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ExtremeControl vs Fortinet FortiNAC comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.4
ExtremeControl's ROI opinions varied, with mixed views on financial returns, Wi-Fi connectivity, security benefits, and cost concerns.
Sentiment score
6.4
Fortinet FortiNAC boosts security and ROI by streamlining processes, reducing costs and effort, and ensuring authorized network access.
Having good connectivity through Wi-Fi is essential for the entire business.
Manager, Service Delivery & Support at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
We have saved resources and time, and we have also secured our network, confirming we have a return on investment.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
ExtremeControl's support is praised for problem-solving but criticized for upgrade policies, varying satisfaction levels among users.
Sentiment score
7.2
Fortinet FortiNAC support varies by region, praised for responsiveness but criticized for delays and communication issues.
For technical support of ExtremeControl, I have no doubts that they cope with problems effectively.
System Engineer at Poczta FM
They do not offer straightforward support if there is an issue unless we upgrade.
Manager, Service Delivery & Support at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
They provide sessions to help with various questions.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
Fortinet FortiNAC's customer support is very good, as is typical from Fortinet.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)
They could do more to improve, not because of the product itself but because of the support they provide.
Senior Cyber Security Engineer at Beta Information Technology
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Opinions on ExtremeControl's scalability vary, with some praising its capacity while others find it limited across platforms.
Sentiment score
7.5
Fortinet FortiNAC is praised for scalability, supporting easy network expansion for enterprises, highly rated by users despite licensing impacts.
For scalability in larger environments, it can be rated a maximum of 10.
System Engineer at Poczta FM
The pricing model makes it challenging as the cost is substantial due to the per-node licensing model.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.7
ExtremeControl is highly stable, with users consistently rating it 8-9/10, indicating reliable performance meeting expectations.
Sentiment score
7.6
Fortinet FortiNAC's stability is mixed, with praise for performance but issues during setup, resolved over time for some.
 

Room For Improvement

ExtremeControl requires better user control, third-party integration, on-premise enhancements, and clarity on wireless component configuration for optimal performance.
Fortinet FortiNAC requires improved integration, user interface, reporting, compatibility, and documentation, while simplifying setup and enhancing automation and support.
For their wired network, especially with third-party switching, this is where most of the features are lost.
Manager, Service Delivery & Support at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
There is also another product called UZTNA, which is said to have NAC in this solution, but it is not as advanced as our regular ExtremeControl.
System Engineer at Poczta FM
We rely more on the cloud for analytics rather than on-premise, and some customers prefer relying on an on-premise solution rather than a cloud solution.
Engineer at NewLogics
Improvement in the interface design would make FortiNAC a better solution.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
Fortinet FortiNAC can be improved as the GUI is very poor compared to other competitors such as Cisco ISE.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)
The graphical user interface (GUI) of Fortinet FortiNAC is very poor compared to competitors like Forcepoint and Cisco ISE.
Senior Cyber Security Engineer at Beta Information Technology
 

Setup Cost

ExtremeControl offers competitive pricing for large enterprises, but may be costly for smaller ones due to minimum user requirements.
Fortinet FortiNAC offers flexible, fair pricing and licensing options, often rated 7-9, with rising costs but lower than Cisco.
Compared to other competitors, they have the best pricing.
Manager, Service Delivery & Support at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Below this number, we are not competitive with other vendors.
System Engineer at Poczta FM
The pricing of ExtremeControl is considerable; I would rate it at eight or nine.
Engineer at NewLogics
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Fortinet FortiNAC is that, as is typical from Fortinet, all their products have a very good licensing model and competitive pricing.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)
Fortinet FortiNAC is relatively cheap compared to other solutions.
Senior Cyber Security Engineer at Beta Information Technology
 

Valuable Features

ExtremeControl provides robust security, seamless integration, and easy use with flexible policies and comprehensive network monitoring.
Fortinet FortiNAC offers enhanced security, automation, and integration, excelling in network visibility and compliance across diverse environments.
The biggest benefits for my customers from ExtremeControl include the ability to integrate third-party devices, integration with user databases like Microsoft Active Directory or other directory software, and it is easy to maintain by customers.
System Engineer at Poczta FM
The most effective feature of ExtremeControl is that whenever any user is connected through the network, I can really dig down and check exactly what applications they have been using.
Manager, Service Delivery & Support at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Integrating ExtremeControl with ExtremeConnect provides an additional layer of security and control over what devices are onboarding to the network, granting full visibility.
Engineer at NewLogics
I appreciate the feature where it can connect with different vendor equipment, regardless of the network devices from other vendors.
Network &Security Engineer at Natioanal Drug Authority Uganda
Fortinet FortiNAC has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to control our network and save time.
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)
The main advantage of Fortinet FortiNAC is its integration with the entire Fortinet product portfolio.
Senior Cyber Security Engineer at Beta Information Technology
 

