No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs Fortinet FortiWLM comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

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
23rd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiWLM
Ranking in Wireless LAN
10th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar is 1.7%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 3.1%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiWLM3.1%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar1.7%
Other95.2%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Attila Gyalus - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner at TeloNet
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.
LuayHlaleh - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Technology Team Lead at IT Solutions AE
Offers robust network management with cost considerations for large deployments
Large enterprises typically invest in FortiAnalyzer, though our company and SMB clients don't require this analysis tool. We use Ekahau for floor planning and Wi-Fi coverage analysis rather than Fortinet FortiWLM's built-in features. Ekahau helps us perform site surveys and plan access point placement. Fortinet FortiWLM is a flexible and common solution in Dubai. It's one of the best-selling products, with Etisalat, the largest ISP, installing Fortinet FortiGate for approximately 70-80% of their clients. The solution offers different series to accommodate various needs. The triple radio model costs around $1,000 (3,500 dirham) and supports 40-50 connected devices. The 231F model suits smaller deployments of 20-25 devices. I rate Fortinet FortiWLM a seven out of ten. While it's an excellent solution, Cisco remains the market leader.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Configuring Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar is easier than Aruba HPE."
"The solution is scalable, as it works for any size of company, no matter if it's a small business, enterprise, government, education, hospitality, or any other type of customer, and it's easy to scale as a soft controller by just adding licenses, supporting up to 4,000 access points."
"With the Captive portal to manage the Guest access is very easy, and with the Spectrum Analysis some very difficult radio issues can be solved with very little effort from my side."
"One feature that differentiates Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar from some other vendors is the fact that on-premise OmniVista licenses are perpetual."
"With these three types, Alcatel-Lucent can give the client a range of solutions within budget of each, and still guarantee the quality of the solution."
"Express in default configuration mode with first turn-on is easy to set up and deploy from a medium installation standpoint."
"We needed a solution to provide internet access for the majority of 317,68 KM square site and assure authentication, authorization and accountability compliance of users, and OmniAccess has enabled us to do so."
"We deployed them in two hospitals, they benefit from the access of users via Guest Portal and the use of VoWLAN Phones for mobile internal communication."
"The price performance is unmatched."
"The setup was easy."
"The solution is stable."
"When compared with Sonic Wall and Palo Alto, Fortinet is more straightforward, whereas with the other solutions the procedure to implement the proper IT connections for end users was somewhat more complicated."
"I have not faced any issues with stability or downtime."
"Fortinet FortiWLM is good for tracking assets, monitoring, and overall management."
"We are highly impressed with the ease of use of Fortinet."
"The Access Points work with two radios (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and it was the best feature because some scanners are new with AC wireless support."
 

Cons

"It needs to be faster in order to process and transmit bigger packets."
"The current implementation of our Guest Access network in isolation for Express mode is very complicated in comparison with leading market solutions."
"It is not possible to integrate Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar with third-party software like Opera, a property management system (PMS)."
"Yes, some issues are related to firmware bugs or firmware instability."
"The GUI is a little bit slow."
"I’d rate this product as an eight out of 10 because it is not accessible to everyone to take 100% advantage of the product."
"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."
"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary. Firmware upgrades and bug improvements need to be tested well."
"Sometimes we feel that we are buying the top-of-the-line technology and, six months or eight months later, we feel it is already obsolete."
"There is one thing that I find extremely strange, and this something that is unique to Fortinet, and it isn't a positive at all."
"Areas for improvement would be the compatibility with Apple products and cross-platform integration."
"One area that needs improvement is the configuration aspect, which is more challenging compared to other products, despite Fortinet FortiWLM being a popular brand in Sri Lanka."
"The price could be reduced by 20%. In Dubai, UniFi costs 700 dirham for the UniFi Pro 7th generation. For Fortinet FortiWLM, a similar model would cost around 1,300 dirham."
"Because of this, our experience with FortiWLM hasn't been very good, and we have not implemented any further FortiWLM solutions for other customers to date."
"The pricing model can be improved to encourage use by small business and individuals and the hardware could stand to be redesigned."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar is a mid-range solution with respect to pricing."
"It's pricey, but better than similar solutions."
"The tool is cost-effective, according to our sales team's feedback."
"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."
"We find the price comparable to other products on the market."
"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."
"To save yourself from increased setup and maintenance costs, I highly recommend undertaking a proper site survey from the beginning."
"For indoor access points, there is a one-time cost, upfront, whereas outdoor access points have an annual fee."
"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."
"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"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."
"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."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
921,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Outsourcing Company
14%
Educational Organization
11%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Construction Company
12%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise1
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise5
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiWLM?
I do not have knowledge about the pricing or the cost of Fortinet FortiWLM because the license is for the package of the firewall, FortiGate.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?
Overall, I find it useful, though I have concerns because after every update, some functionality is deleted or closed. For the moment, I don't have anything else in Fortinet FortiWLM that I would l...
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiWLM?
I use this solution for the enterprise to segment the department.
 

Also Known As

Alcatel Lucent OmniAccess Stellar, OmniAccess Stellar
FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mineola School District
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs. Fortinet FortiWLM and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.
921,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.