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ExtremeWireless 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

ExtremeWireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
15th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
27
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
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of ExtremeWireless is 1.7%, up from 1.5% 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

Seungho Yang - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhanced employee access with effective wireless monitoring and seamless roaming
Our use case for ExtremeWireless is to allow our employees to access the company systems The monitoring systems in ExtremeWireless have been very effective, and they are cheaper than other products. It provides better monitoring logs and detailed logs compared to Cisco Wireless. The most…
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 central control is valuable."
"The most valuable feature is the cloud-managed aspect."
"It provides seamless connectivity if you move around."
"I like Cloud IQ, ExtremeWireless' cloud controller and analytics platform. It's full of information, easy to use, and provides excellent visibility into my network."
"The solution is easy to use and manage. Overall it is very simple to understand and users do not know it is a cloud solution."
"ExtremeWireless offers profiles, policies, and tags."
"The security is very good."
"The stability of the solution has been fine."
"The product is a stable solution."
"Seamless roaming by leveraging Virtual Cell is a major advantage which reduces roam times and issues related to roaming. Code stability has been excellent and the hardware quality is second to none."
"The setup was easy."
"The firewall integration is very important for the security of the connection."
"The greatest advantage is the security fabric Fortinet offers."
"The security is a valuable feature."
"The most valuable features are central management and the many other features available."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLM is the single management pane and integrated controller inside the firewall."
 

Cons

"The performance of the access points could be improved."
"The onsite controllers are not as good as the cloud controller. I would also like ExtremeWireless to add web filtering on the access point. This feature is available from other vendors but not ExtremeWireless."
"The solution needs to improve its portfolio."
"It is a subscription model, so it is maybe a bit pricey."
"Technical support is an area that needs to be improved."
"The main area for improvement is the company's local visibility."
"ExtremeWireless should fix some general bugs and make the user interface more user-friendly."
"The solution should offer better support."
"I have used Cisco previously and I don't see any specific differences from Fortinet FortiWLM or other vendors."
"The pricing model can be improved to encourage use by small business and individuals and the hardware could stand to be redesigned."
"The platform's pricing needs improvement."
"The initial setup is complex and has room for improvement."
"This solution should be easier to set up in a production environment."
"When using the FortiGate as the wireless controller, you cannot have automatic user registration, which is something that they should offer."
"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary. Firmware upgrades and bug improvements need to be tested well."
"Documentation could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Extreme isn't the most expensive, but it's not a low-cost solution, and because there are no big volumes, you don't receive significant discounts, making the final price higher."
"We pay approximately $30,000 per year."
"I rate the product's pricing a three or four out of ten."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"ExtremeWireless isn't budget-friendly. The hardware costs around 20,000 Indian rupees. We're still using an older controller, so it doesn't require a license, unlike the newest versions of the ExtremeWireless controller."
"I rate the price of Extreme Wireless a three out of five."
"ExtremeWireless is subscription-based for both cloud and on-prem solutions, and it's quite expensive."
"The purchase of 350 access points cost approximately $250,000 USD."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."
"The solution is fairly priced."
"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."
"To save yourself from increased setup and maintenance costs, I highly recommend undertaking a proper site survey from the beginning."
"For indoor access points, there is a one-time cost, upfront, whereas outdoor access points have an annual fee."
"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"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 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%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Government
11%
Educational Organization
8%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with ExtremeWireless?
They should develop more troubleshooting tools for system management. Additional troubleshooting tools should be created by the engineers.
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...
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...
 

Also Known As

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

Overview

 

Sample Customers

St. Xavier High School, Americatel, Diamond Light Source
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about ExtremeWireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.