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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs HPE 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
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
48
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
HPE Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
9th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
103
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 4.5%, down from 5.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Ethernet Switches is 2.8%, up from 2.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access4.5%
HPE Ethernet Switches2.8%
Other92.7%
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.
Dinesh Upadhyay - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience years of robust features and strong technical support
It is a nice and robust tool where we use HPE Ethernet Switches. It is a lower switch, and we have received good warranty support with HPE switches. The security features of the HPE Ethernet Switches are good. The UI mode is available, and we can easily configure the access list and SNMP. All these configurations can be done here. Users can enable the Layer 3 features.

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 very simple, and it's very easily available."
"The main benefit of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is its integration with FortiCloud, which allows me to manage all appliances in a single interface."
"My advice those using a firewall Fortigate is: use their APs because they work very well."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access has good scalability."
"The solution is easy to scale."
"The visual scope of the solution is very good. It allows me to see and download all of the network information."
"With FortiSwitch, you can easily identify who is connected to each port, disable ports as needed, and retrieve configurations from FortiGate when required."
"The tool's setup was very easy."
"HPE is very reliable because it has a lifetime warranty, so the switches didn't give us any problems."
"I like that HPE's management functions are GUI-based, so it doesn't rely on command lines."
"The performance is great."
"The technical support for this solution has improved from what it was."
"HPE Ethernet Switches are easy to configure."
"The solution is scalable."
"The HPE Ethernet switches have very low latency."
"The switches are very important in our hospitals, which is a critical environment for our patients. They provide time-effective management and meet our needs."
 

Cons

"The solution doesn't support other switches."
"The initial setup is pretty easy; we have built a knowledge base. But there's a learning curve for beginners."
"I feel that the product's stability is an area where improvements are required."
"The solution could provide an active VPN."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is expensive, and this initial cost can be a barrier, especially for new businesses setting up from scratch."
"We had experienced downtime. I would like to see it to be improved."
"The product's pricing needs improvement for small and medium businesses."
"An area for improvement would be the segmentation and network in logic networks."
"There is a limitation of capability."
"The product could always use better technical support."
"We have had some rare occasions with glitches, so the stability can be improved."
"We haven't had any issues with this switch in the past 10 years. That's the reason we're still keeping them alive."
"Price is an area for improvement. Cisco is very competitive on price, considering future business. HPE Ethernet Switches and Aruba need to think about their pricing. Aruba's price was 25 percent higher than Cisco's in a recent Central Bank project in Sri Lanka."
"The cost could be better. HPE has to study it carefully with other vendors in the market, like Cisco or Juniper."
"The solution lacks certain protocols and has a limited warranty."
"The solution would be easier to set up if its GUI could improve or if it had a wizard."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost appears to be high in comparison to other competing products although with this product you are paying for what you get."
"The pricing for Fortinet FortiSwitch is not expensive."
"The product pricing seems to be mid-range."
"The price is good."
"It's affordable and there are no additional costs, just regular support, and license fees."
"The solution is expensive but overall the cost makes sense."
"The product's pricing is less compared to other enterprise solutions."
"The product's pricing is good."
"The price is fair."
"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."
"The cost is a bit high."
"The pricing is very good."
"HPE costs almost the same as Cisco."
"There are no licensing costs for this solution."
"We just bought new switches for $500 last year, and now, the same switch is $800. It's gone up in price in the last 12 months."
"The license cost is yearly."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
10%
Educational Organization
9%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business37
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise7
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business62
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise31
 

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 do you like most about HPE Ethernet Switches?
The solution is very stable and easy to use.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE Ethernet Switches?
The price of HPE Ethernet Switches is reasonable and less than other OEM brands.
What needs improvement with HPE Ethernet Switches?
The price should be reduced in comparison to Cisco, as sometimes we cannot use the HPE one at the core level, where generally public users are using Cisco. The price of HPE core switches and Cisco ...
 

Also Known As

No data available
HP Ethernet Switches
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Emirates Palace Hotel
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs. HPE Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
867,370 professionals have used our research since 2012.