Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs MikroTik Routers and Switches comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center and MikroTik Routers and Switches based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Ethernet Switches solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. MikroTik Routers and Switches Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"We are able to monitor everything that is happening on our network.""The product is stable.""The interface is very straightforward.""I have found the solution to be scalable.""Configurations between FortiGate and FortiSwitch have to link to each other. We need configuration. The configuration is not like a Cisco switch. It has a unique configuration.""An affordable and stable solution for small-medium companies.""Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center's scalability is good.""SD-WAN and the security fabric are essential features of the product."

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"The pricing is very reasonable. It's not too expensive.""The tool's most valuable features are flexibility and configuration. It can be used in large setups.""We have use cases like providing power over ethernet, as an access controller for Wi-Fi, and normal networking.""The most valuable feature is its bandwidth management ability.""This is a good solution.""The cost and versatility are the solution's most valuable features. You can do anything with them if you know how to. The solution has a whole portfolio of routing features available.""The solution offers very good multi-routing.""This equipment is resilient and available at a good price."

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Cons
"The solution could always benefit from more security. It's of critical importance to organizations right now.""Routing is an area in Fortinet FortiSwitch with certain shortcomings where improvements are needed.""Managing the VLANs is an area where the solution lacks and needs to improve.""Does not have as many features as other solutions, such as segmentation and analytics engines.""The UI of the firewall and reporting could be improved.""The tool is not easy to use.""The FortiSwitch product was initially quite complex.""FortiSwitch should improve the FortiGate map. The diagram cannot move automatically to show the switch. The map does not map the physical location. It cannot move or touch the diagram."

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"They could improve their product if they set, for instance, a controller for wireless LAN. That would allow them to really have something more than an access point.""They lack the extended warranty for the equipment. They only provide a warranty for one year as compared to the other vendors who offer a warranty for three years, five years, and lifetime, etc.""The interface for management could be improved.""The solution is a complicated device.""The initial setup can be a bit difficult. The configuration can take a lot of time.""The initial setup is a bit complex.""The product's setup process could be easier.""f they can improve the OpenVPN, to make that a bit more straightforward, that would be ideal."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
  • "This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."
  • "It is reasonably priced."
  • "The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."
  • "The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."
  • "Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
  • "The solution is not expensive."
  • More Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "This product is a one-time purchase."
  • "In our last project, we used two hundred units and the price was approximately 500 Shekels ($140 USD)."
  • "There is no licensing fee in addition to the hardware, but we do pay an annual fee for support."
  • "This product is cheaper than competing products by other vendors."
  • "There are not any external or hidden costs."
  • "The price-performance is great."
  • "MikroTik is very cost-effective and quite good for the price. It performs very well. For one of our customers, the existing setup comprises Cisco Catalyst switches, and it is about 10 to 15 years old. We're looking into upgrading in a cost-effective way to get the performance and yet still be at par with the quality and expectations that customers have from Cisco. Price-wise, Cisco is really expensive, and customers are expecting something different than Cisco so that they can save on IT costs. They don't have the same budget that they had before when they installed Cisco products. That's why they're looking for a solution that can provide performance and features without too much money or investment. We're looking at some alternative brands, such as NETGEAR and MikroTik, to support our proposal."
  • "The main reason we use this solution is for the price — it's very cheap."
  • More MikroTik Routers and Switches Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center's scalability is good.
    Top Answer:Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center needs to improve its UI and stability.
    Top Answer:Cisco Enterprise Routers are very stable and easy to use. They offer a very solid performance and are very secure. They also have a very good, long lifespan. We feel the command configuration is very… more »
    Top Answer:Ubiquiti Unifi is a great solution. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and doesn’t require a learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfigure an AP or… more »
    Ranking
    16th
    out of 34 in Ethernet Switches
    Views
    2,664
    Comparisons
    1,969
    Reviews
    5
    Average Words per Review
    237
    Rating
    7.6
    6th
    out of 34 in Ethernet Switches
    Views
    13,215
    Comparisons
    8,646
    Reviews
    26
    Average Words per Review
    490
    Rating
    8.0
    Comparisons
    Learn More
    Overview

    With 10 or 40 GE access ports and a high-throughput backbone, FortiSwitch Data Center Switches are ideal for the top-of-rack (ToR) server or firewall-aggregation applications. The high-speed switching fabric is also well suited for enterprise network core or backbone network installations.

