Fortinet FortiWLM vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi comparison

Fortinet and WatchGuard are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Fortinet is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.5, while WatchGuard is ranked #24 with an average rating of 6.0. Fortinet holds a 2.1% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to WatchGuard’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of WatchGuard users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Fortinet FortiWLM and WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi compete in wireless network management and security. WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi has an upper hand with its robust security features.

Features: Fortinet FortiWLM's valuable features include sophisticated wireless LAN management, seamless integration with Fortinet's Security Fabric, and enhanced network visibility. WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi excels in advanced security capabilities, Threat Detection and Response, along with simplified cloud-based management.

Room for Improvement: Fortinet FortiWLM requires improvements in simplifying deployment processes, enhancing user interface for ease of use, and providing more detailed reporting options. WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi could benefit from better integration with non-WatchGuard products, expanding feature sets in complex setups, and reducing its initial deployment complexity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi offers straightforward cloud-based deployment and responsive customer service. Fortinet FortiWLM has comprehensive setup options but can be complex, requiring more expertise, though it is supported by reliable customer service.

Pricing and ROI: Fortinet FortiWLM provides cost-effective solutions with strong ROI through integration capabilities. WatchGuard Secure Wi-Fi may have higher initial costs, but its security features often justify the investment.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiWLM vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi Report (Updated: October 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

October 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Juniper Mist Wireless Acces...

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points is 5.6%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 2.1%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi is 0.5%, up from 0.4% 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

Apr 17, 2024

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

Apr 5, 2022

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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WarrenWilliams

Senior Account Manager at Bralin Technology Solutions

Aug 18, 2023

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.

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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 most useful feature of Juniper Wireless AP is the reporting Marvis."

"The most valuable feature of Juniper Mist is the Virtual Network Assistant, powered by artificial intelligence."

"The artificial intelligence feature is very good."

"The solution is very secure."

"With Mist, every Wednesday they roll out new features."

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

"The solution is stable."

"The most valuable feature of Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) is the ability to troubleshoot ports on the network. Additionally, when there is an update on the APs they are able to reboot quickly reducing downtime. Other solutions have a longer downtime when updates are done."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points pros

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

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

"The most valuable features are the roaming profile, the mesh, and the performance."

"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."

"I use Fortinet FortiWLM for wireless communication and the internet."

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

"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."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the management."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

"Cloud analytics that provide all its attributes."

"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."

"They're very easy to set up and get running."

"The solution has been stable."

"We like that WatchGuard works and integrates directly with the firewalls we use."

Cons

"They should include SD-WAN features to it."

"The solution is expensive."

"Juniper should make the products more affordable."

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

"The pricing should be made cheaper."

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

"Improvement is needed in the user-friendliness of Juniper Mist, particularly in enhancing the interaction with AI features."

"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."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points cons

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

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

"The guest management features need to be improved by adding automation."

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

"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."

"Documentation could be improved."

"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."

"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."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

"One of the things is if you buy it with a certain subscription, you can't easily change the subscription level."

"The price of this solution needs to reviewed, as it is currently high enough to deter customers from trying it."

"I don't think they're available at the best price."

"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

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

"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."

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

"The solution 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 pricing is something Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) can work on. The pricing is very high compared to the competition."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points pricing and cost advice

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

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

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

"The solution is fairly priced."

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

"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."

"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

"WatchGuard is on the upper scale for pricing."

"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."

"The solution is priced high compared to competitors. However, for the features that are included in the solution, the price becomes more reasonable."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

18%

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Government

Computer Software Company

17%

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Retailer

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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

The solution is very secure.

See all answers

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

If a customer has a budget of around five lakhs in Indian currency, they can afford Juniper products. But for a new c...

See all answers

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

HP recently acquired Juniper, and I'm not happy about that. Juniper is a brand, and HP acquired them because of Junip...

See all answers

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

What do you like most about WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?

We like that WatchGuard works and integrates directly with the firewalls we use.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?

WatchGuard is on the upper scale for pricing.

See all answers

What needs improvement with WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi?

One of the things is if you buy it with a certain subscription, you can't easily change the subscription level. For e...

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 45% 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

Ubiquiti WLAN vs Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

Compared 4% 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 17% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 13% of the time

Omada Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 8% of the time

More Fortinet FortiWLM Competitors

Ubiquiti WLAN vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 33% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 26% of the time

Aruba Instant vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 22% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 19% of the time

More WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points

October 2024

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points report

Download Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM

November 2024

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Buyer's Guide

WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

October 2024

Download WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi product report

Also Known As

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

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

No data available

Learn More

Juniper

Fortinet

WatchGuard

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.

WatchGuard is a global leader in network security, secure Wi-Fi, and network intelligence products and services for SMBs and Distributed Enterprises worldwide. Our mission is to make enterprise-grade security accessible to companies of all types and sizes through simplicity, making WatchGuard an ideal solution for distributed enterprises and SMBs. WatchGuard is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

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

Portsmouth Grammar School, HILOTEC

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

October 2024

Free Report: Fortinet FortiWLM vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiWLM vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.

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