Aruba ClearPass Reviews

Our clients use Aruba ClearPass for identity authentication on their local area network and their Wi-Fi. For one of our clients, we're using the OnGuard function for health checks, and we're also using the Guest Captive portal.

The most valuable thing about Aruba ClearPass is ease of use for security policies, as it has a much better granular configuration on policies for security. It also allows us to do certain functions which we would not be able to do without Aruba ClearPass, particularly with mobile devices and security. The platform has helped us in a lot of ways where there are aspects that we are limited to, and can't be done in our environment without the server.

The only area that really needs improvement in Aruba ClearPass is the onboarding for doing TLS authentication. The biggest problem we've seen in our environment is Huawei not being able to get onto Google Play. No Huawei device can be onboarded via Aruba ClearPass easily.

An additional feature we'd like to see in the next release of Aruba ClearPass is for its OnGuard function, its health check function. We'd like it to have the functionality for installing or copying files that are required for remediation on health checks. For example: if you're using Aruba ClearPass and you do a health check, if the client is missing a file or a particular product such as an antivirus product, we would like the opportunity to have the files copied or installed in the platform, because currently there are some limitations when you want to do remediation.

If the client is missing a file and you want them to install a specific application, we have to provide an HTTP download so they can download the file for the remediation to work. What I would like to see is a bigger storage area in Aruba ClearPass so we can upload those files in the platform, rather than having those files in an external server for downloading, because we've had huge problems with doing remediation to locations that require an HTTP download.

What we'd like is having the ability to put the applications on Aruba ClearPass directly, to make the remediation steps for clients when they're missing software, to get those directly from the platform, because currently, you can't put a big file onto Aruba ClearPass as there are size limitations.

I've been using Aruba ClearPass continuously within the last 12 months.

Aruba ClearPass has always been very reliable. I've always been well-impressed with it as it's a very stable product. The only problems I've experienced with it was because of people doing something else and causing Aruba ClearPass to malfunction. For example: people deleted authentication sources out of the platform without letting us know that they've deleted those authentication sources, creating problems on Aruba ClearPass because they changed the configuration.

I've been working directly with Aruba ClearPass and I've not had any problems with it, it usually works properly. If no one changes anything, it works.

Technical support from Aruba has always been fantastic, especially the support for Aruba ClearPass. I usually get responses from their technical team very quickly, especially for any T1 call. I've never experienced a problem with the technical support for Aruba ClearPass. They've always been exceptional.

Setting up Aruba ClearPass is complex. It's a complex installation.

I work with Aruba ClearPass and Aruba Wi-Fi, and we do have clients who use Aruba ClearPass with their Cisco equipment. I'm an ACPP professional on Aruba ClearPass, so I work with a few clients who use the platform.

I've been working with version 6.9.9 of the platform.

I'm scoring Aruba ClearPass a ten out of ten. If I can score it higher than ten, twelve for example, I would, because it's that good. It's an unbelievable system and it unlocks a lot of limitations on Wi-Fi and LAN, in terms of security.

We have a wireless network for guests and employees. That is one of the biggest use cases for ClearPass.

These products help you to organize stuff. At the same time, these allow forms of regulatory requirements, for example, how to do, or what to do, what not to do, et cetera.

There are many features. Use case-wise, there are maybe 60% of features that you will choose. We don't have any particular kind of feature usage. Our usage is typical usage for any enterprise.

It is easy to use and more integrated with the Aruba wireless networks. That was the biggest selling point for us. We use Aruba Wireless and the Aruba identity engine as well as ClearPass. That was the whole point of using this product. Technically you can use it anywhere, however, since we already use a lot of Aruba, it made sense to keep using another solution.

The setup is simple. 

After HP, their support is the worst.

When you come into the production part, you want to know how easily you can do the updates or how you can easily you can do the patching. Once it comes to the support, if it is in the middle of the day when you are having some issues, and you don't get it, that's where you start thinking this is not the right product. For me, I mean, overall, it's not the pre-sales experience that needs improvement. It's post-sales. I know Aruba is one of the two products that I always like; however, it's the whole life cycle of the product that makes something good. For example, Cisco is not a good product. No one can beat their support. Aruba is a good product, yet if you need technical assistance, it's not good at all. 

