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Broadcom StrataDNX vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access 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

Broadcom StrataDNX
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
25th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
3.3
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
7th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Broadcom StrataDNX is 1.1%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 4.1%, down from 5.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access4.1%
Broadcom StrataDNX1.1%
Other94.8%
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Wisely Ng - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior rPLM and Consulting Engineering, IP and Optical Networks, APAC at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Cost-effective chipset saves resources and offers rich features
The Broadcom StrataDNX chipset, such as the DNX, is quite a generic chipset and from the cost perspective, it is quite cost-effective hardware. When we decide to use such an Ethernet switch, our R&D and headquarters consider using the Broadcom chipset as one of the merchandised chipsets in our system, providing a cost-effective solution to our customers. The cost-saving with Broadcom StrataDNX is one of the critical criteria for using the DNX as one of our hardware chipsets. From the features perspective, it is quite feature-rich, so we can leverage those existing functions on the SDK to develop our own features in our equipment.
Uri Harf - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Presales at A.G.A.S. מחשוב ותקשורת לעסקים
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The Broadcom StrataDNX chipset, such as the DNX, is quite a generic chipset and from the cost perspective, it is quite cost-effective hardware."
"The cost-saving with Broadcom StrataDNX is one of the critical criteria for using the DNX as one of our hardware chipsets, and from the features perspective, it is quite feature-rich, so we can leverage those existing functions on the SDK to develop our own features in our equipment."
"The good thing about the StrataDNX is that the Broadcom family is very interchangeable, so they work well with different optical transceivers."
"Easy to integrate with any of the other hardware platforms."
"It is easy to set up."
"It is a stable solution from the security front."
"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."
"My advice those using a firewall Fortigate is: use their APs because they work very well."
"Ability to manage FortiAP, FortiClient, and FortiGate all from a single console"
"The centralization of control is highly beneficial."
"Having a single dashboard to manage everything simplifies the process."
"The solution has enhanced network security by integrating access control more seamlessly, reducing overhead, and simplifying the network environment by removing the need for interfaces with other vendors."
 

Cons

"The number of surfaces that can be handled by the chipset could be increased."
"The standard features do not provide a full feature set, so we need to create our own features to compensate for those limitations."
"There is room for improvement in the pricing model."
"The standard features do not provide a full feature set, so we need to create our own features to compensate for those limitations."
"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 introduction of AI integration could be valuable for detecting abnormal traffic directly on the switch."
"I believe that stacking, a feature that is available in Huawei and Cisco, is not available in Fortinet products."
"The product could use more security related features."
"I'd like to see more integration with different platforms."
"The security of the solution could be a bit better."
"I feel that the product's stability is an area where improvements are required."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"Price-wise, I find Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access to be an okay product. It is not an expensive product."
"Licensing is easy: FortiCare and that's it."
"The solution has reasonable pricing. The firewall costs around 500$ annually."
"The price is good."
"The solution is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Huawei."
"The pricing for Fortinet FortiSwitch is not expensive."
"Licensing is billed annually and contracts are either one or three years in length."
"We signed up for a three-year license for support and replacement."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
23%
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business38
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise7
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Broadcom StrataDNX?
From my impression regarding Broadcom StrataDNX, I can explain that while Broadcom is quite good, it is not perfect in some cases. The standard features do not provide a full feature set, so we nee...
What is your primary use case for Broadcom StrataDNX?
We use the SDK from Broadcom StrataDNX from the software features point of view. We have our own network operating system to perform adaptive configurations around different chipsets, creating an a...
What advice do you have for others considering Broadcom StrataDNX?
The Broadcom StrataDNX chipset from the product portfolio is quite generic and not difficult to deploy. For network monitoring, we do not rely on the Broadcom StrataDNX chipset capability. Instead,...
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...
 

Also Known As

StrataDNX
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Hill International, Coty, Banese, Algar Tech
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Broadcom StrataDNX vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.
881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.