Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
Hamza Shami - PeerSpot reviewer
IT and Operations Manager at a marketing services firm with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 10
A reliable solution for internal networking with protection

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for internal networking in an office environment.

How has it helped my organization?

FortiSwitch scans for viruses on the network easily. I was using another firewall, but after Fortinet, I don't use any other.

Fortinet infuses the updates regularly. If you get updated, then you are secured. The updates did not cover all the threats. I use the solution in both the field and the main office. It centralizes everything. We had to dig deeper than the graphs or manually check if that device performed well. You can check the server so that you can access it easily. It provides us with the protection that we need.

What is most valuable?

Fortinet FortiSwitch is easy to configure and simple to use with support.

What needs improvement?

The product could have better prices, analytics, and better graphs.

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,672 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiSwitch for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 250 users using this solution.

I rate the solution’s scalability an eight out of ten.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have used Cisco and Ubiquiti switches. FortiSwitch frees you every time you set the switches or configure them over and over again. It is much better than other solutions.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is simple and takes a few hours to complete.

What was our ROI?

We have achieved 10% ROI.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is reliable and is working well. It has been a generation of investment. It is not very expensive, not much cheaper.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend the solution.

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

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Support at GK Auto
Real User
Top 5
Performs well at reasonable price
Pros and Cons
  • "The tool provides a firewall and good performance."
  • "The solution could provide an active VPN."

What is most valuable?

The tool provides a firewall and good performance.

What needs improvement?

The solution could provide an active VPN.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access for around two months.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Fortinet provides high quality at a reasonable price whereas Cisco is expensive.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup takes two years of support.

What about the implementation team?

We have support from a local company.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution has reasonable pricing. The firewall costs around 500$ annually.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend the solution.

Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,672 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Rutul SHah - PeerSpot reviewer
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
Real User
Secure, straightforward to set up, easy to maintain, and the technical support is good
Pros and Cons
  • "This device is easy to use."
  • "The reporting capabilities should be included."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use cases are SD-WAN, web security, and web application filtering.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the SD-WAN support.

This device is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

The reporting capabilities should be included. As it is now, this can be purchased separately but competing solutions include it free of charge with the hardware.

In the future, we would like to be able to connect a SIM card and have 3G or 4G connectively directly on the device. This would work as a backup if our primary internet goes down.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Fortinet FortiSwitch for more than ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability-wise, this product is better than others that are on the market.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is very good. However, we do not use them often because we have our own technical team that is certified by Fortinet.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

We have an in-house team that was responsible for deployment.

There are two people on the team that handle maintenance.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Licensing is billed annually and contracts are either one or three years in length.

There are additional features available that can increase the price of the license.

What other advice do I have?

My advice for anybody who is considering this product is that it's a secure and stable device. After configuration, there is no cost for maintenance. It's very stable and easy to use.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
CEO at Acteo IT Services
Real User
Top 20
Provides integration with the entire platform for centralized management, good visibility features, and reliable stability
Pros and Cons
  • "The integration with the whole platform, so there's one dashboard for everything. It is one of the most valuable features."
  • "The initial setup is pretty easy; we have built a knowledge base. But there's a learning curve for beginners."

What is our primary use case?

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

How has it helped my organization?

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

What is most valuable?

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

What needs improvement?

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.

For how long have I used the solution?

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

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution has been very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

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

How are customer service and support?

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.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

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.

How was the initial setup?

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.

What about the implementation team?

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.

What other advice do I have?

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. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Akshay Sali - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Support Engineer at MaaHee Technologies
Real User
Top 20
Comes with easy VLAN feature and pricing is good
Pros and Cons
  • "The tool's VLAN feature is easy to understand. It was very good."
  • "We had experienced downtime. I would like to see it to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access to test and give access. 

What is most valuable?

The tool's VLAN feature is easy to understand. It was very good. 

What needs improvement?

We had experienced downtime. I would like to see it to be improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with the product for two to three years. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is scalable. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We chose the product because we worked with Fortinet's firewalls and switches and wanted to explore it hands-on. 

How was the initial setup?

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access' deployment is neither easy nor difficult. It is a normal process and can be completed in two to three hours. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product's pricing is good. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution a ten out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Kamal Jain - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at Cargomen Logistics India Private Limited
Real User
Top 10
An affordable product with an easy initial setup phase and a good support team
Pros and Cons
  • "I can say that the product is easy to use...The initial setup of the product was easy."
  • "I feel that the product's stability is an area where improvements are required."

What is our primary use case?

The solution helps provide a seamless internet connection.

What is most valuable?

I can't comment much on the valuable features of the solution since I work in a cargo company that has outsourced its IT operations to another company. I can say that the product is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

I feel that the product's stability is an area where improvements are required.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have experience with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access. I use an older version of the solution.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

I don't know about the solution's technical support since Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is a product that is outsourced to others by our company. The product's technical support is good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of the product was easy.

The solution can be deployed in an hour.

There is another external IT team to take care of the deployment process of the tool since my company is only involved in the action of outsourcing the product to other companies.

What about the implementation team?

The initial setup of the product was managed by one of the in-house teams in the company.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Price-wise, I find Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access to be an okay product. It is not an expensive product.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer2202696 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Enterprise Network Engineer at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
Real User
A cheap, stable and secure solution
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a cheap and secure solution. The job switching and security features are better than other solutions."
  • "The scalability and technical support can be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We are an integration company and help clients with the integration of Fortinet FortiSwitch.

What is most valuable?

It is a cheap and secure solution. The job switching and security features are better than other solutions.

What needs improvement?

The scalability and technical support can be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is highly stable. I rate the stability a ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution. The scalability of the solution depends on the hardware. We like stacking the number of switches but the solution is not owing any number, it is fixed. All our clients are enterprises. I rate the scalability an eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support team is good but since it is not very big it does not provide immediate response on errors or technical issues. I rate the support an eight out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy. The time taken for deployment depends on the number of devices, number of files, and number of switches. If they have FortiAnalyzer and the vendors are on the full solution then it can take a day, two days, or even weeks. It depends on the number of end users. Two engineers are enough for the deployment of the full solution. One person is required for maintenance like updates, troubleshooting, and problem fixing.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is cheap and only a yearly licensing cost needs to be paid.

What other advice do I have?

Users can use FortiSwitch as it is a cheap, stable, scalable, and secure solution. I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
reviewer2335599 - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Information Security Officer at a consultancy with 1-10 employees
Real User
Top 10
Helps SMBs to expand their firewall's ability
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of the solution is the MAC feature."
  • "The solution doesn't support other switches."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is good for the SMB side when they want to expand the firewall's ability.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of the solution is the MAC feature. The monitoring from the firewall management can also handle the workstations in the organization.

What needs improvement?

The solution doesn't support other switches.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiSwitch is a scalable solution. Our clients for the solution are small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s initial setup is easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Fortinet FortiSwitch is a pricey solution.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten.

What other advice do I have?

In every project, we need one person who knows how to deploy the tool. One network administrator can easily maintain the solution. The solution has AI features embedded in itself. Since each company has different needs, users should carefully plan the project.

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

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Consultant
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2025
Product Categories
Ethernet Switches
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.