Fortinet FortiExtender vs Ubiquiti Wireless comparison

Fortinet and Ubiquiti Networks are both solutions in the Wireless WAN category. Fortinet is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.0, while Ubiquiti Networks is ranked #1 with an average rating of 7.9. Fortinet holds a 1.9% mindshare in Wireless WAN, compared to Ubiquiti Networks’s 40.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Fortinet users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of Ubiquiti Networks users who would recommend it.

Fortinet FortiExtender

Read 8 Fortinet FortiExtender reviews

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135 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Ubiquiti Wireless

Read 76 Ubiquiti Wireless reviews

8,098 Views
3,106 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiExtender

Ubiquiti Wireless

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 4, 2025

Ubiquiti Wireless and Fortinet FortiExtender compete in the wireless connectivity segment, targeting different user groups. Ubiquiti holds the upper hand for budget-conscious small businesses due to its affordability and ease of use, while Fortinet leads in robust enterprise solutions owing to its integration and security features.

Features: Ubiquiti Wireless is valued for its UniFi Controller Software and Airmax TDMA, delivering strong performance and modular capabilities. It offers dual-band WiFi, providing flexibility for small business needs. Meanwhile, Fortinet FortiExtender excels in seamless SD-WAN integration, offering extensive control features and robust security, making it ideal for larger enterprise environments.

Room for Improvement: Ubiquiti could enhance its support and add more enterprise functionalities. The current reliance on community forums is a drawback compared to competitors' direct support systems. Fortinet FortiExtender could benefit from improved pricing strategies and increased user accessibility to appeal to those looking for simpler setup processes akin to Ubiquiti.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Ubiquiti Wireless is known for its easy deployment in various settings, praised for its simple setup process. However, it lacks direct technical support, relying on community forums. Fortinet FortiExtender generally offers on-premises deployment with strong technical support and comprehensive documentation, ensuring responsive service for enterprises.

Pricing and ROI: Ubiquiti Wireless is commended for its cost-effectiveness, lacking licensing fees, making it a suitable choice for small businesses. It provides significant value for budget-conscious users. Fortinet FortiExtender, although more expensive, justifies its cost with advanced security features and integration capabilities, offering appealing investments for enterprises focused on long-term security.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiExtender vs. Ubiquiti Wireless Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiExtender vs. Ubiquiti Wireless

April 2025

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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 FortiExtender

Ranking in Wireless WAN

8th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Ubiquiti Wireless

Ranking in Wireless WAN

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Wireless WAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiExtender is 1.9%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Ubiquiti Wireless is 40.1%, up from 40.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless WAN

Featured Reviews

Mohammad Al-Zard

Technical Manager / Fortinet Product Owner at SPACE DATA SYSTEMS

Seamless with excellent integration capabilities and flexibility

What most of my clients are telling me is the price is a problem. That would be the best thing to start with. They agree on the value, and we have a very solid argument with the clients that proper service and value comes at a proper price. However, we hope to have more flexible pricing. That would be the first point to be mentioned. The product management team has asked to have a Multi-SIM device. We've had this for one year. Covid just drove everything towards working from home regarding teleworking and all of that stuff. The product is mature enough. Mainly, that would be the price. If they could therefore have some more, let's say, enhancements on it, then we can make more of a financial case. One feature that was discussed with the product management team of Fortinet FortiExtender was to have the ability to have the possibility to upload our own drivers. For example, the Extender itself could be dealing with the SIM card directly, where you install it, and then you're ready to go. Or, you may install a USB dongle into the Extender itself. Some mobile carriers here in Jordan do not allow users to relocate the SIM card from within their biscuit or USB dongle and install it in their own modem or their own Extender. However, with particular scenarios, we would appreciate having the possibility to upload a third-party driver for simplicity, integrating whatever sales provider facility we have into the Fortinet technology.

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Sachin Vinay

Assistant Manager-Networks at Amrita

Simple to set up and good outdoor accessibility but does not penetrate rooms well indoors

Ubiquiti requires more improvement in wireless penetration. It has significantly less penetration in indoor devices. When it comes to indoor devices, Ubiquiti Wireless does not have penetration power, so when we deploy it in closed rooms, it fails to connect. This is one drawback that has to improve. When indoor access points failed to penetrate into rooms, we had to deploy single access points in each room, which seemed to be really costly. Still, when compared to Fortinet, it has an outdoor access point model also. The outdoor access point is relatively stable in comparison. The solution needs to offer more scalability. It does not have traffic shaping or traffic policies in its wireless requirements. We have to completely depend on an additional firewall for traffic shaping and policies.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Management can be carried out from a central point."

