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Aruba Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
3.1
Aruba Switches provide stability, ease of monitoring, and potential cost savings, with expected ROI benefits within a year.
Sentiment score
1.0
Fortinet FortiSwitch offers cost-effective integration and ease of use, with Cisco providing better long-term returns for higher budgets.
The integration of Fortinet infrastructure, including FortiSwitches, is cost-effective compared to Cisco, especially when paired with Fortinet wireless solutions.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
Aruba Switches support varies, with fast help praised, but slow responses and communication issues often complicate complex problem resolutions.
Sentiment score
7.9
Fortinet FortiSwitch support is highly rated for responsiveness and reliability, though some users suggest better speed and consistency.
When issues are escalated to TAC for switching cases specifically, the support tends to be a little poor, whereas support for other products remains acceptable.
IT Solution Analyst II at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Their tech support is good.
CTO at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I find that technical support is available, especially during the warranty period.
Head Of ELV and ICT at Intec Systems Solution Pvt Ltd
Technical partners provide responses within a day for any technical queries.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
Customer support needs improvement in terms of speed and reliability.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
On a scale from one to 10, I would rate the technical support of Fortinet an eight.
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Aruba Switches offer scalable, adaptable solutions for enterprises, featuring modular design and high user satisfaction in expansion capabilities.
Sentiment score
8.5
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is scalable and cost-effective, ideal for enterprises, with some fiber port limitations noted.
The scalability offered by Aruba Switches is similar to Cisco, demonstrating options for enterprise networking.
Technology supervisor at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
I would rate the scalability of the product an eight out of ten.
Chief Executive Officer at Talinda East Africa
The scalability, in my opinion, is around seven to eight out of ten.
Head Of ELV and ICT at Intec Systems Solution Pvt Ltd
When used in a dedicated Fortinet infrastructure, FortiSwitch scalability is better than some other switches, like Cisco, Meraki, or Arista.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
Scalability is generally good, with transitions from gigabit to ten giga, twenty-five giga, and forty giga.
CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
Aruba Switches are highly reliable, with infrequent issues, praised for stable performance and requiring regular maintenance for optimal operation.
Sentiment score
7.4
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is highly stable and reliable, with minor issues mainly due to vendor integration challenges.
I have sites that have been running for many years with no issues.
Chief Executive Officer at Talinda East Africa
The stability of Aruba Switches is very good, and I would rate it between eight and nine out of ten.
Head Of ELV and ICT at Intec Systems Solution Pvt Ltd
Once we install Aruba Switches, we can forget about them for years and years.
Sales Engineer at SGE
There is room for improvement as it sometimes takes over an hour to push configurations onto the devices from the management tool.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Switches need improvements in visibility, interface, security, stability, compatibility, setup complexity, pricing, and support for better user experience.
Pricing is high; improvements needed in automation, integration, user interfaces, management, certifications, features, support, and performance.
Improving the distribution network across regions would be beneficial.
Chief Executive Officer at Talinda East Africa
Aruba Central also has certain security features including segmentation capabilities and endpoint information that can be used to define policies.
IT Solution Analyst II at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
There are more centers of knowledge for Cisco than for Aruba here.
Technology supervisor at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
There is room to improve the integration between FortiSwitch and other third-party solutions, as challenges arise when integrating with different vendors.
CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC
Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
The commercial aspect presents challenges, particularly with pricing, as customers often ask for Juniper or Cisco, brands they are more aware of, which makes awareness about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center another weak point.
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Switches offer cost-effectiveness, competitive pricing, and advantageous licensing, appealing to organizations despite high-end models being costly.
Fortinet FortiSwitch is competitively priced, sometimes seen as expensive, offers no extra licensing with FortiGate, and occasional discounts.
The pricing of some products, such as the 6300M switch, is considered a significant cost.
Chief Executive Officer at Talinda East Africa
From my experience, the pricing of Aruba Switches is competitive.
