Aruba Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Fortinet are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.5, while Fortinet is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.5. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 19.7% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Fortinet’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 86% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Aruba Wireless and Fortinet FortiWLM are strong competitors in the wireless management category. Aruba holds an upper hand in scalability and integration, while Fortinet leads in security through its Security Fabric.

Features: Aruba Wireless provides enhanced security and manageability with tools like ClearPass and AirWave. It offers adaptive radio management, excellent scalability, and flexibility that integrates with existing systems seamlessly. Fortinet FortiWLM features a strong Security Fabric enabling integration with Fortinet's security measures, and a single-pane-of-glass management for comprehensive network control.

Room for Improvement: Aruba Wireless could improve in stability, support services, and user interface design. There is a need for better documentation and simpler configuration processes. Fortinet FortiWLM users seek improved integration with third-party products and enhanced user capacity. Pricing is a concern for Fortinet users, with calls for more affordable options despite its reliability.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Aruba Wireless supports hybrid and on-premises deployments with generally positive customer service experiences, yet some inconsistency is noted. Fortinet FortiWLM, with its predominantly on-premises approach, provides reliable technical support but could benefit from quicker response times compared to Aruba's service. Aruba's flexible deployment stands out as an advantage.

Pricing and ROI: Aruba Wireless is recognized for its competitive licensing model with perpetual licenses avoiding recurring fees, though there are concerns about its pricing competitiveness. Fortinet's pricing is straightforward but perceived as high, especially with service contracts included. Both Aruba and Fortinet are seen as delivering positive ROI, through long-term savings and operational efficiency, respectively. The choice depends heavily on budget and specific security needs.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM

December 2024

Download the complete report

Helped 824,053 peers since 2012

Categories and Ranking

Juniper Mist Wireless Acces...

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points is 5.7%, up from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Aruba Wireless is 19.7%, down from 23.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 2.1%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Gyan Sharma

Assistant Programmer at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha

Offers good performance, good solution and smooth implementation

I do have a suggestion: it would be helpful to have even stronger security features to help protect against interference from other nearby access points that aren't part of our network. If there are access points from other brands installed nearby; they can cause interference and disrupt the range of our Mist access points. So, the security features could be stronger, especially in terms of authentication. The connectivity is excellent, but security needs improvement. In future releases, integrating more AI features would be beneficial. If Mist had stronger AI features, it could provide better security against network threats and cyberattacks. So, this solution still needs to improve its AI capabilities. It would be great if the AI could improve the range of the access points, and auto-protect functionality should be there to avoid interference by other nearby access points and enhance threat detection. In the future, I'd like to see stronger threat detection features integrated with Mist, as well as better detection of nearby access points that might cause interference.

Read full review

Muhammad_Faisal

Manager ITSM at Lucky Cement Limited

Experience seamless connectivity with top-notch roaming capabilities

The Aruba Wireless solution has excellent roaming capabilities, ensuring seamless connectivity. Once installed, Aruba Wireless works robustly without overheating issues. This is particularly effective compared to other products I've used, like FortiMonitor and FortiAPs, which sometimes heat up. I am very satisfied with the roaming feature, as it ensures connectivity when moving from one location to another. The product's stability, after setting it up, adds to its value.

Read full review

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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The artificial intelligence feature is very good."

"The product is quite user-friendly and easy to deploy, so one should definitely consider buying it."

"Overall, we've been very pleased with the performance."

"With Mist, every Wednesday they roll out new features."

"The solution is very secure."

"In terms of reporting, in terms of all the user reports, it's very rich."

"The most valuable feature of Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) is the ability to troubleshoot ports on the network. Additionally, when there is an update on the APs they are able to reboot quickly reducing downtime. Other solutions have a longer downtime when updates are done."

"Juniper Mist offers valuable features like comprehensive network insight, granular policy control, fast device setup, strong security, and efficient SSL traffic management."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points pros

"The solution is quite stable and very robust."

"Support for both on-premises and cloud environments has proven effective for network management."

"The main features of Aruba Wireless in my country is its popularity, long hardware warranty when compared to other solutions, and it integrates well with our network access control solution."

"The 335-AP provides reliability, stability."

"I like the analytics feature."

"The user interface is great."

"The dashboard tells us who is using most of the bandwidth, and how many APs are not in good range, or that do not actually have good security. It shows us which users are trying to hack or how many users are trying to use BitTorrent. So it gives us very good visibility into the user."

