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Fortinet FortiWLM vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi 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 FortiWLM
Ranking in Wireless LAN
17th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi
Ranking in Wireless LAN
24th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 2.0%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi is 0.4%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

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.
WarrenWilliams - PeerSpot reviewer
A solution that offers excellent support and makes it easy to manage networks
To utilize the solution properly, you need some training and guidance on that. Getting it working is easy, but if you're going to use it with feature sets that make WatchGuard worthwhile to use, it's probably not the easiest to set up. I'd rate the initial setup a seven out of ten. The time taken to deploy the solution depends on the project scope you're doing. Do you need ten WiFi access points or one? You could deploy the solution in an hour. We need one person to deploy the solution. But the number of people required for deployment depends on where the access points are deployed. Like, if it's the ceiling or whatever. The way we do it, we usually have an on-site technician who sets up the backend. We usually have two people when deploying the solution, but you can do it with one person. We have a team that manages the solution. But if you have ten people on a site to manage the solution, 15 minutes daily is enough.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLM is the single management pane and integrated controller inside the firewall."
"We're using SD-WAN at all of our locations now, which helps increase and aggregate and lower response time and improve application performance."
"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."
"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."
"I have not faced any issues with stability or downtime."
"I use Fortinet FortiWLM for wireless communication and the internet."
"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."
"This is the only product on the market currently that supports as many access points for wifi users."
"They're very easy to set up and get running."
"It makes it easy to obtain all information about the client experience."
"The Wi-Fi security features of this solution have been great for our customers who need to strictly control access to their network."
"Cloud analytics that provide all its attributes."
"The configuration part of WatchGuard is very flexible."
"The solution has been stable."
"We like that WatchGuard works and integrates directly with the firewalls we use."
 

Cons

"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality."
"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary. Firmware upgrades and bug improvements need to be tested well."
"Documentation could be improved."
"When using the FortiGate as the wireless controller, you cannot have automatic user registration, which is something that they should offer."
"Cost is something that could be improved, but you have to pay for what you get."
"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality. We have concerns regarding the frequent updates needed because of short software cycles."
"In terms of improvements, the price is higher than I would like. A reduction in pricing would be beneficial."
"The guest management features need to be improved by adding automation."
"The support response can be time-consuming because sometimes issues are very sensitive and require instant attention."
"I don't think they're available at the best price."
"The price of this solution needs to reviewed, as it is currently high enough to deter customers from trying it."
"One of the things is if you buy it with a certain subscription, you can't easily change the subscription level."
"Inability to import a user with one click."
"If a client device had issues with authentication due to out of date browser or similar difficulties, it would be nice to have the ability to migrate the client onto the portal via one click."
"The solution can be scaled but it has limitations from my experience."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."
"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."
"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."
"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."
"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."
"WatchGuard is on the upper scale for pricing."
"The solution is priced high compared to competitors. However, for the features that are included in the solution, the price becomes more reasonable."
"Your licensing and cost, as would be required for many other solutions, being considered for eighty to two hundred and eighty different physical locations, is just about the same amount per access point."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Retailer
11%
Non Profit
10%
Comms Service Provider
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiWLM?
While the pricing of Fortinet FortiWLM is a bit high, it remains effective. However, the cost could be better if reduced.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?
In terms of improvements, the price is higher than I would like. A reduction in pricing would be beneficial.
What do you like most about WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?
We like that WatchGuard works and integrates directly with the firewalls we use.
What needs improvement with WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?
The support response can be time-consuming because sometimes issues are very sensitive and require instant attention. Also, when an incident occurs, the impact can be significantly huge. A recent p...
 

Also Known As

FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Portsmouth Grammar School, HILOTEC
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiWLM vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
842,651 professionals have used our research since 2012.