D-Link Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM comparison

D-Link and Fortinet are both solutions in the Wireless LAN category. D-Link is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.0, while Fortinet is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.6. D-Link holds a 2.1% mindshare in Wireless LAN, compared to Fortinet’s 2.5% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of D-Link users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

D-Link Wireless

Read 17 D-Link Wireless reviews

2,035 Views
2,035 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Fortinet FortiWLM

Read 30 Fortinet FortiWLM reviews

2,133 Views
1,941 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

D-Link Wireless

Fortinet FortiWLM

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

D-Link Wireless and Fortinet FortiWLM compete in the networking solutions sector. Fortinet FortiWLM stands out for advanced features, providing more value for its cost in feature, deployment, and ROI considerations.

Features: D-Link Wireless offers affordability, ease of integration, and basic connectivity, focusing on essential network functions. Fortinet FortiWLM provides robust security, comprehensive management, and superior scalability, making it suitable for complex network environments.

Room for Improvement: D-Link Wireless could enhance its security features, scalability, and network stability to better meet larger enterprises' needs. Fortinet FortiWLM might improve affordability, reduce the complexity of deployment, and optimize customer support accessibility to attract more budget-conscious consumers.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: D-Link Wireless is praised for simple deployment with straightforward configurations, ideal for smaller setups. Fortinet FortiWLM, while requiring more extensive setup, offers efficient troubleshooting and comprehensive service options. D-Link is quicker to deploy, whereas Fortinet provides stronger support for complex installations.

Pricing and ROI: D-Link Wireless is known for its economical pricing with low initial costs, providing a reasonable ROI for small networks. Fortinet FortiWLM, with higher initial investment, is geared towards long-term ROI through advanced management features and network stability. D-Link appeals to budget-conscious buyers, while Fortinet attracts large enterprises by justifying its costs with enhanced performance.

To learn more, read our detailed D-Link Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

D-Link Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM

December 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

D-Link Wireless

Ranking in Wireless LAN

16th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Fortinet FortiWLM

Ranking in Wireless LAN

12th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of D-Link Wireless is 2.1%, down from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 2.5%, up from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Wireless LAN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiWLM	2.5%
D-Link Wireless	2.1%
Other	95.4%

Wireless LAN

Featured Reviews

NadirShahzad

System Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

Wireless projects run smoothly with more access point support and competitive pricing

D-Link Wireless offers more supported APs to the WLC with the default license compared to other brands like Cisco. With Cisco, only four to five APs are connected with the default license, but D-Link Wireless provides more flexibility. Local support in Pakistan is necessary for those with limited budgets, creating a reach in the market.

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LuayHlaleh

Information Technology Team Lead at IT Solutions AE

Offers robust network management with cost considerations for large deployments

Large enterprises typically invest in FortiAnalyzer, though our company and SMB clients don't require this analysis tool. We use Ekahau for floor planning and Wi-Fi coverage analysis rather than Fortinet FortiWLM's built-in features. Ekahau helps us perform site surveys and plan access point placement. Fortinet FortiWLM is a flexible and common solution in Dubai. It's one of the best-selling products, with Etisalat, the largest ISP, installing Fortinet FortiGate for approximately 70-80% of their clients. The solution offers different series to accommodate various needs. The triple radio model costs around $1,000 (3,500 dirham) and supports 40-50 connected devices. The 231F model suits smaller deployments of 20-25 devices. I rate Fortinet FortiWLM a seven out of ten. While it's an excellent solution, Cisco remains the market leader.

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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

"The system simplifies network management."

"This is an affordable product that offers good performance. This is why it is popular with our customers. It offers good speed and bandwidth."

"This product is user-friendly and we can manage it as per the requirements of the user."

"D-Link Wireless is a tool that is used since it is an easy and user-friendly product."

"The tool supports new technologies."

"It is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"The solution is extremely easy to install. You just add them and in a few clicks, they are ready to go."

"The setup process is very easy."

More D-Link Wireless pros

"The most valuable features are central management and the many other features available."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is the management."

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

"We can deploy a tunnel-based VLAN and SSID, for something that happens at the last minute, in a matter of minutes, because of the interaction between the FortiGate, the FortiSwitches, and the FortiAPs."

"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."

"The solution is controlled from one device and one GUI for all devices."

"The most valuable features are the roaming profile, the mesh, and the performance."