"The Aruba Wireless solution has excellent roaming capabilities, ensuring seamless connectivity."

More Aruba Wireless pros

"Although there are a few steps, the initial setup is pretty straightforward."

"Fortinet FortiWLM is good for tracking assets, monitoring, and overall management."

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

"The most valuable features of this solution are its speed, reliability, and integration with the firewall."

"For me, the ease of setup and the rugged nature in harsh environments are most valuable. So, durability and ease of use have been its best features."

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

"With Fortinet, there is a feature called Network-In-Control. It's the AP controller that decides what the clients are going to connect to... Even though your phone sees, let's say, two APs, since the wireless controller has visibility into and access across all the APs, it knows the best AP for the client to connect to. This way, the controller makes sure that none of the APs is over-crowded, and the spectrum is used properly."

"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."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

Cons

"If you want to do more specific stuff, it's a bit limited."

"There is room for improvement in terms of support and installation."

"Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points’ support services need improvement."

"I need a bit more time with it before criticizing the features."

"Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) could improve if the MIST platform had a built-in master key. This would be an advantage."

"The pricing should be made cheaper."

"The price could be better."

"Juniper Wireless AP can improve by continually improving its reporting and integration with other systems."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points cons

"We have an issue with the integration of Aruba Wireless with our LDAP servers."

"The solution's GUI for configuration could be better."

"I believe that Aruba's support could be improved."

"Aruba Wireless could improve the interface, it does not have a smart web interface. Other solutions have smart web interfaces, such as Cisco Meraki."

"There are some issues we occasionally have. However, they are easily remedied."

"Every month Aruba has new firmware. I don't know if it's good or bad but it's not good in terms of production. We can't upgrade our firmware every month, especially an enterprise company, because if we upgrade our firmware based on the latest firmware that Aruba has, that firmware is not stable. They're not 100 percent sure about it."

"Most of the access points don't include the chargers."

"The solution is now taking eight to 12 months to deliver the product."

More Aruba Wireless cons

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

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

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

"The platform's pricing needs improvement."

"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."

"In the next release, they could improve by adding a controller-less server, or architecture that is provided in other solutions, such as Aruba. This would be a great benefit for customers."

"This solution should be easier to set up in a production environment."

"I have used Cisco previously and I don't see any specific differences from Fortinet FortiWLM or other vendors."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I rate the product price as a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is inexpensive, and ten is expensive. It is a reasonably priced tool."

"The pricing is too high."

"We pay maybe 1000 SEK per year, per access point."

"If a customer has a budget of around five lakhs in Indian currency, they can afford Juniper products."

"The pricing is fair."

"I rate Juniper Mist's pricing a ten out of ten since it is expensive."

"Juniper Wireless AP's price is a little more expensive than other solutions, but you get what you pay for."

"The solution is expensive."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points pricing and cost advice

"It offers a lower cost compared to other products, which is a significant advantage."

"It comes with a relatively higher price tag, but it's essential to assess the value it brings to the market because it actively competes with other players in the industry and dedicates efforts to offer competitive devices."

"Licencing can be surprising and needs improvement. Look into all features, what you need versus what you want, and know that nothing comes without some kind of license."

"The price is reasonable. I would rate the cost as 8 out of 10."

"Pricing is very competitive."

"The price of Aruba Wireless has a more competitive price than other solutions."

"A recent change is that ClearPass licensing is superb. It counts user-based instead of device-based, for BYOD on-boarding."

"Trial different solutions and compare pricing to how well they perform, their stability, how easy it is to maintain, etc."

More Aruba Wireless pricing and cost advice

"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."

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

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

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

"The solution is fairly priced."

"In the last few years, due in part to the impact of COVID on the market, Fortinet has increased its prices by 35 percent."

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

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

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Comparison Review

it_user212721

President at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Mar 24, 2015

Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions

Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…

Read full review

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

18%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Government

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?

The solution is very secure.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?

Juniper Mist is cheaper than Meraki, placing it in the middle of the pack.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?

Supporting multiple protocols would be beneficial.

See all answers

What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?

Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they h...

See all answers

Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?

At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What di...

See all answers

How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?

On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three ...

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

See all answers

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?

