Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs Fortinet FortiWLM comparison

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Juniper Logo
4,957 views|3,435 comparisons
100% willing to recommend
Cisco Logo
27,723 views|21,294 comparisons
92% willing to recommend
Fortinet Logo
4,645 views|4,201 comparisons
94% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN and Fortinet FortiWLM based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Wireless LAN solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Fortinet FortiWLM Report (Updated: March 2024).
768,578 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"It provides private network access, helping us protect our company’s devices.""The most valuable feature of Juniper Mist is the Virtual Network Assistant, powered by artificial intelligence.""In terms of reporting, in terms of all the user reports, it's very rich.""You can easily monitor, manage, and cover all your IT equipment.""The solution is pretty generic and easy to use.""The most valuable feature of Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) is the ability to troubleshoot ports on the network. Additionally, when there is an update on the APs they are able to reboot quickly reducing downtime. Other solutions have a longer downtime when updates are done.""The AI capabilities of Mist Wireless are superior to other OEMs.""The most valuable feature of the solution is Marvis, the AI-driven network management system."

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"Its ability to be cloud-managed is the most valuable feature so if there's a reconfiguration or an issue, we have excellent visibility into the network and we can usually resolve the problem online without having to go onsite.""The most valuable feature of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is that it is fast and does the job.""The management and upgrades are very simple and straightforward.""With Cisco products and third-party products, integration of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is good.""The most important feature is flexibility.""The ability to manage it remotely is the most valuable. If it has an internet connection, you can get to it. It is a great product for remote clinics. We kind of thought about doing this kind of standalone technology. Meraki is easy to manage. From a management perspective, it is the easiest to use, especially in the cloud. I like Meraki. I even have it in my home.""It's easy to manage and provides a clear network view, allowing efficient navigation down to the network details.""The solution ensures seamless connectivity as users move within the office. Six installed Meraki APs provide excellent coverage for around three hundred users, offering reliable speeds. Additionally, the system allows guests and users with priority devices to connect using their SAP ID. The traffic is managed through D and G controllers to meet the specified requirements for continuous connection and speed."

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"Fortinet FortiWLM is good for tracking assets, monitoring, and overall management.""The Fortinet FortiWLM system can be controlled through the cloud controller, which is convenient when the solution is not installed in our environment, as it allows us to manage the entire WiFi or access points and provides more adaptability.""The most valuable features are the roaming profile, the mesh, and the performance.""Seamless roaming by leveraging Virtual Cell is a major advantage which reduces roam times and issues related to roaming. Code stability has been excellent and the hardware quality is second to none.""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.""If you do have a FortiGate Firewall somewhere in the network, you can connect the wireless controller to that... You get 100 percent visibility from a single point... You can see everything that's connected to the FortiGate, whether it's a switch or a wireless AP or a wireless controller or any other Fortinet product.""I use Fortinet FortiWLM for wireless communication and the internet.""The most valuable feature of the solution is the management."

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Cons
"The product should include adaptive Wi-Fi to show a more accurate location.""They should include SD-WAN features to it.""I need a bit more time with it before criticizing the features.""The pricing is very high in the Indian market.""The pricing should be made cheaper.""Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) could improve if the MIST platform had a built-in master key. This would be an advantage.""There is room for improvement in terms of support and installation.""Improving third-party integration is key for Juniper Mist's next release."

More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Cons →

"In a future release, they should offer a next-generation UTM, where you can manage all items and the network, and have it include a lot of security features like fingerprinting functionality.""I would like to see integration with sensors.""The wireless infrastructure scalability has room for improvement.""Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN's management tools need enhancement.""The annual maintenance is something that needs to be changed.""It would be better if they enable full integration with Cisco's cloud-based network in the next release.""The initial setup was simple. However, the full deployment could be easier.""I'd like better integration with security providers."

