Name: FortiSwitch Secure Access Switches
Rating: 6.7 (7 reviews)
Author: Fortinet

October 25, 2021

Single Configuration and Management Portal for Ease of Use

Scott Anderson

IT Administrator

KPFF (Architecture & Planning, 1001-5000 employees)

Score 10 out of 10

Vetted Review

Verified User

Incentivized

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are currently using FortiSwitches Secure Access Switches in our corporate headquarters as our primary network switches. Along with the FortiGate firewalls and FortiAP access points that we have, these all provide one seamless solution from the edge of our network inward to help secure our users and servers. Having all FortiNet devices provides for a single pane of glass to configure and manage all these devices.

Pros and Cons

Makes them easy to manage within one spot
Allows for advanced network configuration
Has plenty of power for all our PoE devices

Would be nice to have a bit different layout on the configuration page. Sometimes can be hard to find what you're looking for.
When disabling ports, it would be nice to have batch setting features rather than having to make changes individually.

Likelihood to Recommend

If you've got a large network and are already using FortiGate firewalls or FortiAP access points, integrating FortiSwitch Secure Access Switches makes for one integrated solution. Previously we had Cisco switches that had to be configured and managed separately, which was always prone to error. Now that we have our entire network backbone on FortiNet devices, managing and configuring them is smoother. We are now able to see much clearer if there are any configuration issues between networking devices.

Most Important Features

Integration with existing FortiGate firewalls
Single pane of glass management and configuration with other FortiNet devices
Cloud monitoring of network traffic

Return on Investment

It has made management of the network much easier and less time consuming
We are more confident that our network traffic is being secured
Ability to monitor network traffic and detect potential anomalies

Alternatives Considered

Cisco Business 220 Series Smart Switches and Dell PowerConnect Switches

We have previously used both Cisco 220 Series and Dell PowerConnect 8000 Series switches that were managed separately from our firewalls and access points. The Cisco and Dell switch worked fine and we never had a problem with them, but it was always a hassle to have to make configuration changes since that would have to be done via separate GUIs. Having the ability to configure and manage firewalls, switches, and wireless access points all within one central GUI saves time and headache.

Other Software Used

Fortinet FortiGate, Veeam Backup & Replication, HPE Nimble Storage

Operating Systems	Unspecified
Mobile Application	No

FortiSwitch Secure Access Switches

Overview

What is FortiSwitch Secure Access Switches?

Single Configuration and Management Portal for Ease of Use

Product Details

What is FortiSwitch Secure Access Switches?