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Aruba Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM 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

Aruba Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
148
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiWLM
Ranking in Wireless LAN
14th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Wireless is 16.1%, down from 22.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 1.9%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Muhammad_Faisal - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience seamless connectivity with top-notch roaming capabilities
The Aruba Wireless solution has excellent roaming capabilities, ensuring seamless connectivity. Once installed, Aruba Wireless works robustly without overheating issues. This is particularly effective compared to other products I've used, like FortiMonitor and FortiAPs, which sometimes heat up. I am very satisfied with the roaming feature, as it ensures connectivity when moving from one location to another. The product's stability, after setting it up, adds to its value.
Mohammad Talha Talkin Alam - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable network creation and management with an efficient setup process
My primary use case involves creating SSIDs and defining VLANs within the VLAN using Fortinet FortiWLM. I have been working with Wi-Fi access points for network connectivity I primarily use Fortinet FortiWLM for creating SSIDs and defining VLANs. While there isn't much focus on security, layer…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The coverage, concurrent user life, and visualization are the most valuable features of these solutions."
"The solution is well designed so you can easily integrate it in an infrastructure network."
"It provides excellent performance and security through the use of available features and policies, reducing the reliance on external firewall configurations while ensuring a secure and reliable network environment."
"What I like most about Aruba Wireless is its stability, functionality, and performance."
"AirWave is a valuable feature."
"The most valuable feature in this product would be the stability. You build it, install it, and it’s good to go, with no further tweaks needed unless adding or replacing APs."
"Aruba Wireless is stable and we plan to continue using it in the future."
"Good wireless solution that's user-friendly, stable, and scalable, with very good product support, and a limited lifetime warranty."
"Seamless roaming by leveraging Virtual Cell is a major advantage which reduces roam times and issues related to roaming. Code stability has been excellent and the hardware quality is second to none."
"Having the single pane of glass, by using the Fortinet Security Fabric, allows us to tighten security, and more easily and quickly create additional VLANs to help protect data. Rules in the firewall mean we can protect data and systems so that, should anything go wrong, any security issue is held to an individual device."
"The most valuable features are the roaming profile, the mesh, and the performance."
"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."
"If you do have a FortiGate Firewall somewhere in the network, you can connect the wireless controller to that... You get 100 percent visibility from a single point... You can see everything that's connected to the FortiGate, whether it's a switch or a wireless AP or a wireless controller or any other Fortinet product."
"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."
"This is the only product on the market currently that supports as many access points for wifi users."
"I use Fortinet FortiWLM for wireless communication and the internet."
 

Cons

"The product’s performance got worse with newer releases."
"The access points could be cheaper. While the technical specifications are satisfactory, the access points are expensive."
"Aruba needs to be more competitive with newer products. Their legacy makes that more difficult for them."
"The latest design of their APs removes the console port and requires purchasing an expensive proprietary cable just to access the console."
"Better integration between the controller and the ClearPass portal would be a nice change."
"The stability and management could be improved."
"A lot of the access point commands are in the command line interface, versus being in the GUI."
"We have an issue with the integration of Aruba Wireless with our LDAP servers."
"Documentation could be improved."
"The guest management features need to be improved by adding automation."
"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."
"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."
"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary. Firmware upgrades and bug improvements need to be tested well."
"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality."
"Cost is something that could be improved, but you have to pay for what you get."
"The pricing for the solution is expensive and can be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution's cost is affordable."
"The access points are more cost-effective over some other providers, both in cost per AP and the option of a controller-less environment."
"Besides paying for the APs, you need to pay a license each year for their use. Therefore, watch out for that and do the best you can to keep costs down.​"
"The pricing is fair and similar to other products."
"Pricing is competitive. Licensing is needed to maintain access to the latest firmware, which wasn't made clear originally when we started with Arbua (or things changed, I'm not sure which). I would just say, make sure you budget for it."
"Customers have to pay for perpetual licenses with Aruba controller licenses, depending on the features they are looking for."
"The price could be better. Competitors offer more features for a similar cost."
"Licensing is a one time purchase (only the cloud license has to be renewed, which is worth trying out).​"
"If a customer already is a FortiGate customer, the cost to go to the FortiAP is incredibly affordable, because you already have the controller."
"Fortinet would do something with their pricing model to attract smaller business users and eliminate the mandatory service contracts."
"In the last few years, due in part to the impact of COVID on the market, Fortinet has increased its prices by 35 percent."
"The product is highly expensive. I rate the pricing a ten."
"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."
"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."
"To save yourself from increased setup and maintenance costs, I highly recommend undertaking a proper site survey from the beginning."
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Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 24, 2015
Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions
Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?
Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...
Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?
At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What did we like about Ruckus? First, it was very easy to use, and anybody with minimal...
How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are availabl...
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.
 

Also Known As

Aruba WLAN, HP WLAN, HP Wireless, Aruba Instant On AP Series Access Point
FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Consulate Health Care, Los Angeles Unified School District, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC), San Diego State University, KFC, ACTS Retirement-Life Communities
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
861,524 professionals have used our research since 2012.