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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Huawei 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
Huawei Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
12th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
60
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 4.9%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Ethernet Switches is 3.2%, up from 2.5% 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.
Muhammad Kabir Salihu - PeerSpot reviewer
Cost-effective performance enhanced by security features with easy configurations
I mainly use Huawei Switches and also work with Huawei Wireless. I deal with both Huawei and Cisco Switches, and I find Huawei to be more cost-effective Huawei has helped to save costs and is cost-effective, which also helps save time for the company. The performance of Huawei is good, and it…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the MAC feature."
"What I really love in FortiSwitch: its usability, the graphical user interface, and the ability to be managed by FortiGate."
"The main benefit of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is its integration with FortiCloud, which allows me to manage all appliances in a single interface."
"Integration is good, as well as price and technical support."
"I rate Fortinet support 10 out of 10. Their support is excellent and inexpensive. They respond immediately."
"It is a stable solution from the security front."
"The most valuable feature is that I can completely isolate devices that are compromising the network."
"It is very user-friendly. There is no need to use command lines to configure it or to do anything in it. You hardly use command lines, which makes it different from Cisco. In Cisco, the CLI is your best friend. Fortinet has the lowest TCO, so you can use its integrated components without having to buy additional licenses. They provide centralized management without needing to buy or acquire additional licenses. You have an integral or complete vision through a single pane of glass, and you can see everything from one single console without having to buy additional licenses, which is a plus. It works the same way when you add wireless. You can see everything from FortiGate. It has a security processor, which is another plus. It does not have a standard desktop processor. It has a multi-threat security processor, and it is built by Fortinet. So, all the components that you include in a Fortinet solution are proprietary and work in an integral way. It has one single solution, whereas other brands, such as Palo Alto and Check Point, have been acquiring certain solutions, and they're not fully integrated. With Fortinet, everything is integrated. If you start building on Fortinet, everything that you expand to the local LAN or WAN is integrated. You don't have to pay for professional services and other things to do that. Their technical information is also very good. Most of their information is based on how-to, and it can be found online, which is something my clients like."
"We have not encountered any issues in the locations where the product has been deployed. I am impressed with its performance and pricing."
"So far, so good when it comes to stability."
"The performance of Huawei is good, and it provides security capabilities."
"It is also easy to implement in the first place."
"They are very user-friendly. Handling Huawei is very easy."
"Huawei offers a wide range of products to choose from, which provides flexibility in deployment."
"What we like the most is that the price is reasonable and it's easy to manage."
"It is cheap."
 

Cons

"In the next release, I would like to see more outdoor products."
"The installation is not difficult. However, some features have to be activated from the CLI."
"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."
"The scalability and technical support can be improved."
"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 feel that the product's stability is an area where improvements are required."
"Technical support needs to take a different approach and pricing should appear more competitive."
"The documentation needs to be better."
"The product's stability has certain shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required."
"We would like to have a greater level of automation using this solution. The customer support could also be faster."
"The tool is not very robust in harsh environments. Issues with cooling and power can cause these switches to fail, which concerns customers. They work well in data centers but might be problematic in places without cooling or heat."
"I would like to see some improvements in the access layer switch that is available in Aruba."
"The technical support is technically savvy, but the communication via English is not so easy."
"Deploying Huawei Ethernet Switches in an organization offers advantages, especially if the decision is made early in the process and the company opts for a single-vendor approach. This simplifies implementation and customization, often resulting in lower prices and tailored solutions from Huawei. However, excessive customization can lead to support issues and challenges in knowledge transfer during employee turnover."
"Certain regulatory issues in a lot of countries cause limitations ."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Price-wise, I find Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access to be an okay product. It is not an expensive product."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch is a pricey solution."
"We have to pay for the solution's subscription."
"The price of the solution could improve, it is expensive."
"The product pricing seems to be mid-range."
"The pricing is quite high."
"The product's pricing is good."
"The solution has reasonable pricing. The firewall costs around 500$ annually."
"I would say that the product is cost-effective."
"The licensing costs depend on the negotiations that a user has with Huawei...There is a need to make some additional payments apart from the licensing costs attached to the solution."
"Huawei Ethernet Switches are cheap and cost around ten dollars."
"It is cheaper than Cisco."
"The solution's price is reasonable compared to other products like Cisco."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"The pricing is good. Still, I can choose a cheaper solution that offers a good value."
"Huawei has the same licensing model as Cisco, so both are working on the subscription model."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Comms Service Provider
7%
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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Huawei Ethernet Switches?
Huawei Ethernet Switches offer very competitive and aggressive product pricing compared to other brands.
What needs improvement with Huawei Ethernet Switches?
Huawei should focus more on security. They need more products on the security side to improve the security portion.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Newcastle University, Jingyang District of Deyang City in Sichuan Province, Southwest China, Glasgow Rangers Soccer Team, RMIT, Insurance Industry Association of Zhejiang Province, China, APT Satellite Holdings Limited (APT)
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs. Huawei Ethernet Switches and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.