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Fortinet FortiAP vs SonicWall SonicWave Access Points comparison

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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

Fortinet FortiAP
Ranking in Wireless LAN
7th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
SonicWall SonicWave Access ...
Ranking in Wireless LAN
25th
Average Rating
10.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiAP is 3.4%, down from 6.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall SonicWave Access Points is 1.2%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiAP3.4%
SonicWall SonicWave Access Points1.2%
Other95.4%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

StaffordSlater - PeerSpot reviewer
Co Founder And Consultant at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Unified branch management has simplified deployment and improved wireless security and visibility
Fortinet FortiAP's zero-touch deployment feature with FortiManager is utilized in the current deployment. Zero-touch provisioning with FortiManager enables deployment and configuration that is very useful, leading to huge cost savings. As long as everything is deployed and plugged in, you can push an image to the firewall, and it pushes it out to the switches and all the APs. The deployment time is a lot quicker as a result. Currently, there is not a lack of function in Fortinet FortiAP. The organization is satisfied with it. Everything is managed via FortiManager in a multi-tenanted, cloud deployment model, as the organization is an MSP, so it works well. Pricing for Fortinet FortiAP is rated as an eight, as it is a lot cheaper than Meraki. I would recommend Fortinet FortiAP to other users. I would give this review an overall rating of nine out of ten.
Jasmit Singh Juneja - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO & Technology Specialist at Karman Infotech Private Limited
Easy-to-deploy platform with prompt technical support services
The platform's most valuable feature is the ability to provide cloud access to configure and manage devices. It integrates with ETP solutions; thus, we don't need to run a firewall. They provide an online wireless line manager application. Its basic access point is Wi-Fi 621, which has 2.5 G connectivity. None of the competitors, including Fortinet, enables this facility on the most basic level.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I would give FortiAP a rating of ten out of ten so far."
"FortiAP's integration using SSID configuration for the input/output makes deploying permission rules easier."
"Fortinet FortiAP provides value for money, and I can quantify the savings at about 80%."
"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."
"The stability of the solution is very high."
"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."
"The setup was straightforward."
"We really don't need to call technical support. Any time we have had to call, they've been great."
"Unlike the Cisco solution that needs a dedicated wireless controller outside of a firewall, SonicWall has everything in one box. Fortinet is close to it."
"I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten."
"The platform's most valuable feature is the ability to provide cloud access to configure and manage devices."
"A good management tool that can be managed through the cloud or firewall."
"This is a very good management option that can be managed through the cloud or firewall, is a very good solution for controlling or managing the device, and offers good integration with many capabilities."
"The security features of SonicWall are highly valued."
 

Cons

"There is nothing that particularly comes to mind for improvement."
"The wireless functionality is not the best."
"Throughput can be better in terms of other vendors, but currently, it's working fine."
"The improvement factor could be in APs. Also, it could have a control, like MAC address."
"There is room for improvement in the product by expanding the number of SSIDs that can be broadcast."
"The security integration between the network and firewall has room for improvement."
"I am not satisfied with Fortinet FortiAP's technical support in India. Whenever we call them, they only provide KB articles first."
"A point for improvement for Fortinet FortiAP would be improvements in the GUI, which is adequate but could be improved."
"The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration."
"The product's pricing is high and could be improved."
"We have a lot of overlapping wireless networks with a lot of cheap equipment that does not run on any rules or regulations. The best way to improve the wireless network, like in SonicWaves, is to defeat these networks by isolating, preventing them, or overcoming their wireless signal. We try to do that, but I live near an airport, and the AirPortRadar glitches my wireless network every nine seconds."
"Integrating with the firewall and management console was a little complex."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"If I compare it with the other enterprise products, the price is good."
"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."
"We purchased perpetual licensing, and additional costs may vary depending on the services acquired from Fortinet."
"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."
"On a scale of one to ten with ten being the most expensive, I would rate FortiAP a six."
"The platform offers yearly licenses."
"The pricing of the SonicWave Access Points solution is different in the US and Brazil. In the US, the solution is priced more competitively than other vendors. In Brazil, the exchange rate is a problem. To address this, SonicWall managers in Brazil are running several sales promotions and improving the price of new units."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
University
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business12
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise3
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with FortiAP?
A point for improvement for Fortinet FortiAP would be improvements in the GUI, which is adequate but could be improved. Additionally, wireless coverage and the mapping area are fairly static and co...
What is your primary use case for FortiAP?
Fortinet FortiAP is currently used mainly on branch deployments because of the single pane of management across the whole branch using the FortiGate, FortiAP, and FortiSwitch. I have utilized Forti...
What needs improvement with SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?
The main issue is the management of the access points. They are sometimes difficult to manage from the end-user side because they are not yet familiar with the configuration.
What is your primary use case for SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?
I am using the SonicWall SonicWave Access Point for our Proof of Concept (POC) to our customers.
What advice do you have for others considering SonicWall SonicWave Access Points?
I rate SonicWall a nine out of ten. It should provide training to end users to enhance their knowledge.
 

Also Known As

No data available
SonicWave 200 Series, SonicWave 200 Series Access Points, SonicWave 400 Series, SonicWave 400 Series Access Points
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
St. Dominic's School for Girls
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiAP vs. SonicWall SonicWave Access Points and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
915,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.