    MikroTik Routers and Switches provide all the features necessary for network administrators to secure and monitor their networks and are suitable for companies of any size. The solution is ideal for creating Wi-Fi hotspots, connecting multiple servers, setting up firewalls and VPNs, and distributing bandwidth. MikroTik's user-friendly dashboard helps you interact easily with your hardware. With MikroTik's user interface, you can obtain real statistics by user or IP address and monitor bandwidth consumption.

    Benefits and Key Features of MikroTik Routers and Switches

    • Affordability: MikroTik routers and switches are very reasonably priced and offer features comparable to those of other higher priced solutions.

    • Highly customizable: Flexible scripting policies and configuration options enable users to enhance the functionality of MikroTik's various products. MikroTik routers also offer hotspot profiles, which allows admins to create different customizable guest user authentication profiles.

    • Consistency: All MikroTik routers have the same operating system and features, making it simple to migrate between different products.

    • Routing protocols: MikroTik provides several dynamic routing protocols that can be deployed to build robust and secure networks.

    • Built-in firewall: MikroTik offers a very powerful firewall implementation with multiple features, including state inspection, layer-7 protocol detection, and peer-to-peer protocols filtering.

    • Stability and robust performance: MikroTik routers and switches are long-lasting, resilient, and perform well.

    Reviews from Real Users

    MikroTik stands out among competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its reasonably priced products and its user-friendly user interface, which makes it easy to work and communicate with its hardware.

    Parameshwar P., a director at Navyug Networks, writes, "I like MikroTik's GUI. It's completely handy and easy to handle because of its GUI. Despite other brands like Cisco urging me to switch, I didn't because they don't have a GUI. This is the most comfortable thing in my project that anyone can use easily. It’s effortless to maintain MikroTik routers because both screens make it very easy in GUI mode. You can easily interact with your hardware.”

    Rodney T., the chief solutions architect at Tech2go Strategic IT Solutions, says, "They are very good at providing the bandwidth for multi-tenants and multi-dwelling units. We're managing Wi-Fi hotspots for hundreds of locations, and the speed and performance are quite there. They also have very cheap 10G products that come with really good and flexible software. They are way cheaper than the top brands, and they're able to deliver the same performance and capabilities."

    A principal consultant at a tech services company notes, "The most valuable aspect of this solution is the combination of value for money. They're extremely cost effective, yet they provide you with an extensive feature set of things you can do across the board. Also, they're pretty reliable, as far as equipment goes."

    Sample Customers
    Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
    ABB, Boingo Wireless, JPL, HP, Allied Telesis, iPass, Mips Technologies, MicroAge, Matsushita, Telia, undp, WFP, NASA
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider25%
    Insurance Company25%
    Renewables & Environment Company13%
    Marketing Services Firm13%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company23%
    Comms Service Provider10%
    Government7%
    Educational Organization5%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider24%
    University11%
    Educational Organization11%
    Marketing Services Firm8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company16%
    Comms Service Provider13%
    Government6%
    Manufacturing Company6%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business65%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise18%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business38%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise44%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business63%
    Midsize Enterprise23%
    Large Enterprise13%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business39%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise42%
    Buyer's Guide
    Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. MikroTik Routers and Switches
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. MikroTik Routers and Switches and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is ranked 16th in Ethernet Switches with 16 reviews while MikroTik Routers and Switches is ranked 6th in Ethernet Switches with 60 reviews. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is rated 7.8, while MikroTik Routers and Switches is rated 7.8. The top reviewer of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center writes "Stable product with efficient SD-WAN features". On the other hand, the top reviewer of MikroTik Routers and Switches writes "A cost-effective networking solutions with a robust feature set, but its interface may have a steeper learning curve". Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is most compared with Aruba Switches, Cisco Ethernet Switches, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches, Huawei Ethernet Switches and Arista Networks Platform, whereas MikroTik Routers and Switches is most compared with Cisco Enterprise Routers, Ubiquiti UniFi Switches, MikroTik Cloud Router Switch, Huawei Enterprise Routers and Aruba Switches. See our Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. MikroTik Routers and Switches report.

    See our list of best Ethernet Switches vendors.

    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.