It becomes a virtual controller and is very easy to manage along with the Airwave. It's an NMS thing, which is very easy and convenient.
Project Manager at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
Provides good usage, bandwidth existence, device capacity, and utilization
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's most valuable features are its usage, bandwidth existence, device capacity, and utilization."
- "The solution’s pricing could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution's most valuable features are its usage, bandwidth existence, device capacity, and utilization.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s pricing could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Aruba Airwave for ten years.
Buyer's Guide
Aruba Airwave
February 2025
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Learn what your peers think about Aruba Airwave. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution's stability is good. If connected, the system can work with the existing things for the next 48 hours. It is a reliable tool that has failover configurations.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Our clients for Aruba Airwave are usually small businesses.
I rate the solution’s scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The solution provides good technical support.
I rate the solution’s technical support eight and a half out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup is not complex, but it's not easy. Since we are installing the solution on a VM instance, the installer should have knowledge about VMs and servers. The solution can be deployed in a day or two.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Aruba Airwave is an expensive solution. Aruba charges more money for small things, which could be reduced.
What other advice do I have?
Aruba Airwave supports our network troubleshooting activities well because we have the entire monitoring on that. If we face big issues, we have the technical expertise to handle the situation. Aruba Airwave is really helpful because it shows everything, like the utilization, feasibility, and particular laptop or wireless node connectivity.
I would recommend the solution to other users. Other services include Virtual Controller, Aruba Central, and Aruba Airwave. You will get more visibility if you spend more. We even work with Aruba Controller. Aruba Airwave is a better solution if you have multiple branches.
Overall, I rate the solution eight and a half out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
Last updated: Aug 21, 2024
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Good scalability with an easy initial setup process
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's initial setup process is straightforward."
- "Its pricing and support could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for network and access points.
What needs improvement?
The solution's pricing and support could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for a few months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have 140 users and two administrators for the solution in our organization. It is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support is good. Although, we encountered issues while raising the tickets with errors related to integration with other products. The team should cooperate more to help us integrate different solutions.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup process is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is expensive, but it is cheaper than Cisco.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated Fortinet before.
What other advice do I have?
It is a good solution. I rate it a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Aruba Airwave
February 2025
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Learn what your peers think about Aruba Airwave. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Head Of Technical Department at Modern establishment for supply and trading
Good for monitoring, but is missing a dashboard for easy configuration
Pros and Cons
- "I want a management solution to manage and monitor everything from a single dashboard. This is not there with Airwave."
What needs improvement?
Working with Airwave, I want a management solution to manage and monitor everything from a single dashboard. This is not there with Airwave. It would also be good if Aruba could enhance the simplicity of adding configurations. I must make configurations in many steps when configuring Airwave to add any switch.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Aruba Airwave is stable. If a device is added, it's stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
If we need to scale Airwave, we must extend the server resources.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is easy to set up. When deploying the solution, we download the VM or the Airwave software from Aruba software support. We then check the server's prerequisite memory, RAM, hardware, CPU, and so on. After that, we upload the VM as an ISO on the server. After uploading the VM, we perform initial setups such as management ID and gateway and enable the HTTP to enter the server's UI. After that, we can open the Airwave GUI and configure it to version two or three. We then add or collect any devices after configuring the protocol and add switches, wireless controllers, or access points.
The initial setup takes 30 minutes. The time taken to add devices depends on the number of devices. It takes five to ten minutes to configure one device.
What about the implementation team?
I deploy the solution by myself. If the site is big, we can get another engineer. But the configuration is very simple. If we have a lot of switches, the configuration can be made into a template and pushed to all the switches. After that, we can add the devices.
Maintaining the solution is only required in an SMB. If an engineer has configured the solution for an SMB and, for example, used an incorrect password, the device will not appear in Airwave. The engineer will then modify the configuration or remove and add the configuration to check or see what the gap in the configuration is. But this is only for SMB configurations.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We must buy a new license to connect more devices to scale up the solution. If we have ten switches, we'll need ten licenses. If we have one wireless controller and ten switches, we'll need 11 licenses. The licensing price for Airwave is less than Cisco. None of our customers have complained about the cost of this license. Since it's a virtual license, it has a low cost.
