Fortinet FortiWLM vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points comparison

Fortinet and Netgear are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Fortinet is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.6, while Netgear is ranked #22 with an average rating of 8.0. Fortinet holds a 2.5% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Netgear’s 1.6% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of Netgear users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiWLM

Read 30 Fortinet FortiWLM reviews

2,133 Views
1,941 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Read 13 NETGEAR Insight Access Points reviews

1,268 Views
1,268 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiWLM

NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Fortinet FortiWLM and NETGEAR Insight Access Points compete in network management and connectivity. Fortinet leads with advanced features and support, while NETGEAR excels in user-friendly interfaces and affordability.

Features: Fortinet FortiWLM offers comprehensive wireless management, advanced monitoring, and extensive security options, making it ideal for complex environments. NETGEAR Insight Access Points focus on seamless cloud management, easy device integration, and user-friendly interfaces, catering to simpler, more accessible network setups.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet could enhance its ease of use and reduce complexity in deployment processes. The interface, though comprehensive, might benefit from simplification. NETGEAR could expand its advanced feature sets to better accommodate large-scale deployments, improve its monitoring capabilities, and offer more extensive reporting tools.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: NETGEAR Insight Access Points feature straightforward deployment and solid customer support through cloud-based solutions, appealing to smaller setups. Fortinet FortiWLM requires more involved setup but offers comprehensive customer support, beneficial for larger, complex networks.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiWLM involves higher upfront costs, justified by efficient handling of complex networking tasks, offering significant ROI. NETGEAR Insight Access Points are initially more cost-effective, promising excellent ROI for small to medium implementations seeking simplicity and ease of setup.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiWLM vs. NETGEAR Insight Access Points Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. NETGEAR Insight Access Points

February 2026

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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

12th

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 February 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 2.5%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NETGEAR Insight Access Points is 1.6%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiWLM	2.5%
NETGEAR Insight Access Points	1.6%
Other	95.9%

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.

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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.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This is the only product on the market currently that supports as many access points for wifi users."

"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."

"Although there are a few steps, the initial setup is pretty straightforward."

"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 most valuable features of this solution are its speed, reliability, and integration with the firewall."

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

"If you do have a FortiGate Firewall somewhere in the network, you can connect the wireless controller to that... You get 100 percent visibility from a single point... You can see everything that's connected to the FortiGate, whether it's a switch or a wireless AP or a wireless controller or any other Fortinet product."

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLM is the single management pane and integrated controller inside the firewall."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

"The internet connectivity is good."

"The metrics demonstrate that NETGEAR really does a good job of balancing the load between the various access points on the networks and this results in an elimination of downtime."

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

"I now have the ability to remote access my network. That works extremely well. I can access it from any place. I don't need to be physically at the device. This saves me on time and travel."

"The product's deployment is straightforward."

"I find the centralized management of NETGEAR Insight Access Points very beneficial because we are using five access points, and it is quite useful to be able to manage them centrally."

"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."

"I'm able to do a lot of things, because the GUI is designed very well. I'm able to remotely make certain changes via my phone and apply them right away. It makes life easier when it comes to managing the equipment. The Insight management solution phone app is very good. It enables me to do what I want to do."

More NETGEAR Insight Access Points pros

Cons

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

"Technical support is very poor. We are not satisfied with the technical support because there is not any direct person from Fortinet for any troubleshooting, which we expected."

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

"The solution should improve user capacity."

"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary."

"This solution should be easier to set up in a production environment."

"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."

"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."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

"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."

"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."

"I have some frustrations with the ease of use. It tends to be sluggish. The graphical interface is pretty, but not useful. They have this tree that shows connected devices, which makes no sense whatsoever because the labeling field of the tree truncates all the items to the point that it's almost useless. You can't even tell what it is. I would prefer a spreadsheet list of the gear as opposed to a graphical representation."

"The pricing and standard connectivity can be further improved."

"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."

"While the data throughput does provide us with full insight into data being used, we find that it's not very accurate."

"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."

"The biggest issue I've had is that it works very well with the WiFi, but it does not offer any assistance at all with the routers. You can't control them or manage them at all. As soon as you want to use anything on the network side—because I have multiple 28-port switches—you can't manage them using this app."

More NETGEAR Insight Access Points cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"The solution is fairly priced."

"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."

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

"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."

"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."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

"It is an expensive solution."

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

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

"The pricing seems to be reasonable."

"I can source the stuff pretty quickly wherever I go through the distributor. There is pricing available at NETGEAR if you can spend between $2,000 and $5,000 on a solution. So, there is special pricing that they can help with. The vendor's reps are very responsive. They have a good channel system."

"It wasn't much more than 100 dollars a year. For the devices that we have, the pricing was pretty fair."

"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."

"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."

More NETGEAR Insight Access Points pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Healthcare Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Retailer

Outsourcing Company

University

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.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiWLM?

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

See all answers

What do you like most about NETGEAR Insight Access Points?

The product's deployment is straightforward.

See all answers

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

We have some basic models they give without a license.

See all answers

What needs improvement with NETGEAR Insight Access Points?

The pricing and standard connectivity can be further improved.

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 8% of the time

Aruba Networks Wireless WAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 5% of the time

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Ubiquiti WLAN vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 18% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 11% of the time

Omada Access Points vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 11% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Compared 8% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM

February 2026

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Buyer's Guide

NETGEAR Insight Access Points

February 2026

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

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. NETGEAR Insight Access Points

February 2026

Free Report: Fortinet FortiWLM vs. NETGEAR Insight Access Points

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiWLM vs. NETGEAR Insight Access Points and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.

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