Fortinet FortiWLM vs Ruckus Wireless comparison

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Juniper Logo
4,957 views|3,435 comparisons
100% willing to recommend
Fortinet Logo
4,645 views|4,201 comparisons
94% willing to recommend
Ruckus Logo
30,806 views|18,829 comparisons
94% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Fortinet FortiWLM and Ruckus Wireless based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Wireless LAN solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Ruckus Wireless Report (Updated: March 2024).
767,995 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Q&A Highlights
Question: Which wireless controller has maximum client connectivity and high throughput?
Answer: Cisco has maximum client connectivity and high throughput.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The artificial intelligence feature is very good.""The solution is stable.""The most valuable feature of Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) is the ability to troubleshoot ports on the network. Additionally, when there is an update on the APs they are able to reboot quickly reducing downtime. Other solutions have a longer downtime when updates are done.""With Mist, every Wednesday they roll out new features.""The most valuable feature of the solution is Marvis, the AI-driven network management system.""The AI capabilities of Mist Wireless are superior to other OEMs.""The most useful feature of Juniper Wireless AP is the reporting Marvis.""In terms of reporting, in terms of all the user reports, it's very rich."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Pros →

"At the moment, particularly with the COVID-19 situation, the most valuable feature is probably the IPsec VPN, which is easy to implement with Fortinet.""Although there are a few steps, the initial setup is pretty straightforward.""Security is the feature we like most from Fortinet. In general, their security architecture is really great, because it involves everything: firewalls, wireless LANs, the user. Everything is really secure.""The most valuable feature of the solution is the management.""I found that It's really good when comparing it to any other product or it is much better in terms of features that the customer requires.""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 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.""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."

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"In general, all implementations are standard and pretty straightforward.""It ensured our Internet service was always up, allowing us to serve our customers 24/7.""The solution provides superior coverage.""One of the biggest features of Ruckus Wireless is its BeamFlex+ technology.""The APs themselves have been pretty solid. We haven't had too many of them go bad or anything like that. The wireless performance seems pretty good. The ability to provision the devices is pretty good, and the back end is also pretty good.""Mesh networking and antenna patterns are the most valuable features of the solution.""The solution is used for public Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi solution provides internet connectivity in the public platform.""The product has some very awesome patents on their radios and their antennas and antenna patterns and how their signaling works. That's why nobody can touch them. If they go head to head with anybody."

More Ruckus Wireless Pros →

Cons
"Improving third-party integration is key for Juniper Mist's next release.""Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) could improve if the MIST platform had a built-in master key. This would be an advantage.""Juniper Wireless AP can improve by continually improving its reporting and integration with other systems.""Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points’ support services need improvement.""I need a bit more time with it before criticizing the features.""The solution is expensive.""They should include SD-WAN features to it.""The product should include adaptive Wi-Fi to show a more accurate location."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Cons →

"The initial setup is complex and has room for improvement.""One of the main features that I see as lacking in any of the Fortinet products is the reporting. If you want to have proper, end-to-end reporting, you must purchase the FortiAnalyzer... If Fortinet could offer some better, built-in reporting, that would be a point of improvement.""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.""The pricing model can be improved to encourage use by small business and individuals and the hardware could stand to be redesigned.""Documentation could be improved.""Areas for improvement would be the compatibility with Apple products and cross-platform integration.""The pricing for the solution is expensive and can be improved.""The roaming of Fortinet FortiWLM could improve when comparing it to other solutions. We are missing some of the functionality in the controller. Additionally, they should offer more logs instead of using FortiAnalyzer because all the users will not be using the same thing."

More Fortinet FortiWLM Cons →

"From my point of view, portal features are something missing in Ruckus Wireless. I want to see Ruckus Wireless integrate a Wi-Fi portal into its product. This would allow for easier user authentication for vendors.""The cloud system from Ruckus is not mature enough just yet.""In the next release of this solution, I would like to see a more detailed spectrum analysis.""Ruckus products, overall, have a wide range of useful features, however not all customers have the budget to buy a corporate Wi-Fi solution. Most of the time, it's far too expensive for our clients to consider going with Ruckus, and they might like to see cheaper solutions in the Ruckus range.""The solution needs to have some sort of security offering, like a firewall, for example.""They could add more flexibility for switching over to another radio if a radio is poor. I am not able to change the radios from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz. I am yet to figure it out. I want it to be a bit more explicit or a bit easier to change radios. When you shut it down, you lose some of the information. It would be good to have a controller where I can store the information, and later on, I can retrieve the information. There should be some form of small storage to keep the information. Its price should also be improved. Its price is currently quite high.""Could be more user friendly.""o make it a ten I would like the ability to replace it if we do have a faulty device. Getting one faster might be helpful. I would like to have autoconfiguration where instead of having to configure a new network, we would be able to push all configuration out a little easier with the interface."