Head Of ELV and ICT at Intec Systems Solution Pvt Ltd
A high-end model with Aruba is about five thousand.
Sales Engineer at SGE
The Fortinet switches come with no additional cost as they are open source, with only hardware warranties applicable.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
Pricing is competitive, although it's not the cheapest option.
CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Switches are valued for cloud management, scalability, robust security, and integration, making them a preferred choice.
Fortinet FortiSwitch offers centralized management, enhanced security, and efficient integration with FortiGate for flexible, cost-effective network control.
One of the most valuable features of Aruba Switches is the security and cybersecurity features they have.
Technology supervisor at a non-profit with 1-10 employees
Scalability is significant since you can start from an economical product to a very high-end option, accommodating growth.
Sales Engineer at SGE
In the hotel sector, IGMP 3 is particularly valuable for IPTV.
Chief Executive Officer at Talinda East Africa
This feature allows the switch's ports to be used as firewall ports, enhancing network security by enabling IPS and network profiling directly on the ports.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
It allows me to create VLANs, implement security measures, and push configurations using a single tool.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
The main actual benefit that Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center brought to my customer's environment is secure connectivity while minimizing downtime from unexpected traffic or broadcasting.
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
87
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Aruba Switches is 8.4%, down from 12.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 2.3%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Aruba Switches8.4%
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center2.3%
Other89.3%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Aneesh K - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Solution Analyst II at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Has supported dynamic user segmentation and centralized management across campus networks
The best features of Aruba Switches are their stability and reliability. Hardware failures are rare because the switches have been running for years, and it is uncommon to encounter hardware issues or impacting bugs. From an operational perspective, Aruba Switches are stable and easy to configure through centralized management solutions. Initially managed through AirWave and now through Central, the configuration can be managed easily with audit records and visibility to switch health and other parameters. Another advantage is that Aruba Switches work seamlessly with ClearPass as a NAC server. This integration allows for dynamic policies, dynamic downloadable user roles, and enables seamless segmentation of users for network security. The real-time analytics provided by Aruba Switches for network efficiency are valuable when needed. All information visible in the analytics dashboard is truly helpful. With Aruba Central's migration to AI capability, additional value is being provided, offering more information and making troubleshooting easier with user-friendly features where you can search for anything and receive relevant results.
Rutul SHah - PeerSpot reviewer
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
Provides seamless traffic control and secure connectivity while minimizing downtime and optimizing resource allocation
There is always room for improvement in Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because with this switch, they can reduce downtime due to broadcasting issues by denying specific traffic on particular ports. Currently, I am not identifying any weak points of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because it meets the customer's use case. However, the commercial aspect presents challenges, particularly with pricing, as customers often ask for Juniper or Cisco, brands they are more aware of, which makes awareness about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center another weak point.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Government
6%
Educational Organization
6%
Government
13%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Retailer
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business49
Midsize Enterprise18
Large Enterprise22
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise4
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Switches?
Aruba lives up to the expectations of the tech giant hewlett packard enterprise providing excellent networking capabilities at a very affordable price compared to the equivalent from another tech g...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Switches?
The cost of Aruba Switches is based on the price per device. The cost depends on the model. We have 24-port switches, PoE 12-port switches, and bigger switches, so the price varies depending on the...
What needs improvement with Aruba Switches?
Currently, the security integration with Aruba ClearPass is being used for NAC authentication only. Many ACLs and other security features are being managed, but the current security features being ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
The Fortinet switches come with no additional cost as they are open source, with only hardware warranties applicable.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
There is always room for improvement in Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because with this switch, they can reduce downtime due to broadcasting issues by denying specific traffic on particular po...
 

Also Known As

8400 Series, 8320 Series, 5400R Series, 3810 Series, 2930M Series, 2930F Series, 2920 Series, 2540 Series, 2530 Series
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Switches vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,477 professionals have used our research since 2012.