Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access Reviews

We use the product to connect devices to the network.

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access benefits our organization by providing an easy-to-use interface. Comparatively, deploying policies on FortiSwitch is significantly faster and more efficient than on other platforms. In comparison, it takes only around ten minutes to deploy numerous policies on FortiSwitch; the same task could take days to complete when performed on other platforms. It is a more economical choice in terms of time and resource utilization.

The most valuable feature of FortiSwitch is its user-friendly interface, which facilitates easy management and propagation of rules throughout the network. Deploying rules based on various criteria, such as device type or manufacturer, is easy.

They could provide integration with Fortinet Authenticator.

We have been using Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access for one year. At present, we use the latest version.

I rate the platform's stability a nine out of ten.

We have around 100 Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access users in our organization. It needs to be more scalable. It is challenging in terms of expansion and requires purchasing additional units. I rate the scalability an eight out of ten.

We have a local team providing technical support. It is quite easy to reach them and raise the queries.

Positive

I have worked with Cisco and HP. We switched to Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access for better pricing.

Deploying FortiSwitch in our network for secure access is facilitated through the FortiSwitch interface. Within the web interface, we can create the necessary rules, which are automatically deployed across all devices in the network.

It is straightforward to deploy and integrate with other systems. We have a team of five engineers working on it. I rate the setup process a ten out of ten.

The platform's most valuable feature in terms of network security is the ability to utilize network access control to identify the device you connect and apply policies directly to the device.

We can link the FortiSwitch with other Fortinet security solutions to create a resilient network. If one device encounters downtime, the traffic is rerouted to another, ensuring continuous operation.

It's a comprehensive solution, and one needs to transition all the infrastructure to Fortinet's ecosystem. Later, managing all the aspects becomes straightforward, with a unified view across the entire network.

I rate it an eight out of ten.

It is a multi-location solution used for security purposes.

The solution's most valuable features are ease of deployment and manageability.

They should enhance the solution's orchestration level. Also, they should integrate it with other Fortinet solutions. In addition, they should improve the cloud features and certain functionalities on the switching front.

I have been using the solution for more than eight years.

It is a stable solution from the security front. But there is still time to say for the switch as they are relatively new in the market. It may take a year or two for us to completely vouch for Fortinet from a switching or a wireless front, but they are working on it.

We have three to four customers using the solution.

The solution's technical support team is good. They provide round-the-clock support. But they need to scale up a bit more to reach the levels of tech support provided by LiveOps.

The solution is very straightforward to use and implement. The deployment takes 30-45 minutes. Once you plug it into the environment and remotely switch to FortiManager, it manages all the infrastructure.

We have to pay for the solution's subscription.

If someone is looking for a stable and cost-effective solution to secure the environment at the gateway, then Fortinet FortiSwitch is the right choice. It has a good lead time, is easy to deploy, and provides fast delivery. Also, locally certified resources are available for implementation purposes.

I rate the solution as a six.

The primary use case of the solution is for campus environments and their offices.

The solution has improved our organization by providing a single pane of glass for managing large networks. The solution improves our operational experience.

What stands out is the effective management and enhanced security provided by the solution's function as an extension of the firewall.

I have been using the solution for one year.

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.

I give the scalability of the solution an eight out of ten.

We currently have 200 people using the solution.

Depending if opportunities arise we will consider expanding this implementation to include remote offices and other locations.

Technical support helps resolve our issues most of the time.

The initial setup is straightforward.

I give the deployment an eight out of ten. There is only one Gate with this and that can sometimes be a limitation, making it feel unusual at times.

I estimate the deployment would take around four hours to complete the process, given that the implementation involves more than ten switches, which is larger than a typical user setup.

The implementation was completed in-house. We are FortiGate-authorized resellers and do all the implementations ourselves.

We have seen a return on investment. The solution is more cost-effective in terms of operational expenses, as it is easier to operate compared to using multiple separate switches.

The solution is expensive but overall the cost makes sense. We acquire the license for a five-year period all at once, rather than incurring yearly license costs.

I give the solution a nine out of ten.

For new users, the only way to get the experience with the solution is by simply using it. The solution is simple and intuitive.