More Ruckus Wireless Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "We pay maybe 1000 SEK per year, per access point."
  • "Juniper Wireless AP's price is a little more expensive than other solutions, but you get what you pay for."
  • "The pricing is something Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) can work on. The pricing is very high compared to the competition."
  • "The pricing is too high."
  • "The solution is expensive."
  • "I rate Juniper Mist's pricing a ten out of ten since it is expensive."
  • "I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."
  • More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
  • "If a customer already is a FortiGate customer, the cost to go to the FortiAP is incredibly affordable, because you already have the controller."
  • "For indoor access points, there is a one-time cost, upfront, whereas outdoor access points have an annual fee."
  • "Fortinet would do something with their pricing model to attract smaller business users and eliminate the mandatory service contracts."
  • "There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."
  • "Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."
  • "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."
  • More Fortinet FortiWLM Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "​The cost can be prohibitive for many as it is a high-end product in the WiFi market.​"
  • "​Pricing is very competitive for an enterprise solution. Regarding licensing, always carry the support contract on the controller (not needed on APs)​."
  • "It's definitely a good value. It's more expensive than some of the other offerings out there, but when you compare it to other enterprise-class gear, it's very well priced. And the beauty of it is, because it has better range because of their patented BeamFlex - which is the way they can send and receive and listen to signals - you can actually use fewer access points. That means that it's a cheaper overall project."
  • "The only complaint I have about Ruckus is the price, but considering other enterprise WiFi products are similarly priced, I feel Ruckus is a superior product."
  • "The cost per AP license should be worked on."
  • "We found it a little more expensive than the other competitors on the market."
  • "We also looked at Cisco and Aruba but Ruckus pricing was better."
  • ""The biggest adjustment improvement will come from a price adjustment because the price is quite high; it feels like premium pricing. I suggest shaving off 10 percent to 20 percent. That would help grow users and increase the number of clients.""
  • More Ruckus Wireless Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Answers from the Community
    Suresh Sharma
    AlanTran - PeerSpot reviewerAlanTran
    Real User

    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.

    Jim Rousseau - PeerSpot reviewerJim Rousseau
    User

    Ruckus virtual smart zone will be your best bet allowing up to 300k connected devices and 30k access points. furthermore, Ruckus has time and again proven best in speed, throughput in high density environments by independent studies. I have over a decade of working with this product and none of the other competitors can beat the layer 1 connectivity of Ruckus WiFi

    Imad Awwad - PeerSpot reviewerImad Awwad
    Real User

    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.

    Amin Amor - PeerSpot reviewerAmin Amor
    User

    Hi Imad,
    Thanks for your input. Do you have any POC data for Cisco and Aruba?
    Thanks in advance

    OscarLage - PeerSpot reviewerOscarLage
    User

    Boa tarde
    As soluções cada solução que você indicou tem pormenores que podem impactar tanto no funcionamento quanto em caso de disaster recovery.
    Fortinet: Possui bons access points, aliado às funcionalidades de segurança do próprio UTM, porém será mais um serviço para o appliance gerenciar, e dependendo do que está rodando nele, corre-se o risco de degradar a performance da funcionalidade principal "segurança", por que tambem está gerenciando uma rede wireless, além do fato se houver alguma pane no appliance Fortinet, tanto os itens de segurança quanto a rede wireless irão ficar indisponível. Dê a Cézar o que é de Cézar, deixe a fortinet focada em segurança, que é o que ela faz de melhor.
    Ruckus: Excelentes Access points, confiáveis e com alta performance, possui no mínimo 4 opções de gerência, sendo, controlerless Unleashed, appliance virtual, appliance hardware e cloud, ambas as opções não trará prejuizo à performance da rede wireless, porque não há tunelamento de dados para elas, além de possuir várias funções de segurança inerentes à rede wireless. licenças são perpétuas.
    Cisco: Excelente access points, porém solução muito cara para aquisição e renovação.
    Huawei: Pelo que conheço, tem bons access points, e controladoras virtuais e appliance físico, mas conheço poucas redes com esta solução.
    É lógico que uma tem um recurso extra a mais do que a outra, mas considero mera perfumaria, pois o básico para uma rede wireless segura todas atendem.
    Eu já atendi a mais de 40 universidades federais no Brasil, todas com Ruckus, e não há reclamação da solução.
    Como recomendação pessoal, vá de Ruckus.

    AlanTran - PeerSpot reviewerAlanTran
    Real User

    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

    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:You can easily monitor, manage, and cover all your IT equipment.
    Top Answer:I rate Juniper Mist's pricing a ten out of ten since it is expensive.
    Top Answer:The pricing is very high in the Indian market. Eight to nine OEMs are also available in the market, giving you their… more »
    Top Answer:At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What did… more »
    Top Answer:Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user… more »
    Top Answer:Cisco’s Meraki Virtual MX is a virtual instance of the Meraki SD-WAN appliance. We liked the Meraki. The Wifi APs are a… more »
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series), Mist Access Points
    FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
    Learn More
    Overview

    Juniper Wireless Access Points work in conjunction with Juniper Mist Cloud Services and Mist AI to deliver premier wireless access capabilities. The Juniper Mist Edge extends microservices to the campus to bring agility and scale while enabling new applications at the edge.

