Fortinet FortiWLM vs Ubiquiti WLAN comparison

Fortinet and Ubiquiti Networks are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Fortinet is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.5, while Ubiquiti Networks is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.8. Fortinet holds a 2.1% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Ubiquiti Networks’s 5.1% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 81% of Ubiquiti Networks users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Ubiquiti WLAN and Fortinet FortiWLM are competitive wireless solutions in the wireless network market. Ubiquiti appears to have the upper hand in affordability and ease of deployment, while Fortinet shines with its robust security features integration.

Features: Ubiquiti is known for its ease of deployment, affordability, and strong performance with a free controller system that allows simple management and configuration. Fortinet offers robust security with integrated management, leveraging Virtual Cell technology for seamless roaming and providing a cohesive Fortinet ecosystem.

Room for Improvement: Ubiquiti users encounter challenges with signal strength, complex updates, and sometimes find the management tools lacking. Suggested improvements include enhanced cloud integration and stability. Fortinet could improve in terms of reporting features, guest management flexibility, and finding ways to reduce dependency on FortiAnalyzer for logging.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both solutions provide on-premises deployment, with Ubiquiti also offering cloud options for added flexibility. Ubiquiti's community-based support is considered satisfactory but inconsistent. Fortinet's support has improved, though it still faces challenges in comparison to vendors like Cisco.

Pricing and ROI: Ubiquiti is generally perceived as cost-effective with a one-time purchase model, attracting budget-conscious buyers, especially in small to medium environments. Fortinet's pricing is higher, including licensing costs for larger setups, but offers comprehensive features that some users believe justify the expense. Both solutions report positive ROI, with Ubiquiti noted for cost savings and Fortinet for security expense reductions.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Ubiquiti WLAN Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Ubiquiti WLAN

December 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Juniper Mist Wireless Acces...

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points is 5.7%, up from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 2.1%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti WLAN is 5.1%, down from 8.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Gyan Sharma

Assistant Programmer at Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha

Offers good performance, good solution and smooth implementation

I do have a suggestion: it would be helpful to have even stronger security features to help protect against interference from other nearby access points that aren't part of our network. If there are access points from other brands installed nearby; they can cause interference and disrupt the range of our Mist access points. So, the security features could be stronger, especially in terms of authentication. The connectivity is excellent, but security needs improvement. In future releases, integrating more AI features would be beneficial. If Mist had stronger AI features, it could provide better security against network threats and cyberattacks. So, this solution still needs to improve its AI capabilities. It would be great if the AI could improve the range of the access points, and auto-protect functionality should be there to avoid interference by other nearby access points and enhance threat detection. In the future, I'd like to see stronger threat detection features integrated with Mist, as well as better detection of nearby access points that might cause interference.

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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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Geoff Rubin

CEO at Forward Thinking Network Consultancy Ltd

Useful for network management and far more competitive than the other leading American brands

As an importer and distributor, we don't spend any time installing Ubiquiti WLAN products ourselves. We only resell the products to installers and don't do any installations directly. From my knowledge, though, the installation process is extremely straightforward. We get very few technical questions from our customers who do the installations. Based on our experience as distributors, I can say that virtually every installation we deal with now is centered around the UniFi Gateway. Although we don't handle installations directly, more companies rely on Ubiquiti gateways instead of standard options like FortiGate switches as routers. With the new UDM Pro Max product, Ubiquiti WLAN has covered the whole spectrum from home installations to the largest possible enterprise installations.

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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

"The product is quite user-friendly and easy to deploy, so one should definitely consider buying it."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is Marvis, the AI-driven network management system."

"The simplicity is great."

"Overall, we've been very pleased with the performance."

"It provides private network access, helping us protect our company’s devices."

"The artificial intelligence feature is very good."

"The solution is very secure."

"In terms of reporting, in terms of all the user reports, it's very rich."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points pros

"The firewall integration is very important for the security of the connection."

"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."

"The Fortinet FortiWLM system can be controlled through the cloud controller, which is convenient when the solution is not installed in our environment, as it allows us to manage the entire WiFi or access points and provides more adaptability."

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

"The setup was easy."

"The security is a valuable feature."

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

"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."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

"Ubiquiti WLAN is stable."

"It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"The initial setup process was relatively straightforward, with only minor challenges typically caused by user errors, such as password mismatches."

"The pricing is very competitive and the feature sets are very good. It compares well against more expensive options."

"There was a time when we were using Cisco switches and attempting to integrate Ubiquiti UniFi switches into our network infrastructure. Eventually, after some effort, we managed to understand the process. Initially, it was challenging to configure the unified console to manage virtual networks alongside internal networks effectively. We had to comprehend how both systems would integrate carefully. It became apparent that maximizing the usage of Cisco switches required a thorough understanding of how UniFi operates at the backend."

"I use Ubiquiti WLAN because it's cheap and performs well. The range is its best feature for improving network performance."

"Firstly, I initially purchased the device to build a VPN, and one very valuable feature for me was the ability to create a layer two VPN, which was available on the legacy ER router. It allowed me to expand a subnet to a remote site, which was essential for my setup. Additionally, I appreciated that the CLI of the router was similar to other Juniper products that I was familiar with."

