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

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs NVIDIA Mellanox comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Number of Reviews
45
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NVIDIA Mellanox
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
20th
Average Rating
7.8
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2024, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 6.3%, up from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NVIDIA Mellanox is 1.9%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

FransLegdeur - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 24, 2023
Intuitive, user-friendly, and scalable
I give the stability a seven out of ten because we have noticed when we hook up phones the switching of ELANs et cetera doesn't work as it should. We have a workaround but we are not pleased with having to do this at the moment. They have a different approach to this method of working. We were used to a traditional environment and transitioning to this new environment requires learning and adapting to a new way of thinking. We haven't fully invested the necessary time and resources to fully understand how Fortinet's solution works. Therefore, we may need to allocate more time and seek guidance from Fortinet to fully understand certain aspects of the solution.
RK
Oct 22, 2021
Stable, easy to use, and offers a unique RDMA feature
We primarily use the solution for a network switch.  Mellanox provides a feature called RDMA. This feature is very special and only Mellanox can provide it. For example, Cisco cannot offer this. The solution is very stable.  It is a very easy-to-use product. The configuration is a bit different…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature is the security switch."
"The product is very secure."
"I can say that the product is easy to use...The initial setup of the product was easy."
"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."
"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."
"With FortiSwitch, you can easily identify who is connected to each port, disable ports as needed, and retrieve configurations from FortiGate when required."
"The tool provides a firewall and good performance."
"I rate Fortinet support 10 out of 10. Their support is excellent and inexpensive. They respond immediately."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the size, power consumption, and the vast amount of features."
"From what I've been told, a valuable feature of Mellanox switches is they're quite user-friendly."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the powerful hardware and the software is open. They're using Linux operating system. You can do and install many things, and it performs well."
"The most valuable features of this solution are its functionality."
"It is a very easy-to-use product."
"The tool is very configurable because it runs on a Linux operating system."
 

Cons

"We had experienced downtime. I would like to see it to be improved."
"The security of the solution could be a bit better."
"An area for improvement would be the segmentation and network in logic networks."
"More integration would be helpful, especially since we sometimes have devices from other companies. Improved interoperability would be very beneficial."
"In the next release, I would like to see more outdoor products."
"We've had some issues with Layer 3 FortiSwitch. We can deploy the device in the cloud. However, we can't deploy this solution in complex environments easily."
"While Fortinet is good for school boards and mid-sized businesses, enterprise-class networks require a zero-trust solution. If you're building a zero-trust network with end-to-end security, that's where Fortinet falls behind Cisco, HPE, and Aruba."
"Currently issues with some of the switches and problems with the firmware."
"The scalability is working fine at the moment, but there's always room for improvement. As of right now, I don't know of any improvements to suggest."
"Mellanox Switches could improve by adding some features that can make it easier for integrating the switches in some managing and monitoring platforms, such as Elastic or similar software for monitoring data with the data center in a more holistic way."
"If you compare this solution with Cisco, utilization in Cisco is more popular and it is more friendly."
"Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed. They started with Ennui, and now they only use Linux. If they returned to their previous CLI it would be a good option for starters. The new CLI is more difficult to use but more powerful than the older one. It has its advantages."
"The configuration is a bit different from Cisco, and therefore, for me at least, there's a bit of a learning curve."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's affordable compared to other switching products, like Cisco switches."
"The price of the solution could improve, it is expensive."
"Licensing is easy: FortiCare and that's it."
"The pricing is quite high."
"We have to renew and pay for the licenses."
"The product's pricing is good."
"The price is good."
"The solution has reasonable pricing. The firewall costs around 500$ annually."
"It's an open-source solution."
"The pricing is very competitive. The licensing costs are fine."
"There is a license to use the switch ports of Mellanox Switches."
"The price of Mellanox Switches is reasonable compared to other solutions. The price and quality ratio was very good. There is a one-time license purchase that is needed."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
802,829 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
25%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

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 product pricing seems to be mid-range. The licensing structure is not uniform and can be difficult to understand. I rate the pricing around five or six out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mellanox Switches?
The solution is affordable. I rate the product’s pricing as two out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive.
What needs improvement with Mellanox Switches?
The response time of the support could be faster.
What is your primary use case for Mellanox Switches?
We use the solution to lock switches, storage switches, and border gate switches.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Mellanox Switches, Mellanox SN2700
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
CNPC, Korea Consumer Agency, Nutanix, Roxo Systems, StorPool, Atlantic.Net, INFN, StarWind, NYSE Technologies, Creative Consultants, ENKI
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs. NVIDIA Mellanox and other solutions. Updated: September 2024.
802,829 professionals have used our research since 2012.