The platform's pricing needs improvement.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 44% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 4% of the time

Fortinet FortiAP vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 4% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 4% of the time

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Competitors

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Aruba Wireless

Compared 23% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Aruba Wireless

Compared 21% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Aruba Wireless

Compared 18% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs Aruba Wireless

Compared 5% of the time

Omada Access Points vs Aruba Wireless

Compared 2% of the time

More Aruba Wireless Competitors

Cisco Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 21% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 12% of the time

Omada Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 8% of the time

Ubiquiti Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 5% of the time

More Fortinet FortiWLM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

December 2024

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points report

Download Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points product report

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Wireless

December 2024

Download Aruba Wireless product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM

December 2024

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Also Known As

Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series), Mist Access Points

Aruba WLAN, HP WLAN, HP Wireless, Aruba Instant On AP Series Access Point

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

Learn More

Juniper

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Fortinet

Overview

Juniper Wireless Access Points work in conjunction with Juniper Mist Cloud Services and Mist AI to deliver premier wireless access capabilities. The Juniper Mist Edge extends microservices to the campus to bring agility and scale while enabling new applications at the edge.

Aruba Wireless is a secure, high-performance, multi-user wireless LAN supporting Wi-Fi 6. As workplaces and user expectations change, users can now maintain hybrid workplaces and IoT without compromising performance, reliability, or security. Aruba Wireless delivers better performance and capacity and greater AIOps visibility throughout all devices and users. In addition, through built-in network intelligence, network operations are made simpler while keeping everything secure through user and guest encryption.

Aruba Wireless, offered through Aruba Networks, is helping achieve digital transformation and IoT with seamless connectivity through multiple Wi-Fi access points. For the user’s convenience, Aruba Wireless provides indoor, outdoor, and remote access points to help boost faster and safer connectivity.

Choosing Aruba Wireless can help improve your organization’s user experience with wireless LAN in many ways, including:

Transforming hybrid workplaces: Employees can move seamlessly between home and office, with reliable internet and without compromising security.
Connect and protect IoT: With built-in AP support for BLE, Zigbee, and USB-port extensions, users can extend visibility, control, and connectivity to IoT devices and applications.
Expand the 5G experience to the enterprise network: Empower users to experience 5G with Wi-Fi 6 by automatically enabling cellular devices to join Aruba Wireless LAN securely and reliably.

Aruba Gateways and Controllers

Small organizations as well as large enterprises require excellent performance and security for cloud, mobility, and digital transformation. Therefore, in addition to the access points, Aruba Wireless also offers a variety of gateways and controllers, including:

9000 Series: With SD-WAN capabilities, it’s excellent for small campus networks looking for enhanced Wi-Fi scalability and security.
7200 Series: Perfect for campus WLAN scalability or branch SD-WAN and VPN Concentrator capabilities, the 7200 Series optimizes Wi-Fi performance to guarantee smooth roaming.
7000 Series: Acting as a controller or gateway to provide WAN intelligence, the 7000 Series is a policy-based router and an excellent solution for small to mid-sized campuses.
Mobility Controller Virtual Appliance: Maximizes Wi-Fi and network services in an economical, virtualized environment.
SD-WAN Virtual Gateways: Orchestrate virtual gateways in public cloud infrastructure, like Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Mobility Conductor Hardware Appliance: While enhancing the scalability and reliability for large campus WLANs, Aruba Mobility Conductors bring the full capability of ArubaOS.
Mobility Conductor Virtual Appliance: To scale large campus deployments, Aruba Mobility Conductors simplify the deployment and management of up to 1,000 Mobility Controllers.
ArubaOS Network Operating System: Great for remote workers in mid-sized and large companies who need seamless connectivity to and security over Wi-Fi.

Reviews from Real Users

Aruba Networks is aiding organizations in transforming to a hybrid work environment with Aruba Wireless. Users especially love its ability to work with many devices and its ability to group and manage access points.

A senior IT solutions architect at a manufacturing company says, "The most valuable feature is the fact that it can work with many devices. It supports everything that we need it to."

Gary F., a network administrator at wireless at Abilene Christian, notes, "I like the way it groups and manages access points."

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

Consulate Health Care, Los Angeles Unified School District, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC), San Diego State University, KFC, ACTS Retirement-Life Communities

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

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM

December 2024

Free Report: Aruba Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM

Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.

DOWNLOAD NOW

824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Aruba Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM report.

See our list of best Wireless LAN vendors.

We monitor all Wireless LAN reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.