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: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM vs. WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

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 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

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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WarrenWilliams

Senior Account Manager at Bralin Technology Solutions

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

"The solution is stable."

"Mist AI is a very powerful feature. Juniper is the only company that has introduced AI into networking."

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

"For the most part, it does what it's supposed to do, and I like it. It's a great product."

"The solution is pretty generic and easy to use."

"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."

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

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points pros

"We can deploy a tunnel-based VLAN and SSID, for something that happens at the last minute, in a matter of minutes, because of the interaction between the FortiGate, the FortiSwitches, and the FortiAPs."

"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."

"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."

"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 setup was easy."

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

"At the moment, particularly with the COVID-19 situation, the most valuable feature is probably the IPsec VPN, which is easy to implement with Fortinet."

"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."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

"Cloud analytics that provide all its attributes."

"The solution has been stable."

"The Wi-Fi security features of this solution have been great for our customers who need to strictly control access to their network."

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

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

"It makes it easy to obtain all information about the client experience."

Cons

"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."

"Improving third-party integration is key for Juniper Mist's next release."

"The solution is expensive."

"If you want to do more specific stuff, it's a bit limited."

"I need a bit more time with it before criticizing the features."

"The price could be better."

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

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points cons

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

"The solution should improve user capacity."

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

"The interface could certainly do with some improvement. We have other customers with WiFi networks, and they always use Ubiquiti. With Ubiquiti, it's a much better user interface, and it is much easier to configure."

"Documentation could be improved."

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

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

"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."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

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

"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."

"Inability to import a user with one click."

"The solution can be scaled but it has limitations from my experience."

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

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

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"The solution is expensive."

"The pricing is fair."

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

"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."

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

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

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

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points pricing and cost advice

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

"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."

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

"In the last few years, due in part to the impact of COVID on the market, Fortinet has increased its prices by 35 percent."

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

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

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

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

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

"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."

"WatchGuard is on the upper scale for pricing."

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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

12%

Retailer

11%

Comms Service Provider

Non Profit

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.

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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.

See all answers

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.

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 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

Fortinet FortiAP 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 15% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 12% of the time

More Fortinet FortiWLM Competitors

Ubiquiti WLAN vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 30% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 22% of the time

Aruba Instant vs WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

Compared 21% 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

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

WatchGuard Secure Wi‑Fi

November 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

December 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: December 2024.

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