Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access Reviews

We are an integration company and help clients with the integration of Fortinet FortiSwitch.

It is a cheap and secure solution. The job switching and security features are better than other solutions.

The scalability and technical support can be improved.

I have been using the solution for two years.

The solution is highly stable. I rate the stability a ten out of ten.

It is a scalable solution. The scalability of the solution depends on the hardware. We like stacking the number of switches but the solution is not owing any number, it is fixed. All our clients are enterprises. I rate the scalability an eight out of ten.

The technical support team is good but since it is not very big it does not provide immediate response on errors or technical issues. I rate the support an eight out of ten.

Positive

The initial setup is easy. The time taken for deployment depends on the number of devices, number of files, and number of switches. If they have FortiAnalyzer and the vendors are on the full solution then it can take a day, two days, or even weeks. It depends on the number of end users. Two engineers are enough for the deployment of the full solution. One person is required for maintenance like updates, troubleshooting, and problem fixing.

The pricing is cheap and only a yearly licensing cost needs to be paid.

Users can use FortiSwitch as it is a cheap, stable, scalable, and secure solution. I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten.

We use FortiSwitch in conjunction with a FortiGate Firewall, as it simplifies the configuration process. The firewall will push all the configurations via the FortiLinks to the switches, meaning that we don't need to configure them separately. This is particularly useful for customers who require the use of a FortiGate Firewall. FortiSwitch can be used to connect various endpoints, such as cameras, workstations, IoTs, WAPs, IP phones, and doors, as well as servers to the network infrastructure.

We use FortiSwitch a lot in the UAE and have not had any critical issues with the switches.

Deploying the solution is a breeze, even a novice can do it. All we need to do is use the web browser, and we can configure all our servers. The licensing is also straightforward and easy to understand. The graphical user interface is very user-friendly, so we don't need to be tech geniuses to use the solution.

I believe that stacking, a feature that is available in Huawei and Cisco, is not available in Fortinet products unless when managed by FortiGate. Adding stacking would be beneficial if Fortinet could incorporate it into their switches.

I have been using the solution for a few years.

The solution is very stable.

The solution is scalable.

We have approximately three big clients (with approx. 10,000 users) who are utilizing Fortinet switches.

When we encountered a FortiGate Firewall that had expired, our client asked for a new license. The response from their support team was incredibly fast, and we were able to get the license right away with the client present. Their support was nice.

Positive

The initial setup is easy. The solution comes with a default IP address and we only have to enter it in the web browser to connect.

Deployment was not difficult, depending on the size of the environment. For a single switch, it could take around two to three hours to complete. Overall, it was a straightforward process.

The solution is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Huawei.

I give the solution an eight out of ten.

Having the opportunity to use the entire Fortinet ecosystem, will make our life much simpler. As opposed to buying separate vendor products, with Fortinet we can use FortiNAC, Fortinet Access points, FortiSwitch, and FortiGate. This will save us time and effort and we can rest assured that Fortinet is always looking to provide great customer support.

The feature I value most is the connection from other devices to the Fortigate, so you can manage them from the Fortigate device. You can also use the cloud to manage them and for protection. They know how to talk well to the firewalls.

In the next release, I would like to see more outdoor products. It would be great if the APs and the physical box could be weatherproof.

I have been using Fortinet for years.

I would rate the stability of this solution a 10, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best.

I would rate the scalability of this solution a 10, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best.

I would rate the initial setup a nine, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best.

My advice those using a firewall Fortigate is: use their APs because they work very well.

We use this solution for our physical site. It is only for switches without secure access.

FortiSwitch Secure Access has a nice interface.

Personally, I don't really like this product. 

Fortinet FortiSwitch is oriented to secure, not for switching. Solutions like Cisco, Ruckus or Deeplink have more options to configure. With Fortiswitch you need to configure with the controller without many options. This means you have to deploy too many. It requires you to configure the solution, such as voice IP and then turn around the LLDP. The quality of voice is very manual.

Cisco and other vendors you can interface for a range between one and 48 ports, with Fortigate you need to do one by one. When working with 96 ports, I need to change them one by one, making it very manual to configure.

I would like Fortinet to make this product easier to configure.

I have been using Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access for one month.

Fortinet FortiSwitch Secure Access is stable.

The solution is easy to scale.

Fortinet's customer service is good.

Positive

The pricing for Fortinet FortiSwitch is not expensive. We have an annual contract. 

If someone is looking at this solution for switching, I would recommend it. On a scale from one to ten, I would rate it a nine.

My son owns three healthcare facilities, and two of them are in the same building. That's why I went to VLANs to separate the data to satisfy HIPAA requirements. The other facility is in another town. I'm using them to manage the data and communication through VoIP phones in both locations.

