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Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar 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

Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess S...
Ranking in Wireless LAN
20th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
14
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 Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar is 1.5%, up from 0.7% 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%
Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar1.5%
Other95.6%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

Attila Gyalus - PeerSpot reviewer
Owner at TeloNet
An Easily Deployable and User-Friendly Solution with Rapid Installation
The support of this solution is great. The timeliness of their responses is crucial for me. When I raise an issue, I can count on receiving a prompt reply, eliminating the need for extensive online searches or phone calls. This efficiency is paramount in saving time. In the rare instances where problems arise, they are usually swiftly addressed.
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

"I have not seen any downtime in the tool."
"One feature that differentiates Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar from some other vendors is the fact that on-premise OmniVista licenses are perpetual."
"We deployed them in two hospitals, they benefit from the access of users via Guest Portal and the use of VoWLAN Phones for mobile internal communication."
"We needed a solution to provide internet access for the majority of 317,68 KM square site and assure authentication, authorization and accountability compliance of users, and OmniAccess has enabled us to do so."
"There is a definite ROI with this product. This product creates a baseline of technology that will be a means to grow from five to ten years from now. By using this solution, it is an investment on the installation of that baseline."
"Express in default configuration mode with first turn-on is easy to set up and deploy from a medium installation standpoint."
"I have worked with different solutions in the past and switched to Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar because of its quick installation time. It requires no additional preparation. The product is highly stable. I rate it a nine out of ten. The support of this solution is great. The timeliness of their responses is crucial for me. When I raise an issue, I can count on receiving a prompt reply, eliminating the need for extensive online searches or phone calls."
"With the Captive portal to manage the Guest access is very easy, and with the Spectrum Analysis some very difficult radio issues can be solved with very little effort from my side."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is the management."
"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."
"The firewall integration is very important for the security of the connection."
"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."
"We're using SD-WAN at all of our locations now, which helps increase and aggregate and lower response time and improve application performance."
"For me, the ease of setup and the rugged nature in harsh environments are most valuable. So, durability and ease of use have been its best features."
"Fortinet FortiWLM is good for tracking assets, monitoring, and overall management."
"The most valuable feature is the ability to connect and broadcast to different networks without using a VLAN or a layer two switch, which allows you to easily create guest networks."
 

Cons

"The GUI is a little bit slow."
"Yes, some issues are related to firmware bugs or firmware instability."
"It needs to be faster in order to process and transmit bigger packets."
"Most customers are asking for an on-premises hardware architecture while it is available as a software-based architecture."
"I would prefer to have the integrated heat map feature provided by the basic controller in the Solution instead of purchasing an external one. Accessing this capability directly within the controller's access point would be convenient."
"Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar's radio management side could be improved."
"Better integration with third-party systems is what our customers are expecting in the future."
"The current implementation of our Guest Access network in isolation for Express mode is very complicated in comparison with leading market solutions."
"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."
"I have used Cisco previously and I don't see any specific differences from Fortinet FortiWLM or other vendors."
"Documentation could be improved."
"There is very little publicly available information about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture. Promotion of the overall technology is limited as well. Being more vocal about a product that has many advantages would go a long way to eliminating a lot of the confusion and negative perception about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture."
"Areas for improvement would be the compatibility with Apple products and cross-platform integration."
"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality. We have concerns regarding the frequent updates needed because of short software cycles."
"The price could be reduced by 20%. In Dubai, UniFi costs 700 dirham for the UniFi Pro 7th generation. For Fortinet FortiWLM, a similar model would cost around 1,300 dirham."
"The solution should improve user capacity."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is in the range of other brands like Cisco, maybe a little cheaper but you get the same features, facilities, and security. Licensing is something Alcatel is making changes to. A few years ago you would buy a WLAN solution from Alcatel for half the price of Cisco, but you would spend the same amount on licensing. Today this is different and the licensing is cheaper."
"The tool is cost-effective, according to our sales team's feedback."
"At times, it appears that the solution's pricing is slightly higher. This makes it challenging to persuade customers who primarily focus on the price."
"Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar is a mid-range solution with respect to pricing."
"The price of this product is average and it is a one-time, perpetual license."
"We find the price comparable to other products on the market."
"It's pricey, but better than similar solutions."
"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."
"The product is highly expensive. I rate the pricing a ten."
"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."
"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."
"Fortinet would do something with their pricing model to attract smaller business users and eliminate the mandatory service contracts."
"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
17%
Computer Software Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Outsourcing Company
7%
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 Business10
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise1
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise5
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar?
The solution allows you to see the SNMP packets, the DPI packets, and the SNMP server.
What needs improvement with Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar?
Most customers are asking for an on-premises hardware architecture while it is available as a software-based architecture.
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

Alcatel Lucent OmniAccess Stellar, OmniAccess Stellar
FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Mineola School District
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar vs. Fortinet FortiWLM and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.