"The initial setup was was just beautiful. It was straightforward."

"The solution is extremely user-friendly."

"For me, the best feature of Fortinet FortiExtender is its integration with an external solution such as a 5G LTE broadband modem, wired modem, and cellular network. I also like that the product can be integrated into one device or a unified device, and that is one of its best features because it allows you to manage and centralize the control of every device."

"The product is easy to use and easy to integrate."

"The most valuable feature will be that it works."

"We appreciate that this solution can be used as an active secondary link as well as a backup."

"You don't need to have two different vendors to interoperate and get into comparability issues or inter-operability issues."

"Ubiquiti Wireless is extremely easy to set up."

"Ubiquiti is about money. If you don't have the budget for IT, you go with Ubiquiti."

"Ubiquiti is intuitive. The management interface is user-friendly. You can easily make changes and do the things that need to be done."

"Very simple, very basic setup for Ubiquiti Wireless. Its performance in a home or small business setting with fewer access points is fantastic."

"One of the nice features is the backup version control."

"It is a highly scalable platform."

"The setup is quite simple."

"The main strength of Ubiquiti Wireless is the ease of use it provides to users."

More Ubiquiti Wireless pros

Cons

"The engineering of the solution has some negative points, especially in terms of troubleshooting. It's difficult to troubleshoot when we have a problem. It's not like other products like Cisco or Palo Alto which make troubleshooting much easier."

"We would like to see some improvement in the price for 5G models, as they are currently very expensive."

"Though Fortinet FortiExtender has some security features, the product could still be improved by adding features similar to those in FortiGuard, such as antivirus, intrusion, prevention, and detection, as well as web filtering features. The product is also not as user-friendly, so that's another area for improvement. In the FortiGate UTM solution of Fortinet, there's software-defined or SD-WAN, and in the next release of Fortinet FortiExtender, I'd like to see SD-WAN embedded in the product. Most of the communication in Fortinet FortiExtender is related to WAN and Edge, so having an SD-WAN function in the product would be useful for integrating and controlling WAN communication."

"There is a huge downside because we need to remove and insert the SIM to get it working."

"The solution would be a lot better if it was a little bit more intuitive. Additionally, the help menu would be a lot better if it was easier to identify the items that I was looking for. I find the graphical interface a little bit difficult to navigate. And I find the font that is used on the HTML interface not conducive to being able to be read in low light situations."

"I would like to see them make it smaller in the next release so that it has a smaller footprint for mobile clients."

"What most of my clients are telling me is the price is a problem."

"The support could be faster and more responsive."

"We'd like the solution to be more stable and have fewer firmware upgrades."

"We tried to create an access point with built-in voice and sound that we could use in schools, for example. We tried to create something that could play sounds or messages out of the access points. We wanted to, for example, use it as a school bell instead of using other equipment. It didn't work very well. It turns out when you connect to the Ubiquiti Wireless access point, it's not possible to send simple messages (like what is going on in the canteen, or some news update for the school, etc.). We had to use the on-premises version, as the cloud version wouldn't allow for this."

"The Unifi controller software has a small issue."

"They should make more advanced features for the power users. I am a technician and I am functional, but I do need some features that I find only in Microsoft."

"They have access points that are in the firewalls, and I believe the firewalls could be significantly better. They use the USG firewall, which I believe is a poor device. VPNs for example, it is really bad, it is difficult to configure, and I don't like them at all."

"There should be an easier way to contact the support. If we need to do something on it, it will be easier and faster if there is a support number to call. Currently, their support is mostly through email or chat. If there is a hotline that you can call directly, that would be good. It will really help a lot. They should also include more after-sales support. They can maybe also provide more details on what's happening with the network."

"Difficult to see error logs and locate the problem."

"The production is not very stable in our experience."

