"The knowledge base needs to be improved and expanded."
"The web interface is poor, it could be improved."
"The technical support is a bit difficult to work with if you don't speak Mandarin."
"The graphical user interface could be much 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

"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"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."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"The product has a mid-range price."
"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."
"Huawei has the same licensing model as Cisco, so both are working on the subscription model."
"A cost-effective product"
"The solution's price is reasonable compared to other products like Cisco."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"We only pay one-off instead of paying recurring license fees."
"The licensing costs depend on the negotiations that a user has with Huawei...There is a need to make some additional payments apart from the licensing costs attached to the solution."
"The price of Huawei ethernet switches is cheap."
"The price is one of the only issues I have regarding this solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
9%
 

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: September 2026.
919,003 professionals have used our research since 2012.