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Aruba Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 2, 2025

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
4.4
Fortinet FortiSwitch offers significant cost savings, enhanced security, and ease of deployment compared to competitors like Cisco and HPE.
 

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
5.6
Fortinet FortiSwitch support receives mixed reviews, with commendable tier three service but issues in response speed and clarity.
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
They are knowledgeable, professional, and assist with any issues.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
My local support is working fine, and I have my connection with my account manager in the public company of Fortinet.
IT Director at Rabbit Mart
It's a potential area for improvement, possibly in terms of response time or quality.
Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
 

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
8.0
Fortinet FortiSwitch is praised for seamless scalability and integration, despite some pricing concerns, in both small and large networks.
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
For enterprise solutions, it's extendable easily with options for edge connectivity or stackable devices.
IT Director at Rabbit Mart
You just need to connect another switch or replace the current one, and it integrates well with the existing setup.
Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
With uniform Fortinet FortiGate switches, adding or removing switches without reconfiguring individually is straightforward.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
 

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
8.7
Fortinet FortiSwitch is praised for its stability, reliability, robust security, and minimal technical issues despite new market presence.
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
The tool is robust and lasts for three to four years without needing replacement.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access demonstrates great stability and reliability aspects.
Team Lead - Network and Security at Digitaltrack
The stability has been good overall.
IT Director at Rabbit Mart
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Switches need improvements in visibility, interface, security, stability, compatibility, setup complexity, pricing, and support for better user experience.
Fortinet FortiSwitch needs better pricing, licensing, user interface, support, firmware clarity, security features, integration, stability, and scalability.
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
The introduction of AI integration could be valuable for detecting abnormal traffic directly on the switch.
Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
The machine is robust and lasts for years with rare technical issues.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
I would appreciate the ability to create an independent switch.
Team Lead - Network and Security at Digitaltrack
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Switches offer cost-effectiveness, competitive pricing, and advantageous licensing, appealing to organizations despite high-end models being costly.
Enterprise buyers find Fortinet FortiSwitch pricing high yet justifiable due to robust functionality, reliability, and fewer licensing requirements.
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
It has increased by about two hundred percent over the past three years.
IT Director at Rabbit Mart
The initial cost of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is high compared to other options.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Switches are valued for cloud management, scalability, robust security, and integration, making them a preferred choice.
Fortinet FortiSwitch integrates with FortiGate, offering seamless management, ease of deployment, advanced security features, and robust network visibility.
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 centralized management saves time and ensures seamless scalability.
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
The powerful integration capabilities allow us to manage all devices from a single interface through the firewall.
IT Director at Rabbit Mart
One of the main features is the integration with FortiGate.
Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
 

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 - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
7th
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 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 - Secure Access is 4.1%, down from 5.6% 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 - Secure Access4.1%
Other87.5%
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.
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.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Government
6%
Educational Organization
6%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
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 Business38
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise7
 

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 ...
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...
 

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 - Secure Access and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,672 professionals have used our research since 2012.