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Fortinet FortiWLC 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

Fortinet FortiWLC
Ranking in Wireless LAN
25th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.4
Number of Reviews
3
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 Fortinet FortiWLC is 0.3%, down from 0.3% 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.Mehedi Hassan - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers a seamless and secure WiFi experience with outstanding customer support
FortiWLC is valuable due to its security features and the seamless WiFi experience it provides. Our customers benefit greatly from the security aspect, especially since they are already using Fortinet for Firewall services. The security features are crucial for their requirements. The stability and ease of use of FortiWLC also add to its effectiveness.
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

"It's easy to set everything up during implementation."
"I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten."
"FortiWLC is valuable due to its security features and the seamless WiFi experience it provides."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLC is the overall high quality."
"The most valuable features of this solution are its speed, reliability, and integration with the firewall."
"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."
"Fortinet FortiWLM is good for tracking assets, monitoring, and overall management."
"The solution is controlled from one device and one GUI for all devices."
"The firewall integration is very important for the security of the connection."
"The security is a valuable feature."
"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."
"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."
 

Cons

"One thing that is lacking is, compared with some other brands, the signal is a bit weaker. Ruckus has much wider signal coverage."
"Fortinet FortiWLC is not simple to configure when compared to other solutions. The design could be better."
"For massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable."
"However, for massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable."
"When using the FortiGate as the wireless controller, you cannot have automatic user registration, which is something that they should offer."
"The solution should improve user capacity."
"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality."
"Areas for improvement would be the compatibility with Apple products and cross-platform integration."
"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."
"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality. We have concerns regarding the frequent updates needed because of short software cycles."
"The platform's pricing needs improvement."
"The range needs some improvement and also the stability."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Fortinet FortiWLC is high. The solution will be out of the market for us because the price is too high for the features it provides."
"Fortinet would do something with their pricing model to attract smaller business users and eliminate the mandatory service contracts."
"If a customer already is a FortiGate customer, the cost to go to the FortiAP is incredibly affordable, because you already have the controller."
"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."
"In the last few years, due in part to the impact of COVID on the market, Fortinet has increased its prices by 35 percent."
"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."
"Fortinet FortiWLM's pricing is regular and competitive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Non Profit
9%
Real Estate/Law Firm
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
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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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

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