I use Aruba Instant On Switches to support our network. We have anywhere from three to seven hub rooms in each school.
Sysnet Specialist at a educational organization with 11-50 employees
Reliable network management benefits from straightforward setup while requiring better diagnostics
Pros and Cons
- "I have enjoyed the switches. They are fairly easy to use."
- "They don't have a lot of diagnostics tools, which could be an area for improvement."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
I have enjoyed the switches. They are fairly easy to use. I haven't really run into any major problems. They're not very diagnostic, which could be an improvement, but they are easy enough to add more to the stack. The switches are easy to use because they have been reliable and user-friendly.
What needs improvement?
I have run into a couple of problems with the switches. Recently, one of the newer stacks stopped working and had to be rebooted individually. They don't have a lot of diagnostics tools, which could be an area for improvement.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The switches are generally stable. Occasionally I encounter issues like when one of the switches in our newer stacks stopped working. It was easy to fix with a reboot yet requires a manual unplug on-site.
Buyer's Guide
Aruba Instant On Switches
February 2025
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Learn what your peers think about Aruba Instant On Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is easy enough to add more to the stack.
How are customer service and support?
Their support is great. I would rate it at eight point five out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I mostly used Cisco Catalyst. One of the main differences has been language. With the newer Aruba switches, they are making it a bit closer to Cisco, however, there are still some differences.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is straightforward. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the ease of setup as a seven.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I think the pricing for the switches is reasonable.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have mostly used Cisco, specifically Cisco Catalyst, and not Ruckus. There are some language differences between Cisco and Aruba.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the overall solution as a seven out of ten. For the most part, I would recommend Aruba Instant On Switches, as they have been good.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Feb 12, 2025
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Network & Security Department Head at Hypernet Indonesia
Have simple deployment and doesn't require many functions
Pros and Cons
- "The solution has a simple deployment and zero border."
- "It could have an MSP portal version."
What is most valuable?
The solution has a simple deployment and zero border.
What needs improvement?
The solution neither offers advanced features nor security. It could have an MSP portal version.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Aruba Instant On Switches as a partner for 2-3years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is suitable for medium- to low customer segmentation because it directly addresses. The Instant portal is not available for MSP management, which would be very useful for MSP companies in managing inbound products like switches or access points. This is crucial because we manage many customers using Instant On products.
More than 20 users are using this solution.
The solution’s scalability is easy.
I rate the solution’s scalability a seven to eight out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is simple and takes 15-30 minutes, depending on the sites.
We need to establish hosting, management IP, and uplink on the port. The management is on the cloud and remote.
What was our ROI?
If you are a company or a startup business, using this one is preferable because it's cheaper, simpler, faster to deploy, and doesn't require many functions.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You don't need the license.
What other advice do I have?
If the company or the customer is a growing enterprise, we change the type of switches.
You need to work as you currently account for assessing the customer before you decide to use Instant On because they may over-expect the R&D feature or expect enterprise features. Its devices cannot supervise it and are only suitable for small to medium businesses. So, if any customer or company wants to grow to the high server, they also need to adjust the type of switches or provide better-advanced features.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Buyer's Guide
Aruba Instant On Switches
February 2025
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Learn what your peers think about Aruba Instant On Switches. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Channel Sales Manager at Denave
The tool's implementation is plug-and-play and pricing is not expensive
Pros and Cons
- "The tool's best part is the commercials. Its pricing is lower compared to other enterprise products. We pitch the product to customers who have budget constraints. Its implementation is plug-and-play."
- "Some customers have made complaints about Aruba Instant On Switches' stability."
What is most valuable?
The tool's best part is the commercials. Its pricing is lower compared to other enterprise products. We pitch the product to customers who have budget constraints. Its implementation is plug-and-play.
What needs improvement?
Some customers have made complaints about Aruba Instant On Switches' stability.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the tool's stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Aruba Instant On Switches is scalable for SMBs. If you need more scalability, then you need to buy enterprise products.
How are customer service and support?
Aruba Instant On Switches' support is good. You get a lifetime warranty for enterprise versions.
How was the initial setup?
Aruba Instant On Switches' has straightforward implementation. It can be completed in one to two days.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Aruba Instant On Switches is not expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the product a nine out of ten. It offers peace of mind. You don't have to worry about anything after implementation. You can manage it easily with less manpower.
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
Cybersecurity Engineer, System Administartor at Erciyes University
Stable solution with good quality service
Pros and Cons
- "Its customer service is good."
- "Its scalability needs improvement."
What is our primary use case?
The solution syncs network traffic and shares internet connections with clients.
What needs improvement?
The solution's scalability and pricing need improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for over seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution. I rate its stability as a nine.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have 30,000 solution users as our customers. It is a scalable solution. Although, it could be more dynamic while scaling the network for high bandwidth.