More Ubiquiti Wireless cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I'm not sure what the cost is. However, I anticipate that the purchase price will range between $2,500 and $5,000."

"The solution is not that expensive."

"I've only used the open-source version of Fortinet FortiExtender, but I know that it has some features that require you to pay for a license."

"Once you purchase the solution the license is included."

"The product is expensive."

"Ubiquiti Wireless has reasonable pricing."

"If you do not have a big budget, you can use Ubiquiti, it is cost-effective."

"The price of the solution is high and could be cheaper."

"The price has been fair for what I have been using it for. There is no license for this solution."

"We mostly use Ubiquiti solutions due to their affordable price."

"The product is around $300 or $400 depending on the device. It's a one-time fee. There aren't ongoing licensing costs."

More Ubiquiti Wireless pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Government

13%

Media Company

10%

Insurance Company

Computer Software Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Fortinet FortiExtender?

The product is easy to use and easy to integrate.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiExtender?

The solution is not that expensive. I rate pricing a six out of ten. The product has a yearly subscription. The clients must pay only for the license. They need not pay any additional costs.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiExtender?

The support could be faster and more responsive.

See all answers

Is Ubiquiti Wireless better than Ruckus Wireless WAN?

Ubiquiti Wireless is extremely easy to set up and is an excellent option for small businesses, offering enterprise features for a one-time fee and no ongoing licensing fees. Ubiquiti Wireless is ve...

See all answers

Which is better - Cambium or Ubiquiti Wireless?

For me, Ubiquiti was easy to install, configure, set up, and maintain, while also providing solid coverage and better handoffs between APs. This is especially relevant if you are using Apple produc...

See all answers

Which is better - Ubiquiti Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?

Ubiquiti Wireless offers a wide range of WLAN products. We tested their devices before ultimately choosing Cisco Meraki. Ubiquiti devices have good outdoor performance and the connection is very st...

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Wireless WAN vs Fortinet FortiExtender

Compared 48% of the time

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Ruckus Wireless WAN vs Ubiquiti Wireless

Compared 42% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Ubiquiti Wireless

Compared 20% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs Ubiquiti Wireless

Compared 19% of the time

Cambium Networks Wireless WAN vs Ubiquiti Wireless

Compared 6% of the time

More Ubiquiti Wireless Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiExtender

April 2025

Download Fortinet FortiExtender product report

Buyer's Guide

Ubiquiti Wireless

March 2025

Download Ubiquiti Wireless product report

Overview

Fortinet FortiExtender is a cost-effective hardware WAN device that is robust, easily scales, and delivers 5G, LTE, and Ethernet options. FortiExtender is designed using Fortinet’s trademark security-focused networking. The solution enables organizations to have enhanced secure network connectivity with cellular and wired broadband network options.

FortiExtender can be used for secure point of sale (POS) systems to transport fleet communications. The device delivers dependable broadband access to the internet and increases the usefulness of the Fortinet Security Fabric integration to enhance seamless business processes that rely heavily on remote device connectivity to get the job done.

FortiExtender delivers super-fast 5G and LTE wireless to connect and quickly scale any WAN edge. Users get 5G/LTE cellular, out-of-band management (OBM), high availability (HA), and dynamic risk security in one comprehensive, reliable solution.

Fortinet FortiExtender Benefits

Failover protection: Users get secure network failover protection with dual SIM, dual modem, and out of band management (OBM) functionalities.
Cloud-based processes: Organizations with a global reach can easily manage processes in the cloud from anywhere. Users can use FortiGate, FortiManager, or FortiExtender Cloud Dashboard to view and easily manage security controls, network changes, and policy and protocol automation.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with Fortinet Secure SD-WAN for simplified deployment, security, and management.
Improves TCO: FortiExtender is a very cost-effective option when integrated with FortiGate Network Security Platform. FortiExtender implements processes that save money and improve connectivity, functionality, and profitability.

