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Cisco 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:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
1.0
Cisco Wireless delivers fast ROI with improved productivity, security, and connectivity, valued by both profit and non-profit organizations.
Sentiment score
1.0
Fortinet FortiWLM offers ROI within 6-12 months, reducing costs and enhancing sales through improved management and security integration.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
4.8
Cisco Wireless customer service is highly rated for prompt, knowledgeable support, despite some regional variability in quality.
Sentiment score
6.6
Fortinet FortiWLM customer support is generally high-rated, proactive, and effective, though response times and first-level support need improvement.
The technical support from Cisco is of high quality.
The technical support from Cisco is good.
The local support we receive from our distributor is perfect.
Fortinet provides excellent customer support.
If we encounter any bugs, they inform us of the recommended configuration and firmware to resolve our problems.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
5.9
Cisco Wireless offers efficient scalability for various business sizes, though costs and controller limits may pose challenges.
Sentiment score
6.9
Fortinet FortiWLM offers scalable architecture with strong support, excelling in diverse environments, despite occasional scalability limitations in enterprise settings.
Now, with any simple FortiGate 60F or newer model, you can manage more than 64 access points.
Fortinet's solutions are integrated into many standard frameworks, allowing for good scalability and interaction with other vendors' products.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
Cisco Wireless is highly stable and reliable, performing well across environments with minimal issues and high user satisfaction.
Sentiment score
8.4
Users praise Fortinet FortiWLM for its stability and reliability, citing minor issues and minimal downtime with high satisfaction.
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Wireless faces cost, configuration, usability, security, cloud integration, and compatibility issues, requiring improvements across features, UI, and support.
Fortinet FortiWLM needs improved management, user interface, and integration, with enhancements in reporting, support, and advanced features.
Sometimes, integration with other Cisco products requires manual intervention for tasks such as firmware upgrades, which should be automated.
In the long term, there could be a cost reduction because it does not require much maintenance.
Enhanced features for the application would be an improvement.
Firmware upgrades and bug improvements need to be tested well.
The price is higher than I would like.
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Wireless offers premium, high-quality solutions with complex licensing, perceived as costly but justified by reliability, security, and performance.
Fortinet FortiWLM is competitively priced, but some find costs high, especially due to mandatory contracts and unbundled pricing.
The setup cost involves licenses.
The licensing of Cisco Wireless is competitive.
The price of Cisco Wireless is pretty expensive.
While the pricing of Fortinet FortiWLM is a bit high, it remains effective.
Fortinet's pricing is different from Aruba, as Aruba has solutions for small business and enterprise in different categories.
The price is competitive.
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Wireless excels in security, scalability, integration, ease of installation, and management, offering reliable connectivity and advanced features.
Fortinet FortiWLM offers centralized, scalable management with high security and integration, praised for ease and cost efficiency.
If one network fails, there is a link between different access points, which ensures network continuity.
Cisco Wireless is easy to configure.
When I install it, I can forget about it because there is no need for ongoing maintenance, and no other problems occur.
The solution is controlled from one device and one GUI for all devices.
The most useful aspect of Fortinet FortiWLM is that you can manage all the Fortinet products from one portal, from one device.
It also has integration capabilities with FortiFirewall which is beneficial for customers.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
3rd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.1
Number of Reviews
153
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiWLM
Ranking in Wireless LAN
13th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Cisco Wireless is 11.0%, down from 13.6% 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 Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Wireless11.0%
Fortinet FortiWLM1.9%
Other87.1%
Wireless LAN
 

Q&A Highlights

SS
Feb 08, 2021
 

Featured Reviews

Theesula Majuwanagamage - PeerSpot reviewer
Bridging capabilities ensure network continuity and reliability in large-scale deployments
The most valuable feature of Cisco Wireless is the bridging capability. If one network fails, there is a link between different access points, which ensures network continuity. Additionally, Cisco offers significant discounts for large projects. The reliability and robust solution are also key aspects, as there have been no errors or failures. The implementation is straightforward, and the user interface connection is easy.
LuayHlaleh - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
867,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

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…
 

Answers from the Community

SS
Feb 8, 2021
Feb 8, 2021
All are good selections, and this question is difficult to answer without knowing your throughput requirements, as each vendor has multiple models within there series. Personally I recommend looking at Arista Networks’ cognitive Wifi, where controllers are a thing of the past.
2 out of 7 answers
AT
Feb 17, 2020
Hi, It is all dependent on the size of the controllers in question. Though I would suggest getting a cloud base technology so you are limited by any controller and have much better redundancy. Take a look at Arista Cognitive Wireless
IA
Feb 17, 2020
Hi, Every one of the mentioned solutions is good but you need to check the needs which are security since the firms you are working with need protection and tracking of data. For this reason, I recommend: - if you have FortiGate installed then go for Fortinet Wireless since they can be integrated with the Fortigate without buying a controller and they work perfectly together and you will get the advantage of applying rules to the client himself whether mobile or computer, easily managed & monitored, more visibility over your network and incident notifications. If the above doesn't apply then you can go with the best one that fits your budget and security needs which for me doesn't fall on the mentioned solution but to go with ARUBA Instant Access Wireless Solution and the reasons are as such: - Cisco is too much expensive and you got to pay smart support with some complexity in configuration and you need to buy a controller - Ruckus is good but when you want to have the security you need to buy a controller with licenses and it won't give you the security needed since it is just a wireless solution - Huawei is not a stable company since it had many ups and downs and they can reach with you to have all the solutions nearly free so that you install their brand. Whereas Aruba you don't need a controller in the Instant access points and you will get the minimum security with radius integration and what is important a lifetime warranty on the access points. In addition, if the number of access points increased and you want more detailed management and more advanced configurations, you can buy a controller either on-premises or on-cloud with Aruba. The above information is based on my experience with all the solutions and their POC. If you need any more details and consultancy, kindly feel free to contact me. Regards.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Educational Organization
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Healthcare Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business73
Midsize Enterprise42
Large Enterprise74
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise6
 

Questions from the Community

Which is better - Cisco Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to be very reliable and to consistently run very efficiently. Cisco Wireless helpe...
Which is better - Ruckus Wireless or Cisco Wireless?
Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user friendly. This user-friendly quality also renders it easy to learn how to use and ma...
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?
Regarding functionality, a lower price for Fortinet FortiWLM would be better, but it's difficult. Regarding the integration with other vendors, we try to buy only products from a single vendor to a...
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?
I don't know about potential areas for improvement for Fortinet FortiWLM. Regarding functionality, a lower price for Fortinet FortiWLM would be better, but it's difficult. Regarding the integration...
 

Also Known As

Cisco WLAN Controller
FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Aegean Motorway, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Brunel University London, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Chartwell School, Children's Hospital Colorado, Cisco Live Milan, City of Biel, City of Mississauga, Dundee Precious Metals, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Erickson Living, Goldcorp, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS)
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
867,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.