Fortinet FortiWLM vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points comparison

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Download the complete report

Helped 889,855 peers since 2012

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

10th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Ranking in Wireless LAN

22nd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 3.1%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NETGEAR Insight Access Points is 1.6%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiWLM	3.1%
NETGEAR Insight Access Points	1.6%
Other	95.3%

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

LuayHlaleh

Information Technology Team Lead at IT Solutions AE

Offers robust network management with cost considerations for large deployments

Large enterprises typically invest in FortiAnalyzer, though our company and SMB clients don't require this analysis tool. We use Ekahau for floor planning and Wi-Fi coverage analysis rather than Fortinet FortiWLM's built-in features. Ekahau helps us perform site surveys and plan access point placement. Fortinet FortiWLM is a flexible and common solution in Dubai. It's one of the best-selling products, with Etisalat, the largest ISP, installing Fortinet FortiGate for approximately 70-80% of their clients. The solution offers different series to accommodate various needs. The triple radio model costs around $1,000 (3,500 dirham) and supports 40-50 connected devices. The 231F model suits smaller deployments of 20-25 devices. I rate Fortinet FortiWLM a seven out of ten. While it's an excellent solution, Cisco remains the market leader.

Read full review

Denis Gillet

Owner at ERIM S.A.

Centralized management has simplified our home Wi‑Fi setup and supports multiple users reliably

Given my experience with NETGEAR Insight Access Points, my piece of advice for other organizations considering it is that they have to look at the rest of their system because NETGEAR Insight Access Points is quite useless with anything but the Wi-Fi system. I rate this product an 8 out of 10.

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 innovate the business process, we innovate how employees work in their companies, and in the case of stores we are bringing new results and new income, helping them grow their sales with customers who like to go to their stores because they can access the information they need, connect to the wireless LAN, compare prices, and engage with the retail store."

"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 was extremely surprised by the single-pane-of-glass management; you don't really realize, until you're actually working with it, how powerful it is and how much time it saves you, and how much, in the long run, by going with the Security Fabric, you get increased security cost savings, and a better view of what's going on."

"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."

"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."

"Once you install this solution, it just runs properly and gets the job done."

"The most valuable features are central management and the many other features available."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

"From the WiFi aspect, it's very intuitive and easy to use. The solution enables me to manage my entire WiFi from anywhere in the world..."

"I am all about simplicity. With the Insight management solution, I don’t need an additional cloud controller, appliance, network manager, or PC/server to configure and manage my access points. You have to look at cost, and everything has a cost. There is a cost to using Insight. But if the cost is reasonable, I don't want another layer. The ability to deploy a network and then have that software built-in, without having to go to a third-party, is big. Also, the less pieces that I have to call in on, the better. So, when I'm calling NETGEAR, it's not like I'm using some third-party piece of software to manage their product. It doesn't add that layer of complexity, which is key."

"The product's deployment is straightforward."

"Our company sometimes uses the solution's technical support, and we have seen that they sort out our general problems quickly."

"The solution enables me to manage my entire network from anywhere in the world."

"The initial setup of NETGEAR Insight Access Points was straightforward."

"The biggest lesson that I've learned from using the Insight access points is that there is no need for expertise."

"The meshing capabilities are the most valuable feature. When I am going in-between buildings, my phone doesn't have to pick up different WiFi. They are all the same. Even in-between the buildings, I stay connected."

More NETGEAR Insight Access Points pros

Cons

"There is very little publicly available information about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture."

"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary."

"They need to do more with their marketing."

"The pricing for the solution is expensive and can be improved."

"Overall, I find it useful, though I have concerns because after every update, some functionality is deleted or closed."

"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality. We have concerns regarding the frequent updates needed because of short software cycles."

"The pricing model can be improved to encourage use by small business and individuals and the hardware could stand to be redesigned."

"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

"I have some frustrations with the ease of use. It tends to be sluggish."

"There is always room for improvement."

"My major problem is right now, the area which I need to cover is around 7,000 to 10,000 square feet...I would like NETGEAR Insight Access Points to extend the area coverage they provide."

"Due to certain shortcomings in the solution's stability, I feel that the solution's stability requires improvement."

"I put in a NETGEAR BR200 router and it gave me a lot of headaches when trying to create VLANs."

"The registration is annoying. I have to go back to NETGEAR and log tickets. Access points and router registration are something that they need to address in Insight. They need to fix the bug of getting the devices activated and enrolled in Insight without fighting with them. I have probably done about six of these in the last month. You get to see patterns."

"Software-wise, they need to provide the ability to kick users out. If multiple users are abusing the system or the network, I should be able to block them for a time and, when I need to unblock them, I should be able to do so by using their MAC ID. That feature might already be there and I just don't know about it."

"A con is the backend system which is very, very slow."

More NETGEAR Insight Access Points cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

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

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

"Fortinet would do something with their pricing model to attract smaller business users and eliminate the mandatory service contracts."

"The solution is fairly priced."

"If a customer already is a FortiGate customer, the cost to go to the FortiAP is incredibly affordable, because you already have the controller."

"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

"Price-wise, it is a little too high, about $20 higher than what it should be, but it's worth it. It's cheaper than Cisco's access point, but the products are not apples to apples."

"We have some basic models they give without a license."

"I think that the price of the product is reasonable."

"For what you get, the price of Insight access points is very reasonable."

"The pricing seems to be reasonable."

"My company does not need to pay anything related to the solution's licensing costs."

"Their pricing is perfect for smaller businesses who are money and budget conscious. There are a lot of other solutions out there that are two to three times more expensive."

"It is an expensive solution."

More NETGEAR Insight Access Points 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

889,855 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Retailer

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	18
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiWLM?

I do not have knowledge about the pricing or the cost of Fortinet FortiWLM because the license is for the package of the firewall, FortiGate.

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?

Overall, I find it useful, though I have concerns because after every update, some functionality is deleted or closed. For the moment, I don't have anything else in Fortinet FortiWLM that I would l...

What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiWLM?

I use this solution for the enterprise to segment the department.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NETGEAR Insight Access Points?

My impression of the pricing aspect of NETGEAR Insight Access Points is that it is not exactly cheap. I find the pricing reasonable, but it is at the upper end of the reasonable bracket.

What needs improvement with NETGEAR Insight Access Points?

Managing users could be improved as it is quite difficult to block someone, and it is impossible to block someone on one specific access point. Regarding specific features that I would like to see ...

What is your primary use case for NETGEAR Insight Access Points?

We are using NETGEAR Insight Access Points in a domestic environment with four or five users.

Aruba Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Comparisons

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 8% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiWLC vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 5% of the time

More Fortinet FortiWLM Competitors

Ubiquiti WLAN vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 17% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 11% of the time

Omada Access Points vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 8% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 7% of the time

More NETGEAR Insight Access Points Competitors

Product Reports

Fortinet FortiWLM

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Download NETGEAR Insight Access Points product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

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.

Fortinet

At NETGEAR, we turn ideas into innovative networking products that connect people, power businesses, and advance the way we live. Easy to use. Powerful. Smart. And designed just for you.

Netgear

Sample Customers

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

Information Not Available

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. NETGEAR Insight Access Points