I've been using the solution for six to eight years.

The stability is fine. We have no problems with that. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable. Peformance-wise, it's good.

The solution is scalable. I'd rate the ability to scale at an eight or nine out of ten in terms of how easy it is to expand. 

We have 5,000 users on the solution. 

Support is not great. It's actually quite bad. 

Negative

We use Aruba ClearPass and we use Cisco.

Aruba is a little simpler. When I say simpler, it means it has fewer knobs to tweak. However, if you have more knobs to tweak, you can control it a little bit differently.

Cisco ISE has been patched up in the last couple of years. It is a very good product and a very stable one. I don't see any real difference between the two products. They are 75% the same. We have the Cisco switching, and we like the Cisco ISE for that. If you have Aruba on the wireless, you want more Aruba.

It's fairly easy to set up. The vendor we work with is good and we are quite familiar with how it works. We use other similar products and don't have issues with the setup. Similar to Aruba and then Aruba Wireless, it is easy to manage with one vendor or one full contractor and you leave it there.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten in terms of ease of setup. 

We spent maybe three or four hours across two days doing the deployment. 

In terms of maintenance, you need to handle patching and vulnerability management sometimes. Historically, maintenance has been fine with the older versions. Recently, it is a little bit challenging.

We have three people who can the maintenance. Typically, one person is needed for the job.

We had a partner who sold Aruba to us. However, we work for other products, so we just sat down for a couple of days and that's it. That is all the time you need to set it up.

Their ROI is good. The ROI may be a bit less than Cisco in terms of the full environment. 

The licensing is almost the same as Cisco ISE. It is a little less, actually. It is a fair price. The only thing is all these products know each other's prices so they keep theirs pretty close to the same. Aruba will typically be a little less than Cisco to make it seem that they show benefit on the cost. However, it depends on how your terms are with the partners. You can maybe get a better discount. It is how your relationship is the principal that dictates the price. We have a fair discount, for example.

Support may be an additional cost.

We're a customer and end-user.

While I'm unsure which version of the solution we're using, it's likely close to the latest.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

I would advise new users to try to get better support lined up with them before buying the product. There's your account manager and support. If you discuss support before purchasing, you won't be alone. In contrast, with Cisco, you are never alone. Even if you call in the middle of the night, you will get assistance. 

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

From a pricing perspective, even though the initial procurement was costly, the renewals were not that costly. From an OpEx perspective, considering that the renewals were not that costly, the cost is very much under control. I am not talking about the initial CapEx, but from an OpEx perspective, the tool's cost is very much under control, which is the most important feature. If I don't consider the fine-tuning part and take into consideration the implementation method, I would describe it as something that has a straightforward process. The fine-tuning part takes time.

The support offered for the solution has certain concerns, making it an area where improvements are required. Regarding the solution, the integration issues are hardly a problem. It is important to have a good support partner who knows about the solution so that the product's users don't face any integration-related issues. My company's main problem was related to the tool's support.

I have been using Aruba ClearPass for a year and a half. My company is a customer of the product.

The stability of the solution was okay.

My company has around 1,200 to 1,300 users of the product.

I have experience with Fortinet. In terms of the functionalities that my company is able to achieve, Fortinet was much better than Aruba ClearPass. Fortinet also used to provide good support. Though the features provided by Fortinet and Aruba ClearPass were the same, the ease of use and the support provided by the former were important.

It is easy to look at the deployment phase in two parts. If you are looking at the base installation, then it was a very straightforward process, which I would rate an eight or nine out of ten. If you look at the tool's deployment phase from a fine-tuning perspective, I feel it was very complex.

The solution can be deployed in three months. Three to four people in my company were involved in the deployment process.

In terms of your fixed cost, it is much less than a lot of other solutions in the market. The initial cost is very high.

The main reason my company started to look for alternate solutions against Aruba ClearPass was that we faced some issues in terms of the levels of integration that we were able to achieve and the support offered by Aruba.

