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Fortinet FortiWLM vs Ruckus Wireless WAN comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
Fortinet FortiWLM offers ROI within 6-12 months, reducing costs and enhancing sales through improved management and security integration.
Sentiment score
6.6
Ruckus Wireless WAN delivers strong ROI with extended lifespan and cost savings, especially valued in educational settings.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
Fortinet FortiWLM customer support is generally high-rated, proactive, and effective, though response times and first-level support need improvement.
Sentiment score
6.5
Ruckus Wireless WAN support is generally positive, but users desire more experienced staff and improved communication and contact options.
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.
When we seek support, the service we expect is not promptly delivered, which can be time-consuming.
They would thoroughly troubleshoot issues.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
Fortinet FortiWLM offers scalable architecture with strong support, excelling in diverse environments, despite occasional scalability limitations in enterprise settings.
Sentiment score
7.7
Ruckus Wireless WAN is scalable and adaptable, with cloud options improving scalability despite hardware and licensing limitations.
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.
I find the scalability quite good, with a rating of eight out of ten.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.4
Users praise Fortinet FortiWLM for its stability and reliability, citing minor issues and minimal downtime with high satisfaction.
Sentiment score
8.2
Ruckus Wireless WAN is stable and reliable, performing well in high-density areas with mostly positive user feedback.
 

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiWLM needs improved management, user interface, and integration, with enhancements in reporting, support, and advanced features.
Improvements needed in support, documentation, UI, integration, licensing, delivery, analytics, and global coverage for competitive alignment.
A mobile application to manage the Wi-Fi or the whole network would be beneficial.
Firmware upgrades and bug improvements need to be tested well.
The price is higher than I would like.
There seems to be no visible improvement in the Gartner positioning, which is crucial even as companies like Huawei are also entering the wireless sector.
 

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiWLM is competitively priced, but some find costs high, especially due to mandatory contracts and unbundled pricing.
Ruckus Wireless offers competitive pricing with flexible licensing, seen as a worthwhile investment for performance and coverage benefits.
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.
The price is always on the higher side, which impacts the perception of return on investment.
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiWLM offers centralized, scalable management with high security and integration, praised for ease and cost efficiency.
Ruckus Wireless WAN offers powerful performance, superior coverage, easy deployment, high user support, seamless roaming, and excellent IoT integration.
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.
The most valuable features are the advanced technologies like BeamFlex, which make a significant difference.
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiWLM
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
Wireless LAN (13th)
Ruckus Wireless WAN
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
57
Ranking in other categories
Wireless WAN (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Enterprise Networking solutions, they serve different purposes. Fortinet FortiWLM is designed for Wireless LAN and holds a mindshare of 1.9%, down 2.1% compared to last year.
Ruckus Wireless WAN, on the other hand, focuses on Wireless WAN, holds 33.0% mindshare, down 37.0% since last year.
Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Fortinet FortiWLM1.9%
Aruba Wireless15.7%
Ruckus Wireless14.0%
Other68.4%
Wireless LAN
Wireless WAN Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Ruckus Wireless WAN33.0%
Ubiquiti Wireless38.3%
Cambium Networks Wireless WAN12.3%
Other16.400000000000006%
Wireless WAN
 

Featured Reviews

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.
Said Souhaiel - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy for us to apply and change parameters or consult the quality
I recommend using Ruckus. First of all, the cost and the price are okay compared to Cisco or Huawei. Secondly, the use is easy, and we have a significant result in terms of quality and signal level. We use it as an access point to provide Internet coverage for the public We have a few on-site…
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Healthcare Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
17%
Computer Software Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business35
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise13
 

Questions from the Community

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...
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...
What do you like most about Ruckus Wireless WAN?
Ruckus Wireless WAN is an easy-to-use solution.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Ruckus Wireless WAN?
These are not cheap access points. If you want to go cheap, Ubiquiti is an option. I knew they were worth it because once deployed, they wouldn't require additional attention. They're not at Cisco ...
 

Also Known As

FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
American University of Sharjah, Dordt College, Drew University, Lamar University, Raroa School
Find out what your peers are saying about Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Ruckus, Cisco and others in Wireless LAN. Updated: August 2025.
867,497 professionals have used our research since 2012.