I rate its scalability as a seven.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's customer service is good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used Juniper earlier. Its support, scalability, and stability were not up to the mark. Thus, we switched to Aruba.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is easy to install. I rate the setup process as an eight. It takes two to three hours to complete and requires one person for execution. Also, it is easy to maintain and needs three executives for the process.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution could be less expensive. I rate its pricing a six.
What other advice do I have?
The solution provides the best quality of service. I recommend it to others and rate it as a nine.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Manager at GASCO
Excellent performance at an affordable price
Pros and Cons
- "The best thing about Aruba Instant On Switches is their cost."
- "The support needs improvement."
What is our primary use case?
Aruba Instant On Switches is used to provide network connectivity for organizations that can't afford Cisco solutions.
What is most valuable?
The best thing about Aruba Instant On Switches is their cost.
What needs improvement?
The support needs improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Aruba Instant On Switches for a couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Aruba Instant On Switches is stable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay an annual licensing fee.
What other advice do I have?
I give Aruba Instant On Switches a nine out of ten.
The maintenance requires four people.
I recommend using Aruba Instant On Switches for organizations that are on a budget and cannot afford Cisco.
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.
Sr. Consultant | Networking Solutions Presales at Intercom Enterprises
The solution comes with a solid management solution and is easy to set up
Pros and Cons
- "Aruba's management solutions, like Aruba Central are valuable."
- "They should extend the marketing and talk about Aruba's success stories throughout the region."
How has it helped my organization?
Aruba's hardware has advantages over other vendors.
What is most valuable?
Aruba's management solutions, like Aruba Central are valuable and offer consolidated management for all equipment, switches, and access points, either over the cloud or on-prem.
What needs improvement?
They should extend the marketing and talk about Aruba's success stories throughout the region.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Aruba for around three years, and I use the latest version of the product.
We install wireless solutions such as Cisco and Aruba from the front end.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability of the solution a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the scalability of the solution a nine out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
I rate the initial setup an eight out of ten. Deployment is very simple. Though it takes a few hours, most of the time is taken up by escalating access points, and not in configuring or deploying the solution.
What other advice do I have?
Aruba is a leader in Wi-Fi solutions. The stability of the system and the unified management solution are some features that Aruba has over other vendors. I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Founder and Managing Partner at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Slightly cheaper, but initial setup is very complex
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's pricing is slightly cheaper than that of Cisco."
- "The solution’s initial setup is very complex."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for a small number of users.
What is most valuable?
The solution's pricing is slightly cheaper than that of Cisco.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s initial setup is very complex. We need to limit the number of Aruba Instant On Switches to certain areas because they sometimes cut off the link. The solution has to be more stable.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Aruba Instant On Switches since 2019.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Aruba Instant On Switches can be recommended for small-scale businesses.
I rate the solution a six out of ten for scalability.
How are customer service and support?
The solution’s technical support is good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is very complex.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Aruba Instant On Switches is slightly cheaper than Cisco.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Aruba Instant On Switches to users if they are familiar with Aruba. Otherwise, I suggest using Cisco.
Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Jul 28, 2024
Flag as inappropriateSystem Engineer at Trends and Technologies, Inc
Well designed, easy to install and easy to configure
Pros and Cons
- "The dashboard for clients is very nice."
- "We would like to see more documentation."
What is our primary use case?
This is a hardware solution.
What is most valuable?
The product has a very nice design. The switches are well-designed and work very easily.
The solution is easy to install. It is easy to mount APs and access points and switches, and it is really easy to configure. The pre-configurations are good.
The dashboard for clients is very nice.
It is very stable.
We can scale as needed.
What needs improvement?
Configuring the switches can take some time. The startup and booting take some time. It's too slow.
We would like to see more documentation. Being more expensive than its competitors, Aruba should include more features, documentation being one of them.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven't had any issues with the stability or performance. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. We can join two Aruba switches together and use many joints and hold up many access points. We can manage maybe 150 access points with two switches.
We have about 700 users on the product right now.
I'm not sure if we have plans to increase usage at this point.
How are customer service and support?
I don't have any experience with technical support. I've never asked for their help.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Cisco switches.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation process is very simple and straightforward. Configuring one access point takes about 15 minutes. It does not take too long to deploy and test.
We only need two people to handle the initial setup.
What about the implementation team?
I am able to implement the solution myself. I don't need any outside help.
What was our ROI?
We do sometimes see an ROI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
While I cannot speak to the exact price, it may be a bit more than Meraki.
There are no extra costs beyond the main set price.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did look into other options before ultimately choosing Aruba.
What other advice do I have?
We're partners with Aruba.
We deployed the solution together with Aruba Wireless.
I'd advise users to try out the product.
I'd rate the solution eight 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
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Updated: February 2025
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