Cisco Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM comparison

Cisco and Fortinet are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.6, while Fortinet is ranked #17 with an average rating of 9.0. Cisco holds a 11.5% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Fortinet’s 1.9% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

Cisco Wireless

Read 151 Cisco Wireless reviews

15,312 Views
14,009 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiWLM

Read 27 Fortinet FortiWLM reviews

2,259 Views
2,088 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Cisco Wireless

Fortinet FortiWLM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Cisco Wireless and Fortinet FortiWLM compete in the wireless management and deployment category. Cisco Wireless holds the upper hand due to its robust deployment capabilities and advanced security measures.

Features: Cisco Wireless offers robust and scalable deployment, supports seamless roaming, and includes features like Cisco CleanAir and integration with Cisco ISE. Fortinet FortiWLM provides centralized management with integrated controller features and stands out for its security attributes. Both offer ease of setup with Fortinet highlighting its cost-effectiveness.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Wireless is often criticized for high pricing and a complex licensing model. Its integration with non-Cisco solutions is limited, and difficulties are reported with centralized management. Fortinet FortiWLM could improve its heat mapping capabilities, reporting tools, and integration with non-Fortinet devices.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Wireless offers versatile deployment for on-premises and cloud environments with strong technical support, although licensing complexity can pose challenges. Fortinet FortiWLM is praised for straightforward setup and strong customer service, but needs enhancement in user capacity for larger deployments.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Wireless is expensive, especially when adding features and licenses, but offers substantial ROI via stable performance. Fortinet FortiWLM has more attractive pricing with simpler licensing, making it appealing to budget-conscious buyers. Its pricing strategy also provides significant savings and positive ROI, although mandatory contracts for smaller businesses are advised to be eliminated.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM

March 2025

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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

Cisco Wireless

Ranking in Wireless LAN

4th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

151

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 Cisco Wireless is 11.5%, down from 15.2% 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

Q&A Highlights

Suresh Sharma

Sr. Technical Executive at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

Feb 08, 2021

Which wireless controller has maximum client connectivity and high throughput?

Cisco has maximum client connectivity and high throughput.

See all answers

Featured Reviews

GulfrazAhmad

Division Head Enterprise Infrastructure (SVP) at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Integrates with ISE, and is secure, reliable, and easy to deploy

The main concern is the length and overlapping. We have to put on four to six access points on the same floor, and we face the issue of overlapping areas. If Cisco can extend the range of their indoor APs, we would need to install just one or two access points, and it would eliminate the problem of the overlapping area. They should provide built-in features for safe authentication. Right now, we integrate with ISE and FortiClient for this feature. We first check the NAC, and after the NAC and before the domain, a token password installed on their mobile or a physical token is required to join the network. If Cisco had built-in authentication, we would be able to eliminate one product from our network.

Read full review

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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution offers very good stability."

"Cisco Wireless gave us the ability to deploy and seamlessly manage wireless devices at our corporate office and remote locations."

"It is an extremely stable and scalable solution. Its documentation and support are also very good."

"The feature that I have found most valuable is its durability because we can rely on this solution. It is also easy to configure. Lastly, if something happens, we get good support from Cisco."

"Some of the valuable features of this solution are security, the controller is simple to configure, devices are easy to install, and we use the software to administrate all the APs."

"Cisco Wireless is quite convenient for mobile and laptop access."

"It integrates with Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA)."

"The solution is very good at supporting IoT applications."

More Cisco Wireless pros

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

"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 security is a valuable feature."

"With Fortinet, there is a feature called Network-In-Control. It's the AP controller that decides what the clients are going to connect to... Even though your phone sees, let's say, two APs, since the wireless controller has visibility into and access across all the APs, it knows the best AP for the client to connect to. This way, the controller makes sure that none of the APs is over-crowded, and the spectrum is used properly."

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

"The firewall integration is very important for the security of the connection."

