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

"SD-WAN and the security fabric are essential features of the product."
"I like the solution's technical support. I rate the technical support a ten out of ten."
"All the features are necessary, like tracking evidence and IPS. However, I appreciate the ability to connect the logs and the dashboard functionality."
"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."
"It is very stable."
"The product's most valuable feature is its ability to manage switches from one central point."
"We have the entire Fortinet FortiSwitch system - Secure Access, firewalls, and everything, and it integrates well into the entire Fortinet fabric."
"The product is stable."
"It is a stable product. I rate it a nine out of ten...It is a scalable solution."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches also have effective network switching features."
"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."
"We have not encountered any issues in the locations where the product has been deployed. I am impressed with its performance and pricing."
"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."
"The CLI syntax."
"We came to the realization that Huawei provides much better performance for the same price, even when taking into account very aggressive commercial policies."
"Easy to use, flexible, stable, and offers great performance."
 

Cons

"There could be more porting software options for easy deployment in the product."
"There is room to improve the integration between FortiSwitch and other third-party solutions, as challenges arise when integrating with different vendors."
"The tool is not easy to use."
"Compatibility with infrastructure from other vendors like Cisco and Sophos can be further improved."
"The solution can improve by upgrading QSFP+, it is very limited and must be supported more than it is now."
"The product must improve the latency in the management center."
"When there are many switches being used, the speed declines noticeably."
"The solution’s pricing could be improved."
"The performance has been slow at times."
"In the future, incorporating AI features into Ethernet switches, particularly in the controller base, would be beneficial."
"The solution needs to provide GUI commands."
"We would always prefer if the solution were cheaper."
"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."
"Possibly more advanced features could need improvement."
"Presently, the solution doesn't offer any AI integrations with the product hardware."
"The interoperability of the devices, in general, on the Huawei switches is not good and is known to be not good."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"It is reasonably priced."
"The solution is not expensive."
"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
"We have a one-year license. There are no additional costs besides the licensing fee."
"The solution's pricing is in the middle, but you will be charged when you upgrade the tenant."
"It's a reasonable price, cheaper than some other vendors."
"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 is one of the only issues I have regarding this solution."
"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."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches are cheaper than other competitors."
"The price of Huawei ethernet switches is cheap."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
894,998 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
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 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.
894,998 professionals have used our research since 2012.