Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLM comparison

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLM

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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

15th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 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

"The solution has fast deployment and easy setup. There is no security PIN for this account."

"The initial setup is easy."

"Its technical support is excellent."

"The configuration is very simple."

"The initial setup is very simple."

"It's a good solution and a good technology."

"The product's initial setup phase is too easy."

"Regarding access points, the customer typically considers low-cost plans, and Ruckus Unleashed Access Points are commonly used. These access points are managed through the Microsoft console and can be accessed either with or without ports. The management is done through a controller. The main benefits customers see include cost-effectiveness, especially for those with budget constraints. Aruba, in particular, provides a good user experience. Some customers might choose Huawei, but enterprise access points are also considered. Additionally, the unified access point capabilities are valuable, allowing management from the same account. However, there is a limitation of twenty-five access points, and if a customer requires more, they need to create another site or account. If the customer exceeds twenty-five access points, they need to generate another site or virtual business to manage additional access points, as the external number is limited to twenty-five."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pros

"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."

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

"Security is the feature we like most from Fortinet. In general, their security architecture is really great, because it involves everything: firewalls, wireless LANs, the user. Everything is really secure."

"In FortiWLM, it has been very reliable."

"The setup was easy."

"I found that It's really good when comparing it to any other product or it is much better in terms of features that the customer requires."

"The most valuable features are the roaming profile, the mesh, and the performance."

"This is the only product on the market currently that supports as many access points for wifi users."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

Cons

"The setup is not very easy. It requires some experience with Wi-Fi, especially with cloud connection and security."

"Stability largely depends on how access points are installed and managed. While Aruba cannot entirely ensure connection reliability, the deployment approach can minimize wireless link downtime."

"Software-wise, I would like to have a way of moving APs from site to site and wish there would be a way to add more APs to one site. I know the limit is 25 APs per site and I wish there were more."

"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."

"While it is mostly scalable, there are some limitations."

"If anything, its reporting could be improved."

"With Aruba, the documentation on the website is not too easy to use, and some information is not found."

"If there's a way to get a floor map of our office space so we can place the access points on a map to be able to see what's what, where everything is going, where the most traffic is being connected, that would be a nice feature."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points cons

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

"The initial setup is complex and has room for improvement."

"The range needs some improvement and also the stability."

"The platform's pricing needs improvement."

"The guest management features need to be improved by adding automation."

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

"Licensing is the only area that I think they are below average. They need enterprise licensing, an all-encompassing license to cover all products for a company."

"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."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product's price falls on the cheaper end of the spectrum. The price of the product is one of the biggest benefits that it offers."

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

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

"It is expensive."

"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."

"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the standard licensing charges associated with the product. There are some additional costs associated with the product since I have seen customers who purchase three-year or five-year plans."

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

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pricing and cost advice

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

"Fortinet FortiWLM's pricing is regular and competitive."

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

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

"Fortinet would do something with their pricing model to attract smaller business users and eliminate the mandatory service contracts."

"The solution is fairly priced."

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

"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

63%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

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.

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 Fortinet FortiWLM?

The security is a valuable feature.

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

The product is highly expensive. I rate the pricing a ten.

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?

The platform's pricing needs improvement.

Cambium Networks Wireless LAN vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Comparisons

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Fortinet FortiAP vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 17% 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 10% of the time

Aruba Instant vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

Compared 10% of the time

More Aruba Instant On Access Points Competitors

Aruba Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 25% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 21% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 16% 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

Aruba Instant On Access Points

Download Aruba Instant On Access Points product report

Fortinet FortiWLM

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Also Known As

No data available

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

Learn More

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Fortinet

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.

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.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

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

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLM