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D-Link 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

D-Link Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
16th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiWLM
Ranking in Wireless LAN
12th
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 March 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of D-Link Wireless is 2.1%, down from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 2.9%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiWLM2.9%
D-Link Wireless2.1%
Other95.0%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

NadirShahzad - PeerSpot reviewer
System Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Wireless projects run smoothly with more access point support and competitive pricing
D-Link Wireless offers more supported APs to the WLC with the default license compared to other brands like Cisco. With Cisco, only four to five APs are connected with the default license, but D-Link Wireless provides more flexibility. Local support in Pakistan is necessary for those with limited budgets, creating a reach in the market.
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

"The product's initial setup phase is easy."
"I like the product's signal continuity and range. We can receive the signal up to 20-30 meters from the wireless antenna."
"This product is user-friendly and we can manage it as per the requirements of the user."
"Overall, I rate D-Link Wireless nine out of ten as a solution."
"The connectivity is good."
"This is an affordable product that offers good performance. This is why it is popular with our customers. It offers good speed and bandwidth."
"D-Link Wireless is a tool that is used since it is an easy and user-friendly product."
"We have 200 to 250 users and the solution can scale without any problem."
"The greatest advantage is the security fabric Fortinet offers."
"Fortinet FortiWLM is good for tracking assets, monitoring, and overall management."
"The setup was easy."
"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."
"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 of Fortinet FortiWLM is the single management pane and integrated controller inside the firewall."
"The solution is stable."
"Overall, I would rate the solution a ten out of ten."
 

Cons

"In future, it would also be good to have a switch within D Link that works as well as the Cisco 9200 Switch."
"The cloud managed solution needs improvement, and they should focus on the SD-WAN segment with regard to integration."
"D-Link has some catching up to do in terms of advancing and improving its technology."
"The tool's technical support can get difficult sometimes. We got a technician only after complaining for 10-15 days. The tool's technicians need to be made available everywhere."
"It would definitely help if we had more advanced features for distributing bandwidth."
"Sometimes, the solution needs to be restarted."
"In future releases, it can keep improving on countering the new patterns of security attacks."
"The support offered by the product needs to be faster with better technical personnel."
"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."
"This solution should be easier to set up in a production environment."
"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary."
"Overall, I find it useful, though I have concerns because after every update, some functionality is deleted or closed."
"The guest management features need to be improved by adding automation."
"In the next release, they could improve by adding a controller-less server, or architecture that is provided in other solutions, such as Aruba. Additionally, they could improve the feature sets to be more competitive."
"The pricing model can be improved to encourage use by small business and individuals and the hardware could stand to be redesigned."
"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"D-Link Wireless is cheaper than Ruckus or Cisco."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap and ten is very expensive, I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."
"D-Link Wireless' price is the same as Aruba's. You need to pay one-time costs for the product."
"This solution is more affordable than others on the market."
"The cost can range from $100 to $400."
"D-Link pricing is very competitive when you consider other OEMs."
"There is no licensing fee for the solution."
"The product is affordable."
"In the last few years, due in part to the impact of COVID on the market, Fortinet has increased its prices by 35 percent."
"To save yourself from increased setup and maintenance costs, I highly recommend undertaking a proper site survey from the beginning."
"Licensing costs are reasonable. There are so many different types of licenses with Fortinet, but the licensing and the 24/7/365 support are so reasonable that I automatically include it with every transaction. I never line item it without it. There are no additional costs."
"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"For indoor access points, there is a one-time cost, upfront, whereas outdoor access points have an annual fee."
"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."
"The product is highly expensive. I rate the pricing a ten."
"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
14%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Healthcare Company
7%
Educational Organization
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise5
 

Questions from the Community

Which wireless solution would you choose - Huawei or D-Link?
Huawei wireless is a strong and solid product that has a lot of features - and for all that it offers, it happens to be very cost effective. As a wireless solution, it is simple and its user interf...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for D-Link Wireless?
D-Link Wireless is notably more affordable than Cisco and Juniper. It suits SMB needs without the financial burden of purchasing additional licenses for extended APs.
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

D-Link WLAN
FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Metropolitan Public Defender, Mission Motorcycles
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about D-Link Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
885,264 professionals have used our research since 2012.