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ExtremeWireless vs Fortinet FortiWLC 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

ExtremeWireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
14th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Fortinet FortiWLC
Ranking in Wireless LAN
26th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.4
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of ExtremeWireless is 2.4%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLC is 0.8%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
ExtremeWireless2.4%
Fortinet FortiWLC0.8%
Other96.8%
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

ZQ
IT executive at a agriculture with 1,001-5,000 employees
Centralized control simplifies device management but stability requires attention
Overall, ExtremeWireless has a lot of room for improvement. The main concern is stability. As a user, I focus on supporting the devices and ensuring they meet my client’s needs. While I do not handle the AI integration, I've heard it's a new feature that could enhance functionality. I rate ExtremeWireless at seven out of ten.
Md.Mehedi Hassan - PeerSpot reviewer
Team Lead Manager at Blue Pill Ltd
Offers a seamless and secure WiFi experience with outstanding customer support
FortiWLC is valuable due to its security features and the seamless WiFi experience it provides. Our customers benefit greatly from the security aspect, especially since they are already using Fortinet for Firewall services. The security features are crucial for their requirements. The stability and ease of use of FortiWLC also add to its effectiveness.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The technical support from Extreme Networks is perfect."
"ExtremeWireless offers profiles, policies, and tags."
"It's reliable and works well. It's pretty stable."
"The product's price is competitive. It is an impressive and reliable product."
"The central control is valuable."
"ExtremeWireless has good performance."
"The initial setup process is simple."
"It provides seamless connectivity if you move around."
"FortiWLC is valuable due to its security features and the seamless WiFi experience it provides."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiWLC is the overall high quality."
"It's easy to set everything up during implementation."
"I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten."
 

Cons

"The management portal is in need of improvement."
"They could provide different product models. Additionally, there could be a feature to manage devices."
"The solution needs to improve its portfolio."
"Technical support is an area that needs to be improved."
"The solution must include integrated IoT solutions on their wireless APs."
"I experienced issues during firmware upgrades, as some devices required a physical restart, which affects system stability."
"There is some delay in firmware upgrades for access points. When there is a problem with the firmware of one access point, the correction might be too late."
"It is a subscription model, so it is maybe a bit pricey."
"For massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable."
"One thing that is lacking is, compared with some other brands, the signal is a bit weaker. Ruckus has much wider signal coverage."
"However, for massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable."
"Fortinet FortiWLC is not simple to configure when compared to other solutions. The design could be better."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution overall is expensive. Additionally, the controller and license are expensive. We pay for an annual subscription."
"It's not as expensive as some and is scalable to our needs."
"Our access points device is at its end of life. I can buy one more and then I must buy a new device, but if it is a new device it will not support the old virtual appliance. I would need to upgrade our virtual appliance to the next version or build a new virtual appliance with new devices, and it's not good for us. The overall licensing subscription could be better."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"The solution is priced well and we currently are only paying for a license for maintenance."
"Extreme isn't the most expensive, but it's not a low-cost solution, and because there are no big volumes, you don't receive significant discounts, making the final price higher."
"There are both paid and free licenses of the cloud environment, with only basic functionality in the free version."
"ExtremeWireless is subscription-based for both cloud and on-prem solutions, and it's quite expensive."
"The price of Fortinet FortiWLC is high. The solution will be out of the market for us because the price is too high for the features it provides."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
10%
University
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
16%
University
12%
Healthcare Company
10%
Outsourcing Company
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise8
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with ExtremeWireless?
There are concerns regarding the stability of ExtremeWireless. It could be an area of improvement, especially when compared to previous solutions such as Motorola before their acquisition. Another ...
What is your primary use case for ExtremeWireless?
We mainly use ExtremeWireless ( /products/extremewireless-reviews ) for the warehouse, specifically for the Zebra handheld devices and printers.
What advice do you have for others considering ExtremeWireless?
Overall, ExtremeWireless has a lot of room for improvement. The main concern is stability. As a user, I focus on supporting the devices and ensuring they meet my client’s needs. While I do not hand...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiWLC?
I cannot disclose the license price, however, I recommend Fortinet reduce its pricing for massive implementations.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiWLC?
Until now, I have not observed any issues. However, for massive implementations, Fortinet should consider reducing the price to make it more affordable.
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiWLC?
We are resellers of FortiWLC, and our customers mainly use it in enterprise settings, particularly for chemical companies.
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

St. Xavier High School, Americatel, Diamond Light Source
Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Find out what your peers are saying about ExtremeWireless vs. Fortinet FortiWLC and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.