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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access 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 - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
48
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Huawei Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
13th
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 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 5.0%, down from 5.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Ethernet Switches is 3.2%, up from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Uri Harf - PeerSpot reviewer
Integration with cloud management simplifies network expansion
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is expensive, and this initial cost can be a barrier, especially for new businesses setting up from scratch. Although the machine is robust and lasts for years with rare technical issues, the initial price can be high. Sometimes, I have to offer alternatives like Aruba or HP, which might be cheaper.
Mr. Qalat Khan - PeerSpot reviewer
The solution is power efficient, stable, and provides free-of-cost batch upgrades
The solution can improve by adding virtualized switch functionality. Huawei mentioned virtual switches in one of the product sheets, but when we got to the deployment phase, it turned out that they didn't actually include virtual switching functionality. Other than that, the switch and network are performing well and meeting our requirements.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I like that everything flows back to FortiGate, which is the controller, management console, and firewall. There's one central point for the entire network, so the security, switching, wireless, etc., flows back to the FortiGate. The ease of management is what customers like. They don't need separate solutions like Cisco."
"It is a cheap and secure solution. The job switching and security features are better than other solutions."
"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."
"What I actually use in this deployment are Forti APs (Fortinet Access Points). So, I can see all my office infrastructure from a single console, which is handy. One FortiGate, one FortiSwitch, and five access points, everything under good control. It's really nice to see it all together like this."
"The most valuable feature of this product is its simplicity."
"The product is very secure."
"The most valuable feature of FortiSwitch is its user-friendly interface, which facilitates easy management and propagation of rules throughout the network."
"The most valuable feature is the security switch."
"The most valuable aspect of Huawei Ethernet Switches is their excellent scalability."
"The solution is scalable."
"The solution is easy to set up."
"It is cheap."
"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."
"The solution is stable and the performance is good."
"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."
"Huawei switches come in small, medium, and large capacities and can be used for monitoring and switching."
 

Cons

"It would be easier if Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access could be managed via cloud, and this is something that could be improved in this product. Bandwidth display could also be better."
"The installation is not difficult. However, some features have to be activated from the CLI."
"I don't like the way it's managed."
"I would like Fortinet to make this product easier to configure."
"The reporting capabilities should be included."
"The scalability and technical support can be improved."
"I'd like to see more integration with different platforms."
"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."
"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."
"There needs to be more documentation. If they opened up a bit and shared more information and maybe allowed for YouTube videos about their products and how to work them, it would benefit the users quite a bit."
"We would like to have a greater level of automation using this solution. The customer support could also be faster."
"The graphical user interface could be much better."
"Huawei should focus more on security. They need more products on the security side to improve the security portion."
"The technical support is technically savvy, but the communication via English is not so easy."
"Deploying Huawei Ethernet Switches in an organization offers advantages, especially if the decision is made early in the process and the company opts for a single-vendor approach. This simplifies implementation and customization, often resulting in lower prices and tailored solutions from Huawei. However, excessive customization can lead to support issues and challenges in knowledge transfer during employee turnover."
"There could be improvements in Huawei, such as adding features that Cisco has and Huawei currently lacks."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is expensive but overall the cost makes sense."
"The pricing for Fortinet FortiSwitch is not expensive."
"The solution has reasonable pricing. The firewall costs around 500$ annually."
"The solution is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Huawei."
"I rate the product's pricing an eight out of ten."
"We have an annual licensing cost. There are no additional costs."
"It's affordable compared to other switching products, like Cisco switches."
"We have to renew and pay for the licenses."
"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."
"Huawei provides much better performance for the same price, even when taking into account very aggressive commercial policies."
"This is an affordable solution."
"The solution's price is reasonable compared to other products like Cisco."
"I would say that the product is cost-effective."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches are cheaper than other competitors."
"Huawei has the same licensing model as Cisco, so both are working on the subscription model."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Educational Organization
6%
University
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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?
The initial cost of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is high compared to other options. Although robust and rarely needs replacement, it can be overqualified for some jobs, which affects the re...
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 - Secure Access vs. Huawei Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,671 professionals have used our research since 2012.