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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs H3C Ethernet 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
48
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
H3C Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
16th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 5.0%, down from 5.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of H3C Ethernet Switches is 2.6%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Uri Harf - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
KanwarArsalan - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers all routing protocols, functionality, and capabilities
H3C switches have strong port aggregation features including dynamic, static, and device aggregation. They also offer broadcast, multicast, or unique system suppression for PPS and BPS. These features are versatile and adaptable to various organizational scenarios, complemented by VLAN support. H3C switches offer VPN support along with various VLAN options like port-based, MAC-based, and protocol-based VLANs, including VLAN mapping and voice VLAN features. They support VLAN interfaces for both IPv4 and IPv6, ensuring compatibility and configuration flexibility. H3C switches are up to date with current market trends, offering features, routing protocols, capabilities, and functionalities that correspond to new trends in networking solutions. I strongly recommend that future users consider H3C switches for their designs, given their performance, specific features, and strong capabilities compared to competitors like Cisco. Overall, I would rate H3C Ethernet Switches as a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is easy to scale."
"The most valuable feature of this product is its simplicity."
"The most valuable feature of FortiSwitch is its user-friendly interface, which facilitates easy management and propagation of rules throughout the network."
"The product is a total solution with the FortiGate, switch, and access point. It is integrated with FortiGate, allowing us to manage all the equipment through it. You can handle everything from a single point."
"The main benefit of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is its integration with FortiCloud, which allows me to manage all appliances in a single interface."
"The powerful integration capabilities allow us to manage all devices from a single interface through the firewall."
"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 can integrate well with other Fortinet products."
"The IMC feature is valuable."
"We can configure the switch stack on the internet. Other vendors do not offer this facility. It is fast and easy to manage."
"The best feature of H3C Ethernet Switches is their reliability."
"Network performance is very good, suggesting that stability has not been an issue."
"H3C Ethernet Switches have a fast delivery time."
"H3C Ethernet Switches is a cheap solution."
"To date, it has proven to be highly reliable. We have encountered no issues or challenges with it thus far."
"A good high-performance solution."
 

Cons

"An area for improvement would be the segmentation and network in logic networks."
"I give the stability a seven out of ten because we have noticed when we hook up phones the switching of ELANs et cetera doesn't work as it should."
"The central management needs improvement. The initial setup could be easier."
"We had experienced downtime. I would like to see it to be improved."
"One of the main challenges was integrating FortiSwitch with FortiGate, as the switches are managed through FortiGate rather than independently."
"FortiSwitch offers eight and 24-port models. They don't have a 16-port model, which can be an issue for some clients."
"FortiSwitch requires periodic firmware updates. It can be a little difficult because the switches aren't connected to the internet, so you cannot upgrade the firmware remotely. You need to go to the site and do it manually because it's a closed network."
"I'd like to see more integration with different platforms."
"There should be more public tools for configuration and comparing products."
"GUI needs to merge with CLI."
"H3C Ethernet Switches could improve by widening their product range."
"There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized."
"The solution’s stability could be improved."
"Lacks decent cloud management."
"The only improvement needed is the significantly better lead time for delivery compared to other American products. In terms of technology, there isn't much difference, especially since X3 is a subsidiary of XP, and they use the same technology. However, the delivery time is notably better."
"To enhance H3C switches for the next release, improving the user interface is crucial."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's affordable compared to other switching products, like Cisco switches."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch is a pricey solution."
"The product's pricing is good."
"The pricing is cheap and only a yearly licensing cost needs to be paid."
"We have to renew and pay for the licenses."
"The product's pricing is less compared to other enterprise solutions."
"The tool's pricing is fine."
"The solution has reasonable pricing. The firewall costs around 500$ annually."
"H3C Ethernet Switches are priced at around $500 per unit, which is very cheap and one of the most competitive prices out there."
"H3C Ethernet Switches are reasonably priced."
"The pricing is very affordable, making it a not-so-expensive choice. On a scale from one to ten, where one is expensive and ten is cheap, I would rate it a seven."
"H3C Ethernet Switches is targeted for SMBs because it's cheaper compared to Huawei switches."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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 do you like most about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access?
With FortiSwitch, you can easily identify who is connected to each port, disable ports as needed, and retrieve configurations from FortiGate when required.
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 H3C Ethernet Switches?
There is room for improvement in Wi-Fi solutions, which are not optimized.
What is your primary use case for H3C Ethernet Switches?
The primary use case is about managing network infrastructure. The H3C Ethernet Switches are used internally as switches in the system.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Ying Wa College, Centro Digital Pictures
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs. H3C Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.