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

"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."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

Cons

"For all products on the market, the availability of the products may not be ideal. We're waiting on a lot of products simply due to the fact that there's a material shortage. We've ordered products and have had to wait three or four months for anything to get delivered. This is not just Cisco. It's a problem on the market for all components which include semiconductors."

"The new GUI interface and the newer version OS are a little bit more complex than the older version, however, it just might take some getting used to."

"This solution is very expensive, which means we often have to go for cheaper options instead."

"If they could offer better coverage, we'd be much happier."

"It is not easy to use. It should be made easier to use. They can maybe migrate it to the cloud so that we can manage the WLCs together. I find the licensing part very hard to understand. Cisco is now moving towards smart licensing, so this issue will be addressed soon."

"The price could be better."

"The internet speed is high within environments. As you move further away from the access point, there is a decline in speed. Omada or Ruckus don’t have the speed degradation as you move away from the access point."

"We've recently had hardware issues which have caused us some problems."

More Cisco Wireless cons

"This solution should be easier to set up in a production environment."

"Technical support is very poor. We are not satisfied with the technical support because there is not any direct person from Fortinet for any troubleshooting, which we expected."

"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."

"The platform's pricing needs improvement."

"The pricing model can be improved to encourage use by small business and individuals and the hardware could stand to be redesigned."

"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."

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

"The solution should improve user capacity."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Because the Cisco architecture is quite complex, you may end up having to add more components and licenses. So, the cost could go up."

"I rate the tool's pricing a ten out of ten. It is expensive compared to Aruba and Juniper."

"I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."

"The price of Cisco Wireless could be adjusted down, it is a bit expensive. The solution is worth it for the name and the brand. However, there are more products now in the market that give you the same quality, but at a cheaper price."

"The price of this product is reasonable."

"It is expensive, and there are some costs in addition to the standard licensing fee. Its licensing model and cost should be improved."

"It might be around $100 for a license. The internal ones are far cheaper than that."

"The licensing system is very rigid. I work for a school and we are just treated like big companies. At some point, there's a limit to what we can do about that."

More Cisco Wireless pricing and cost advice

"The solution is fairly priced."

"The product is highly expensive. I rate the pricing a ten."

"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."

"To save yourself from increased setup and maintenance costs, I highly recommend undertaking a proper site survey from the beginning."

"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."

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

"Fortinet FortiWLM's pricing is regular and competitive."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

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Comparison Review

it_user212721

President at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

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…

Read full review

Answers from the Community

Suresh Sharma

Sr. Technical Executive at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees

Feb 8, 2021

Which wireless controller has maximum client connectivity and high throughput?

All are good selections, and this question is difficult to answer without knowing your throughput requirements, as each vendor has multiple models within there series. Personally I recommend looking at Arista Networks’ cognitive Wifi, where controllers are a thing of the past.

2 out of 7 answers

AlanTran

Director of Technical Services at CTM

Feb 17, 2020

Hi, It is all dependent on the size of the controllers in question. Though I would suggest getting a cloud base technology so you are limited by any controller and have much better redundancy. Take a look at Arista Cognitive Wireless

Read full answer

Imad Awwad

Group IT Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Feb 17, 2020

Hi, Every one of the mentioned solutions is good but you need to check the needs which are security since the firms you are working with need protection and tracking of data. For this reason, I recommend: - if you have FortiGate installed then go for Fortinet Wireless since they can be integrated with the Fortigate without buying a controller and they work perfectly together and you will get the advantage of applying rules to the client himself whether mobile or computer, easily managed & monitored, more visibility over your network and incident notifications. If the above doesn't apply then you can go with the best one that fits your budget and security needs which for me doesn't fall on the mentioned solution but to go with ARUBA Instant Access Wireless Solution and the reasons are as such: - Cisco is too much expensive and you got to pay smart support with some complexity in configuration and you need to buy a controller - Ruckus is good but when you want to have the security you need to buy a controller with licenses and it won't give you the security needed since it is just a wireless solution - Huawei is not a stable company since it had many ups and downs and they can reach with you to have all the solutions nearly free so that you install their brand. Whereas Aruba you don't need a controller in the Instant access points and you will get the minimum security with radius integration and what is important a lifetime warranty on the access points. In addition, if the number of access points increased and you want more detailed management and more advanced configurations, you can buy a controller either on-premises or on-cloud with Aruba. The above information is based on my experience with all the solutions and their POC. If you need any more details and consultancy, kindly feel free to contact me. Regards.

