Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

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
7.5
Number of Reviews
47
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 April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 5.1%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Ethernet Switches is 3.1%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

SherifAbdelrahman - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient integration allows streamlined network management with a straightforward setup
I use it for retail business. We are using the FortiSwitch solution for our voice switches and access points as well It has helped us by providing easy management from a single platform through the firewall interface. It's very easy to manage and provides all the insights and vulnerabilities,…
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

"The solution is very simple, and it's very easily available."
"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."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access has essential features for managing switches."
"The most valuable feature is the breakability after integration with the FortiGate firewall."
"It is very user-friendly. There is no need to use command lines to configure it or to do anything in it. You hardly use command lines, which makes it different from Cisco. In Cisco, the CLI is your best friend. Fortinet has the lowest TCO, so you can use its integrated components without having to buy additional licenses. They provide centralized management without needing to buy or acquire additional licenses. You have an integral or complete vision through a single pane of glass, and you can see everything from one single console without having to buy additional licenses, which is a plus. It works the same way when you add wireless. You can see everything from FortiGate. It has a security processor, which is another plus. It does not have a standard desktop processor. It has a multi-threat security processor, and it is built by Fortinet. So, all the components that you include in a Fortinet solution are proprietary and work in an integral way. It has one single solution, whereas other brands, such as Palo Alto and Check Point, have been acquiring certain solutions, and they're not fully integrated. With Fortinet, everything is integrated. If you start building on Fortinet, everything that you expand to the local LAN or WAN is integrated. You don't have to pay for professional services and other things to do that. Their technical information is also very good. Most of their information is based on how-to, and it can be found online, which is something my clients like."
"It can integrate well with other Fortinet products."
"The solution is easy to scale."
"The visual scope of the solution is very good. It allows me to see and download all of the network information."
"The tool’s pricing is reasonable. It has a high throughput capacity."
"The CLI syntax."
"Huawei Ethernet switches are easy to use and can be managed using either the GUI or via the command-line."
"Huawei offers a wide range of products to choose from, which provides flexibility in deployment."
"We have not encountered any issues in the locations where the product has been deployed. I am impressed with its performance and pricing."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches come with native ACs."
"The required functionalities align with telecom requirements and have improved from a capacity perspective."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
 

Cons

"Renewing the annual licenses for Secure the Switch FortiSwitch can be cumbersome, especially considering the relatively high cost of Fortinet licenses."
"I don't like the way it's managed."
"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."
"It is always nice when something is cheaper."
"The initial setup is pretty easy; we have built a knowledge base. But there's a learning curve for beginners."
"The product's end-user protection feature needs improvement."
"It would also help if they lowered the cost of their service."
"The solution could provide an active VPN."
"One of the problems with Huawei is that when you receive a product quote from one of the vendors, you cannot get prices from the other ones because they register your request with Huawei."
"The knowledge base needs to be improved and expanded."
"The only thing that could be better is the security module."
"It is not easy to use if you need to monitor, patch or update. It needs to be configured by a network specialist because it doesn't have an overall central monitoring tool or anything like that. I'd say no ease of use."
"In the future, incorporating AI features into Ethernet switches, particularly in the controller base, would be beneficial."
"It’s hard to get technical support."
"It could potentially be difficult to get parts depending on where you live."
"We had a few issues with integration."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing is easy: FortiCare and that's it."
"We signed up for a three-year license for support and replacement."
"The solution is expensive but overall the cost makes sense."
"We have to pay for the solution's subscription."
"The product's pricing is less compared to other enterprise solutions."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access requires a license and the price is expensive."
"The tool's pricing is fine."
"Licensing is billed annually and contracts are either one or three years in length."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches are cheaper than other competitors."
"The solution's price is reasonable compared to other products like Cisco."
"A cost-effective product"
"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."
"Compared to other brands, I think that the price is quite fair."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"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."
"The product is competitively priced in its market."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Government
6%
Comms Service Provider
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?
Currently, I don't have an opinion about the price as I focus on implementation and am not informed about pricing in comparison to other vendors.
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: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.