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Broadcom StrataDNX 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

Broadcom StrataDNX
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
24th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
3.3
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
10th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
48
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Broadcom StrataDNX is 1.2%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 3.9%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access3.9%
Broadcom StrataDNX1.2%
Other94.9%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Wisely Ng - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior rPLM and Consulting Engineering, IP and Optical Networks, APAC at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Cost-effective chipset saves resources and offers rich features
The Broadcom StrataDNX chipset, such as the DNX, is quite a generic chipset and from the cost perspective, it is quite cost-effective hardware. When we decide to use such an Ethernet switch, our R&D and headquarters consider using the Broadcom chipset as one of the merchandised chipsets in our system, providing a cost-effective solution to our customers. The cost-saving with Broadcom StrataDNX is one of the critical criteria for using the DNX as one of our hardware chipsets. From the features perspective, it is quite feature-rich, so we can leverage those existing functions on the SDK to develop our own features in our equipment.
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 cost-saving with Broadcom StrataDNX is one of the critical criteria for using the DNX as one of our hardware chipsets, and from the features perspective, it is quite feature-rich, so we can leverage those existing functions on the SDK to develop our own features in our equipment."
"The good thing about the StrataDNX is that the Broadcom family is very interchangeable, so they work well with different optical transceivers."
"The Broadcom StrataDNX chipset, such as the DNX, is quite a generic chipset and from the cost perspective, it is quite cost-effective hardware."
"For the mobile backhaul or up to the PE, however, StrataDNX is a proven solution."
"Easy to integrate with any of the other hardware platforms."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access has essential features for managing switches."
"Integration is good, as well as price and technical support."
"The solution is very simple, and it's very easily available."
"The solution is easy to scale."
"The most valuable feature would be network management, separating the network management component from security. It can do both but we promote it on its own. It's a good solution to do network management."
"I like that everything flows back to FortiGate, which is the controller, management console, and firewall. There's one central point for the entire network, so the security, switching, wireless, etc., flows back to the FortiGate. The ease of management is what customers like. They don't need separate solutions like Cisco."
"It works really well, I think the equipment is solid, and the help is great."
"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 scaling number of IPv4/IPv6 RIB/FIB, OSPF/IS-IS/BGP routing table and MAC table size could be increased."
"There is room for improvement in the pricing model."
"The standard features do not provide a full feature set, so we need to create our own features to compensate for those limitations."
"The number of surfaces that can be handled by the chipset could be increased."
"We've had some issues with Layer 3 FortiSwitch. We can deploy the device in the cloud. However, we can't deploy this solution in complex environments easily."
"I don't like the way it's managed."
"I would rate technical support at eight. It's a potential area for improvement, possibly in terms of response time or quality."
"It is always nice when something is cheaper."
"An area for improvement would be the segmentation and network in logic networks."
"The pricing is considered high due to the currency exchange changes in our region."
"The security of the solution could be a bit better."
"The initial setup is pretty easy; we have built a knowledge base. But there's a learning curve for beginners."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"Licensing is easy: FortiCare and that's it."
"The solution is expensive but overall the cost makes sense."
"Licensing is billed annually and contracts are either one or three years in length."
"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."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access requires a license and the price is expensive."
"We have to renew and pay for the licenses."
"The solution is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Huawei."
"We signed up for a three-year license for support and replacement."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
19%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Outsourcing Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business37
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise7
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Broadcom StrataDNX?
From my impression regarding Broadcom StrataDNX, I can explain that while Broadcom is quite good, it is not perfect in some cases. The standard features do not provide a full feature set, so we nee...
What is your primary use case for Broadcom StrataDNX?
We use the SDK from Broadcom StrataDNX from the software features point of view. We have our own network operating system to perform adaptive configurations around different chipsets, creating an a...
What advice do you have for others considering Broadcom StrataDNX?
The Broadcom StrataDNX chipset from the product portfolio is quite generic and not difficult to deploy. For network monitoring, we do not rely on the Broadcom StrataDNX chipset capability. Instead,...
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 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...
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
I would appreciate the ability to create an independent switch. I am aware of the pricing and licensing of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access, and I previously rated it a six because I wanted the...
 

Also Known As

StrataDNX
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Hill International, Coty, Banese, Algar Tech
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Broadcom StrataDNX vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,270 professionals have used our research since 2012.