Fortinet FortiWLM vs Huawei Wireless comparison

Fortinet and Huawei are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Fortinet is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.5, while Huawei is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.1. Fortinet holds a 2.0% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Huawei’s 5.4% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Huawei users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiWLM

Read 24 Fortinet FortiWLM reviews

2,649 Views
2,474 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Huawei Wireless

Read 36 Huawei Wireless reviews

5,990 Views
5,227 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiWLM

Huawei Wireless

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Huawei Wireless and Fortinet FortiWLM compete in the networking category focusing on wireless communication solutions. Huawei Wireless has an edge in affordability and ease of setup, while Fortinet FortiWLM stands out for its robust security features and integration capabilities.

Features: Huawei Wireless is notable for its affordability, WiFi 6 capability, and seamless roaming, which particularly favor enterprise setups. It offers high performance with easy scalability, catering to cost-sensitive buyers. Fortinet FortiWLM is distinguished by its security architecture, leveraging the Security Fabric for unified management, which makes its security integration seamless. It includes features like Network-In-Control and superior roaming technology.

Room for Improvement: Huawei Wireless could enhance its integration with third-party products and improve support response times. It also needs a focus on SMB solutions, as its technical support can be occasionally slow. Fortinet FortiWLM might work on increasing user capacity, simplifying setup procedures, and enriching its reporting capabilities without reliance on FortiAnalyzer. Both systems have room for scaling with newer technologies.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Huawei Wireless is generally straightforward to deploy, with cost-effective solutions making it easy to use, but customer service can be inconsistent in some regions. Fortinet FortiWLM offers an intuitive deployment process and strong integration, though improvements are needed in support response times and RMA handling.

Pricing and ROI: Huawei Wireless is competitively priced, often cheaper than alternatives like Cisco and Aruba, delivering high ROI due to low costs. Fortinet FortiWLM, although more expensive, presents a compelling pricing model with reasonable licensing costs. It offers significant ROI for organizations emphasizing security and comprehensive management solutions, justifying the premium for its robust capabilities.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Huawei Wireless Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Huawei Wireless

January 2025

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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

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

Huawei Wireless

Ranking in Wireless LAN

10th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

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 Fortinet FortiWLM is 2.0%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Wireless is 5.4%, up from 4.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Q&A Highlights

Suresh Sharma

Sr. Technical Executive at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

Feb 08, 2021

Which wireless controller has maximum client connectivity and high throughput?

Cisco has maximum client connectivity and high throughput.

See all answers

Featured Reviews

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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Umer Farooq

Assiatant Manager / pre-sales manager at PTCL

Customizable and has many unique features, such as encryption, spatial streams, and smart antennas

The initial setup for Huawei Wireless is easy, so it's a nine out of ten for me. It takes six to eight weeks to deploy the product. Initially, as I'm in pre-sales, I generate RFPs and the response when a customer has issued a published tender. I'll check the requirement, and then I'll map it to the Huawei product. I'll then make the Statement of Compliance (SOC) and select the proper model. Next, I'll send the information and document to Huawei for technical vetting. After technical vetting, I'll request Huawei to share information on costs and other vetted documents I need to complete, and once completed, I'll submit the documents. It'll then take approximately ten to fifteen days. Deploying Huawei Wireless requires teamwork because the deployment process involves different people and teams, such as the project manager, post-deployment, and pre-sales teams, to deploy the product completely.

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

"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."

"At the moment, particularly with the COVID-19 situation, the most valuable feature is probably the IPsec VPN, which is easy to implement with Fortinet."

"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."

"The security is a valuable feature."

"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."

"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

"What I like most about Huawei Wireless is that it's customizable. It has many unique features, such as encryption, spatial streams, hiding features for different scenarios, low-density and high-density areas, and smart antennas."

"You can add a lot of features, such as cloud, integration with IoT, etc. They have a lot of options available but the top feature is the performance."

"The reliability has had a positive impact on our operations."

"From an implementation perspective, it's easy. I rate it a nine on a scale of one to ten, where one is a difficult setup, and ten is an easy setup."

"It has all of the features that we need."

"The solution is easily managed compared to other wireless solutions."

"Huawei Wireless has controllers inside the switches."

"Installation is easy."

More Huawei Wireless pros

Cons

"I cannot emphasize enough that I would always wish pricing would be a little better."

"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."

"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."

"The platform's pricing needs improvement."

"Documentation could be improved."

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

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

"The solution's integration with some AAA servers like Aruba ClearPass is difficult and could be improved."

"The scalability could be a bit better."

"The solution could be easier to use."