Read full answer

See all 7 answers

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

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

Which is better - Cisco Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?

Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to be very reliable and to consistently run very efficiently. Cisco Wireless helpe...

See all answers

Which is better - Ruckus Wireless or Cisco Wireless?

Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user friendly. This user-friendly quality also renders it easy to learn how to use and ma...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about Fortinet FortiWLM?

The security is a valuable feature.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

Comparisons

Aruba Wireless vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 31% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 26% of the time

Huawei Wireless vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 6% of the time

Mist AI and Cloud vs Cisco Wireless

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco Wireless Competitors

Aruba Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 26% 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

Omada Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 8% of the time

More Fortinet FortiWLM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Wireless

March 2025

Download Cisco Wireless product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM

March 2025

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Also Known As

Cisco WLAN Controller

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

Overview

Cisco Wireless is a comprehensive suite of wireless solutions designed to deliver secure, high-performance connectivity for enterprises of all sizes. Offering a range of access points, controllers, and advanced management tools, Cisco Wireless ensures seamless and reliable network access, enhancing mobility and productivity.

Cisco Wireless solutions provide robust, scalable wireless networks capable of supporting high-density environments and diverse applications. With features such as seamless roaming, advanced security protocols, and detailed analytics, Cisco Wireless addresses the needs of modern businesses. The solutions include the Cisco Catalyst and Aironet series access points, wireless LAN controllers, and the Cisco DNA Center for centralized management and automation.

What are the key features of Cisco Wireless?

High-Density Performance: Optimized for environments with a high number of devices, ensuring reliable connectivity and performance.
Advanced Security: Incorporates robust security measures such as WPA3, Secure Boot, and segmentation to protect data and devices.
Seamless Roaming: Enables uninterrupted connectivity as users move across different areas within the network.
Centralized Management: Cisco DNA Center provides a single pane of glass for managing and automating wireless networks, enhancing operational efficiency.
Flexible Deployment Options: Supports various deployment models, including on-premises, cloud-managed, and hybrid solutions.

What benefits should users look for in reviews when evaluating Cisco Wireless?

Improved Mobility and Productivity: Users often highlight how Cisco Wireless enhances user mobility and productivity through reliable and consistent connectivity.
Scalability: Reviews frequently mention the scalability of Cisco Wireless, making it suitable for growing businesses.
Ease of Management: Many users appreciate the centralized management capabilities, which simplify network administration and troubleshooting.
Enhanced Security: The advanced security features are often noted for providing peace of mind and compliance with industry standards.
User Experience: The overall user experience, including ease of use and seamless integration with other Cisco products, is a common point of praise.

Cisco Wireless solutions are implemented across various industries, including healthcare, education, retail, and manufacturing. In healthcare, they support critical applications like patient monitoring and electronic health records. Educational institutions use Cisco Wireless to provide reliable internet access for students and staff. Retailers benefit from enhanced customer experiences through in-store connectivity, while manufacturers use wireless networks to improve operational efficiency and automation.

Pricing and licensing for Cisco Wireless solutions are typically based on the scale of deployment and specific product selections. Cisco offers various support plans, including 24/7 customer service, technical support, and access to software updates and patches.

In summary, Cisco Wireless provides robust, scalable wireless networking solutions that enhance connectivity, security, and management for diverse enterprise environments.

Cisco

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

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

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM

March 2025

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