Aruba Switches Reviews

We primarily use the solution for connectivity purposes.  

If you want to connect your network, you definitely need a switch for end-to-end connectivity. The good thing about Aruba switches nowadays is that these particular switches also can be managed through the cloud. You can manage it through the cloud, you can manage it to NMS, and you can manage it to the individual switch also. You can manage it as a cluster. 

We like that it is very easy to manage the product through the cloud. 

If you compare Aruba to other switches like Juniper, Aruba has constantly maintained a Gartner leadership position over the last ten years.

Aruba is a very, very powerful switch in terms of the modular operating system.

It has sensor-based analytical tools. 

They have this multi-tier operative system to manage the data center environment or campus Wi-Fi, et cetera. Whatever the Aruba access point, the Wi-Fi device, and the Aruba switches, are both on a common platform. They have dynamic segmentation. The connectivity and the management are very easy as it is centralized. 

There is a whole product range to choose from. They have a huge portfolio, from 1GB all the way up to 100GB. It offers a wide variety of variations. 

The user interface is very good. 

There are a lot of great features, like dynamic segmentation and a modular operating system, that users can take advantage of. 

Aruba switches are a new generation of switches that allow each access point to carry different user data and have the capability of handling different policies. They can prioritize traffic based on policy or an IP address range, for example. If I have my own device and my work device on the same network, the permissions can be set differently so that my work device has certain access and my home device does not. Or I can request permission for my home device. It can pick up and adjust for authorized and non-authorized users. 

Their hardware has been completely redesigned and has stringer processors and all kinds of different improvements. 

They offer good DRAM and can support a multi-gig PoE.  

There is multi-tier architecture within the switch itself. 

Aruba is still losing out to Cisco, which continues to dominate the space. Aruba needs to continue to improve its product range in order to compete with Cisco's dominance. 

I've used the solution for five to six years. 

The stability of Aruba is very high. It's very reliable. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches. I can rate the product nine or ten out of ten in terms of stability. 

The solution is scalable in two ways. You can increase your network with the device, and you can also upgrade your application operating system to increase the usage of new-generation technology. Aruba is great at offering scalability in both areas. The devices also last a long time and have a five or six-year lifetime warranty, and within this period, you're eligible for the latest software that continuously expands the Aruba experience over time. 

We'll likely continue to invest in Aruba and expand usage when the time comes.

Technical support is very good. There is a default lifetime for R&D and it will give you only the troubleshooting and support for the lifetime of the product. That troubleshooting support will identify either if your switch has a hardware fault or if it has any other issues. If it has been diagnosed that it is a software-related issue, they will give you the latest format to upgrade to. However, if you go for the full level of technical support, so you have to purchase the Aruba service agreement. This is called Foundation Care. 

If you don't go with any support, you are only eligible for the hardware replacement. No other support will be provided.

I previously worked with Huawei. That was three or five years ago. I've also worked with HPE as well as the entire Aruba product range. I'm aware of Cisco and Juniper's capabilities as well. 

Aruba is considered a premium product and therefore the pricing is quite high. That said, it is competitive against, for example, Cisco. Based on its vast service offering, the pricing is actually quite fair. 

We've compared Aruba to many switches, including Cisco and Juniper. However, Cisco is more comparable and Juniper has a very limited product profile. Cisco and Aruba are very similar.

We are not a reseller. We are the national distributor of Aruba in India.

I'd rate the product in general eight out of ten. If a company is looking for a future-proof solution, Aruba really is a good choice. If they are looking to build a very sophisticated network, it's great.

We are using it for LAN Switches in our corporate offices with PoE switches and access points. This is primarily a normal LAN switching use case.

They are easy to configure and integrate well with the Aruba ecosystem.

The power supplies are generally susceptible to power fluctuations and failure due to these fluctuations.

We've been using it for four years as Aruba Access Point as well.

There are no serious bugs. The solution is pretty stable.

The customer service is rated nine out of ten.

Positive

The installation is easy. We generally have only one person deploying it.

I have not quantified it exactly, but I would estimate a twenty percent cost savings or improvement in efficiency of operations.

The pricing is a bit on the pricey side.

We had been comparing other vendors, such as Cisco.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

We've got switches on-premises, and they're managed by central management.

We primarily use the solution for normal office use. It is for normal networking, including wireless. 

I like that I can cloud-manage my network. This is useful due to the fact that I have multiple offices. 

It's a stable product.

We can scale as needed. 

The initial setup is relatively complex.

There is nothing to improve on in an enterprise environment, however, if you're wanting various  functionalities, you need to know how to do these things. It's not straightforward per se. Some training would be ideal for getting the most out of the solution. I had to learn a lot on the job by myself. 

I've been using the solution for three years. 

The solution is very solid, and very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

The product is scalable. We can expand usage if we need to. 

We have 300 people on average using the solution.

In terms of expanding usage, as a solution, at this point in time, I don't need to. With its wifi capabilities, it can handle a little bit more load, so that's fine.

Since I have the solution through a partner, I use the partner services. It's up to them to get me in touch with support if needed.

We had very low-end build switches or old Cisco switches previously, however, they were relatively minor since we had moved to a new office and the company was relatively young at that point in time. Afterward, we made an investment in Aruba.

The initial setup is not necessarily straightforward. It is complex. 

A service partner did the implementation. It took about a month and a half.

We had a service provider assist us with the setup. 

We pay an annual license for the solution. 

It is an enterprise product, so it's not the cheapest, definitely. I'd rate the affordability between a three and four out of five.

I'd recommend the solution if a company wants an alternative to a Cisco environment. It's a very reliable solution.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

They do have partnerships, and users can get training and insights on how to manage it from a partnership perspective. 

