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Fortinet FortiWLM vs Huawei Wireless comparison

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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

Fortinet FortiWLM
Ranking in Wireless LAN
10th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
30
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Huawei Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
12th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
36
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiWLM is 3.2%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Huawei Wireless is 4.2%, down from 6.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Fortinet FortiWLM3.2%
Huawei Wireless4.2%
Other92.6%
Wireless LAN
 

Q&A Highlights

SS
Sr. Technical Executive at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Feb 08, 2021
 

Featured Reviews

LuayHlaleh - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Fahad Doguwa - PeerSpot reviewer
Deputy Manager at Central Bank of Nigeria
Affordable platform with efficient analytics features
Huawei adapters have facilitated seamless integration with mobile devices, extending the LAN's reach. Additionally, including CampusInsight, a component offering analytics and visibility into wireless connectivity, has proven invaluable. This feature enables us to monitor network health and troubleshoot user-related issues efficiently. The reliability has had a positive impact on our operations. I advise others to go for Cisco if cost is not a factor. Otherwise, they can explore other options based on the availability of that OEM within the country. We have Huawei present in our country and provide all the necessary support, so we went forward with them. I rate it a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We are getting better coverage, better throughput, and a more stable connection with Fortinet FortiWLM."
"The most valuable features of this solution are its speed, reliability, and integration with the firewall."
"We innovate the business process, we innovate how employees work in their companies, and in the case of stores we are bringing new results and new income, helping them grow their sales with customers who like to go to their stores because they can access the information they need, connect to the wireless LAN, compare prices, and engage with the retail store."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is the management."
"At the moment, particularly with the COVID-19 situation, the most valuable feature is probably the IPsec VPN, which is easy to implement with Fortinet."
"Fortinet Wireless is a very good product, in terms of reliability and in terms of configuration also."
"The firewall integration is very important for the security of the connection."
"Although there are a few steps, the initial setup is pretty straightforward."
"It is based on 802.11ax, which is a new technology. There are several valuable things, such as its speed and mobility. There are options for self-organizing networking so that it can perform operations and maintain itself. Its three interfaces are very good and user friendly."
"The solution is easily managed compared to other wireless solutions."
"The solution is very user-friendly and easy to use."
"Huawei Wireless has controllers inside the switches."
"That would be more of engineering at this point. I'm from more of the business side. It's pretty much doing the standard installations with portal integrations and integrations with the Mac."
"The solution has high performance and we are using Wi-Fi 6 that we have found to be the best coverage."
"This solution is very simple and the interface is user-friendly."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is its simplicity."
 

Cons

"This solution should be easier to set up in a production environment."
"When using the FortiGate as the wireless controller, you cannot have automatic user registration, which is something that they should offer."
"In the next release, they could improve by adding a controller-less server, or architecture that is provided in other solutions, such as Aruba. Additionally, they could improve the feature sets to be more competitive."
"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."
"One of the main features that I see as lacking in any of the Fortinet products is the reporting."
"One area that needs improvement is the configuration aspect, which is more challenging compared to other products, despite Fortinet FortiWLM being a popular brand in Sri Lanka."
"Because of this, our experience with FortiWLM hasn't been very good, and we have not implemented any further FortiWLM solutions for other customers to date."
"There is very little publicly available information about Virtual Cell and Single Channel Architecture."
"Huawei Wireless has a small technical problem. When you use a power injector, it needs to be specially configured for the switch to which it is connected."
"Technical support is not great. Whenever I open a case, I don't get any immediate support."
"The solution could be easier to use."
"As such, there are no problems. It has been good. There were some issues with the network design, but that is not specifically related to the product. We had to make some improvements in the network design. The product as such is fine, and there are no big issues. We are using the latest version having most of the features available in the industry, so the specs are very high. If something new comes up new in the industry, it needs to be incorporated into the product."
"The security of the solution could be better in the future."
"I have already integrated the radius system with Cisco and Huawei products, but it can be further improved to be more user-friendly and easier to use."
"What needs improvement in Huawei Wireless is after-sales support. I've faced many after-sales support issues, so that's the area I want Huawei to improve. Having an SLA with customers is what I'd suggest to Huawei Wireless."
"There was one time I had a problem with their centralized licensing. I called the Indian call center, but the response was not that good."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Fortinet would do something with their pricing model to attract smaller business users and eliminate the mandatory service contracts."
"Licensing has become easier. There is no longer a per-AP license needed on the controller."
"The product is highly expensive. I rate the pricing a ten."
"There is a perpetual license required for this solution and the price could be reduced."
"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."
"Support contracts typically cost approximately $100.00 per year."
"We don't have any control on the pricing. This comes from Huawei in India. Pricing-wise, Huawei is very aggressive and competitive if you compare them to competitors, like Cisco, Aruba, and Ruckus. The Indian Huawei team tells us, "Just pick up the order and design the infrastructure. If there are any pricing challenge, we'll work on that and we will try to match things 100 percent.""
"Huawei Wireless is an expensive product. I'm rating it as one out of ten, price-wise."
"I rate Huawei Wireless' pricing a five out of ten."
"Extras come with a surcharge."
"Huawei Wireless is a cheaper solution when you compare it to the cost of other similar solutions. It has one of the most competitive prices out there."
"Its price is very good. This wireless system totally costs about 30,000 euros, and some of the other solutions cost about 45,000 euros. It is a difference of 15,000 euros, which is quite a lot of money."
"I would rate them something, like, eight to nine, on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."
"The price of Huawei Wireless is very good."
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Answers from the Community

SS
Sr. Technical Executive at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Feb 8, 2021
Feb 8, 2021
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
AT
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
IA
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.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
12%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Outsourcing Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise12
 

Questions from the Community

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.
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...
What is your primary use case for Fortinet FortiWLM?
I use this solution for the enterprise to segment the department.
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...
 

Also Known As

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

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Anhui Agricultural University (AAU), China Everbright Bank
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiWLM vs. Huawei Wireless and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
917,433 professionals have used our research since 2012.