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Cambium Networks Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cambium Networks Wireless LAN
Ranking in Wireless LAN
17th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
16
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
24
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Cambium Networks Wireless LAN is 1.1%, up from 0.6% 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

Md Anwar Hossain - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers zero-touch provisioning feature and is very user-friendly
I have used the product, and I haven't found any problem with the tool. The problem with the tool is that its prices are on the higher end. The tool should be made more cost-effective so that anyone can buy and use the product. The product's price is higher than that of other similar brands like Ubiquiti. Cambium should look at the pricing model it offers. Recently, Cambium released Cambium Networks Wi-Fi 7 with just one technology. It is a very outdated technology, and I don't know why it has introduced such a type of technology in 2024. With the new product, I don't know why Cambium has brought in an old technology associated with MIMO. Cambium should design its products more to be like 2x2 MU-Mimo. Cambium also has a product, 2x2 MU-MIMO, that is in the high-price category. In Grandstream and Ubiquiti, products are offered in categories like 2x2, 3x3, or 4x4. In Cambium, the tools have been designed in such a way that the basic model offers 2x2 MU-MIMO. If you need 4x4 MU-MIMO, you need to go with a higher category product, which is very expensive and costlier than the other OEMs in the market. In Grandstream and Ubiquiti, the tools have been designed in such a way that the product lineup is such that the transfer from one model to another model, the pricing gap is about 20 to 30 USD, but in Cambium, it is around 300 to 400 USD to move to the next product, making it an area that should improve. Cambium should design its products within a certain budget. With Cambium, it would be very expensive if I changed from the 2x2 to the 4x4 category. I need to add an additional 400 to 500 USD for the next model of the product.
Zachary Wheeler - PeerSpot reviewer
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.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product's initial setup phase is very simple and involves just a PnP process."
"The cloud-based management provided by Cambium Networks is particularly valuable to us, as it allows us to efficiently manage Wi-Fi, point-to-point connections, firewalls, and switches across various locations from a centralized platform. This enables us to be proactive in providing support and ensures smooth operations for our clients."
"The after-sales services are helpful."
"What I like best about Cambium Networks Wireless LAN is that it's easy to configure, has no licensing hassle, and is a controller-based solution."
"The product has valuable throughput capabilities. It also has an inbuilt spectrum analyzer for stable connectivity."
"The web-based administration is what I find most beneficial."
"It is a stable and secure platform."
"It provides strong coverage for outdoor areas."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLM is the single management pane and integrated controller inside the firewall."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"We can deploy a tunnel-based VLAN and SSID, for something that happens at the last minute, in a matter of minutes, because of the interaction between the FortiGate, the FortiSwitches, and the FortiAPs."
"Although there are a few steps, the initial setup is pretty straightforward."
"The firewall integration is very important for the security of the connection."
"The most valuable features are the roaming profile, the mesh, and the performance."
 

Cons

"The solution’s technical support could be faster."
"What could be improved in Cambium Networks Wireless LAN is its efficiency in large areas because we noticed that there's a need to increase the APs in large rooms or spaces for the Wi-Fi to be more efficient. Another area for improvement in Cambium Networks Wireless LAN is bandwidth management. This is a feature that Meraki has that allows you to control user bandwidth, so my company has a pilot project to test Meraki Wireless LAN. Bandwidth control is an additional feature I'd like to see in Cambium Networks Wireless LAN as that would make the solution better."
"The capacity and coverage could be improved."
"Not a lot of technical engineers are familiar with Cambium Networks Wireless LAN. They are familiar with implementing and using other solutions such as Aruba. Therefore, Cambium Networks needs to be more visible in the marketplace."
"If they could include some sort of web filtering, in-built antivirus, anti-malware, and data stream scanning in the next release."
"The problem with this radio wireless technology is that it cannot compete in terms of bandwidth with the fiber optics at this moment. That's the biggest weakness."
"There is room for improvement in the pricing model."
"Cambium Networks Wireless LAN should improve its pricing."
"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."
"Cost is something that could be improved, but you have to pay for what you get."
"The platform's pricing needs improvement."
"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."
"I would always wish pricing would be a little better."
"The solution should improve user capacity."
"When using the FortiGate as the wireless controller, you cannot have automatic user registration, which is something that they should offer."
"Areas for improvement would be the compatibility with Apple products and cross-platform integration."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would place it in the mid-range market segment, balancing affordability and profitability."
"High-end products from Cambium PTP, point-to-point radio, maybe cost around $1000 per year."
"I rate the product's pricing an eight out of ten."
"In general, the way we purchased it was we purchased it at the beginning, was with five years of support, once our initial cost was met, we didn't have to pay for anything else."
"It's a good price, but not the best price. It's on the higher end of what I would call affordable for small to medium-sized businesses."
"It is an expensive product compared to other competitors."
"The pricing for Cambium Networks Wireless LAN is much cheaper than Meraki. For example, I have to pay $200 for one AP from Cambium, while for a Meraki AP, I have to pay $450 including the user license. Meraki has a higher price over Cambium Networks Wireless LAN."
"The pricing and licensing might vary based on each country's specific needs and telecommunication regulations."
"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"If a customer already is a FortiGate customer, the cost to go to the FortiAP is incredibly affordable, because you already have the controller."
"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."
"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."
"In the last few years, due in part to the impact of COVID on the market, Fortinet has increased its prices by 35 percent."
"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."
"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."
"Fortinet would do something with their pricing model to attract smaller business users and eliminate the mandatory service contracts."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
14%
Retailer
7%
Educational Organization
6%
Computer Software Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cambium Networks Wireless LAN?
Cambium Networks Wireless LAN is not expensive compared to Cisco or Huawei. It is considered in the same price range as Ruckus.
What needs improvement with Cambium Networks Wireless LAN?
The direct technical support from Cambium teams needs to be improved. In Africa, particularly in projects like in Mauritania, there is a lack of support from Cambium's direct teams, making it diffi...
 

Also Known As

No data available
FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
 

Learn More

Video not available
 

Overview

Information not available
 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Cambium Networks Wireless LAN vs. Fortinet FortiWLM and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.