What other advice do I have?
If a customer has a solution from any other vendor and needs to change, we recommend Aruba Switches, such as 2930F or 2930M. We recommend Airwave because Airwave can be a physical appliance on-prem and manage all network devices, switches, and access points. It can be a wired or a wireless solution. If the switches or access points are Aruba, the solution can read it. But if they are from any other vendor, Airwave can only monitor them.
Compared with competitors, Airwave can work with vendors other than Aruba, such as Cisco. But the solution will be for monitoring only. Aruba switches can be managed from Airwave. Cisco DNA, however, is only for Cisco and not third-party solutions. Airwave is already a third-party management solution, which is a big issue since its cost is less than Cisco's. The Airwave license is not required from the switch side, only the Airwave side. Other vendors require the license from the management solution and switch sides.
We recommend Airwave when the customer has a lot of different vendors in switching or wireless. We can recommend Aruba Airwave to manage the whole network. We can manage your network, wired or wireless. I rate Aruba Airwave a six out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
Systems and support engineer at Lan to Wan
Offers good dashboard and simplicity
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of the solution are its dashboard and simplicity."
- "The tool's expensive nature is an area of concern where improvements are required."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution in my company for network management and monitoring.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of the solution are its dashboard and simplicity.
What needs improvement?
The tool's expensive nature is an area of concern where improvements are required.
The product's scalability can be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Aruba Airwave for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
In the future, I may plan to increase the number of users of the tool.
The scalability of Aruba Airwave supports our network growth since my company uses Cisco tools with it. Cisco is more scalable than Aruba.
Around nine people in my company use the tool.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support for the solution is very good. I rate the support a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I work with Cisco, Extreme Networks, and Juniper. I chose Aruba over Cisco because it offers cheaply priced products.
How was the initial setup?
The product's initial setup phase is really easy to use.
The product's deployment phase can be completed in a few hours.
The solution is deployed with the help of private cloud services on the Google Cloud Platform.
One person can deploy the solution.
What about the implementation team?
I deployed the tool in my company.
What was our ROI?
I have seen some cost-saving benefits of up to 50 percent after using Aruba Airwave in my company.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The tool is expensive. If one is bad or expensive, and ten is very good or cheap, I rate the product's price as a six.
What other advice do I have?
Aruba Airwave's real-time monitoring impacted our company's operations as it can be done quickly.
My company does not use any AI features associated with the product.
I recommend the product to others who plan to use it since it offers a good dashboard and simplicity, and after considering the time needed to deploy it.
My company doesn't need to do any maintenance of the tool.
I rate the tool a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Google
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Last updated: Aug 14, 2024
Flag as inappropriateNetwork Solutions Architect at a construction company with 10,001+ employees
Specifically designed for Wi-Fi solutions
Pros and Cons
- "Aruba Airwave provides a robust solution for monitoring and configuring Wi-Fi networks."
- "I would try to integrate more products from different vendors in future releases. Because that's really good features that Aruba Airway has, but it's so limited."
What is our primary use case?
I'm a network architect, so I usually propose Aruba Airwave to my clients. I configure it regularly.
I use Aruba Airwave for the management and monitoring of Aruba products. Aruba offers two solutions for management: Aruba Airwave and Aruba Central. They both provide configuration and management capabilities. However, Aruba Airwave is specifically designed for Wi-Fi solutions. Aruba Airwave is more powerful compared to Aruba Central.
What is most valuable?
The best feature of Aruba Airwave, in my opinion, is its ability to work with multiple vendors. It supports a wide range of products, including those from other brands like Cisco. However, compatibility should be checked before configuring non-Aruba devices. Additionally, Aruba Airwave provides a robust solution for monitoring and configuring Wi-Fi networks.
What needs improvement?
There is room for improvement in the monitoring capabilities. Aruba can offer to monitor the product; it can offer a better solution for my network.
In future releases, I would try to integrate more products from different vendors. Because that's really good features that Aruba Airway has, but it's so limited.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Aruba Airwave for about six to seven years.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I also prefer using Aruba Central.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate the solution a six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Sales Executive at Intelys Technology Africa
Scalable product with good technical support services
Pros and Cons
- "The technical support services are good."
