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Cisco Wireless WAN vs Fortinet FortiExtender comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 4, 2025

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

Cisco Wireless WAN
Ranking in Wireless WAN
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
75
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiExtender
Ranking in Wireless WAN
7th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Wireless WAN category, the mindshare of Cisco Wireless WAN is 3.8%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiExtender is 2.6%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless WAN
 

Featured Reviews

LalanChowdhury - PeerSpot reviewer
Enhances network reliability, offers device longevity and offers open authentication
The device longevity is a factor. enhances network reliability. Specifically, the handoff feature for WAN, when a customer moves from one access point to another in a building or office, is much easier and more reliable if it's controller-based. So, in those cases, we recommend the traditional controller-based solution. Cisco is adding AI features; they've already started in SD-WAN. But in Bangladesh, people are still new to AI. Cisco is including AI capabilities in their devices, so people are gradually adopting them. If they need AI-driven devices for industrial purposes, they can use them. So, Cisco is forward-thinking with these features. Even though they're not being used extensively now, they may be used in the future for things like RFID or automation. That's why Cisco's solution is logical and adaptable.
Özden-Aydın - PeerSpot reviewer
Ensures seamless network continuity with efficient remote management and cost savings
I manage and monitor Fortinet FortiExtender devices across multiple sites by using the FortiCloud feature, which allows me to easily manage and monitor everywhere. I haven't used Fortinet FortiExtender's AI-driven network features for this product. My advice for those who want to implement Fortinet FortiExtender is that if you use this device as a console server for out-of-band management, it has only one USB port; if you need more than one port, you can use an external USB hub for multiple console cables. I am maintaining Fortinet FortiExtender for my customers for one year, and I find that to be sufficient. I rate Fortinet FortiExtender a 10 out of 10.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution also allows us to increase the power when it's too low."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"The platform's most valuable features include the internal wireless controllers, which eliminate the need for external hardware, and the flexible control options, such as virtual and hardware controllers."
"The most valuable features include checking logs and performing site surveys. These capabilities ensure that we can cover almost every location in the building and troubleshoot any errors we encounter."
"Our university has experienced a positive return on investment, and I believe Cisco Wireless WAN will continue to benefit us for at least a decade."
"The initial setup was really easy and straightforward."
"The devices are all of good quality."
"The most valuable features are CleanAir, Rogue Detection, and the auto-calculation of RF."
"The initial setup was was just beautiful. It was straightforward."
"The product is easy to use and easy to integrate."
"For me, the best feature of Fortinet FortiExtender is its integration with an external solution such as a 5G LTE broadband modem, wired modem, and cellular network. I also like that the product can be integrated into one device or a unified device, and that is one of its best features because it allows you to manage and centralize the control of every device."
"We appreciate that this solution can be used as an active secondary link as well as a backup."
"The most valuable feature will be that it works."
"The integration is easy and it works as a normal internet connection."
"The overall stability deserves a perfect rating."
"You don't need to have two different vendors to interoperate and get into comparability issues or inter-operability issues."
 

Cons

"The network management system is not great."
"The product could be improved by making installing the operating system on access points easier."
"Include more managing features within the product, rather than having to purchase them as extras."
"The product must be made more user-friendly."
"The price of Cisco Wireless WAN could improve, it is expensive."
"The only thing I would like to see is better high availability if you're using the embedded wireless controller."
"The firewall integration is not great."
"The worst thing about the Cisco controllers is that they only have two ports."
"The Fortinet FortiExtender should be more suitable for outdoor use. Currently, the vehicle model can be used outdoors, but there are no dedicated outdoor devices."
"The engineering of the solution has some negative points, especially in terms of troubleshooting. It's difficult to troubleshoot when we have a problem. It's not like other products like Cisco or Palo Alto which make troubleshooting much easier."
"The support could be faster and more responsive."
"I would like to see them make it smaller in the next release so that it has a smaller footprint for mobile clients."
"The solution would be a lot better if it was a little bit more intuitive. Additionally, the help menu would be a lot better if it was easier to identify the items that I was looking for. I find the graphical interface a little bit difficult to navigate. And I find the font that is used on the HTML interface not conducive to being able to be read in low light situations."
"They could improve the remote console server feature and make it more user-friendly for more users."
"There is a huge downside because we need to remove and insert the SIM to get it working."
"What most of my clients are telling me is the price is a problem."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco Wireless WAN is fairly expensive."
"The total cost of the solution was about $6,000."
"The pricing is good."
"Cisco is more expensive than other solutions."
"The price of Cisco Wireless WAN could improve upon pricing, it is expensive. We purchased the hardware through a vendor that Cisco used and we received approximately 75 percent off."
"Cisco products generally have high list prices, but substantial discounts are available."
"It was a one time fee and there are no costs in addition to this."
"The cost of licensing should be improved."
"The solution is not that expensive."
"I've only used the open-source version of Fortinet FortiExtender, but I know that it has some features that require you to pay for a license."
"I'm not sure what the cost is. However, I anticipate that the purchase price will range between $2,500 and $5,000."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
11%
Government
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Computer Software Company
18%
Media Company
12%
Government
8%
Construction Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco Wireless WAN?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Wireless WAN?
Initially, Cisco comes up with high prices, but when competition starts with Huawei or HP Aruba, they provide good prices. Initially, they try to come up with large prices and huge numbers.
What needs improvement with Cisco Wireless WAN?
Cisco Wireless WAN has room for improvement in WiFi coverage. Sometimes, their coverage is normally good, but at the same area where the access points are deployed, people face continuous disconnec...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiExtender?
The price for Fortinet FortiExtender deserves the highest rating.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiExtender?
The Fortinet FortiExtender should be more suitable for outdoor use. Currently, the vehicle model can be used outdoors, but there are no dedicated outdoor devices. When a location has poor LTE conne...
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiExtender?
I am still using Fortinet FortiExtender. The solution utilizes LTE data to establish a connection, and if the main line goes down, it switches automatically to the LTE connection. Advanced Antenna ...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Aegean Motorway, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Brunel University London, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Chartwell School, Children's Hospital Colorado, Cisco Live Milan, City of Biel, City of Mississauga, Dundee Precious Metals, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Erickson Living, Goldcorp, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS)
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Wireless WAN vs. Fortinet FortiExtender and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.