When our clients integrate FortiSwitches with FortiGate, they can centrally manage their whole network from FortiGate. That's why it's called Secure Access.

The versions of FortiOS that are being used right now are 6.24 and 6.4. These are the two current versions. If we're talking about the models of FortiSwitches, I usually work on 100 to 400 series.

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.

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 have been using this solution for five years.

It is very stable.

It is very scalable. Our clients are small, medium, and large businesses. Fortinet has been traditionally more into the small and medium sizes, but in the last two years, that has changed. We can see Fortinet switches in corporates and large enterprises, including banks.

Their technical support is very good.

It is very easy. The deployment duration depends on the size of the solution. Usually, if clients already have FortiGate and it is a pure Fortinet network, it is very easy with FortiLink, which is the technology that they use. It gets a little bit more complex if we have to migrate from a non-Fortinet network to a Fortinet network and coexist with other brands. It is doable, but it gets a little bit complicated to switch from traditional networking to FortiLink and coexist with traditional networking.

When we talk about Fortinet networking, we compete a lot with Cisco on the high end, such as Cisco Meraki. The biggest benefit with Fortinet is that you can extend the security to the access point and integrate Secure Access. With other vendors, you need to acquire additional licenses, which becomes a cost issue. With Cisco Meraki, the issue is the licenses that you need to maintain.

The management part is also there. In Cisco, you need specialized technical people to support and maintain, whereas Fortinet is very easy to learn if you have basic networking knowledge.

I would 100% recommend it because you can extend the security, and you can optimize the SD-WAN or the traffic at the application level and not only at the traditional VLAN level.

I would rate Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access a nine out of ten.

The product is a total solution with the FortiGate, switch, and access point. It is integrated with FortiGate, allowing us to manage all the equipment through it. You can handle everything from a single point. 

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is confusing with too many add-ons. 

I have been using the product for two years. 

I rate the product's stability a ten out of ten. 

My biggest client has around 4000 users. I rate the tool's scalability a seven out of ten. 

I rate the tool's deployment a seven out of ten. It can take around four hours to complete. 

I do the deployment myself. 

I rate the product's pricing an eight out of ten. 

We have small, medium, and enterprise customers for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access. I rate it a nine out of ten. 

We are mainly in the SMB market. Our primary use case are for on-site for secure access to the infrastructure. 

For us, visibility is the best feature, with integration to various things. We are pretty happy with it as it is.

The integration with the whole platform, so there's one dashboard for everything. It is one of the most valuable features. 

There is a bit of a learning curve with the initial setup. 

For data centers and large enterprises, Cisco has advantages, but FortiSwitches make a lot of sense for certain applications.

We have been using this product for a couple of years. It has been around three to four years. 

This solution has been very stable.

For us in the SMB market, everything has been working very well. So, we are not doing very big deployments.

e had some support tickets, but they were solved pretty quickly. I haven't had much contact with them, but our issues were resolved well.

Positive

We have worked with Cisco and a few other vendors. The deployment is easier with Fortinet.

In very complex environments, there is an advantage with Cisco switching, but that doesn't affect us much because we are not in that specific market.

We have good experience with setting it up. The initial setup is pretty easy; we have built a knowledge base. But there's a learning curve for beginners.

It went pretty smoothly for us. We have documented the deployment steps in our onboarding procedure.

The deployment takes two to three hours. Normally, there's one technician who does that. We have some maintenance procedures, but it's not difficult. It's pretty straightforward.

For us, the technical training was helpful. We did that. It's not strictly necessary, but it makes things a lot easier, especially to understand best practices.

We are quite happy with it. There are some complaints from our technicians, but overall, we are satisfied. 

Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

We are using FortiSwitch as a gateway for our FortiGate firewalls. 

We needed a large PoE switch to connect to the firewall. FortiSwitch is robust and cheaper than Cisco switches. 

We haven't had any problems with FortiSwitch. 

We have used FortiSwitch for three years.

I wouldn't say that FortiSwitch is stable because we've had situations when we lost ports, and I don't know what IP address to switch to or which environment has the lost ports. A storm knocked out the power to the devices, and every attempt to troubleshoot the in-line power didn't work. I think this also happens with Cisco switches. 