They have a server for the whole practice, and so everybody in the building is operating off that server. When they go to the other facility, they use a VPN and connect to the same server.

It works really well, I think the equipment is solid, and the help is great. When I buy equipment, even though I'm buying a service in addition to the equipment to have them help me, it's worth paying for that. The service is amazing, and their marketing department should promote it.

I can tell you from personal experience, while the interface is clear for somebody in the IT business, it really isn't clear for a novice. It would also help if they lowered the cost of their service.

Their terminology could be better. The terminology is all IT. It's an IT dictionary, and I believe that there has to be a way to state things in clear, plain old English, and I would like to see more of that.

I have been using Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access for about five months.

I would say that it's fantastic. Once you get the handle of how FortiGate is designed, their interface, how they think, that's the part that's scalable. When I shift from the 60 up to something far more sophisticated and faster, I don't have to go through a horrific learning experience. In other words, it's an easy shift, and I think that's the part that's useful. I'm counting on that as this business grows.

I would say I get extraordinary service from FortiGate. If I call them up and say, "help," they not only make it happen, but they educate me to the best of their ability and the best of my ability to absorb.

It isn't so much the hardware that I appreciate at this point. It's the service. Amazing service. You have to understand that you're going to get people from Bangladesh, India, and around Asia. You're going to get people helping you on the phone that are from far away, but they really know their stuff, and it's worth the struggle to work through the language barrier. 

Because I'm sure some people will complain about that, but first of all you have to realize you're there to solve a technical problem, so forget all the other stuff. If you can't understand them, you got to stop them and say, "go slowly, speak more clearly." If you can find different words, you have to work the language gap. If you're willing to do that, the payoff is immense. I found that these people who are serving me from these faraway places really know their stuff. I'm willing to pay whatever price for their service. 

The initial setup is very straight forward. I didn't really know anything, I just set it up, and it ran. It didn't run as a firewall, and it didn't run as an L3 mode, but it ran.

The implementation and deployment were phased. The first phase was a few minutes. But the reality was that it took about two months, not because of the hardware, but because of issues like my ISP, which is Comcast.

You can't get a static IP from them without using their cable modem. But I learned that you have to put it in pass-through mode and stick your firewall router right behind it, and you're all set. But all that for a novice like myself takes time to understand. 

I implemented Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access by myself. 

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access isn't cheap. They're about $1000 each or something like that. I had to pay for all these licenses. I paid for them, having no idea what they were going to do, but I got enough of a sense that they were important. 

I have to pay for it annually or yearly. 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. That's how I bought it, but you don't get a discount for that. 

I think the license costs me anywhere between $100 and $300. I can't really remember, but it wasn't so much money that it made me stop and think twice. 

I researched brands from Cisco all the way down, and there were some cheaper options than FortiGate. I think I kept on reading reviews that mentioned something about the interface being easy to use. That eventually sold me on FortiGate. 

I really hated how Cisco wasn't clear what their costs were. I'm sure they're technically very competent because the technical papers that come out of Cisco are really great, but in terms of selling, it's almost deceptive, but not FortiGate.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access a nine.

They don't get a 10 because I think there's a way to work around terminology.

Our customers use Secure Access to capture log files of many different vendors out there. They're looking at their network, wireless servers, and anything that can capture log files. It seems to be one of the more cost-effective solutions. 

It offers better insight into what's going on in our customer's network and faster resolution for issues that are happening. It helps our customers find out what's going on.

The most valuable feature would be network management, separating the network management component from security. It can do both but we promote it on its own. It's a good solution to do network management. 

Secure Access is a strong platform. It's very user-friendly.

I have around two years of experience with FortiSwitch Secure Access. We deploy it 80% on-prem. 

The stability is pretty good. 

Scalability is also pretty good. Our clients are generally SMB. 

I would give their support an eight out of ten. 

The initial setup is somewhere between straightforward and complex. It takes just a couple of days to a few weeks depending on what you're doing. 

It could be simpler but compared to the competition, it's not so bad. 

I am a big supporter of Secure Access. 

I would rate it a nine out of ten. 

The tool provides a firewall and good performance.

The solution could provide an active VPN.

I have been using Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access for around two months.

Fortinet provides high quality at a reasonable price whereas Cisco is expensive.

The initial setup takes two years of support.

We have support from a local company.

The solution has reasonable pricing. The firewall costs around 500$ annually.

I recommend the solution.

Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

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. 

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is confusing with too many add-ons. 

I have been using the product for two years. 

I rate the product's stability a ten out of ten. 

My biggest client has around 4000 users. I rate the tool's scalability a seven out of ten. 

I rate the tool's deployment a seven out of ten. It can take around four hours to complete. 

I do the deployment myself. 

I rate the product's pricing an eight out of ten. 

We have small, medium, and enterprise customers for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access. I rate it a nine out of ten.