Fortinet FortiSwitch 3032G vs Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6200: Specs & Price Comparison

Fortinet FortiSwitch 3032G

★ 3.3 Value Score

Switching Capacity: 6440 Gbps (full duplex)
Forwarding Rate: 4000 Mpps (64-byte, duplex)
Ports (breakdown): 32x 100GE/40GE QSFP28/QSFP+; 2x 10GE/1GE SFP+/SFP; 1x 10/100/1000 service port; 1x RJ-45 serial console
PoE Budget: N/A (no PoE)
Layer: L2/L3
Stacking support: Not specified in sources; managed as a FortiLink-attached switch via FortiGate
Network latency: < 1 u00b5s
MAC address table: 65K
VLANs supported: 4K
Packet buffer: 32 MB
Queues per port: 8
Memory / Storage: 8 GB DDR4 RAM; 32 MB NOR flash; 128 GB SSD
Power supply: Dual hot-swappable AC, 100-240V AC, 50-60 Hz
Maximum power consumption: 548.94 W
Form factor: 1 RU rack-mount, 43 x 460 x 438.5 mm, 8.37 kg
Noise level: 73.13 dBA
Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty

✔ Pros: Very high 6440 Gbps switching capacity in a 1 RU chassis; 32 dense 100GE/40GE QSFP28/QSFP+ ports; Sub-microsecond latency suited to data center fabrics; Dual hot-swappable AC power supplies for redundancy; L2/L3 capability with 32 MB packet buffer and 8 queues per port; FortiLink integration with FortiGate for centralized management; Limited lifetime warranty on hardware
✘ Cons: No PoE, so it is unsuitable for powering endpoints or APs; High hardware cost (about $22.6K to $30.7K before support); Loud at 73 dBA, which is unsuitable for office or wiring-closet use; Requires a FortiGate for full management via FortiLink; Uplinks are 100GE/40GE only, so the 10GE SFP+ ports are the only lower-speed options; Support licensing is priced separately and adds significant cost over the hardware; One reseller lists the product as end of life and on backorder, so availability should be verified
Est. Price: $22,623 - $30,736

Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6200

★ 4.2 Value Score

Switching Capacity: 128 Gbps (24-port models); 176 Gbps (48-port models)
Forwarding Rate: 95.2 Mpps (24-port models); 130.9 Mpps (48-port models)
Ports (breakdown): 24x or 48x 10/100/1000BASE-T (PoE+ on PoE SKUs) + 4x SFP/SFP+ uplinks (1GbE/10GbE); 6200M models add 4x SFP+ uplinks
PoE Budget: 370W Class 4 (24G and 48G 370W SKUs); 740W Class 4 (48-port 6200F PoE SKU); up to 1440W Class 6 (60W per port) on 6200M PoE SKUs. Varies by SKU
Layer: L2/L3 (Layer 3 static routing; dynamic routing depends on software license)
Stacking support: Yes, VSF virtual stacking up to 8 members (single logical device); VSX redundancy also supported

✔ Pros: Fixed-port, Layer 2/3 managed access switch in a compact 1U form factor; Wide range of PoE and non-PoE SKUs (370W, 740W, and 1440W class 6 PoE options) for IP phones, cameras, and APs; VSF stacking of up to 8 members simplifies management as one logical device; Full Aruba CX OS features with REST API, network analytics, and automation support via Aruba Central; Solid mid-range pricing compared with enterprise-class core switches; 10GbE SFP+ uplinks support aggregation and campus backbone links
✘ Cons: Model and SKU naming (6200F vs 6200M, 24G vs 48G, PoE vs non-PoE) is confusing and specs differ significantly between variants; Public spec sources conflict on some figures (for example, 6200F throughput and uplink types), so exact datasheet values should be verified per SKU; Dynamic routing and advanced L3 features require additional licensing; Power budget is limited on 370W and 740W SKUs, so high-draw PoE devices may not all be supported at full load; Pricing is in USD only for 6200F SKUs. European 6200M pricing was found only in EUR and GBP, and no official HPE list price was confirmed
Est. Price: $4,261 - $8,663

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