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Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Fortinet FortiAP comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
2.5
Aruba Instant On Access Points offer strong ROI potential through stability, ease of setup, no fees, and user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
8.0
Fortinet FortiAP offers strong ROI through secure features, reduced maintenance, high reliability, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced productivity.
I do not have to continuously manage them, and their reliability means they are consistently up and running.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
9.5
Aruba Instant On Access Points support receives mixed reviews, with efficient service praised, but delays and response quality criticized.
Sentiment score
7.8
Fortinet FortiAP support is mixed; premium service praised, but standard service disappoints with varied customer experiences and long wait times.
There are still issues with the language barrier and the overall quality of support.
We keep a support contract open with Fortinet, so we have instantaneous response from them.
The technical support from Fortinet FortiAP is rated 7.5 out of ten.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
Aruba Instant On Access Points are ideal for small to medium businesses but not suitable for large enterprise installations.
Sentiment score
7.4
Fortinet FortiAP offers effective scalability for different organizational sizes, though complexity may arise when expanding units.
We have good scalability with Fortinet FortiAP because we have multiple ISPs connected to it through FortiManager.
There could be constraints where a product can't be scaled further without purchasing a new model.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
9.4
Aruba Instant On Access Points are stable for up to 25 users but may vary with larger deployments and outdoor use.
Sentiment score
7.2
Fortinet FortiAP's stability is generally rated high, with some issues arising post-upgrade or after two years of use.
I have not experienced any issues, outages, or problems and have not had to interfere with them at all.
The stability of the solution is very high.
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Instant On Access Points face scalability, pricing, and connectivity challenges, with users seeking better features and integrations.
Fortinet FortiAP requires better security integration, improved functionality, responsive support, competitive pricing, and enhancements in performance, configuration, and legacy support.
There is not enough focus on security across networking vendors, and they often add features without testing them thoroughly.
In future updates, more AI for intelligence and the option for a separate network could be beneficial.
I know they're going up to six soon, which will enhance reliability.
Security is always a concern for any business, and the network should not be compromised easily.
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Instant On Access Points offer competitive pricing under $200 with no recurring fees, appealing for efficient budgeting.
Fortinet FortiAP offers competitive pricing, seen as cost-effective compared to Palo Alto and Check Point, with varied value opinions.
The pricing of Aruba Instant On Access Points is competitive compared to Cisco, and they are actually cheaper.
Aruba Instant On Access Points work without a list price, suggesting that they are open source and no additional licensing costs are incurred.
The license costs for Fortinet are more affordable when considering licensing costs with other leaders like Cisco.
The pricing is much better than Cisco pricing.
The pricing is a little bit high, and I would rate it a ten on the scale where ten is the highest price.
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Instant On Access Points provide easy management, robust security, and scalability for efficient connectivity in small to medium environments.
Fortinet FortiAP integrates with FortiGate and FortiAnalyzer, offering streamlined management, robust connectivity, and cost-effective deployment for enterprises.
The virtual controller feature is very beneficial because it removes the need for a physical controller.
They are very simple to install, and the deployment was straightforward, requiring only a few minutes.
Compatibility with Fortinet firewalls allows clients to set up new businesses with integrated firewalls and access points, offering a cost-effective solution while providing excellent wireless coverage.
FortiAPs are an enterprise-level device capable of handling a large number of users and connections, ensuring quality.
We can do more with one Fortinet FortiAP in two areas instead of having multiple devices.
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Instant On Access Points
Ranking in Wireless LAN
11th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiAP
Ranking in Wireless LAN
12th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Access Points is 0.9%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiAP is 4.3%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Ricardo Quintero - PeerSpot reviewer
Affordable and offers an easy setup phase
I was working on the on-premises solutions, like IronNet, Aironet, and some other tools from Cisco, but not with Meraki. The last Aironet model that we have here in Mexico, in the corporate office, and in some of the other regions of Mexico is Cisco Aironet 3700 and Cisco Aironet 3800, so it is just two or three devices. Aruba Instant On Access Points was working with Aruba 2540 and Cisco 3850 In Cisco, I found some issues. I was working well with a vendor. I was working with Cisco Catalyst 9200 and Cisco Catalyst 9300, along with Cisco Catalyst 2916M XL Switch. With all devices, we got a report. During the immigration, we choose another vendor, which Aruba. We have some issues with Aruba Instant On Access Points in iOS that are targeting the devices, and I have seen some problems with the DHCP solution.
Yati Gharat - PeerSpot reviewer
Integrates well with Fortinet products, but there are signal issues in the outdoor environment
FortiAP is very good in an indoor environment, but we are struggling with the outdoor environment. That is where we are having certain issues. We are not 100% happy with it. With the indoor environment, we are okay, but we are facing some issues when certain voice-related calls go from wireless points. There are certain drops, and we have faced these issues on an ongoing basis. We also have other vendors such as Aruba and Meraki, and we do not face any issues when there is a Teams or Zoom meeting going on. It could be that FortiAP is okay, but that particular device or appliance is not capable of handling that much load of voice and video. This might be the issue. RF Spectrum Analysis helps to understand what is the coverage and hotspots related to a particular access point, but then when we bought it, we did heat mapping through different vendors. If there are any rogue APs, we can identify them with RF Spectrum Analysis. We can see what the coverage area is, but there are some issues with that. Some of the offices have thick glasses, or the cabins are different, so in the RF coverage, what is shown is not what we get on the practical grounds. There are some issues with signal performance. It has the basic functionality that is mostly used, but there are certain devices that are not able to interconnect. When there is any issue or problem, if the administrator can get some information about that, that will be good. With Meraki and Aruba, we get certain beautiful things. If those can be integrated into this solution, it will be more beneficial, but we understand that being a security company, Fortinet's focus is on security.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
63%
Computer Software Company
5%
Manufacturing Company
3%
Construction Company
3%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Instant On Access Points?
It's really easy to set up. And, you don't have to pay for the cloud solution. That's really interesting for our clients. And the other thing is, the roaming is also quite good.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant On Access Points?
Aruba Instant On Access Points work without a list price, suggesting that they are open source and no additional licensing costs are incurred.
What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Access Points?
All features already exist in Aruba Instant On Access Points. However, in future updates, more AI for intelligence and the option for a separate network could be beneficial.
What do you like most about FortiAP?
If we have FortiClient installed on multiple devices, it is seamless to connect with FortiAP. It supports passwordless authentication as well. That is a great thing about it.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for FortiAP?
The pricing is a little bit high, and I would rate it a ten on the scale where ten is the highest price. They are a bit more expensive compared to other solutions, however, it is worth it if you ca...
What needs improvement with FortiAP?
There is nothing that particularly comes to mind for improvement. The management is controlled by Fortinet firewalls, so specific improvement needs do not jump to mind.
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiAP and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
842,296 professionals have used our research since 2012.