The primary use case of this solution is for Network connection and centralized monitoring and troubleshooting.

The switching configuration is very simple and not as complicated as Cisco. It's easy to do and the deployment is very quick.

When it comes to RMA, the replacement of Aruba parts is very good, and they are very prompt.

There is a limited lifetime warranty with the switches, so if we have any problems, the switch is replaced very quickly. As an example, if I call in the morning, by tomorrow I will receive a box with the replacement.

Visibility and controls need to be improved. When I compare the Aruba switch with Meraki, Meraki has more visibility and more controls.

HPE Aruba has not done any development and research on the SD LAN. They may have another solution for the SD LAN.

Aruba should have SD LAN features to provide more visibility on the network and to be able to control things like the traffic shifting or for voice or data. Currently, Aruba does not have this capability.

It may be there, but it's tedious.

In the next release or the very near future, I think that it is very important to simplify the dashboard and features similar to Meraki. Meraki has a good dashboard and the way they are presenting the information is very useful.

I am forced to consider changing products because other solutions have a better dashboard and a user-friendly interface. Other solutions also have better control and visibility.

This solution is quite stable. To date, we have not had any complaints.

We have our HP IMC (Intelligence Management Center), which is a centralized management control center where I can monitor all of the switches. I can monitor the health of the network appliances, and the CPUs main process. Everything.

This solution is scalable.

We have not had to contact technical support. We handle the issues with our in-house resources.

I have experience with Cisco Meraki switches.

The initial setup is very easy.

The implementation and configuration are not that difficult.

If you have ten to fifteen switches it can take a day. You have to stack it, then put them all together, complete the configuration, the hardening, and the testing, that is a complete full day, eight hours.

I would recommend this product.

I would rate this product a seven out of ten.

We use the solution for our network switches and access points.

The most valuable feature is the lifetime warranty.

The bandwidth is good.

The throughput is high.

Aruba does not have local support in our region of Kerala. The support is from Bangalore and support can be delayed.

I have been using the solution for five years.

I give the stability a nine out of ten.

I give the scalability a nine out of ten.

The technical support is good.

Positive

We previously used Cisco Switches and switched to Aruba because of the speed.

The initial setup is straightforward. The deployment was easy to configure. I give the deployment a nine out of ten. The configuration can be completed within half an hour.

The implementation was completed in-house.

I believe in the next year we will see a return on investment with Aruba Switches.

Aruba Switches are less expensive than Cisco. 

I give the solution a nine out of ten.

We have around 1,000 users.

We have two administrators for the solution.

I recommend Aruba Switches to others. The cost is lower, the performance is higher, and the solution has higher throughput.

We are really just using Aruba Switches for ourselves. We're not like a service provider, but if you ask me, I will recommend it to my colleagues or friends.

It allows us to manage the switches through the cloud, which is good.

I mentioned earlier that managing the switches through the cloud is very beneficial.

Maybe the licensing model could be improved. It's a bit of a pain because it depends on when we activated the purchase.

I've been using Aruba Switches for about three to four years now.

The product has been quite stable. I don't have a lot of experience with technical support because we haven't really required engagement.

I think Aruba Switches are scalable and support our organization's growth.

Technical support has been all right. We may have engaged once or twice, and it was satisfactory.

Positive

The deployment was quite easy and straightforward. It took us maybe 30 to 45 minutes to set it up.

We deployed some of the setup ourselves.

It's very hard to justify return on investment because it's something required for the network to function. I'm not sure how to address that.

We don't have a regular payment system because it's a one-off project that lasts for a few years until a refresh is needed. We pay for each Aruba product separately.

I would recommend Aruba Switches; it's a very stable product.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

I work in the hospitality and medical industry.

Aruba Central is valuable. I use it for management.

The solution must improve the switch models. It has only one type of switch in the CX 4100 series.

I have been using the solution for three years.

I rate the product’s stability a ten out of ten.

Our clients are enterprise businesses. I rate the product’s scalability a ten out of ten.

I rate the support a seven or eight out of ten. We do not have local solutions in our country. Most people in the companies do not know English, and it is difficult for them to speak with the technical support team. It would be good if the solution provided on-site support in Turkey.

Neutral

I rate the ease of setup a nine out of ten. The deployment takes three to four days because we work with big companies. The deployment is sometimes difficult.

I rate the pricing a seven or eight out of ten. The tool is a little expensive for customers from other countries. We have a lot of Chinese customers. Aruba is expensive for them.

I am a distributor. I don't use the tool for security because every company has a firewall. We only use AI in Aruba Central. I will recommend the solution to others. Overall, I rate the tool a ten out of ten.

Our clients use Aruba Switches for networking.

The most valuable features of Aruba Switches are the routing protocol and the basic functionality.

Aruba Switches could improve the monitoring and increase the scope of their online portal to cover cloud and on-premise deployments.

I have been using Aruba Switches for approximately two years.

The performance of the solution has been good for all our customers.

One of our clients has approximately 2,000 customers using the solution in the multiple-story business.

Most of our clients are enterprise-sized companies.

I rate the scalability of Aruba Switches a nine out of ten.

I have not had an issue to need the support for.

I have used Cisco and Juniper. Cisco has a high price.

The initial setup of Aruba Switches is straightforward. The full deployment took approximately two months. Some of the factors that increased the time were solution delivery and the customer's use case.

Cisco has a higher cost than Aruba Switches.

I rate the price of Aruba Switches an eight out of ten.

I rate Aruba Switches a nine out of ten.

The solution is high quality, reliable, and can handle heavy workloads.