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Extreme VDX [EOL] vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

Extreme VDX [EOL]
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
Ethernet Switches (17th)
 

Featured Reviews

Osama Ahmed LUBBAD - PeerSpot reviewer
Systems Support Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
A stable, scalable, and problem-free solution
Software needs to be updated regularly in order to maintain security and performance. However, in some cases, it is necessary to stack switches in order to meet the needs of the network. Although Cisco switches are able to stack, other switches are not as simple to stack. I would like the ability to stack with different switch brands.
Sujith Pazhancheeri - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Technology Infrastructure Engineer at REYADA IT SOLUTIONS CO. LLC
Integrated firewall connectivity has simplified on-premises projects and supports reliable SMB switching
The performance is basic only, and we cannot compare Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center with Aruba or Cisco switches. Regarding security policies, I did not configure that many policies in Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is on-premises, and the negative of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is that it is costly compared to other switches. In Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center, I did not see that many features compared to Cisco and Aruba.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The fabric of the solution and the management aspect are the solution's most valuable features."
"The most valuable feature of Extreme VDX is that we have had no problems and the solution's performance is excellent."
"Its simplicity and web interface were most valuable. I also liked the two-factor authentication."
"The initial setup was simple."
"The interface is very straightforward."
"I like the solution's technical support. I rate the technical support a ten out of ten."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center offers flexibility and control over the entire network from a single pane of management."
"A valuable feature of FortiGate is its management integrity."
"An affordable and stable solution for small-medium companies."
"What I like about the solution is that it can be accessed anywhere."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center's scalability is good."
 

Cons

"The only problem is that at the moment it's an Extreme product and Extreme is not really pushing it. They have to make up for weak innovation and I'm not sure if they want to do that."
"Its scalability can be better. If possible, it can have Hyper POE. I am not sure if there is a fiber version."
"Its scalability is quite limited. We had four buildings merging into one building, and scalability was probably the reason why they didn't proceed with buying more Brocade switches and routers."
"I don't know if the solution has a future because the company doesn't seem to be investing in updates or improvements."
"I would like the ability to stack with different switch brands."
"The solution could always benefit from more security. It's of critical importance to organizations right now."
"There could be more porting software options for easy deployment in the product."
"The UI of the firewall and reporting could be improved."
"Enhancing security on the firewall and the switches, as well as focusing on price segment issues, would make it a better solution for the future."
"Fortinet could have the ability to authenticate users like Aruba offers because managing ten or twelve SSIDs for different clients is complicated."
"The product must improve the latency in the management center."
"Before using FortiSwitch, you need several certifications."
"The solution can improve by upgrading QSFP+, it is very limited and must be supported more than it is now. If we need FortiSwitches to support all the QSFP ports our budgets would have to be very large."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It was around $1500 a year. It is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Ruckus."
"The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"The solution is not expensive."
"The product has a mid-range price."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Government
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise4
 

Questions from the Community

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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?
The performance is basic only, and we cannot compare Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center with Aruba or Cisco switches. Regarding security policies, I did not configure that many policies in Fortinet...
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
Currently, we are mostly working with Sophos and Fortinet. Before, we worked with XG, but now they have upgraded to the XGS series, and in Fortinet, we are working with FortiGate Firewall. In some ...
 

Also Known As

VDX, Brocade VDX
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Niagra Falls Bridge Commission, Medien System Partner, CDE Lightband, MaximumASP
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco, Arista and others in Ethernet Switches. Updated: September 2026.
913,654 professionals have used our research since 2012.