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Aruba Instant vs Fortinet FortiWLC comparison

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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

Aruba Instant
Ranking in Wireless LAN
15th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
52
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiWLC
Ranking in Wireless LAN
27th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.4
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Instant is 2.7%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLC is 1.1%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Aruba Instant2.7%
Fortinet FortiWLC1.1%
Other96.2%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

SreejeshSoman - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Consultant at Vertex Techno Solutions (B) Pvt Ltd
Has supported mid-market deployments with cloud-based centralized management and reliable wireless performance
I faced challenges earlier with a limitation of 50 APs in single sites, but that has enhanced to 100 numbers, eliminating that challenge for Aruba Instant On team. Additionally, some features are not listed in the cloud management platform and still require offline access, so enhancing the cloud management features would be better for us.
Md.Mehedi Hassan - PeerSpot reviewer
Team Lead Manager at Blue Pill Ltd
Offers a seamless and secure WiFi experience with outstanding customer support
FortiWLC is valuable due to its security features and the seamless WiFi experience it provides. Our customers benefit greatly from the security aspect, especially since they are already using Fortinet for Firewall services. The security features are crucial for their requirements. The stability and ease of use of FortiWLC also add to its effectiveness.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Allows network monitoring through mobile devices"
"The stability is very good; I'm very impressed with it, and I've been working with it for years."
"Aruba Instant is easy to manage."
"Wireless access is very reliable; once I install, it is solid and works very well."
"I would rate the stability a ten out of ten."
"The most valuable feature of Aruba Instant is its cloud capability, which allows us to manage it through the cloud."
"The most valuable feature of Aruba Instant is security."
"We like being able to merge Aruba Instant to mobile via Bluetooth. You are also able to perform a lot of functions remotely such as creating an SSID IP."
"FortiWLC is valuable due to its security features and the seamless WiFi experience it provides."
"I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten."
"The security within the access point and the controller is the solution's most valuable aspect."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLC is the overall high quality."
"It's easy to set everything up during implementation."
 

Cons

"The security features must be improved."
"Aruba Instant does not currently offer a multi-gig switch or product, making it an area that requires improvement. Aruba Instant's competitors have multi-gig switches or products."
"It uses a different portal and has limitations from the customer side as it's not refined for MSP."
"In a corporate environment or a larger network, where more advanced filtering or MAC-based filtering is needed, I don't think the IAPs would be sufficient."
"It is good as it is. If anything, its reporting could be improved."
"My biggest problem with Aruba Instant was the DHCP implementation. The DHCP server needs to ping an IP address to connect to the internet. In some cases, we don't have a DHCP server in the network, and it was really a problem."
"If you need to access the master access point the integration between the two becomes quite expensive."
"We have faced delay in customer support which has affected our business performance. So the customer support needs to be prompt in their responses."
"However, for massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable."
"One thing that is lacking is, compared with some other brands, the signal is a bit weaker. Ruckus has much wider signal coverage."
"Fortinet FortiWLC is not simple to configure when compared to other solutions. The design could be better."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLC is high. The solution will be out of the market for us because the price is too high for the features it provides."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product has increased its pricing by at least 30 percent."
"I would rate the pricing a five out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive."
"I purchased the hardware and there are no monthly or yearly licenses to buy."
"I rate the product’s pricing a two out of ten."
"The setup cost varies based on each organization's requirements but it is within reason."
"It's a one time cost, including the upgrades, but you have to pay on a yearly basis if you want support. The price is in the middle in comparison to that of competitors' products."
"In my region right now, Aruba Instant comes with a default two-year cloud access license."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLC is high. The solution will be out of the market for us because the price is too high for the features it provides."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
22%
Outsourcing Company
16%
University
12%
Construction Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business31
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise14
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Which is better - Ubiquiti WLAN or Aruba Instant?
We researched Ubiquiti and Aruba when looking for a WLAN solution. Ubiquiti offers good WLAN access both indoors and outdoors. It provides an enterprise-level WIFI while remaining cost-effective. U...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant?
In my experience, Aruba Instant's price is reasonable compared to premium products like Ruckus, Cisco, or Juniper. However, when compared to entry-level market segments, the price is higher. Overal...
What needs improvement with Aruba Instant?
I faced challenges earlier with a limitation of 50 APs in single sites, but that has enhanced to 100 numbers, eliminating that challenge for Aruba Instant On team. Additionally, some features are n...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiWLC?
I cannot disclose the license price, however, I recommend Fortinet reduce its pricing for massive implementations.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLC?
Until now, I have not observed any issues. However, for massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable.
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiWLC?
We are resellers of FortiWLC, and our customers mainly use it in enterprise settings, particularly for chemical companies.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Purdue University, Orlando Magic, Brussels Airport Company, Molecaten Holiday Parks
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Instant vs. Fortinet FortiWLC and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
920,929 professionals have used our research since 2012.