Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLM comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Fortinet are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.5, while Fortinet is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.4. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 0.9% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Fortinet’s 2.0% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

Aruba Instant On Access Points

Read 31 Aruba Instant On Access Points reviews

2,314 Views
1,124 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiWLM

Read 25 Fortinet FortiWLM reviews

2,506 Views
2,338 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Aruba Instant On Access Points

Fortinet FortiWLM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Fortinet FortiWLM and Aruba Instant On Access Points compete in the wireless market. Aruba appears to have an edge due to its ease of deployment and advanced features, making it more appealing for many users.

Features: Fortinet FortiWLM offers a comprehensive security fabric with seamless integration with other Fortinet products. Its centralized management and scalable options reduce manual intervention across extensive networks. Aruba Instant On Access Points are easy to manage and deploy, with robust mobile management and advanced antenna technology enhancing user experience.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiWLM could improve reporting and support for smaller clients and enhance centralized management to showcase advanced technologies like Virtual Cell. Aruba Instant On Access Points should improve range and documentation, with a more flexible pricing model for additional features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Fortinet FortiWLM provides exceptional customer service and suits enterprises with local infrastructure needs due to its on-premises deployment. Aruba Instant On Access Points offer cloud-based deployment but have average tech support, although deployment is straightforward for both products.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiWLM offers reasonable pricing but faces criticism over certain practices like RMA fees, though it integrates security and management well. Aruba Instant On Access Points are license-free and offer clear pricing, ensuring a quick ROI as all necessary features are included in the base price.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLM Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLM

January 2025

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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

Aruba Instant On Access Points

Ranking in Wireless LAN

11th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Fortinet FortiWLM

Ranking in Wireless LAN

16th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 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 FortiWLM is 2.0%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Ricardo Quintero

Infrastructure/Telcom Coordinator at Schnellecke Group AG & Co. KG

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.

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Zachary Wheeler

President / CEO at Secure Solutions Center LLC

Impressive manufacturing quality, highly durable, and very easy to deploy

They need to do more with their marketing. That's what's wrong with them. Nobody knows they do all this other stuff. I love the product. For an enterprise-level system, you never have to explain why you're recommending Fortinet, whereas you might have to do that if you want to use the Ubiquiti Professional or the new Netgear line, but you don't have to explain Fortinet. It has been remarkable to work with. It would be nice if they had some smaller switches or hubs. They should offer two-port, three-port, or four-port devices so that you don't have to buy an eight-port switch, and you don't have to use an unmanaged element, but their product line is very complete, and I can't say enough about it.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Aruba is much better than other vendors like Cisco and NETGEAR in terms of quality, price, and value for money."

"With a variety of switches in their setup, they find that Aruba's online monitoring tools and configuration options for applications effectively manage most of their requirements, all while keeping the process straightforward and user-friendly."

"The most valuable feature of Aruba Instant On Access Points is they are easy to manage."

"The mobile app is good. We have many things that are connected through mobile. Most users use mobile to connect to the Wi-Fi."

"The app and the provisioning are the best features of the product. It was really impressive that I was able to just provision it remotely. I didn't have to be on-site with my friend, and we were just able to get everything up and operational. So, the app is great. It sends me notifications when things are down, and it tells me how everything is doing."

"The initial setup is easy."

"It's super user-friendly."

"The coverage Aruba provides across the physical area is much better. Most probably because of the new technology, the 4x4 antenna, and everything around it. It's just a much better, easier to use, and easier to manage product."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pros

"The product is a stable solution."

"Having the single pane of glass, by using the Fortinet Security Fabric, allows us to tighten security, and more easily and quickly create additional VLANs to help protect data. Rules in the firewall mean we can protect data and systems so that, should anything go wrong, any security issue is held to an individual device."

"I use Fortinet FortiWLM for wireless communication and the internet."

"The Fortinet FortiWLM system can be controlled through the cloud controller, which is convenient when the solution is not installed in our environment, as it allows us to manage the entire WiFi or access points and provides more adaptability."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to connect and broadcast to different networks without using a VLAN or a layer two switch, which allows you to easily create guest networks."

"The solution is controlled from one device and one GUI for all devices."

"The most valuable features are central management and the many other features available."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the management."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

Cons

"The pricing could be a little cheaper."

"I believe there's room for improvement in the validation process, especially for customers facing compliance issues when managing access points from the cloud. It would be beneficial if the access points could also be managed from an on-premises controller. Regarding additional features, customers express interest in enhancing the controller, specifically improving the capability to manage a higher number of access points from the same controller. This feature is crucial for better scalability. Another feature that customers would appreciate is the ability to increase the number of access points. However, the current process for obtaining this permission can be time-consuming, and customers would like to see improvements in this regard."