FortiSwitch is scalable. You add switches to scale it up. It isn't difficult. 

I rate Fortinet support 10 out of 10. Their support is excellent and inexpensive. They respond immediately. 

Positive

Like most switches, FortiSwitch is plug-and-play. You don't need to do much configuration. You only need to connect it and put in an IP address. It doesn't take long, and one person can do the job alone. FortiSwitch requires periodic firmware updates. It can be a little difficult because the switches aren't connected to the internet, so you cannot upgrade the firmware remotely. You need to go to the site and do it manually because it's a closed network. 

We pay for a one-time cost for the hardware, but there isn't a license. We only pay for configuration and support. We need to periodically buy new switches and upgrade them. 

It's feasible to use FortiGate with Cisco switches, but it was simpler to buy everything from Fortinet. Cisco and Fortinet switches are both good, but FortiSwitch is cheaper. The Cisco hardware isn't too expensive, but we have to pay for ongoing support. For example, the switch might be 2,000 pounds, but you need to pay an additional 600 pounds for support. Cisco support is excellent but expensive. We end up paying a lot for things we don't need. 

I rate Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access six out of 10. I recommend different solutions depending on the use case. If a customer is using FortiGate firewalls, I would suggest FortiSwitch.

We are using those switches as our main switches on-site. Everything is FortiSwitch, and everything wireless is FortiAP.

The product is very secure. It's enterprise-level. Because we are always upgrading to the latest firmware and stuff, everything is very solid, and our network runs much better than before.

The pricing could be improved, and it could be easier to configure. As Fortinet comes up with different firmware and updates, I am sure these problems will decrease. They will finetune their upgrades and firmware to make upgrading to the next versions easy.

I've used the solution for about two years, and we're using the latest version.

The product is stable and reliable. It's an enterprise-grade switch. If you plug anything into any outlet in the office, it gets connected to a switch, and you'll be able to get analytics.

We used to get issues where people bring in their own devices, and once they get access to a network cable, they just plug into the network point and had access to browse the Internet. Now, even though all ports are connected to switches, you won't get anything if the port is not enabled.

About 500 people at our company use the solution.

We have managed service providers who have support licenses with Fortinet. We normally have a three-year support license with Fortinet, so anything beyond that is good. On-site, we are the first line of support, the managed service providers are the second line, and Fortinet will be the third line, in that order.

Before this, we were using Ubiquiti wireless access points. However, because that was not enterprise-level, the company policy changed that we should only use enterprise-level devices, and Fortinet was chosen over Cisco. We changed all the Ubiquiti access points to FortiAPs and all the switches that used to be HPE to FortiSwitches, and the firewall also is FortiGate so that they'll all work together to get alerts.

The setup is a bit complex, but it works once you get it right.

During deployment, we first deployed the firewalls before we came to the switches and the APs. We were fully set up for the firewalls and switches within three months. After that, it took a week to change all the APs to FortiAPs.

We have a managed service provider, so they are the ones we work with. They manage our backend systems, so they are the ones that did the deployment.

I have seen an ROI. My investment is very good because security is key for us. Our network is secure from the firewall down to the AP, and we have peace of mind.

We signed up for a three-year license for support and replacement. We've had one situation where one switch we were upgrading to the latest firmware failed after I rebooted. Fortinet came in to try and troubleshoot. They tried everything, but it still wasn't working, so they replaced the switch. The pricing is expensive.

We have cloud solutions as well, where we have FortiCloud, a cloud solution around our switches.

I rate the product a ten out of ten for reliability and scalability. It's sometimes a bit difficult to configure. If we want to add another FortiSwitch to uplink on another one, it is difficult to remember where we have to go to tell the other switch to also talk to the FortiLink. However, I am confident that that is a security feature because it means nobody can just get on and do anything. Overall, I rate the product a ten out of ten.

To anyone planning to use the product, we are scaling it to other mining sites as well. Because this is the first location, we've done everything here. Once everything is deployed here successfully, we will scale it onto the other sites. We are ready to install the product onto another site, which we have already put in the firewall. But instead of the switches, we went with the APs first and have deployed about 165 APs. Now, we are waiting for the switches to come in so we can also put in the switches to complete the work. We will then scale from there to the next site.