PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Fortinet FortiSwitch 124G (FS-124G)
Fortinet FortiSwitch 124G (FS-124G)
★ 3.7 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 248 Gbps
  • Forwarding Rate: 185 Mpps
  • Ports: 24u00d7 1GbE RJ45 + 4u00d7 10GbE SFP+
  • Layer: L2/L3
  • Stacking Support: Yes (up to 8 units)
  • PoE Budget: 370W (30W per port max)
  • Max Power Consumption: 500W
  • Dimensions: 1U rackmount
  • Operating Temperature: 0-40u00b0C
  • Management: FortiSwitch Manager, SNMP, CLI, Web GUI
  • VLAN Support: 4096 VLANs
  • Redundancy: Redundant fans, power supply options

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: High-density 1GbE ports with 10GbE uplinks for cost-effective deployments; Advanced L3 routing and VLAN segmentation for enterprise networks; Comprehensive PoE support (370W) for powering access points and IP cameras; Stackable design (up to 8 units) allows scalable centralized management; Integrated FortiOS-like features including VLAN, QoS, and basic security; Excellent compatibility with Fortinet FortiGate firewalls and management ecosystem
  • ✘ Cons: Limited 10GbE uplink ports (only 4 SFP+) may become bottleneck in high-traffic environments; No built-in Layer 2.5+ features or EVPN/BGP for modern DC designs; Moderate price point compared to some commodity switches with similar specs; Limited PoE budget (370W) insufficient for large-scale deployment of high-power devices; Less suitable for heavily virtualized or SD-WAN edge deployments; Requires FortiSwitch Manager for advanced management features (additional complexity)
  • Est. Price: $1,200 - $1,800

Compare Against

Aruba (HPE) Aruba 6400 Switch
Aruba (HPE) Aruba 6400 Switch
★ 3.3 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 51.2 Tbps
  • Forwarding Rate: 380+ Mpps
  • Ports: Modular: 48x 10GbE SFP+, 4x 40GbE QSFP+ (base); expandable to 384 ports with optional line cards
  • PoE Budget: Up to 1440W per line card (with PoE+ modules)
  • Layer: L2/L3 (Core/Aggregation)
  • Stacking Support: Yes - Virtual Switching Extension (VSX) with MCLAG
  • Fabric Type: Non-blocking modular fabric
  • Redundancy: Dual routing engines, hot-swappable PSUs and fans
  • Max VLAN: 4094 VLANs
  • Management: Web UI, CLI, REST API

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Extremely high throughput and port density for large-scale deployments; Non-blocking modular architecture enables flexible configuration; VSX technology allows seamless active-active failover with MCLAG support; Enterprise-grade reliability with redundant components and hot-swappable modules; Rich set of L2/L3 features including VLAN, QoS, and multicast support; Excellent power efficiency for high-performance switching; Extensive port modularity allows mixing 1GbE, 10GbE, 40GbE, and 100GbE interfaces; Comprehensive network analytics and visibility via AOS
  • ✘ Cons: Very high capital expenditure, limiting adoption in smaller organizations; Complex configuration and management compared to fixed-form switches; Requires professional installation and ongoing support; Power consumption scales with utilization, adding operational costs; Modular line cards are expensive replacements; Steep learning curve for staff unfamiliar with enterprise switching; Premium pricing compared to competing platforms like Cisco Nexus 9000
  • Est. Price: $18,000 - $42,000

Popular Comparisons

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