"The limited functionality of the mobile app restricts its use primarily to small and medium-sized setups, making it less suitable for enterprise-level solutions."

"It would be good to integrate some marketing features into Aruba Instant On Access Points, like heat maps. This would allow deployment in warehouses or malls to see how people move from one point to another, helping to locate the original fit."

"It's only suitable for smaller offices. It doesn't scale well."

"The solution should include higher speed and lesser cost."

"It is scalable to a certain degree but not nearly as scalable and robust as your enterprise-grade solutions."

"The solution can be more integrated with other brands."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points cons

"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality. We have concerns regarding the frequent updates needed because of short software cycles."

"The pricing for the solution is expensive and can be improved."

"Technical support is very poor. We are not satisfied with the technical support because there is not any direct person from Fortinet for any troubleshooting, which we expected."

"Cost is something that could be improved, but you have to pay for what you get."

"Areas for improvement would be the compatibility with Apple products and cross-platform integration."

"The solution should improve user capacity."

"There is very little publicly available information about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture. Promotion of the overall technology is limited as well. Being more vocal about a product that has many advantages would go a long way to eliminating a lot of the confusion and negative perception about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture."

"The roaming of Fortinet FortiWLM could improve when comparing it to other solutions. We are missing some of the functionality in the controller. Additionally, they should offer more logs instead of using FortiAnalyzer because all the users will not be using the same thing."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is expensive."

"I would rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

"It is competitively priced. It was at a price point that made sense for me to put in my home, and that says something. The cost of the solution includes everything we need to manage and upgrade our Wi-Fi network, including the mobile management app. Having the licensing and all the functionality built into the base price of the product is really important for me. There are no extra costs for the security feature or automatic software/firmware updates, which is really important to me."

"It's a cost-effective solution."

"You buy it for $165 an AP, which is what we paid."

"Aruba Instant On Access Points are license-free. It's a very good and cheap solution for wireless networks. It can be compared with solutions from Ubiquiti and TP-Link, but it is in a different class. Aruba Instant On Access Points are cheaper than those from Cisco, Ruckus, and Motorola. It's perhaps the cheapest one. They do not use licenses, so it is a solution from the box. You don't need to pay extra money or deal with hidden payments."

"The price of Aruba Instant On Access Points is reasonable. They are competitively priced. I've even used it in my home at one time because of the low price."

"I rate the product's pricing a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pricing and cost advice

"If a customer already is a FortiGate customer, the cost to go to the FortiAP is incredibly affordable, because you already have the controller."

"The solution is fairly priced."

"Licensing costs are reasonable. There are so many different types of licenses with Fortinet, but the licensing and the 24/7/365 support are so reasonable that I automatically include it with every transaction. I never line item it without it. There are no additional costs."

"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."

"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."

"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."

"For indoor access points, there is a one-time cost, upfront, whereas outdoor access points have an annual fee."

"To save yourself from increased setup and maintenance costs, I highly recommend undertaking a proper site survey from the beginning."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

65%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

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.

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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.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

What do you like most about Fortinet FortiWLM?

The security is a valuable feature.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiWLM?

The pricing for Fortinet products has increased. While historically there was a bundle price available, it's now gone, making Fortinet less affordable than before. However, they are not the most ex...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?

There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality. We have concerns regarding the frequent updates needed because of short software cycles. More cloud orientation like that seen in compan...

See all answers

Comparisons

Cambium Networks Wireless LAN vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 21% of the time

Fortinet FortiAP vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 12% of the time

Omada Access Points vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 11% of the time

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 10% of the time

More Aruba Instant On Access Points Competitors

Aruba Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 26% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 19% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 11% of the time

Omada Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 7% of the time

More Fortinet FortiWLM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Access Points

February 2025

Download Aruba Instant On Access Points product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM

February 2025

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Also Known As

No data available

FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN

Overview

Ingredients for success.

Fast 802.11ac Wave 2, secure employee and guest access, easy-to-use web, and mobile app management.

Say yes to secure Wi-Fi access.

Pre-built access control lists (ACLs) and built-in firewall in the access points prevent malicious traffic from entering your network – we call it “hassle-free” security.

Never drop an important call.

With Instant On, voice and video business applications are automatically prioritized, so you stay connected with your peers.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Consolidate security and wireless LAN management with our integrated wireless solutions. Single-pane-of-glass management for security and access without the need to add point products simplifies deployment and reduces management complexity. These solutions are highly scalable to support even the largest organizations and distributed enterprises.

Fortinet

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLM

January 2025

Free Report: Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLM

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