Fortinet FortiExtender Features

Plug-and-play: Out of the box and ready to go, once FortiExtenders are connected to the FortiGate, they are available on the FortiOS management platform. Additionally, FortiOS provides complete visibility, monitoring data usage to ensure limits are not exceeded, resulting in significant cost savings.
Flexible connectivity options:
- LTE/5G : The FortiExtender devices provide dual SIM and dual modem options for four different ISPs. Dual SIM allows for active/passive cellular link for fast failover. Dual modem options provide two active/passive links for super-fast failover and disaster recovery. ISPs can be set for data usage limits and seamlessly switch to other ISPs to balance connectivity and reduce costs.
- WAN connectivity: Using an Ethernet WAN port, users can connect cable, DSL, or another modem. Load balancing and failover options available.
- Hybrid WAN-LAN connectivity: Four LAN ethernet ports enable users to have numerous connections to the LTE connection. Works well for high availability (HA) pairs of FortiGates to connect to FortiExtender. FortiGates then will run in failover or load balancing mode and receive WAN connectivity from the FortiExtender device.

Reviews from Real Users

“Fortinet FortiExtender helps facilitate Fortinet connectivity. When it comes to cell phone towers, you never know what you'll get with global configurations. We use this solution to mitigate switching cell phone towers. The scalability is limitless based on your cell and your internet or your cloud connectivity. It's similar to any other VPN in terms of how simple it is to set up in a global or extended environment with a large number of clients.” - Clement J., Chief Executive Officer at Clemtech LLC

Fortinet

Ubiquiti Wireless refers to the wireless networking solutions provided by Ubiquiti Networks, a leading technology company specializing in networking and wireless communication products. Ubiquiti Wireless offers a range of innovative and cost-effective wireless networking solutions designed for various applications, including enterprise networks, service providers, small and medium-sized businesses, and home users.

Ubiquiti Wireless products are known for their reliability, performance, and ease of use. They encompass a wide range of devices and technologies, including wireless access points, wireless routers, antennas, bridges, mesh networks, and point-to-point or point-to-multipoint wireless links.

Ubiquiti Wireless Features:

Scalability: Ubiquiti Wireless products are designed to scale easily, allowing organizations to expand their wireless networks as needed without significant infrastructure changes.
Flexibility: Ubiquiti Wireless offers a range of products suitable for various deployment scenarios, including indoor and outdoor environments, long-range connectivity, and mesh networks.
Centralized Management: Ubiquiti provides a centralized management platform called the UniFi Controller, which allows administrators to configure, monitor, and manage their entire wireless network from a single interface.
Seamless Roaming: Ubiquiti Wireless solutions support seamless roaming, allowing wireless devices to maintain connectivity while moving across different access points within a network.
Advanced Security: Ubiquiti incorporates security features such as encryption, authentication, and firewall capabilities to protect wireless networks and data transmissions.
Cost-Effective: Ubiquiti Wireless products are known for their affordability without compromising performance, making them an attractive option for organizations with budget constraints.
Community Support: Ubiquiti has a vibrant community of users and enthusiasts who actively contribute to knowledge sharing, troubleshooting, and expanding the capabilities of Ubiquiti Wireless products.

Ubiquiti Wireless Components:

Ubiquiti Wireless encompasses a range of components that work together to provide reliable and scalable wireless networking solutions. Here are some key components commonly found in Ubiquiti Wireless deployments:

Wireless Access Points (APs) for providing wireless connectivity.
Wireless Routers as central network hubs for managing traffic.
Wireless Bridges for creating wireless connections between networks.
Antennas to enhance wireless range and coverage.
Mesh Networking Devices for seamless coverage across large areas.
Network Switches for wired connectivity within the network.
Management Software like the UniFi Controller for centralized management and monitoring.

Reviews from Real Users

George Ferns, Solution Architect - Networking and IoT at a wholesaler & distributor, states that Ubiquiti Wireless has "Attractive pricing and good for home use and small businesses, but it is not easily scalable and lacks security features".

Walter Shelver, Owner at CableWeb, writes that "The most valuable aspect of Ubiquiti is the ease of setup. It's easy to set up, secure, and use. It works on an adoption basis. I can pull the system up, design a network, and pull 20 different Ubiquiti units into it".

ThomasWilke, CEO at CITOM, says that “You can almost do everything with Cisco products for a much better price with a significantly lower learning curve”.

Ubiquiti Networks

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data

NASCAR Grand-AM, Maritime Parc, Outdoor Music Festival, British Armed Forces, Arcadia School District, Moscow - Enforta

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiExtender vs. Ubiquiti Wireless

April 2025

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