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Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs Fortinet FortiAP 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

Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess S...
Ranking in Wireless LAN
20th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiAP
Ranking in Wireless LAN
9th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar is 0.8%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiAP is 5.6%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Attila Gyalus - PeerSpot reviewer
An Easily Deployable and User-Friendly Solution with Rapid Installation
The support of this solution is great. The timeliness of their responses is crucial for me. When I raise an issue, I can count on receiving a prompt reply, eliminating the need for extensive online searches or phone calls. This efficiency is paramount in saving time. In the rare instances where problems arise, they are usually swiftly addressed.
Brian M. - PeerSpot reviewer
Enterprise-level control simplifies wireless management and increases reliability
FortiAPs are an enterprise-level device capable of handling a large number of users and connections, ensuring quality. A benefit is their controllability by local firewalls, which simplifies management and eliminates the need to buy separate hardware or virtual appliances. The integration is efficient, allowing for management through the firewall. Firmware updates are also pushed to Fortinet access points. The lack of maintenance needs and their reliability means I almost never experience wireless problems in the campuses where they are deployed.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Express in default configuration mode with first turn-on is easy to set up and deploy from a medium installation standpoint."
"The solution allows you to see the SNMP packets, the DPI packets, and the SNMP server."
"The initial setup is pretty straightforward."
"There is a definite ROI with this product. This product creates a baseline of technology that will be a means to grow from five to ten years from now. By using this solution, it is an investment on the installation of that baseline."
"I have worked with different solutions in the past and switched to Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar because of its quick installation time. It requires no additional preparation. The product is highly stable. I rate it a nine out of ten. The support of this solution is great. The timeliness of their responses is crucial for me. When I raise an issue, I can count on receiving a prompt reply, eliminating the need for extensive online searches or phone calls."
"One feature that differentiates Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar from some other vendors is the fact that on-premise OmniVista licenses are perpetual."
"I have not seen any downtime in the tool."
"We are very satisfied with the performance."
"The setup was straightforward."
"Fortinet FortiAPs are useful for small to medium-scale companies where there are budget concerns."
"The stability of the solution is very high."
"We really don't need to call technical support. Any time we have had to call, they've been great."
"The solution supports recent security components like encryption or hashing algorithms. We can control the APs from FortiGate Firewalls and integrate those APs into FortiGate. You don't have to purchase a separate controller for it."
"FortiAP's integration using SSID configuration for the input/output makes deploying permission rules easier."
"I would give FortiAP a rating of ten out of ten so far."
"The product's initial setup phase was easy, especially with FortiGate or your FortiManager in place."
 

Cons

"I would prefer to have the integrated heat map feature provided by the basic controller in the Solution instead of purchasing an external one. Accessing this capability directly within the controller's access point would be convenient."
"It is not possible to integrate Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar with third-party software like Opera, a property management system (PMS)."
"It needs to be faster in order to process and transmit bigger packets."
"Better integration with third-party systems is what our customers are expecting in the future."
"Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar's radio management side could be improved."
"Most customers are asking for an on-premises hardware architecture while it is available as a software-based architecture."
"There are occasional OS bugs."
"The current implementation of our Guest Access network in isolation for Express mode is very complicated in comparison with leading market solutions."
"The security integration between the network and firewall has room for improvement."
"There is room for improvement in the product by expanding the number of SSIDs that can be broadcast."
"The wireless functionality is not the best."
"I would like to have automation capabilities that would help us reduce the configuration steps."
"FortiAP could be a little cheaper."
"There is nothing that particularly comes to mind for improvement."
"Technical support is a pain. Fortinet has to get its act together. If you don't pay for premium service, you will have issues."
"The product fails to offer default access points to deal with the areas revolving around configurations."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is in the range of other brands like Cisco, maybe a little cheaper but you get the same features, facilities, and security. Licensing is something Alcatel is making changes to. A few years ago you would buy a WLAN solution from Alcatel for half the price of Cisco, but you would spend the same amount on licensing. Today this is different and the licensing is cheaper."
"The price of this product is average and it is a one-time, perpetual license."
"At times, it appears that the solution's pricing is slightly higher. This makes it challenging to persuade customers who primarily focus on the price."
"It's pricey, but better than similar solutions."
"The tool is cost-effective, according to our sales team's feedback."
"We find the price comparable to other products on the market."
"Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar is a mid-range solution with respect to pricing."
"The devices under Fortinet are not expensive. The solution's licensing part is expensive."
"Fortinet FortiAP offers a more cost-effective solution compared to Palo Alto and Check Point."
"FortiAP is more expensive than some other options."
"The product is available at a very comfortable price for my company compared to the other products available in the market. The prices of products from Meraki and Aruba are high compared to those of Fortinet."
"On a scale of one to ten with ten being the most expensive, I would rate FortiAP a six."
"We purchased perpetual licensing, and additional costs may vary depending on the services acquired from Fortinet."
"If I compare it with the other enterprise products, the price is good."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar?
The solution allows you to see the SNMP packets, the DPI packets, and the SNMP server.
What needs improvement with Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar?
Most customers are asking for an on-premises hardware architecture while it is available as a software-based architecture.
What do you like most about FortiAP?
If we have FortiClient installed on multiple devices, it is seamless to connect with FortiAP. It supports passwordless authentication as well. That is a great thing about it.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for FortiAP?
Fortinet solutions are more cost-effective compared to Cisco. The license costs for Fortinet are more affordable when considering licensing costs with other leaders like Cisco.
What needs improvement with FortiAP?
I cannot pinpoint the exact improvements needed at the moment. However, security is always a concern for any business, and the network should not be compromised easily. There should be alerts to in...
 

Also Known As

Alcatel Lucent OmniAccess Stellar, OmniAccess Stellar
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mineola School District
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs. Fortinet FortiAP and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.