Fortinet FortiSwitch Data Center and Aruba Switches compete in the networking industry. Fortinet has the upper hand in security integration, while Aruba focuses on scalability and advanced networking features.
Features: Fortinet FortiSwitch Data Center offers robust security features, seamless integration with Fortinet's security suite, and efficient management from a central point. Aruba Switches deliver excellent scalability, advanced network management tools, and reliable performance for large deployments.
Room for Improvement: Fortinet could enhance its user interface and simplify the unique configuration required by FortiLink. Additional support for advanced networking features would also be beneficial. Aruba could improve integration capabilities with third-party security solutions, enhance its command line interface for ease of use, and reduce costs related to feature upgrades.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiSwitch Data Center is known for its straightforward deployment process and consistent customer support, facilitating seamless integration. Aruba Switches provide flexible deployment options and comprehensive support services, aiding complex network setups.
Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiSwitch Data Center offers competitive pricing and fast ROI for security-focused businesses. Aruba Switches may have higher costs, but they justify their price with enhanced features and scalable options, valuable for enterprises seeking growth.
The integration of Fortinet infrastructure, including FortiSwitches, is cost-effective compared to Cisco, especially when paired with Fortinet wireless solutions.
Their tech support is good.
When we talk about performances, Aruba Switches are very good and the technical support is okay as well.
I find that technical support is available, especially during the warranty period.
Technical partners provide responses within a day for any technical queries.
Customer support needs improvement in terms of speed and reliability.
On a scale from one to 10, I would rate the technical support of Fortinet an eight.
The scalability offered by Aruba Switches is similar to Cisco, demonstrating options for enterprise networking.
I would rate the scalability of the product an eight out of ten.
We can install them in organizations where we have up to three hundred people.
When used in a dedicated Fortinet infrastructure, FortiSwitch scalability is better than some other switches, like Cisco, Meraki, or Arista.
Scalability is generally good, with transitions from gigabit to ten giga, twenty-five giga, and forty giga.
I have sites that have been running for many years with no issues.
The stability of Aruba Switches is very good, and I would rate it between eight and nine out of ten.
Once we install Aruba Switches, we can forget about them for years and years.
There is room for improvement as it sometimes takes over an hour to push configurations onto the devices from the management tool.
Improving the distribution network across regions would be beneficial.
There are more centers of knowledge for Cisco than for Aruba here.
The only problem with Aruba Switches is the pricing.
Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging.
There is room to improve the integration between FortiSwitch and other third-party solutions, as challenges arise when integrating with different vendors.
The commercial aspect presents challenges, particularly with pricing, as customers often ask for Juniper or Cisco, brands they are more aware of, which makes awareness about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center another weak point.
From my experience, the pricing of Aruba Switches is competitive.
A high-end model with Aruba is about five thousand.
The pricing of some products, such as the 6300M switch, is considered a significant cost.
The Fortinet switches come with no additional cost as they are open source, with only hardware warranties applicable.
Pricing is competitive, although it's not the cheapest option.
One of the most valuable features of Aruba Switches is the security and cybersecurity features they have.
Scalability is significant since you can start from an economical product to a very high-end option, accommodating growth.
The features I find most valuable in Aruba Switches are their flexibility, reliability, and affordability.
This feature allows the switch's ports to be used as firewall ports, enhancing network security by enabling IPS and network profiling directly on the ports.
It allows me to create VLANs, implement security measures, and push configurations using a single tool.
The main actual benefit that Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center brought to my customer's environment is secure connectivity while minimizing downtime from unexpected traffic or broadcasting.
Aruba Switches is a network creation solution that enables users to easily manage every aspect of their networks.
Benefits of Aruba Switches
Some of the benefits of using Aruba switches include:
Reviews from Real Users
Aruba Switches are cutting-edge network creation tools that stand out among their competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are the warranty that guarantees them and the intuitive way in which they are designed. Aruba Switches are protected by lifetime warranties. If a switch malfunctions or is rendered inoperable, it can be quickly replaced. If the line of switches are still available, HPE will send the user the necessary replacement. Aruba Switches are built to be intuitive for users to customize and manipulate. This allows users to make full use of the solution without requiring them to devote a significant level of resources to training.
The head of technical support at a real estate law firm writes, “One valuable feature about HP is the warranty. All switches are very similar when it comes to most functionalities. Most switches provide a one-year warranty, but with HPE switches, if there's a unit that malfunctions, we call them and they replace it the next business day if that line is still available. We had a switch we reported the other day, it was a 25-10, which we procured way back, around 2014, and they replaced it. In general, HP provides a lot of support for its products. We will be doing some tinkering on the VLAN soon, first the layer two, and then connecting the layer three functionalities for some other departments. The advantage of Aruba compared to other switches is their reliability. If the product is trustworthy, I'll continue to use it.”
A network systems engineer at a financial services firm writes, “Their technical support is great. I have used Cisco products, and as compared to Cisco, Aruba's command-line syntax is not as complex. The command-line interface of Aruba switches is quite intuitive. It also has a graphical user interface. With Cisco, using the graphical user interface for configuration can be complex, whereas Aruba simplifies it, and you can easily use the graphical user interface. The configuration is secured. Their graphical user interface is quite robust.”
With 10 or 40 GE access ports and a high-throughput backbone, FortiSwitch Data Center Switches are ideal for the top-of-rack (ToR) server or firewall-aggregation applications. The high-speed switching fabric is also well suited for enterprise network core or backbone network installations.
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