Cisco Ethernet Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center comparison

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center

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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

7.2

Number of Reviews

135

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

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Cisco Ethernet Switches is 13.3%, down from 18.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is 1.9%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Ethernet Switches

Featured Reviews

Myint Aung

Head of the Solutions Department at BIM Group of Companies

Exceptional network support and AI integration drive performance while suggesting enhancements for future use cases

I work with both HyperFlex and other Cisco products. I prefer to make online support available because I can utilize my CCIE architect, solution consultant, and engineer team along with our account manager and product sales team. We can clarify requirements and decide how to support you. We should arrange a conference call about Cisco Ethernet Switches where I can invite my architect and consultant to clarify more about the features that are most beneficial for improving network efficiency. Today is AI day, and all the new firmware includes AI to optimize the performance, traffic, and security of Cisco Ethernet Switches. It's performing very well. With many solutions and vendors available, you have to decide on one. I am extremely satisfied with the licensing cost for Cisco Ethernet Switches. For the price of Cisco Ethernet Switches, I would rate it a 7. My overall rating for Cisco Ethernet Switches is 10 out of 10.

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Vishwajeet Pandey

senior technical administrator at Ogma Consulting

Management and monitoring efficiencies from a single platform increase network control and flexibility

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center ( /products/fortinet-fortiswitch-data-center-reviews ) offers flexibility and control over the entire network from a single pane of management. It allows me to create VLANs, implement security measures, and push configurations using a single tool. These features make the solution accurate, flexible, and valuable for network management.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The security of the switches is pretty impressive. There are many security features available on the product."

"The most valuable feature is the performance."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches are stable."

"Cisco as a whole is flexible."

"The solution can scale."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches are scalable, much more than Jupiter."

"I have found the solution to have good scalability. Cisco is the pioneers on switching technology, they are very good."

"The most valuable feature of Cisco Ethernet Switches is their stability. They are rock solid, and that's the advantage of Cisco."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pros

"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center offers flexibility and control over the entire network from a single pane of management."

"FortiSwitch Data Center allows for centralized management of both Fortinet switches and firewalls from a single interface."

"The product's most valuable feature is its ability to manage switches from one central point."

"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 integrates well."

"The solution has made configuration and setup very, very easy."

"The initial setup was simple."

"We are able to monitor everything that is happening on our network."

More Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center pros

Cons

"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."

"I don't like that you have to have a license of 10 years to use the switch. I don't understand that policy."

"When you contact support, they don't give you the expert at first, they give you the beginner. Only after going around in a circle do they give you experts. Why don't they just give the expert from the beginning?"

"An area for improvement in Cisco Ethernet Switches is its command-line interface. It works differently than expected if you want to do some implementation. However, it works if it's a simple integration."

"There is a need for improvement on the ordering and delivery side for Cisco Ethernet switches."

"In terms of features, all features are there. I can't find anything new that needs to be added. Its price, however, is a bit higher than other brands and can be improved."

"Could use additional programmability for the switches."

"Cisco should consider adding a GUI as most vendors now offer the ability to manage switches via a graphical user interface, while Cisco switches are managed using pure CLI."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches cons

"The tool is not easy to use."

"The UI of the firewall and reporting could be improved."

"Fortinet could have the ability to authenticate users like Aruba offers because managing ten or twelve SSIDs for different clients is complicated."

"The solution’s pricing could be improved."

"Compatibility with infrastructure from other vendors like Cisco and Sophos can be further improved."

"Routing is an area in Fortinet FortiSwitch with certain shortcomings where improvements are needed."

"There is room for improvement in customer support and device speed. Sometimes, customer support does not provide prompt assistance, leaving projects hanging."

"Before using FortiSwitch, you need several certifications."

More Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is reasonable so I rate it a six out of ten."

"The price of this solution is fair."

"Cisco Ethernet Switches are more expensive than Huawei Ethernet Switches."

"Not inexpensive. Price will vary widely depending on the chosen product and size of the deployment."

"It is an expensive product."

"The price is on the higher side."

"The equipment might be more expensive, but when you take total ownership of the configuration, maintenance, and analysis, then it's a large benefit. Sometimes customers see only the first cost of the switches and don't look any further. This is a weak point of Cisco."

"The price of Cisco Ethernet Switches is expensive."

More Cisco Ethernet Switches pricing and cost advice

"It is reasonably priced."

"Cost-wise, Fortinet solutions are cheaper than those offered by Cisco."

"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center is expensive."

"The solution's pricing is a little high. The solution deserves the current price it receives from its users."

"This solution is expensive but it does not require a license."

"The solution is not expensive."

"The product is less expensive than one of its competitors."

"The product has a mid-range price."

More Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Ethernet Switches solutions are best for your needs.

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860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Comparison Review

it_user82779

Engineer at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees

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…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

18%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

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 do you like most about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center?

The initial setup was simple.

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...

Aruba Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Comparisons

Compared 19% of the time

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 15% of the time

D-Link Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 10% of the time

NETGEAR Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 7% of the time

H3C Ethernet Switches vs Cisco Ethernet Switches

Compared 7% of the time

More Cisco Ethernet Switches Competitors

Aruba Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center

Compared 20% of the time

HPE Ethernet Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center

Compared 15% of the time

Huawei Ethernet Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center

Compared 7% of the time

Juniper EX Series Ethernet Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center

Compared 7% of the time

Ubiquiti UniFi Switches vs Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center

Compared 6% of the time

More Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center Competitors

Product Reports

Cisco Ethernet Switches

Download Cisco Ethernet Switches product report

Ethernet Switches

Download Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center product report

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center report

Also Known As

Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switches

No data available

Overview

Cisco Ethernet Switches scale to meet the needs of networks of all sizes. They are Secure, Reliable and Seamless.

Cisco

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.

Fortinet

Sample Customers

Linz AG

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data

Cisco Ethernet Switches vs. Fortinet FortiSwitch - Data Center