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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs NETGEAR Switches 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
1.0
Fortinet FortiSwitch offers cost-effective integration and ease of use, with Cisco providing better long-term returns for higher budgets.
Sentiment score
7.2
NETGEAR Switches offer cost-effective, reliable solutions with labor savings, minimal management, and enhanced efficiency for business growth.
The integration of Fortinet infrastructure, including FortiSwitches, is cost-effective compared to Cisco, especially when paired with Fortinet wireless solutions.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.9
Fortinet FortiSwitch support is highly rated for responsiveness and reliability, though some users suggest better speed and consistency.
Sentiment score
6.8
Customers find NETGEAR's support effective and responsive but face challenges with service navigation and understanding new products.
Technical partners provide responses within a day for any technical queries.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
Customer support needs improvement in terms of speed and reliability.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
On a scale from one to 10, I would rate the technical support of Fortinet an eight.
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
There are issues distinguishing which switches support cloud features.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
8.5
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is scalable and cost-effective, ideal for enterprises, with some fiber port limitations noted.
Sentiment score
7.0
NETGEAR Switches offer adaptability and scalability, supporting various network sizes with easy expansion and robust connectivity features.
When used in a dedicated Fortinet infrastructure, FortiSwitch scalability is better than some other switches, like Cisco, Meraki, or Arista.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
Scalability is generally good, with transitions from gigabit to ten giga, twenty-five giga, and forty giga.
CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC
The scalability of NETGEAR Switches is easy and very beneficial for us.
Assistant Manager ICT at IHS
NETGEAR's scalability through its Insight Cloud system is on par with Ubiquiti's, although it must offer features beyond its competitors.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is highly stable and reliable, with minor issues mainly due to vendor integration challenges.
Sentiment score
7.8
NETGEAR Switches are praised for their reliability and stability, making them ideal for demanding applications despite minor quirks.
There is room for improvement as it sometimes takes over an hour to push configurations onto the devices from the management tool.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
We've experienced failures such as a 16-port dying after three to four years.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

Pricing is high; improvements needed in automation, integration, user interfaces, management, certifications, features, support, and performance.
Enhancing security, management, compatibility, and support while refining costs and integration could strengthen NETGEAR's position in enterprise networks.
Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
The commercial aspect presents challenges, particularly with pricing, as customers often ask for Juniper or Cisco, brands they are more aware of, which makes awareness about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center another weak point.
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
There is room to improve the integration between FortiSwitch and other third-party solutions, as challenges arise when integrating with different vendors.
CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC
They should introduce features like dual firmware or dual boot that allow systems to be updated without downtime.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
They can improve on the commercial part, specifically the cost, as it is higher than other brands.
Assistant Manager ICT at IHS
 

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiSwitch is competitively priced, sometimes seen as expensive, offers no extra licensing with FortiGate, and occasional discounts.
Enterprise users praise NETGEAR Switches for competitive pricing, excellent performance, low costs, and strong warranties compared to rivals.
The Fortinet switches come with no additional cost as they are open source, with only hardware warranties applicable.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
Pricing is competitive, although it's not the cheapest option.
CTO at Exceed NetSec LLC
Some high-end switches required for specific advanced features, like precision time protocols, can be more expensive.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiSwitch offers centralized management, enhanced security, and efficient integration with FortiGate for flexible, cost-effective network control.
NETGEAR Switches offer affordability, ease, reliability, advanced features, robust performance, and strong support for diverse networking needs.
The main actual benefit that Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center brought to my customer's environment is secure connectivity while minimizing downtime from unexpected traffic or broadcasting.
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
This feature allows the switch's ports to be used as firewall ports, enhancing network security by enabling IPS and network profiling directly on the ports.
Network Security Engineer at STN Inc
It allows me to create VLANs, implement security measures, and push configurations using a single tool.
senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting
The precision time protocol feature caught our interest for future use in specific settings like churches, where low latency is required.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
The most valuable features are routing and access control.
Assistant Manager ICT at IHS
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NETGEAR Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
LAN Switching (5th), AV Over IP Switching (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 2.2%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NETGEAR Switches is 7.9%, down from 9.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
NETGEAR Switches7.9%
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center2.2%
Other89.9%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Rutul SHah - PeerSpot reviewer
CXO at Aariha Enterprise Private Limited
Provides seamless traffic control and secure connectivity while minimizing downtime and optimizing resource allocation
There is always room for improvement in Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because with this switch, they can reduce downtime due to broadcasting issues by denying specific traffic on particular ports. Currently, I am not identifying any weak points of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because it meets the customer's use case. However, the commercial aspect presents challenges, particularly with pricing, as customers often ask for Juniper or Cisco, brands they are more aware of, which makes awareness about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center another weak point.
Umang Shah - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Manager ICT at IHS
Efficient routing and access control with an easy setup
We use NETGEAR Switches for networking, particularly for switch-to-switch connectivity. We connect them with core switches, especially for camera installation NETGEAR Switches have increased the throughput and speed of internal communication, and have improved our network efficiency. The most…
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
13%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Retailer
7%
Computer Software Company
10%
University
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business42
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise11
 

Questions from the Community

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?
There is always room for improvement in Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center because with this switch, they can reduce downtime due to broadcasting issues by denying specific traffic on particular po...
How do NETGEAR switches compare with Cisco ethernet switches?
NetGear switches have a lot to offer. They have high availability, zero-downtime stacking, L2 and L3 functionality, and are AV-over-IP ready. NetGear switches also have a command line interface and...
Which switches are better - Ubiquiti Unifi or Netgear?
Ubiquiti Unifi offers a great set of features. For starters, it is easy to configure and implement, and also doesn’t require a learning curve because it is easy to use. It is also simple to reconfi...
What do you like most about NETGEAR Switches?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten. I have not faced any issues with the product whatsoever.
 

Also Known As

No data available
NETGEAR Insight Managed Switches, NETGEAR GC Series, NETGEAR M Series
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Blaze Networks
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center vs. NETGEAR Switches and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
879,259 professionals have used our research since 2012.