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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 July 2025, in the Ethernet Switches category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access is 4.8%, down from 6.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NVIDIA Mellanox is 2.1%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Ethernet Switches
 

Featured Reviews

Uri Harf - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Anil Ergunsah - PeerSpot reviewer
Networking capabilities deliver competitive performance for AI data center
I use NVIDIA Mellanox mostly for data center infrastructures. It is used for AI data center infrastructure and primarily focuses on the networking part The biggest advantage is that the vendor is the only one providing no-drop traffic. The performance and price are competitive, and performance is…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Ability to manage FortiAP, FortiClient, and FortiGate all from a single console"
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access has essential features for managing switches."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is the MAC feature."
"The solution is very simple, and it's very easily available."
"The product is very secure."
"The centralization of control is highly beneficial."
"Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access has good scalability."
"It can integrate well with other Fortinet products."
"The tool is very configurable because it runs on a Linux operating system."
"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."
"The most valuable features of Mellanox Switches are the size, power consumption, and the vast amount of features."
"The biggest advantage is that the vendor is the only one providing no-drop traffic."
"From what I've been told, a valuable feature of Mellanox switches is they're quite user-friendly."
"It is a very easy-to-use product."
"The most valuable features of this solution are its functionality."
 

Cons

"FortiSwitch offers eight and 24-port models. They don't have a 16-port model, which can be an issue for some clients."
"The initial setup is pretty easy; we have built a knowledge base. But there's a learning curve for beginners."
"The introduction of AI integration could be valuable for detecting abnormal traffic directly on the switch."
"Currently issues with some of the switches and problems with the firmware."
"One of the main challenges was integrating FortiSwitch with FortiGate, as the switches are managed through FortiGate rather than independently."
"An area for improvement would be the segmentation and network in logic networks."
"More integration would be helpful, especially since we sometimes have devices from other companies. Improved interoperability would be very beneficial."
"I believe that stacking, a feature that is available in Huawei and Cisco, is not available in Fortinet products."
"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."
"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."
"The configuration is a bit different from Cisco, and therefore, for me at least, there's a bit of a learning curve."
"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."
"Sometimes, it can have some bugs from the past if I am an old user. However, it is stable now."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have an annual licensing cost. There are no additional costs."
"The solution is cheaper than Cisco but more expensive than Huawei."
"The tool's pricing is fine."
"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."
"Price-wise, I find Fortinet FortiSwitch - Secure Access to be an okay product. It is not an expensive product."
"The pricing is quite high."
"We signed up for a three-year license for support and replacement."
"We have to pay for the solution's subscription."
"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."
"It's an open-source solution."
"There is a license to use the switch ports of Mellanox Switches."
"The pricing is very competitive. The licensing costs are fine."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
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?
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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Mellanox Switches?
The pricing is competitive. For its performance, it's cheaper, so I would rate it a four if cheaper is lower.
What needs improvement with Mellanox Switches?
Sometimes, it can have some bugs from the past if I am an old user. However, it is stable now. I think it's okay; it's the best solution for now for AI data centers. Support could be better, but cu...
What is your primary use case for Mellanox Switches?
I use NVIDIA Mellanox ( /products/nvidia-mellanox-reviews ) mostly for data center infrastructures. It is used for AI data center infrastructure and primarily focuses on the networking part.
 

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: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.