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Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs NVIDIA Mellanox 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

Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secu...
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
6th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
48
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NVIDIA Mellanox
Ranking in Ethernet Switches
20th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 5.1%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NVIDIA Mellanox is 2.0%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

SherifAbdelrahman - PeerSpot reviewer
Efficient integration allows streamlined network management with a straightforward setup
I use it for retail business. We are using the FortiSwitch solution for our voice switches and access points as well It has helped us by providing easy management from a single platform through the firewall interface. It's very easy to manage and provides all the insights and vulnerabilities,…
Anil Ergunsah - PeerSpot reviewer
Powerful hardware, reliable performance, and advantageous Cumulus Linux OS
Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed. They started with Onyx, and now they only use Linux. If they Learn Linux OS essentials before Cumulus it would be a good option for starters. The new CLI is more difficult to use but more powerful than the older one. It has its advantages.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature is that I can completely isolate devices that are compromising the network."
"The tool's VLAN feature is easy to understand. It was very good."
"The solution is easy to scale."
"The main benefit of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is its integration with FortiCloud, which allows me to manage all appliances in a single interface."
"The visual scope of the solution is very good. It allows me to see and download all of the network information."
"The most valuable feature of this product is its simplicity."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access has good scalability."
"The software is very stable."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the size, power consumption, and the vast amount of features."
"From what I've been told, a valuable feature of Mellanox switches is they're quite user-friendly."
"The tool is very configurable because it runs on a Linux operating system."
"The biggest advantage is that the vendor is the only one providing no-drop traffic."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the powerful hardware and the software is open. They're using Linux operating system. You can do and install many things, and it performs well."
"It is a very easy-to-use product."
"The most valuable features of this solution are its functionality."
 

Cons

"We've had some issues with Layer 3 FortiSwitch. We can deploy the device in the cloud. However, we can't deploy this solution in complex environments easily."
"The pricing could be improved, and it could be easier to configure."
"The central management needs improvement. The initial setup could be easier."
"An area for improvement would be the segmentation and network in logic networks."
"It would be easier if Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access could be managed via cloud, and this is something that could be improved in this product. Bandwidth display could also be better."
"The tool should improve its CLI."
"I would rate technical support at eight. It's a potential area for improvement, possibly in terms of response time or quality."
"It would also help if they lowered the cost of their service."
"The configuration is a bit different from Cisco, and therefore, for me at least, there's a bit of a learning curve."
"The scalability is working fine at the moment, but there's always room for improvement. As of right now, I don't know of any improvements to suggest."
"Mellanox Switches could improve by adding some features that can make it easier for integrating the switches in some managing and monitoring platforms, such as Elastic or similar software for monitoring data with the data center in a more holistic way."
"If you compare this solution with Cisco, utilization in Cisco is more popular and it is more friendly."
"Mellanox Switches were easier before Nvidia bought Mellanox and then their new version of the operating system changed. They started with Ennui, and now they only use Linux. If they returned to their previous CLI it would be a good option for starters. The new CLI is more difficult to use but more powerful than the older one. It has its advantages."
"Sometimes, it can have some bugs from the past if I am an old user. However, it is stable now."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product pricing seems to be mid-range."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch is a pricey solution."
"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."
"The pricing for Fortinet FortiSwitch is not expensive."
"The pricing is quite high."
"The solution is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Huawei."
"Licensing is billed annually and contracts are either one or three years in length."
"It's affordable compared to other switching products, like Cisco switches."
"The price of Mellanox Switches is reasonable compared to other solutions. The price and quality ratio was very good. There is a one-time license purchase that is needed."
"The pricing is very competitive. The licensing costs are fine."
"It's an open-source solution."
"There is a license to use the switch ports of Mellanox Switches."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

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?
Currently, I don't have an opinion about the price as I focus on implementation and am not informed about pricing in comparison to other vendors.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mellanox Switches?
The solution is affordable. I rate the product’s pricing as two out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive.
What needs improvement with Mellanox Switches?
The response time of the support could be faster.
What is your primary use case for Mellanox Switches?
We use the solution to lock switches, storage switches, and border gate switches.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Mellanox Switches, Mellanox SN2700
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
CNPC, Korea Consumer Agency, Nutanix, Roxo Systems, StorPool, Atlantic.Net, INFN, StarWind, NYSE Technologies, Creative Consultants, ENKI
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access vs. NVIDIA Mellanox and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
845,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.