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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
6th
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
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
104
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 4.6%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of HPE Ethernet Switches is 2.7%, up from 2.4% 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.
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

"You can hook all the other components to be monitored. You can create policies and block certain people from accessing the Internet."
"The most valuable feature is the breakability after integration with the FortiGate firewall."
"The most valuable feature of this product is its simplicity."
"My advice those using a firewall Fortigate is: use their APs because they work very well."
"The policies are very good."
"It can integrate well with other Fortinet products."
"The technical support has been very good."
"The most valuable feature is that I can completely isolate devices that are compromising the network."
"The scalability is very good."
"The initial setup of this solution is easy."
"The HPE Ethernet switches have very low latency."
"We found the installation process to be simple."
"HPE Ethernet Switches are scalable, and their software is also quite sturdy."
"We were able to onboard HPE Ethernet Switches easily to the cloud. It was fast and took only five minutes to complete."
"The security features of the HPE Ethernet Switches are good."
"The solution's interface is helpful, and you can see the traffic."
 

Cons

"The range of products could improve from Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access."
"While Fortinet is good for school boards and mid-sized businesses, enterprise-class networks require a zero-trust solution. If you're building a zero-trust network with end-to-end security, that's where Fortinet falls behind Cisco, HPE, and Aruba."
"The installation is not difficult. However, some features have to be activated from the CLI."
"I would like Fortinet to make this product easier to configure."
"One of the main challenges was integrating FortiSwitch with FortiGate, as the switches are managed through FortiGate rather than independently."
"The solution has SD-WAN but it doesn't have SDN. This should be added."
"We've had some issues with Layer 3 FortiSwitch. We can deploy the device in the cloud. However, we can't deploy this solution in complex environments easily."
"The solution could provide an active VPN."
"The cost could be better. HPE has to study it carefully with other vendors in the market, like Cisco or Juniper."
"The solution could be more stable."
"We would always be happier if the price were reduced."
"There could be features for ransomware attack detection and enhanced anomaly detection to identify and mitigate anonymous traffic."
"There is some improvement needed for the power supply of the solution."
"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."
"We have had some rare occasions with glitches, so the stability can be improved."
"The solution’s licensing could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is quite high."
"You can buy this equipment in a multitude of ways. You can buy just the hardware, or you can buy the hardware and the licenses."
"The solution has reasonable pricing. The firewall costs around 500$ annually."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch is a pricey solution."
"The product is costly for SMB customers compared to other brands available in the market."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access requires a license and the price is expensive."
"Licensing is easy: FortiCare and that's it."
"The cost appears to be high in comparison to other competing products although with this product you are paying for what you get."
"We have to see only the security part when considering licenses because the licenses upgrade."
"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."
"There are no licensing costs for this solution."
"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis."
"The price of the solution is expensive."
"It is a more expensive solution."
"This is not an expensive solution."
"The license cost is yearly."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
11%
Educational Organization
9%
Government
7%
Manufacturing Company
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 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: July 2025.
864,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.