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3Com H3C Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access 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

3Com H3C Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
27th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
5.4
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
12th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of 3Com H3C Switches is 1.1%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 4.3%, down from 5.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access4.3%
3Com H3C Switches1.1%
Other94.6%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

AA
Manager at Necsol
Has improved operational response times and reduced downtime across departments
There is no negative impact, but to some extent their software side needs improvement because most people are familiar with iDRAC for the Dell product. Their software product is quite different and is new software. You have to take some time to learn their programming and other things such as installation of the media, Windows or office applications, or anything else. It is not complex. It is because it is a new thing and we had to face a little more problem for the installation at first. But now after some time, it has become easy for us because we have been working with Dell and listening about Dell for a long time, about decades. 3Com H3C Switches has occupied our market and has been working now for the last two to three years. 3Com H3C Switches has gained this much reputation and the brand is at its peak. It will be a matter of time and with the passage of time the learning stage will improve.
Uri Harf - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The hardware side is a very big advantage. We use it 24/7 and we haven't had any problems so far with the switches."
"3Com H3C Switches products are available at a low price, and the second most important factor is their services, availability of parts, and warranty claims, with main service centers in all major cities of Pakistan."
"The user interface is upgraded to the latest GUI technology, allowing configurations like VLAN to be done through the interface rather than the command line, making it more efficient."
"Total cost of ownership and consolidation of the switches is very good."
"They're straightforward and stable."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the durability."
"Their customer service is instant with a tracking system and follow-ups for human access."
"They're straightforward and stable."
"It works really well, I think the equipment is solid, and the help is great."
"The most valuable feature is that I can completely isolate devices that are compromising the network."
"It offers better insight into what's going on in our customer's network and faster resolution for issues that are happening."
"The most valuable feature of FortiSwitch is its user-friendly interface, which facilitates easy management and propagation of rules throughout the network."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access demonstrates great stability and reliability aspects."
"You can hook all the other components to be monitored. You can create policies and block certain people from accessing the Internet."
"The integration with the whole platform, so there's one dashboard for everything. It is one of the most valuable features."
"I would rate the the ease of management and scalability within our network architecture an eight out of ten, with ten being best."
 

Cons

"The technical support services need improvement in terms of communication."
"The company should come up with new security features and new management and log recording systems, helping customers to analyze issues and prevent future incidents."
"To some extent their software side needs improvement because most people are familiar with iDRAC for the Dell product."
"The cost and the integration with other solutions could be better."
"When we try to do configuration changes sometimes it malfunctions."
"If I had to go back in time, I might go with HP."
"When we try to do configuration changes sometimes it malfunctions."
"The cost and the integration with other solutions could be better."
"Renewing the annual licenses for Secure the Switch FortiSwitch can be cumbersome, especially considering the relatively high cost of Fortinet licenses."
"The technical support team is slow to respond and the responses are not always complete."
"The security of the solution could be a bit better."
"It would also help if they lowered the cost of their service."
"I don't like the way it's managed."
"I don't like the way it's managed."
"The scalability and technical support can be improved."
"We had experienced downtime. I would like to see it to be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost could be improved, but it is cheaper than the others."
"3Com H3C Switches have a competitive cost. I rate the pricing a nine out of ten."
"The solution has reasonable pricing. The firewall costs around 500$ annually."
"The product's pricing is good."
"You can buy this equipment in a multitude of ways. You can buy just the hardware, or you can buy the hardware and the licenses."
"It's affordable and there are no additional costs, just regular support, and license fees."
"We have an annual licensing cost. There are no additional costs."
"We have to renew and pay for the licenses."
"We have to pay for the solution's subscription."
"The product's pricing is less compared to other enterprise solutions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
8%
Educational Organization
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Retailer
7%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business38
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise7
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for 3Com H3C Switches?
Price is the major factor. You cannot say it is much better because all servers and all products have a few things in common, which are the processor, storage, and RAM and other things. Mostly the ...
What needs improvement with 3Com H3C Switches?
There is no negative impact, but to some extent their software side needs improvement because most people are familiar with iDRAC for the Dell product. Their software product is quite different and...
What advice do you have for others considering 3Com H3C Switches?
I personally did not work over the management, but I supplied to some of my other clients. I would rate this review a 9 overall.
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...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

British Columbia Assessment Authority, DreamWorks, DRV
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about 3Com H3C Switches vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,976 professionals have used our research since 2012.