Cisco Ethernet Switches and Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access compete in the network management category. Cisco appears to have the upper hand due to its excellent technical support and robust features, although Fortinet offers more cost-effective solutions.
Features: Cisco Ethernet Switches are known for their power-saving design, enhanced confidentiality through MACSec encryption, and efficient management with CDP and Smartports. They support various dynamic IP protocols and have robust QoS and hot swap capabilities. Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access integrates seamlessly with FortiGate, offering a straightforward management interface and strong security features. It also provides centralized management of several devices, allowing easy control of FortiAP, FortiClient, and FortiGate from a single console.
Room for Improvement: Cisco Ethernet Switches could improve by adopting a more competitive pricing strategy, simplifying GUI, and reducing setup complexity. They also need to address IGMP snooping issues. Fortinet FortiSwitch should enhance technical support responsiveness, develop SDN capabilities, and create independent management features from FortiGate to broaden its use and appeal.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Ethernet Switches primarily operate on-premises, offering excellent technical support noted for swift response and expertise, although user experiences can vary. Fortinet FortiSwitch also supports on-premises deployment with competitive customer service, yet it often receives less praise than Cisco, indicating potential improvements in response time and complexity.
Pricing and ROI: Cisco Ethernet Switches are priced at a premium justified by their functionality and reliability, ensuring a high ROI due to durable hardware and extensive support, though cost may deter smaller enterprises. Fortinet FortiSwitch is cheaper yet still expensive; its pricing is balanced by strong feature sets that justify the cost. Bundled licensing with hardware enhances ROI by lowering operational costs via centralized management and efficient resource use.
Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access is a secure, high-performance, and easy-to-manage switch. Fortinet FortiSwitch is the best solution for threat-conscious enterprises of all sizes because it is secure, simple, and scalable. Secure Access, which is tightly integrated into the Fortinet Security Fabric via FortiLink, may be handled directly from the FortiGate interface.
Regardless of how people and devices connect to the network, this single-pane-of-glass administration provides total visibility and control. This makes the Fortinet FortiSwitch perfect for SD-Branch and campus deployments, allowing enterprises to combine their security and network access with applications ranging from desktop to data center aggregation. Fortinet FortiSwitch's Secure Access is the most adaptable security platform with end-to-end protection in the industry.
Switches for Secure Access: Small to medium-sized businesses, scattered organizations, branch offices, and industrial control systems can all benefit.
Switches for Data Centers: Ideal for users requiring high-performance 10 GE or 40 GE.
Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access Features
Fortinet FortiSwitch has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:
Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access Benefits
There are many benefits to implementing Fortinet FortiSwitch. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:
Reviews from Real Users
Fortinet FortiSwitch stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its stability and its VLAN setup. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews:
Rutul S., CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited, writes of the product, “The most valuable feature is the SD-WAN support. This device is easy to use.” He adds, “Stability-wise, this product is better than others that are on the market.”
Emil V., System Consultant at I team, notes, “I like the VLAN setup of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access has very good scalability.” He adds, “Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is easy to set up. It only takes minutes to deploy this product, because it is mostly boxes.”
We monitor all Ethernet Switches reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.