"The product’s most valuable feature is the workflow-driven setup for the infrastructure component."

More Ubiquiti WLAN pros

Cons

"Supporting multiple protocols would be beneficial."

"The pricing should be made cheaper."

"Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points’ support services need improvement."

"The price could be better."

"Juniper Wireless AP can improve by continually improving its reporting and integration with other systems."

"Though certain security features are integrated into the product, my company has to always look forward to tightening certain security functionalities in the solution."

"The product should include adaptive Wi-Fi to show a more accurate location."

"Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) could improve if the MIST platform had a built-in master key. This would be an advantage."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points cons

"Documentation could be improved."

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

"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."

"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."

"The initial setup is complex and has room for improvement."

"The solution should improve user capacity."

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

"The platform's pricing needs improvement."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

"Ubiquiti WLAN only supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio and would be improved by including support for 5GHz."

"Switching devices requires reconfiguration from scratch."

"I think the main area for improvement with Ubiquiti WLAN is that they need to be far more specific in explaining the advantages of one product versus another. They have many access points - over 30. We often get questions about the right product for specific circumstances, and it's difficult to answer them clearly."

"The support needs improvement. The official support is kind of complex. It's not that straightforward compared to Cisco and Aruba."

"If they can integrate or release a single platform because, currently, there are two different platforms for switches and routers. So, maintaining just one unified platform, like, for example, unifying the models or brands, and avoiding separate platforms for edge switches, edge routers, and other Ubiquiti products, would simplify the integration and implementation process."

"Its scalability, UI, and security features could be better."

"When they release new products, you should know if there backward compatibility, or do you have to replace the entire forklift, It is useful to understand their strategy and where they are headed."

"The solution could improve by having a cloud version. A cloud version is the easiest to configure anywhere in the world."

More Ubiquiti WLAN cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."

"If a customer has a budget of around five lakhs in Indian currency, they can afford Juniper products."

"We pay maybe 1000 SEK per year, per access point."

"Juniper Wireless AP's price is a little more expensive than other solutions, but you get what you pay for."

"I rate Juniper Mist's pricing a ten out of ten since it is expensive."

"I rate the product price as a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is inexpensive, and ten is expensive. It is a reasonably priced tool."

"The pricing is too high."

"The solution is expensive."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points pricing and cost advice

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

"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."

"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."

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

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

"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."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

"When comparing the price of Ubiquiti WLAN to Aruba the price is reasonable."

"Ubiquiti WLAN is a low-priced product."

"There is a license required for this solution."

"The tool's price is very friendly."

"I rate the pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."

"This solution is reasonably priced."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a seven out of ten."

"The solution is cheap. I rate its pricing as three out of ten."

More Ubiquiti WLAN pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Educational Organization

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?

The solution is very secure.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?

Juniper Mist is cheaper than Meraki, placing it in the middle of the pack.

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What needs improvement with Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series)?

Supporting multiple protocols would be beneficial.

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What do you like most about Fortinet FortiWLM?

The security is a valuable feature.

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

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

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What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?

The platform's pricing needs improvement.

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Is Ubiquiti Wireless better than Ruckus Wireless WAN?

Ubiquiti Wireless is extremely easy to set up and is an excellent option for small businesses, offering enterprise fe...

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Which is better - Ubiquiti WLAN or Aruba Instant?

We researched Ubiquiti and Aruba when looking for a WLAN solution. Ubiquiti offers good WLAN access both indoors and ...

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What do you like most about Ubiquiti WLAN?

Anyone can buy the product off the shelf and configure it.

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 44% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 18% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 4% of the time

ExtremeWireless vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 2% of the time

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Competitors

Aruba Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 26% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 21% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 12% of the time

Omada Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 8% of the time

More Fortinet FortiWLM Competitors

Aruba Wireless vs Ubiquiti WLAN

Compared 20% of the time

Fortinet FortiAP vs Ubiquiti WLAN

Compared 16% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Ubiquiti WLAN

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Ubiquiti WLAN

Compared 10% of the time

NETGEAR Insight Access Points vs Ubiquiti WLAN

Compared 5% of the time

More Ubiquiti WLAN Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

December 2024

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points report

Download Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM

December 2024

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Buyer's Guide

Ubiquiti WLAN

November 2024

Download Ubiquiti WLAN product report

Also Known As

Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series), Mist Access Points

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

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Juniper

Fortinet

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Ubiquiti Networks

Overview

Juniper Wireless Access Points work in conjunction with Juniper Mist Cloud Services and Mist AI to deliver premier wireless access capabilities. The Juniper Mist Edge extends microservices to the campus to bring agility and scale while enabling new applications at the edge.

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.

UniFi is a revolutionary Wi-Fi system that combines Enterprise performance, unlimited scalability, a central management controller and disruptive pricing.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

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

NASCAR Grand-AM, Maritime Parc, Outdoor Music Festival, One Republic Tour, British Armed Forces, Arcadia School District, Bartlett School District, Universidad del Azuay, Estelar Hotels, Intercontinental Bali, Moscow - Enforta, Miami - Sling Broadband, Manhattan - MST, Ecuador - Aire.EC

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Ubiquiti WLAN

December 2024

Free Report: Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Ubiquiti WLAN

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Ubiquiti WLAN and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.

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