Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 9, 2025

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

Cisco Ethernet Switches
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
134
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 15.6%, down from 18.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 1.7%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Pradeep Adhav - PeerSpot reviewer
Network security enhancement with sturdy switches despite high costs
The Cisco Ethernet switches are primarily used as regular core switches for networking, distribution, and access levels. We also utilize Cisco Wi-Fi, VPN, and Wi-Fi controllers The Cisco Ethernet switches have improved our network's security, ensuring it is 100% secure by not allowing any…
Rias Majeed - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables easy management of traffic and enhances security
FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface. This integration makes network management streamlined and secure. Additionally, the controllers are built into the firewall, which enables easy management of traffic and enhances security. Unlike some solutions, a Fortinet firewall is not just a firewall; it also acts as a full-fledged router.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Tech support has always been good."
"The features that I have found most valuable are the core reliability and the switching group. All the features are very generic switching features with high reliability. That is the main key point I can highlight."
"I'm satisfied with Cisco switches. It's stable and beautiful."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are stable."
"Technical support is excellent. They are very helpful."
"These switches help to build the best network, the way we want it."
"The solution is easy to use."
"The solution offers great bandwidth and speed."
"An affordable and stable solution for small-medium companies."
"Configurations between FortiGate and FortiSwitch have to link to each other. We need configuration. The configuration is not like a Cisco switch. It has a unique configuration."
"It is very stable."
"The product's most valuable feature is its ability to manage switches from one central point."
"The single pane of glass that helps us manage everything through FortiManager is the most important feature."
"SD-WAN and the security fabric are essential features of the product."
"A valuable feature of FortiGate is its management integrity."
"What I like about the solution is that it can be accessed anywhere."
 

Cons

"In the case of an already existing network, we encounter technical issues related to following protocols."
"The cost is very prohibitive both for us as well as other organizations. It's very expensive to buy Cisco switches. Among our colleagues, we find that we're not alone in thinking it's too high. Everyone's complaining about this."
"An improvement would be to change their market intention. Almost all the Cisco switches are now coming with a license called DNA. D for Delta, N for number and A for apple. That feature is required, he must purchase it and it is a mandatory thing that has been introduced. This is not matching with the Asian market."
"Setting up Cisco Ethernet Switches is not very easy; I'd rate it around four out of ten in terms of ease."
"The pricing should be reduced so that they are more competitive."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches could improve if they removed the command line interface and replaced it with a better GUI. It is too difficult at the moment, we always need to figure out the commands."
"In terms of features, they tick all the boxes as of now. That could be because we tailor the solution around the product. I have not seen anything that pulls me back or is not working well for me. However, there could be better integration with the network monitoring systems. It doesn't mean it is currently not there, but there could be better discoverability with some of the network monitoring systems to be able to have more visibility. When you're setting up a control room, you can have more visibility into what is going on in the network. It has been doing that, but it can do that more."
"The technical support has room for improvement."
"The solution could always benefit from more security. It's of critical importance to organizations right now."
"Does not have as many features as other solutions, such as segmentation and analytics engines."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center needs to improve its UI and stability."
"The solution’s pricing could be improved."
"The FortiSwitch product was initially quite complex."
"Managing the VLANs is an area where the solution lacks and needs to improve."
"Compatibility with infrastructure from other vendors like Cisco and Sophos can be further improved."
"The product must improve the latency in the management center."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's a little expensive."
"In addition to the fees being high, you pay for support which is also on the higher side."
"The price is on the higher side."
"It is an expensive product since it is used in a large network where you cannot rely on some cheaply priced solution."
"While Cisco's pricing can be a concern, particularly with support fees, its overall features and support community make it a solid choice."
"Cisco is an industry leader, but the price is very high."
"Cisco Ethernet Switches are more expensive than Huawei Ethernet Switches."
"Users have to pay an annual licensing fee for Cisco Ethernet Switches, which is expensive."
"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."
"The tool's pricing is lower than Cisco's."
"The product has a mid-range price."
"The solution is not expensive."
"The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution, which is expensive."
"This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user82779 - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 29, 2014
Benefits of Juniper vs Cisco
Both are decent products. I prefer Juniper for the following reasons: 1) Cleaner separation of data plane from control plane. Higher end Cisco devices are better at this but most of the lower end products still seem to be more integrated than I like. 2) The Hierarchical config design means I can…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
19%
Government
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Retailer
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Would you recommend replacing a Cisco Catalyst Switch by a D-link one?
Hello Mesfin It depends on the real scenario, the cisco 2960 is a very good device and they usually have routing functions but there are many different models within the same 2960 line, and on the ...
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...
In terms of ethernet switches, would you go with Cisco or Juniper?
Our organization ran comparison tests to determine whether Cisco or Juniper Ethernet switches were the better fit for us. We decided to go with Juniper. Juniper ethernet switches are a lesser-known...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
The Fortinet switches come with no additional cost as they are open source, with only hardware warranties applicable.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?
There is room for improvement in customer support and device speed. Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging. Additionally, improving the speed of th...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Linz AG
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.