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

More Fortinet FortiWLM pros

Cons

"In future, it would also be good to have a switch within D Link that works as well as the Cisco 9200 Switch."

"The solution doesn't have hotspots. Users can't set it up so that visitors can log in via Facebook or social media as they can at, for example, airports. D-Link should include hotspots that offer integration with social media. That way, visitors don't need to be asking people for passwords. They can just use Facebook."

"The cloud managed solution needs improvement, and they should focus on the SD-WAN segment with regard to integration."

"The only issue is with the controller visibility of the devices connecting to the network."

"The tool's technical support can get difficult sometimes. We got a technician only after complaining for 10-15 days. The tool's technicians need to be made available everywhere."

"The performance offered by D-Link Wireless can be a bit problematic at times, owing to which it is an area that can be considered for improvement."

"Sometimes we configure the SSID with a password but the same AP shows two WiFi connections with the same SSID name (one is protected by a password and another one give access without a password)."

"Sometimes, the solution needs to be restarted."

More D-Link Wireless cons

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

"When using the FortiGate as the wireless controller, you cannot have automatic user registration, which is something that they should offer."

"The price could be reduced by 20%. In Dubai, UniFi costs 700 dirham for the UniFi Pro 7th generation. For Fortinet FortiWLM, a similar model would cost around 1,300 dirham."

"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."

"I have used Cisco previously and I don't see any specific differences from Fortinet FortiWLM or other vendors."

"The guest management features need to be improved by adding automation."

"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."

"There is very little publicly available information about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture. Promotion of the overall technology is limited as well. Being more vocal about a product that has many advantages would go a long way to eliminating a lot of the confusion and negative perception about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture."

More Fortinet FortiWLM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is affordable."

"D-Link Wireless' price is the same as Aruba's. You need to pay one-time costs for the product."

"D-Link Wireless is cheaper than Ruckus or Cisco."

"This solution is more affordable than others on the market."

"D-Link pricing is very competitive when you consider other OEMs."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap and ten is very expensive, I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."

"The cost can range from $100 to $400."

"There is no licensing fee for the solution."

"The solution is fairly priced."

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

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

"In the last few years, due in part to the impact of COVID on the market, Fortinet has increased its prices by 35 percent."

"The price of Fortinet FortiWLM is reasonable compared to the other vendors. We are using a five-year license."

"The solution is expensive. I give the solution a one out of ten for the price."

"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."

More Fortinet FortiWLM pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Educational Organization

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	4

Questions from the Community

Which wireless solution would you choose - Huawei or D-Link?

Huawei wireless is a strong and solid product that has a lot of features - and for all that it offers, it happens to be very cost effective. As a wireless solution, it is simple and its user interf...

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What do you like most about D-Link Wireless?

The tool supports new technologies.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for D-Link Wireless?

D-Link Wireless is notably more affordable than Cisco and Juniper. It suits SMB needs without the financial burden of purchasing additional licenses for extended APs.

See all answers

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

I do not have knowledge about the pricing or the cost of Fortinet FortiWLM because the license is for the package of the firewall, FortiGate.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLM?

Overall, I find it useful, though I have concerns because after every update, some functionality is deleted or closed. For the moment, I don't have anything else in Fortinet FortiWLM that I would l...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiWLM?

I use this solution for the enterprise to segment the department.

See all answers

Comparisons

Huawei Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 33% of the time

Aruba Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 10% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 9% of the time

Ubiquiti WLAN vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 7% of the time

ExtremeWireless vs D-Link Wireless

Compared 3% of the time

More D-Link Wireless Competitors

Aruba Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 17% of the time

Cisco Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 11% of the time

Ruckus Wireless vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 10% of the time

Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 7% of the time

Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points vs Fortinet FortiWLM

Compared 3% of the time

More Fortinet FortiWLM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

D-Link Wireless

January 2026

Download D-Link Wireless product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortinet FortiWLM

January 2026

Download Fortinet FortiWLM product report

Also Known As

D-Link WLAN

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

Overview

D-Link Wireless offers a wide range of robust wireless Access Points (APs) operating in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, supporting the latest wireless standards including 802.11ac and 802.11n. These access points can be managed independently as standalone devices, or collectively by using Central Wi-Fi Manager, a free centralized controller software that can be installed on a Windows server or PC.

D-Link

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

Metropolitan Public Defender, Mission Motorcycles

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

Buyer's Guide

D-Link Wireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLM

December 2025

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