Fortinet vs. SonicWall: Enterprise Wireless LAN Comparison

Fortinet and SonicWall are both well regarded enterprise wireless LAN vendors. This article will help you decide which solution is best for your business.

A wireless local area network (LAN) comprises a group of devices such as desktops, laptops, mobile phones and printers that are connected using high-frequency radio waves instead of cables within a confined area. Users that are connected to a wireless network can freely move within the confined area.

The most popular type of wireless LAN is a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network. The area of coverage of a wireless LAN can simply be broadened by harnessing additional wired or wireless access points (APs). Wireless LAN technology has refined high-speed Internet consumption.

In today’s digital age, wireless LAN technology is popping up everywhere, including office buildings, factories, educational institutions, and households. Wireless networks enable work to happen from anywhere, thereby providing great convenience and increasing employee productivity.

While physical networks are more secure than wireless networks, by using security measures like encryption, a wireless network can be safeguarded from external malice. Clearly, the benefits of wireless networks far exceed their detriments. The advantages of employing an enterprise wireless LAN include:

• Extended reach
• Device flexibility
• Simple installation and management
• Scalability
• Virtual network management

The disadvantages of enterprise wireless LANs, compared to wired LANs, include:

• Quality of service is typically lower
• Connected devices consume more power
• Frequency regulation measures may be employed
• Radio transmission interference is possible

Choosing a Wireless LAN Solution

Within our remote-first working world, employing a robust wireless network solution is a necessity. Wireless LAN solutions provide a more cost-effective and feature-rich alternative to legacy wired LAN solutions. 

While wired LAN solutions are innately more secure than wireless networks, wireless solutions like Fortinet and SonicWall are security-driven and offer far more benefits than wired solutions. As you research wireless LAN solutions, make sure to check for the following: 

• Do the wireless interfaces on your current system support your potential choice?
• Does the wireless LAN network support as many users simultaneously as you need?
• Does the company’s product roadmap support growth that will be a good match with your current expected growth? This is a conversation to have with a sales rep – it won’t be in the product brochure.

To help you decide, here are the key facts about the wireless LAN solutions Fortinet and SonicWall offer. 

Fortinet Wireless LAN

Fortinet Secure Wireless LAN is a security-driven networking solution that provides safe wireless access for the enterprise LAN edge. Fortinet APs (FortiAPs) are Fortinet Security Fabric enabled and protect the valuable data and assets of organizations by providing automated protection, broad visibility, and integrated threat intelligence.

Key Differentiators 

• Fortinet provides a variety of WLAN APs to meet diverse WLAN architecture needs.
• These APs can be configured and controlled with Fortinet FortiGate Network Security Platform or Fortinet FortiLAN Cloud.
• FortiAPs come with a limited lifetime warranty period. The terms of this warranty can be found here.
• Fortinet wireless APs enhance network security at the access layer by providing an automated response to devices that are compromised, thereby eradicating the necessity for human intervention.
• Enjoy fast and simple zero-touch deployment.
• Easily scale from 1-10,000 FortiAPs.
• Inclusive of wireless presence analytics.

Pricing: Fill out a simple form to request a free product demo. Reach out to a Fortinet sales expert to determine the needs of your organization and for pricing details.

SonicWall Wireless LAN

SonicWave Wireless Access Points by SonicWall delivers the reliability, range, and performance of 802.11ac Wave 2 technology. SonicWall’s wireless APs provide advanced and secure wireless features for an enhanced user experience (UX).

Key Differentiators 

• Leverage simplicity of deployment and management in a cost-effective manner. The SonicWiFi application powers zero-touch deployment.
• With flexible deployment options, the product can switch between firewall and cloud management.
• Wireless security features include content filtering services and Capture ATP.
• SonicWave’s wireless APs provide superior UX with auto channel selection, fast roaming, and 802.11ac Wave 2 technology support.
• With rich wireless analytics, you can gain deep insights.
• With SSL/TLS decryption and inspection, you can prevent encrypted threats.
• SonicWave 400 Series Access Points provide high-density enterprise performance. They offer centralized management, comprehensive threat protection and high overall performance and range. 
• SonicWave 400 Series Access Points are available in indoor and outdoor models.

Pricing: Fill out a short form to witness a live demo of SonicWave 400 Series Access Points. Speak to a SonicWave sales representative for pricing information.