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"Cost is something that could be improved, but you have to pay for what you get.""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.""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.""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.""This solution should be easier to set up in a production environment.""Areas for improvement would be the compatibility with Apple products and cross-platform integration.""The guest management features need to be improved by adding automation.""I have used Cisco previously and I don't see any specific differences from Fortinet FortiWLM or other vendors."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "We pay maybe 1000 SEK per year, per access point."
  • "Juniper Wireless AP's price is a little more expensive than other solutions, but you get what you pay for."
  • "The pricing is something Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series) can work on. The pricing is very high compared to the competition."
  • "The pricing is too high."
  • "The solution is expensive."
  • "I rate Juniper Mist's pricing a ten out of ten since it is expensive."
  • "I rate the pricing an eight out of ten."
  • More Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Negotiate the deal put in front of you!"
  • "At this price point, I would not mind seeing a four-way channel, instead of a 3x3 or a 4x4, like they do in the Cisco Aironet system with their other brand. For the same price point in this other Cisco brand, it is a lot cheaper, and you can get a slightly better throughput than you can with these."
  • "​If you are wondering if Meraki can work for you, contact one of their representatives because they will do onsite trials where you can set up their system. If it does not work, you can send it back to them for no charge.​​"
  • "The price is negotiable."
  • "It's a pretty good value, but not great. Pricing is on a yearly basis for the Meraki solution."
  • "The price is good, but it could be improved."
  • "You have to renew your contract every year, or for three or for five years. If you do not pay right away they will suspend your subscription."
  • "The pricing is based on a subscription and is a bit high at the moment."
  • More Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
  • "If a customer already is a FortiGate customer, the cost to go to the FortiAP is incredibly affordable, because you already have the controller."
  • "For indoor access points, there is a one-time cost, upfront, whereas outdoor access points have an annual fee."
  • "Fortinet would do something with their pricing model to attract smaller business users and eliminate the mandatory service contracts."
  • "There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."
  • "Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."
  • "To save yourself from increased setup and maintenance costs, I highly recommend undertaking a proper site survey from the beginning."
  • "Licensing costs are reasonable. There are so many different types of licenses with Fortinet, but the licensing and the 24/7/365 support are so reasonable that I automatically include it with every transaction. I never line item it without it. There are no additional costs."
  • More Fortinet FortiWLM Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:You can easily monitor, manage, and cover all your IT equipment.
    Top Answer:I rate Juniper Mist's pricing a ten out of ten since it is expensive.
    Top Answer:The pricing is very high in the Indian market. Eight to nine OEMs are also available in the market, giving you their… more »
    Top Answer:Depends.  I have personally used both Cisco and Aruba so I am familiar with them.  Extreme I am not, so unless they have… more »
    Top Answer:Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to be… more »
    Top Answer:Cisco’s Meraki Virtual MX is a virtual instance of the Meraki SD-WAN appliance. We liked the Meraki. The Wifi APs are a… more »
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Juniper Wireless Access Points (AP Series), Mist Access Points
    MR18, MR26, MR32, MR34, MR66, MR72, Meraki Wireless LAN, Meraki WLAN
    FortiWLM, FortiAP, Fortinet AP/OAP, Meru Wireless LAN
    Learn More
    Cisco
    Video Not Available
    Overview

    Juniper Wireless Access Points work in conjunction with Juniper Mist Cloud Services and Mist AI to deliver premier wireless access capabilities. The Juniper Mist Edge extends microservices to the campus to bring agility and scale while enabling new applications at the edge.

    Cisco Meraki access points are built from the highest grade components and carefully optimized for a seamless user experience. The outcome: faster connections, greater user capacity, more coverage, and fewer support calls. The Cisco Meraki dashboard gives visibility into the network users, their devices, and their applications. Armed with rich analytics, administrators can quickly create access control and application usage policies, optimizing both the end-user experience and network security.

    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.

    Sample Customers
    Information Not Available
    Advanced Medical Transport, Banco de Guayaquil, Baylor Scott & White Health, BH Telecom, Bowling Green State University, Calligaris, Children's Hospital Colorado, City of Biel, Del Papa Distributing, Department of Justice, Dimension Data, Dualtec Cloud Builders, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS), Hertz, K&L Gates , LightEdge, Lone Star College System, Management Science Associates, Mindtree, NBC Olympics, Quest, Sony Corporation, The Department of Education in Western Australia, Valley Proteins
    Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Educational Organization25%
    Computer Software Company25%
    Newspaper13%
    Healthcare Company13%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company19%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Government7%
    Educational Organization6%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider19%
    Educational Organization10%
    Financial Services Firm8%
    Non Profit8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company20%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    Manufacturing Company6%
    Government6%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider22%
    Educational Organization22%
    Construction Company11%
    Computer Software Company11%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company16%
    Comms Service Provider12%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Government6%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business40%
    Midsize Enterprise20%
    Large Enterprise40%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise53%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business54%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise25%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business29%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise55%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business70%
    Midsize Enterprise5%
    Large Enterprise25%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business31%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise54%
    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Fortinet FortiWLM
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Fortinet FortiWLM and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    768,578 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is ranked 4th in Wireless LAN with 115 reviews while Fortinet FortiWLM is ranked 15th in Wireless LAN with 22 reviews. Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is rated 8.2, while Fortinet FortiWLM is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN writes "Offers good mobility, stability and scalability ". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Fortinet FortiWLM writes "Impressive manufacturing quality, highly durable, and very easy to deploy". Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN is most compared with Aruba Wireless, Ubiquiti Wireless, Mist AI and Cloud, Ruckus Wireless and Ekahau Site Survey, whereas Fortinet FortiWLM is most compared with Aruba Wireless, Ruckus Wireless, Cisco Wireless, Ubiquiti Wireless and Omada Access Points. See our Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN vs. Fortinet FortiWLM report.

    See our list of best Wireless LAN vendors.

    We monitor all Wireless LAN reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.