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Aruba Wireless 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

Aruba Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
148
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiWLM
Ranking in Wireless LAN
14th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Wireless is 16.1%, down from 22.8% 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

Muhammad_Faisal - PeerSpot reviewer
Experience seamless connectivity with top-notch roaming capabilities
The Aruba Wireless solution has excellent roaming capabilities, ensuring seamless connectivity. Once installed, Aruba Wireless works robustly without overheating issues. This is particularly effective compared to other products I've used, like FortiMonitor and FortiAPs, which sometimes heat up. I am very satisfied with the roaming feature, as it ensures connectivity when moving from one location to another. The product's stability, after setting it up, adds to its value.
Mohammad Talha Talkin Alam - PeerSpot reviewer
Reliable network creation and management with an efficient setup process
My primary use case involves creating SSIDs and defining VLANs within the VLAN using Fortinet FortiWLM. I have been working with Wi-Fi access points for network connectivity I primarily use Fortinet FortiWLM for creating SSIDs and defining VLANs. While there isn't much focus on security, layer…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"With Aruba Wireless Controller, all our access points are connected to one controller. Through that controller, we can actually handle each access point; we can disconnect or connect that access point, and then we can tell, or see, or allow how many users are, or should be, connected through that access point."
"It helps the user to have a better vision of what is happening in their network."
"We like the centralized configuration and monitoring."
"I have found the most valuable features are the new Wi-Fi six technology and it also integrates with triple-A solutions. It has good bandwidth and virtual control."
"The most valuable feature is the fact that it can work with many devices. It supports everything that we need it to."
"Reasonably priced and great for small to medium size organizations."
"The performance and the application monitor. You can select the applications you want to use and block on your network"
"The solution is well designed so you can easily integrate it in an infrastructure network."
"The product is a stable solution."
"The firewall integration is very important for the security of the connection."
"This is the only product on the market currently that supports as many access points for wifi users."
"The most valuable features are central management and the many other features available."
"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."
"The solution is controlled from one device and one GUI for all devices."
"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."
"I have not faced any issues with stability or downtime."
 

Cons

"The urgent areas of improvement would be customer support, better tuned default settings, and documentation."
"The dashboards that represent the network access control in Aruba Wireless could improve."
"The price is high and not too reasonable. It is very high compared to other products."
"Additional detailed reporting for client traffic would be a great addition."
"Improvements to the GUI, such as being able to search in the Mobility Master, would be nice."
"We have had issues with the availability of the equipment."
"For a more senior tool, a local application monitoring related to IoT vendors would be useful."
"They could work on energy consumption as this equipment needs a lot of energy."
"When using the FortiGate as the wireless controller, you cannot have automatic user registration, which is something that they should offer."
"In the next release, they could improve by adding a controller-less server, or architecture that is provided in other solutions, such as Aruba. This would be a great benefit for customers."
"Licensing is the only area that I think they are below average. They need enterprise licensing, an all-encompassing license to cover all products for a company."
"The solution should improve user capacity."
"Improving support and firmware upgrades is necessary. Firmware upgrades and bug improvements need to be tested well."
"In terms of improvements, the price is higher than I would like. A reduction in pricing would be beneficial."
"Cost is something that could be improved, but you have to pay for what you get."
"This solution should be easier to set up in a production environment."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Aruba Wireless is fairly reasonable. It was within our budget."
"Cisco is more expensive than Aruba or Juniper."
"​Trial different solutions and compare pricing to how well they perform, their stability, how easy it is to maintain, etc."
"I think they should lower their prices."
"We have some licenses for the solution, and we need not renew licenses. But we need to pay a hundred thousand if you want to renew our subscription and renew the hardware."
"Licensing is a one time purchase (only the cloud license has to be renewed, which is worth trying out).​"
"​Price is fairly expensive, however it is worth it. If the “master” fails, another AP can take over the role.​"
"Aruba is less expensive than Cisco."
"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."
"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."
"For indoor access points, there is a one-time cost, upfront, whereas outdoor access points have an annual fee."
"To save yourself from increased setup and maintenance costs, I highly recommend undertaking a proper site survey from the beginning."
"Fortinet FortiWLM's pricing is regular and competitive."
"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."
"In the last few years, due in part to the impact of COVID on the market, Fortinet has increased its prices by 35 percent."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Wireless LAN solutions are best for your needs.
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Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 24, 2015
Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions
Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?
Depends. I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them. Extreme I am not, so unless they have some feature that I need or want, I wouldn't consider them. Do you have expe...
Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?
At my organization, we researched Ruckus Wireless among other solutions but ultimately chose Aruba wireless. What did we like about Ruckus? First, it was very easy to use, and anybody with minimal...
How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are availabl...
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.
 

Also Known As

Aruba WLAN, HP WLAN, HP Wireless, Aruba Instant On AP Series Access Point
FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Consulate Health Care, Los Angeles Unified School District, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC), San Diego State University, KFC, ACTS Retirement-Life Communities
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,632 professionals have used our research since 2012.