    Consolidate security and wireless LAN management with our integrated wireless solutions. Single-pane-of-glass management for security and access without the need to add point products simplifies deployment and reduces management complexity. These solutions are highly scalable to support even the largest organizations and distributed enterprises.

    Ruckus Wireless is part of Ruckus Networks/Commscope and provides reliable wireless network solutions and services to large venues, schools, hotels, hospitals, malls, and public spaces (and more) worldwide.

    Wireless access is an integral necessary part of today’s modern, fast-paced lifestyle. It is essential that dependable, safe wireless capabilities be available in most of today’s largely populated public spaces. Ruckus Wireless is the trusted industry leader in assisting organizations of all sizes to provide wireless access throughout their locations, both inside their physical structures and adjacent open outdoor areas.

    Ruckus Wireless empowers users to design and create a wireless network across their organizational space to ensure that wireless coverage is available consistently to anyone who needs it. Ruckus can handle anything from homes and small to medium-sized businesses to hospitals, college campuses, airports, malls, stadiums and more. Ruckus also has excellent options for outdoor wireless networks. Many users choose Ruckus Wireless for broad extensive outdoor use. The solution offers excellent durable outdoor access points and a very robust, super fast, reliable Wi-Fi. Each and every access point is very powerful, and the outdoor access points can be very easily disguised to keep the network secure.

    Another strong point is that Ruckus technology is based on frequencies. If there is ever any type of wireless interference, Ruckus Wireless can change frequency automatically so there are never any interruptions. Users also have the option to block outside access points and signals that may interfere with their network and make their network the only one that people can see within the network. Users can additionally whitelist certain networks if desired.

    Ruckus uses the latest next-gen Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi 6, ensuring that more devices can be handled with greater speed and continuity. With Ruckus, users have great control over network traffic. They can also allocate the amount of bandwidth network users are granted based on their status - eg., guest, corporate, etc. - and give users priority on the network based on their status. Ruckus also has mesh and beamforming capabilities, which are recognized as a valued feature for many users.

    Ruckus Wireless is robust, extremely reliable, very easy to deploy, and offers amazing coverage and rock solid connectivity. It is very easy to add additional access points across the network. Ruckus Wireless is very easy to use and manage using an app on any mobile device.

    Reviews from Real Users

    A Director Engineering & New Business at a comms service provider says Ruckus “provides superior coverage and is very dependable”

    Sintayehu A., Director Of Information Communication Technology at Dire Dawa University, relates that "Ruckus Wireless supports the most recent technologies. We can trace every individual and what kind of traffic they're using on our campus. It is very helpful."

    Philip S., Independent Consultant - Wireless, says, "The solution is very stable. I've worked with it at a hospital before, where we deployed it all over the hospital. It worked everywhere and continuously worked flawlessly."

    Sample Customers
    Information Not Available
    Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
    American University of Sharjah, Baruch College, Centro Escolar Liceo Santo Tomšs, Chevalier College, Chico Unified School District, Colegio de Fomento El Prado, Columbia Public Schools, Delta School District, Dordt College, Douglas County School District, Drew University, Armonea, Central Utah Clinic, Grove Hill Medical Center, Inner South Community Health Service, Midwest Surgical, Satilla Regional Medical Center, Lyndoch Living, Polonus, Roaring Fork School District, Sonora State, Vivid, Sydney, Players Club, Sandals, Scandic Hotels, Sheraton LAX, Sunbird
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Educational Organization25%
    Computer Software Company25%
    Newspaper13%
    Healthcare Company13%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company19%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Government7%
    Educational Organization6%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider22%
    Educational Organization22%
    Consumer Goods Company11%
    Computer Software Company11%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company16%
    Comms Service Provider12%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Retailer6%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider40%
    Manufacturing Company11%
    Educational Organization9%
    University5%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company14%
    Comms Service Provider10%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Educational Organization6%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business40%
    Midsize Enterprise20%
    Large Enterprise40%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise53%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business70%
    Midsize Enterprise5%
    Large Enterprise25%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business31%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise54%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business58%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise24%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business34%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise49%
    Buyer's Guide
    Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Ruckus Wireless
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Ruckus Wireless and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    767,995 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Fortinet FortiWLM is ranked 15th in Wireless LAN with 22 reviews while Ruckus Wireless is ranked 3rd in Wireless LAN with 96 reviews. Fortinet FortiWLM is rated 8.2, while Ruckus Wireless is rated 8.6. The top reviewer of Fortinet FortiWLM writes "Impressive manufacturing quality, highly durable, and very easy to deploy". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Ruckus Wireless writes "Great wireless, good reliability, and excellent connectivity". Fortinet FortiWLM is most compared with Aruba Wireless, Cisco Wireless, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN, Ubiquiti Wireless and Omada Access Points, whereas Ruckus Wireless is most compared with Aruba Wireless, Cisco Wireless, Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN, Ubiquiti WLAN and Huawei Wireless. See our Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Ruckus Wireless report.

    See our list of best Wireless LAN vendors.

    We monitor all Wireless LAN reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.