- "We encounter delayed ETAs in the manufacturing of hardware."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product to provide a wireless network experience for transforming secure and high-quality data.
What needs improvement?
We encounter delayed ETAs in the manufacturing of hardware.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Aruba Airwave for four and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the product’s stability a six out of ten. It is hosted on the AWS cloud; sometimes, we receive a notification that the platform is down.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product scales efficiently after enabling the IPAPI feature. It is suitable for medium to enterprise businesses. I rate its scalability a ten out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support services are good. They respond to any technical case for assistance.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
I rate the initial setup process a seven out of ten. We deploy it on-premises and on the cloud as well. It takes a lot of time to build the controller license. The implementation time depends on the complexity of the customer’s environment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the product’s pricing a five out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Aruba Airwave an eight out of ten. They are continuously improving the product. It integrates well with Aruba Central, giving full visibility and control of the environment. We can troubleshoot complex site issues using it. It also offers security elements for intrusion detection, intrusion prevention, firewalls, controllers, and gateways.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Consultant at Lantec
Allows you to do ZTP installations for new equipment and is stable and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
- "What I like best about Aruba Airwave is its orchestration feature because it saves configuration time. I also like that it allows you to do ZTP installations for new Aruba equipment."
- "Pricing for Aruba Airwave could be cheaper, which is an area for improvement in the solution."
What is our primary use case?
We develop Aruba Airwave solutions for our clients, which they use for ZTP, mailing access points, and network switches.
What is most valuable?
What I like best about Aruba Airwave is its orchestration feature because it saves configuration time, for example, when adding access points and access lists on switches.
I also like that Aruba Airwave allows you to do ZTP installations for new Aruba equipment.
What needs improvement?
Pricing for Aruba Airwave could be cheaper, which is an area for improvement in the solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Aruba Airwave for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Aruba Airwave is a stable solution. I'm rating its stability as ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Aruba Airwave is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, it's an eight.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support for Aruba Airwave is good. Sometimes, my team creates cases where the support answers and solves the problems.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup for Aruba Airwave is easy because it has a virtual machine template, and Aruba has documentation, including an installation guide that my company follows. Aruba Airwave also has a ZTP setup, making it extremely easy.
Deploying Aruba Airwave took one to two days. You need to download, install, deploy, and configure it, and it'll work.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing cost for Aruba Airwave increased from $72 to $210 within a few months. It would be better if the pricing for the solution were cheaper.
What other advice do I have?
My company uses the monitoring software Aruba Airwave.
I'm using Aruba Airwave version 8.5.
My company currently has ten customers using Aruba Airwave.
One to two network engineers take care of the deployment and maintenance of the solution.
I'm recommending Aruba Airwave to other people looking into implementing it.
My rating for Aruba Airwave is ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Technical Support Specialist Networks at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Provides a lot of reporting capabilities and has a good interface
Pros and Cons
- "This solution gives you a lot of reporting capabilities, and it has a very good interface."
- "I would like to see an integration of services into one system, rather than having multiple systems to do multiple things."
What is our primary use case?
The main use case for this solution is reporting.
What is most valuable?
This solution gives you a lot of reporting capabilities and it has a very good interface.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see an integration of services into one system, rather than having multiple systems to do multiple things. For example, ClearPass has everything in one.
For how long have I used the solution?
Approximately two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In terms of stability, I have zero issues with it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I cannot comment on the scalability because the solution is within my building, and the number of users doesn't change.
Currently, it is used by thirty to sixty people at the maximum.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not dealt with the technical support for AirWave. We have dealt with them for the ClearPass product and Aruba, but not for this solution.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Prior to this, we were using a solution from Juniper Networks, but it was outdated and really old. We did a review of all the products and Aruba AirWave came out high, which is why we switched.
How was the initial setup?
There are two staff members who maintain everything.
What about the implementation team?
The initial setup was done by a contractor, who was very good. It was with a company named MDS.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost is perfect because the devices have a lifetime warranty, and the licensing is good as well. I have no complaints.
What other advice do I have?
This is a straightforward solution but I would suggest that somebody implement it for you. Also, make sure that they have a really good background in it.
I would rate this product a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Updated: February 2025
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