Speaking about my experience with integrating Aruba ClearPass with some multi-vendor environments, I would say that my company had faced issues in terms of the support that we received for Aruba ClearPass, specifically when it came to the area of the configuration changes or any part involving reimplementation. My company did some reference checks related to Aruba's partners, and we saw that we were not getting very positive feedback regarding how the solution is implemented in some organizations.

I haven't reached the level where I can comment about how the product's guest access functionality has improved visitor management for our business. When my company was involved in the reimplementation phase of the tool, we wanted to implement guest access, Wi-Fi access, and other advanced functionalities but didn't reach that level.

In terms of real-time functionalities, my company was not able to access such features, considering the support-related issues we were facing. My company was not able to make good use of it.

If you plan to use the solution, it is important to ensure that you have very good support in terms of both the OEM product and the partner.

I rate the tool a seven out of ten.

I use the solution for automatic authentication. We purchased access license 1K and use it with our WiFi networks and user LANs. Our company domain uses authentication through Active Directory. We also have a central MSP account from where we are managing 53,000 devices.

I like the stability and the GUI, which is always improving.

Because some users use OS 10, it would be good if the solution could group its functions better. Also, the processing time taken while onboarding needs to be reduced.

I've been using Aruba ClearPass for two to three years.

The solution is stable.

We have 300 to 400 people using Aruba ClearPass at our office.

The solution was easy to set up. There was a feature that needed 15 to 30 minutes to load. This is a concern when there are hundreds of projects because it wastes time. The onboarding time still needs to be considered.

When deploying the solution, we do the pre-configuration at our office, so every device should be configured. Afterward, we send the devices to many customers' locations. That's why we need onboarding time to be reduced because we are not dealing directly with the deployment. We are using panels.

We had three to four staff members handling the configuration and the deployment.

The solution is priced per user. There are three types of licenses.

The last version of the Aruba Central portal only opened connections to Amazon and Azure, making integrating with those platforms easier. Authentication was simple, so the portal and the cloud were well-integrated.

I recommend Aruba ClearPass to anyone planning on using it and rate it a seven to eight out of ten.

My prior company used the solution to integrate multiple environments such as Cisco, Aruba wireless or wired devices, and BYOD cases. 

The solution integrates seamlessly. 

The continuous server and posturing are valuable. 

The solution should be more precise for VMs and allow for management of the entire system or stack. For example, the solution shows device-only information for Cisco AIs.

I have been using the solution for seven years. 

The solution is stable. 

The solution is definitely scalable. 

Technical support assisted us with our implementation and was good. 

The setup was straightforward with no issues. Deployment took one month and was a challenge because we had to integrate 600 devices. 

We utilized technical support for our implementation. 

The ROI is secure data. The question is whether you can afford downtime for a single unit or an entire system. It is hard to measure the value of data but is something you can't compromise. 

The solution has a licensing model. 

We did a proof of concept with Cisco ISE but chose the solution because we liked its seamless integration experience. 

Before implementing the solution, it is important to understand the system, develop plans, and determine what needs to be integrated. Learn what the solution does and how it will work with your use case. 

For example, some people choose the work kit without knowing what they need. Some require only the resource manager. Some don't know their gradual requirements for monitoring or management. Some don't understand that the solution is also provides network security. 

I rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

We're using Aruba ClearPass for policy management, security health check, and authorization, as well as assistive network by Active Directory or Google mail.

What I like most about Aruba ClearPass is that it has the best enforcement feature for the network. I also like its Guest Captive Portal and virtual security enforcement features, but the virtual security enforcement feature is still under testing by my company.

Aruba ClearPass also has a wonderful UI which I find valuable.

An issue with Aruba ClearPass is the lack of information and poor community support. You can't find the material easily on the internet for any issues. For example, if you're looking for any configuration or exploring any issue, it's not easy to find information, and this is the problem with Aruba ClearPass. Access to helpful information and poor community support could be improved.

