Aruba Instant On Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLM comparison

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLM

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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

Aruba Instant On Access Points

Ranking in Wireless LAN

10th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Fortinet FortiWLM

Ranking in Wireless LAN

17th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant On Access Points is 0.9%, down from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 1.9%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

Ricardo Quintero

Infrastructure/Telcom Coordinator at Schnellecke Group AG & Co. KG

Affordable and offers an easy setup phase

I was working on the on-premises solutions, like IronNet, Aironet, and some other tools from Cisco, but not with Meraki. The last Aironet model that we have here in Mexico, in the corporate office, and in some of the other regions of Mexico is Cisco Aironet 3700 and Cisco Aironet 3800, so it is just two or three devices. Aruba Instant On Access Points was working with Aruba 2540 and Cisco 3850 In Cisco, I found some issues. I was working well with a vendor. I was working with Cisco Catalyst 9200 and Cisco Catalyst 9300, along with Cisco Catalyst 2916M XL Switch. With all devices, we got a report. During the immigration, we choose another vendor, which Aruba. We have some issues with Aruba Instant On Access Points in iOS that are targeting the devices, and I have seen some problems with the DHCP solution.

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Zachary Wheeler

President / CEO at Secure Solutions Center LLC

Impressive manufacturing quality, highly durable, and very easy to deploy

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. It would be nice if they had some smaller switches or hubs. They should offer two-port, three-port, or four-port devices so that you don't have to buy an eight-port switch, and you don't have to use an unmanaged element, but their product line is very complete, and I can't say enough about it.

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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

"I find Aruba Instant On Access Points easy to monitor and appreciate the notifications they provide if there is a problem in the network."

"Its performance is very good. It suits small and medium sites very well."

"The most valuable aspect of Unifi switches is the Unifi Controller."

"The product is scalable. It has 20 users."

"When an error or alert happens, I receive it in the application. I do not have to be there to know if something is wrong."

"Aruba is much better than other vendors like Cisco and NETGEAR in terms of quality, price, and value for money."

"With a variety of switches in their setup, they find that Aruba's online monitoring tools and configuration options for applications effectively manage most of their requirements, all while keeping the process straightforward and user-friendly."

"The solution's most valuable features include a simple deployment phase, easy management, and scalability."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pros

"The greatest advantage is the security fabric Fortinet offers."

"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."

"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."

"The setup was easy."

"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 product is a stable solution."

"Overall, I would rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"I use Fortinet FortiWLM for wireless communication and the internet."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

Cons

"The solution can be more integrated with other brands."

"With Aruba, the documentation on the website is not too easy to use, and some information is not found."

"In terms of financial benefits, the Aruba project is a high-cost solution, and I haven't seen specific financial returns."

"The challenging point for Aruba Instant On is the roaming capability, as it doesn’t perform as strongly as enterprise solutions."

"I want the product to be made available at a cheaper price point."

"The security aspect needs improvement."

"I would like to see a feature that blocks, increases, or decreases bandwidth capacity for devices."

"The Unifi Controller is slower compared to other options like Aruba."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points cons

"Documentation could be improved."

"Cost is something that could be improved, but you have to pay for what you get."

"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary."

"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."

"There are currently issues with Fortinet's software quality. We have concerns regarding the frequent updates needed because of short software cycles."

"Areas for improvement would be the compatibility with Apple products and cross-platform integration."

"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."

"The initial setup is complex and has room for improvement."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product's price falls on the cheaper end of the spectrum. The price of the product is one of the biggest benefits that it offers."

"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the standard licensing charges associated with the product. There are some additional costs associated with the product since I have seen customers who purchase three-year or five-year plans."

"I rate the product's pricing a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."

"Its price is fair. It is not really cheap, and it is also not expensive. It is in the middle."

"The price of Aruba Instant On Access Points is reasonable. They are competitively priced. I've even used it in my home at one time because of the low price."

"It needs a license."

"You buy it for $165 an AP, which is what we paid."

"I would rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten."

More Aruba Instant On Access Points pricing and cost advice

"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."

"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."

"The solution is fairly priced."

"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."

"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."

"Fortinet would do something with their pricing model to attract smaller business users and eliminate the mandatory service contracts."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

63%

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Instant On Access Points?

It's really easy to set up. And, you don't have to pay for the cloud solution. That's really interesting for our clients. And the other thing is, the roaming is also quite good.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant On Access Points?

Aruba Instant On Access Points work without a list price, suggesting that they are open source and no additional licensing costs are incurred.

What needs improvement with Aruba Instant On Access Points?

All features already exist in Aruba Instant On Access Points. However, in future updates, more AI for intelligence and the option for a separate network could be beneficial.

What do you like most about Fortinet FortiWLM?

The security is a valuable feature.

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

While the pricing of Fortinet FortiWLM is a bit high, it remains effective. However, the cost could be better if reduced.

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?

In terms of improvements, the price is higher than I would like. A reduction in pricing would be beneficial.

Fortinet FortiAP vs Aruba Instant On Access Points

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Compared 26% of the time

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Compared 17% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 12% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 12% of the time

Cambium Networks Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 8% of the time

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Product Reports

Aruba Instant On Access Points

Download Aruba Instant On Access Points product report

Fortinet FortiWLM

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Also Known As

No data available

FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN

Overview

Ingredients for success.

Fast 802.11ac Wave 2, secure employee and guest access, easy-to-use web, and mobile app management.

Say yes to secure Wi-Fi access.

Pre-built access control lists (ACLs) and built-in firewall in the access points prevent malicious traffic from entering your network – we call it “hassle-free” security.

Never drop an important call.

With Instant On, voice and video business applications are automatically prioritized, so you stay connected with your peers.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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.

Fortinet

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

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

Aruba Instant On Access Points vs. Fortinet FortiWLM