Categories and Ranking

ExtremeControl
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
11th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiNAC
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
3rd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
57
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Network Access Control (NAC) category, the mindshare of ExtremeControl is 2.1%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiNAC is 15.0%, down from 18.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Access Control (NAC) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiNAC15.0%
ExtremeControl2.1%
Other82.9%
Network Access Control (NAC)
 

Featured Reviews

JZ
System Engineer at Poczta FM
Features support flexible integration and high compatibility with third-party equipment
I have a little experience with reporting and analytics tools for network visibility in ExtremeControl, but I am not a specialist. I'm not a big fan of this analytics feature because it is an in-built component, and customers usually don't use it frequently since they often don't measure it. It is not very popular among my customers right now. I would definitely recommend ExtremeControl to customers because we can support many features as they need, and we can provide a demo license for even 80 days for testing all required features, which is not a problem for us. On a scale of 1-10, I rate ExtremeControl a 10.
Mohamed Fouad - PeerSpot reviewer
Cybersecurity Team Leader at EMAK For Computer Manufacturing (ECM)
Network access control has centralized device profiling and automated user isolation
The best features Fortinet FortiNAC offers include great integration with other Fortinet products. We have most of the cybersecurity products from Fortinet, including FortiMail, FortiGate, and FortiManager, among many Fortinet products. The best feature is the integration with these products. Fortinet FortiNAC can also integrate with any switching vendor using SSH to manage switches. This integration capability is very beneficial. The integration with other Fortinet products and managing switches from different vendors has helped my workflow by providing automation that makes it easy to run actions. We execute and trigger actions through Fortinet FortiNAC on FortiGate. We set up trigger actions on FortiGate to be run through Fortinet FortiNAC directly. Whenever an action happens, it is triggered on Fortinet FortiNAC, allowing us to disable and isolate a user if that machine is infected. The automation and response functionality is powerful, and the integration is very good. Fortinet FortiNAC has positively impacted my organization by allowing us to control our network and save time. We manage multiple switches that allow many users, including guest users and corporate users. We have saved time and secured our resources while accomplishing a lot with Fortinet FortiNAC.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
9%
University
9%
Government
8%
Performing Arts
8%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Computer Software Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise3
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise14
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ExtremeControl?
It has effectively enhanced network security and integrated with other security tools to streamline operations.
What needs improvement with ExtremeControl?
Regarding improvements for ExtremeControl, I think it is good as it is; however, some other products can support features like certificate management, which ExtremeControl currently lacks. Adding c...
What is your primary use case for ExtremeControl?
The main use cases for ExtremeControl among my customers are to authenticate the users here for the end systems in their companies and to manage authentication, authorization, and systems, and they...
What is the biggest difference between Aruba ClearPass and FortiNAC?
I've done quite a lot of work with ClearPass, and not a lot with FortiNAC/Bradford. ClearPass incorporates a number of different functions including ClearPass Guest for creating complex wireless g...
How does Cisco ISE compare with Fortinet FortiNAC?
Cisco ISE uses AI endpoint analytics to identify new devices based on their behavior. It will also notify you if someone plugs in with a device that is not allowed and will block it. The user exper...
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiNAC?
The support responds to our queries within two to four hours.
 

Also Known As

Extreme Access Control, Enterasys NAC
FortiNAC, Bradford Networks, Bradford Networks Sentry, Network Sentry Family
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Street Crane, Robert Bosch, Molex Chengdu, Weir Valves & Controls UK, Renault, AESSEAL, Ducati, Alexander Dennis, UK Ministry of Defence, Manz
Isavia, Pepperdine University, Medical University of South Carolina, Columbia University Medical Center, Utah Valley University
Find out what your peers are saying about ExtremeControl vs. Fortinet FortiNAC and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.