Another area for improvement in Aruba ClearPass is that some of its advanced features aren't easy to find. For example, my team needed to apply Google single sign-on, but it wasn't easy to find. Aruba ClearPass is a big solution with a lot of capabilities, and it's a very advanced solution, so you need to either have some experience with it or undergo some training. Aruba ClearPass is a very good solution from the network perspective, but the issue is the poor support you get from the community. When you try using the solution, some areas aren't easy. When you search on YouTube, you'll find very few materials about Aruba ClearPass. It isn't like Cisco where you can find information from hundreds of websites, on YouTube, etc. This is bad for Aruba, so this area should be improved.

Aruba has a training center, but the usual training offered is only for Aruba Wireless and Aruba Switches. If you have another solution, it's not easy to integrate it with Aruba ClearPass, so this is an area for improvement. You need to do some research to successfully integrate your solution with Aruba ClearPass. We integrated Aruba ClearPass with Ubiquiti WiFi, and it's working fine with no issues. My next project is to start integrating Aruba ClearPass with Cisco Switches.

The solution is good, but on the website, there's no book and no video, and you can't find the material on Aruba ClearPass easily. This is one of the issues with Aruba.

I have around one to two months of experience with Aruba ClearPass.

Aruba ClearPass is a very stable solution. My team didn't experience any hangs or any abnormal behavior from it. If you apply the required configuration, Aruba ClearPass works well. Stability is a good point in the solution.

Aruba ClearPass scales well. It's a scalable solution.

The technical support for Aruba ClearPass is good and responds very fast.

The initial setup for Aruba ClearPass isn't complex, but you need the training to set it up.

The deployment for the solution is very easy, and you can install it within half an hour, but this is a NAC solution. In terms of configuration, it's not a switch configuration or an IT configuration. Aruba ClearPass has one thousand scenarios in our network, and the problem is that you need a lot of information, so its configuration isn't as straightforward.

The deployment for Aruba ClearPass was done in-house. I took training classes from the Aruba training center. It was on-demand training.

The licensing cost for Aruba ClearPass is a bit expensive. Its pricing could be better. The license costs around $125,000 for the perpetual license and support for one year. Aruba can give you a license with five thousand endpoint access and one thousand five hundred onboard licenses on one hundred endpoints and two controllers.

My company is evaluating Aruba ClearPass right now. It isn't live, but it's under evaluation or testing currently.

I'm using version 6.10 of Aruba ClearPass.

My rating for Aruba ClearPass is nine out of ten.

Between ten to twenty people use Aruba ClearPass within the company. There's only a small amount of users of Aruba ClearPass currently because the solution is still under evaluation. Once Aruba ClearPass is live, my impression is that there would be no issues with it in terms of connectivity.

My advice to others looking into using Aruba ClearPass is to get good training from the Aruba virtual training center. The training costs extra. The on-demand training costs around $500. I also recommend doing the structured training, but that would cost around $3,000.

My company is a customer of Aruba.

We use the solution for security.

It provides a single access point and is highly available.

The period of firmware updates is very short.

I have been using Aruba ClearPass for one year.

It consists of one-time passwords, so you don't have many challenges.

I rate the solution’s stability an eight out of ten.

We have 700-800 users, out of which 50 are concurrent.

I rate the solution’s scalability a nine out of ten.

The initial setup is easy.
If you take a controller concerning the APN, that is a one-time setup. Once you set it up, it doesn't give you any problem going further. The one-time setup takes around four to eight hours.

Compared to other solutions, it has a standard price.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Aruba ClearPass is used for managing and identifying users.

The most valuable feature of Aruba ClearPass is its ease of use and the GUI is user-friendly.

I have been using Aruba ClearPass for approximately three years.

Aruba ClearPass is stable.

The scalability of Aruba ClearPass is good. We can add more users if we want.

We have two technical staff members using the solution.

We have used the support from Aruba ClearPass and they have helped us with our issues.

I rate the support from Aruba ClearPass a five out of five.

We have had some issues with the installation of Aruba ClearPass. 

There is a license to use Aruba ClearPass.

I recommend Aruba ClearPass to others.

I rate Aruba ClearPass a nine out of ten.