"The demo program is an area for improvement in Huawei Wireless as it's hard to use. As a partner, you can use the solution for free, for thirty days, for example. On paper, everything looks fine, but you have to get permission and explain why you want to download the software, even if it's just for demo purposes. I don't get why I have to do this as a partner and still give an explanation that this would be for a demo setup. Downloading the solution isn't a click-and-install process that should go smoothly and efficiently. You have to get a lot of approvals and explain a lot, and in the end, you find out that you received the approval for one piece of software. It looks like you need additional software to use the software. My company asked for approval and received the approval three days later, but you need to install another software to use some of the features. In the past, most features were separate. Because Huawei wants a single pane of glass where all features should work with the Huawei equipment, Huawei decided to combine everything into the iMaster NCE Campus, which incorporates every other cloud solution. However, you still have to ask for approval for every piece of software, and without clear information on the features, the type of software, and the software files required, it's not so good from my point of view."

"The stability could be improved."

"The manageability of radio frequencies to avoid overlapping needs improvement."

"While technically proficient, enhancing communication skills would greatly benefit the customer experience."

"The speed could be a bit better."

More Huawei Wireless cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"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."

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

"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 fairly priced."

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

"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

"I rate Huawei Wireless' pricing a five out of ten."

"Huawei Wireless is an expensive product. I'm rating it as one out of ten, price-wise."

"Huawei Wireless is one of the cheapest options in the marketplace."

"To compete effectively, Huawei might consider adjusting pricing to align more closely with other competitive brands, particularly those offering lower-cost solutions."

"I would rate the tool's pricing a seven out of ten."

"Huawei Wireless is a cheaper solution when you compare it to the cost of other similar solutions. It has one of the most competitive prices out there."

"I pay monthly for the solution."

"The price is good for the solution and there is a license required."

More Huawei Wireless pricing and cost advice

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Answers from the Community

Suresh Sharma

Sr. Technical Executive at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

Feb 8, 2021

Which wireless controller has maximum client connectivity and high throughput?

All are good selections, and this question is difficult to answer without knowing your throughput requirements, as each vendor has multiple models within there series. Personally I recommend looking at Arista Networks’ cognitive Wifi, where controllers are a thing of the past.

2 out of 7 answers

AlanTran

Director of Technical Services at CTM

Feb 17, 2020

Hi, It is all dependent on the size of the controllers in question. Though I would suggest getting a cloud base technology so you are limited by any controller and have much better redundancy. Take a look at Arista Cognitive Wireless

Read full answer

Imad Awwad

Group IT Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Feb 17, 2020

Hi, Every one of the mentioned solutions is good but you need to check the needs which are security since the firms you are working with need protection and tracking of data. For this reason, I recommend: - if you have FortiGate installed then go for Fortinet Wireless since they can be integrated with the Fortigate without buying a controller and they work perfectly together and you will get the advantage of applying rules to the client himself whether mobile or computer, easily managed & monitored, more visibility over your network and incident notifications. If the above doesn't apply then you can go with the best one that fits your budget and security needs which for me doesn't fall on the mentioned solution but to go with ARUBA Instant Access Wireless Solution and the reasons are as such: - Cisco is too much expensive and you got to pay smart support with some complexity in configuration and you need to buy a controller - Ruckus is good but when you want to have the security you need to buy a controller with licenses and it won't give you the security needed since it is just a wireless solution - Huawei is not a stable company since it had many ups and downs and they can reach with you to have all the solutions nearly free so that you install their brand. Whereas Aruba you don't need a controller in the Instant access points and you will get the minimum security with radius integration and what is important a lifetime warranty on the access points. In addition, if the number of access points increased and you want more detailed management and more advanced configurations, you can buy a controller either on-premises or on-cloud with Aruba. The above information is based on my experience with all the solutions and their POC. If you need any more details and consultancy, kindly feel free to contact me. Regards.

Read full answer

See all 7 answers

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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

Which wireless solution would you choose - Huawei or D-Link?

Huawei wireless is a strong and solid product that has a lot of features - and for all that it offers, it happens to be very cost effective. As a wireless solution, it is simple and its user interf...

See all answers

What do you like most about Huawei Wireless?

The reliability has had a positive impact on our operations.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Huawei Wireless?

For SMB customers with limited wireless users, Huawei Wireless may not be suitable due to the lack of multiple access points and the need for a centralized SSID. However, for large-capacity custome...

See all answers

Comparisons

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

D-Link Wireless vs Huawei Wireless

Compared 25% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs Huawei Wireless

Compared 16% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Huawei Wireless

Compared 15% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs Huawei Wireless

Compared 14% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Huawei Wireless

Compared 10% of the time

More Huawei Wireless Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM

January 2025

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Buyer's Guide

Huawei Wireless

January 2025

Download Huawei Wireless product report

Also Known As

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

Huawei WLAN

Learn More

Fortinet

Huawei

Overview

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.

Huawei WLAN products are compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac standards to establish high-speed, secure, and reliable wireless network connections for indoor and outdoor applications.WLAN products can be used in enterprise offices, schools, hospitals, large shopping malls, exhibition centers, airports, and more.

Sample Customers

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

Anhui Agricultural University (AAU), China Everbright Bank

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Huawei Wireless

January 2025

Free Report: Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Huawei Wireless

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Huawei Wireless and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.

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