Aruba Switches Reviews

We have the switches on-premises but we also use the private cloud. 

I've got two different remote offices and after deploying Aruba I can manage the network without any problems because it's publicly available. I can be anywhere and still see the network traffic. I can see the network boards and I can do configuration changes to the switches as long as I have a secured account with Aruba Network.

The cloud configuration is the most valuable feature of this solution. Watching in the cloud, propagating the actual devices themselves and the management of devices that are remote is valuable.

In the next release, I would like to see network access control on the switches themselves. I would like to see security functionalities when it comes to monitoring the bit of the wireless section of the switches.

It is very stable compared to what I was previously using.

Scalability is one of the reasons why I went for Aruba. It seems to be one of the top vendors in providing cloud solutions and quite stable when it comes to upscaling and improving the existing environment. 

We have around 250 users. We require two to three staff members for the maintenance. 

We turn to our integrator for support. 

We switched from our previous solution because we wanted to have a robust level grade of equipment.

The level of complexity of the setup is relative to your environment. Deployment took about a month and a half. If we had to include the design stage and other things then it was probably about two to four months in total.

We used a local integrator for the deployment. We had a positive experience with them.

Licensing costs are on a yearly basis.

We also evaluated Cisco Meraki. I did not choose Meraki because of the licensing model. If for some reason you don't renew the subscription, you lose the network and the configuration. With Aruba it's a different story. If you stop your support, you still own your own network so that was one of the major differences.

My advice to someone considering this solution is to play it out before and choose whoever has the better solution.

I would rate it an eight out of ten. 

Not a ten out of ten because there were some major issues like configuration conflicts and by the time we got to solve them, it was a bit of a nightmare until we got it up and running. But there will always be some teething problems. There were problems while implementing until we sorted things out and until it started stabilizing itself. It was either a question of the switch temporarily disconnecting from the internet so it couldn't connect to Aruba Central for the configuration. You can do a configuration but it is accepted as a configuration and it doesn't tell you, for example, what a particular error or something like that is.

Replacement could be automated.

It is providing better stability to the users.

The solution can scale up with your needs. 

If your company grows, you can add a number of hardware or switches to support your network.

Aruba support is much better than Netgear's.

Positive

The initial setup is straightforward and quick.

The solution is 20-30% costlier than Netgear.

Aruba is more stable than Netgear.

Aruba has helped to improve network efficiency in some ways.

I recommend the solution.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

We use Aruba switches as LAN devices and access points to connect users. We also use the product for VLAN. We don't, however, make security with Aruba switches.

I like how Aruba switches integrate with On.

Aruba's operating system changes with every version. There is AOS and CX OS, and the commands change slightly each time, so if you are used to writing commands for one version, the commands you use in the next version are wrong. This causes a lot of disruptions if you prefer to use command lines over a GUI.

I've used Aruba switches for about three years.

The product is stable. I haven't seen any problems. Sometimes, the power supply unit has issues because it's damaged. In my country, we have problems with electricity, so we use a UPS.

I rate the scalability of Aruba switches a seven out of ten. The product has good features, and adding new devices and switches is easy.

I'm working with an integrator across many sites, and some sites have about 20 switches and 15 access points. Some sites have fewer, and some have more. It depends on the customer.

The initial setup is not complicated.

I implemented the solution myself.

Aruba's switches are priced lower than Cisco's by about 30%.

I work with both Aruba and Cisco switches. Cisco switches are very good. They have a lot of good features. Cisco invests a lot of money into their products, such as their Catalyst switches, but Aruba, by contrast, provides normal switches. Cisco produces some features like containers. You can use containers to install some applications on the switch, which is a very good feature. You can put a firewall image like Wireshark on a switch to protect your LAN. You can send some packets to your network to monitor it. Aruba has good switches, but they are not high-technology.

I rate Aruba switches a seven out of ten.

I work for a government department in Ecuador and we use this product for our projects. We are partners with Aruba. 

The solution is easy to use and quick to deploy. 

It takes a long time to import Aruba switches to Ecuador. 

I've been using this solution for seven months. 

The solution is stable. 

The solution is scalable, we have around 5,000 users. 

We pay a monthly fee for this solution. 

I rate this solution nine out of 10. 

We had a need to implement a distributed data center, split over two different sites, which were still more or less in each other's vicinity, less than a kilometer apart. The Aruba CX line products was one of the candidates in review and it was deemed the most logical choice We are customers of Aruba and I'm the team leader of technical support.

What I like about the product is its open architecture, the API based line of thought, so to speak. There are plenty of options and possibilities for automation and programming. We see that as a way forward for networking as a whole. These are data center switches and it provides a good use case for programming and the like.

The solution is a little less convenient for more simplified management needs. It doesn't use a traditional, classical user interface for small changes. For monitoring, it's fine, but for small changes, less so. It means that our staff who have a less technical background are not able to help out with minor changes - the environment is less suitable for them.

I do think the graphical user interface for small changes could use some more love, so to speak. But let me reiterate that it's only required for staff that is less knowledgeable. For larger rollouts, larger deployment, everything ought to be API and program based. And in that department, the environment is quite sufficient.

I've been using this solution for a couple of months. 

The stability is great. 

The scalability is great. 

We're very happy with the technical support, they're doing a great job. 

We switched to this product because the previous solution had reached its end of support and end of life.

The initial setup had some complexity to it. Implementation took about two or three months, but that was right at the top of the COVID-19 breakout here in the Netherlands. So we had quite a bit of a setback due to that. If it wasn't like that, it might've taken less time. Our network partner carried out the deployment - they did a great job. In normal times, we'd have between 500-600 users, but for now there are about 300 using the solution. Maintenance is not an issue. We don't have plans to increase usage for now. Our on-premise deployment has suffered a lot due to the COVID-19 outbreak so we have less customers on premises which means that for now there's no further deployment necessary.

We looked at the Cisco option, but since we already had Aruba wireless and we had virtually no Cisco products in our environments, we went for Aruba. 

If you start using these products, then it's a good idea to check whether the product that you're going to use is in the same management fabric. We use a slightly different hardware architecture for the access switches, the 2930f environment, and that uses a different management layer. So if I was to think about it again, I would try to see if it's possible to get the whole environment within the same management fabric. By doing that you ease up on a lot of the manageability issues.

I would rate this solution a nine out of 10. 

The primary use case is in the manufacturing area in our factory and the other places like our warehouses for the stores.

The most valuable feature is the switches are reliable and replaced for free if anything goes wrong.

I would like to see something like a Cisco Prime, an application controlling the entire system, switches, and access points.

I have been using Aruba Switches for the past ten years.

Aruba Switches are highly stable.

The scalability is excellent. We have around three hundred users currently.

Customer service takes around a month to replace a switch and they bring it from the USA. We are not under an SLA or maintenance contract. Their responses take a lot of time, but the quality is very good.  I think we need another level of support.

The initial setup is very straightforward and has a GUI interface.

The installation took some time and is not as good as CISCO. We used both in-house and vendor teams to assist us.

The cost is very cheap when you compare it to CISCO.

I would strongly recommend Aruba Switches and rate them an eight out of ten.

We use these switches as part of our network infrastructure. Part of what we do is implement and manage networks for our clients.

Our clients are typically in the manufacturing sector, although we have some in warehouse process management, railway stations, and airports.

The most valuable feature is that we can manage everything centrally using Aruba Cloud Central. This allows us to check the network heartbeat, logs, alerts, finances, and more.

We have had problems with the cooling fans on these switches. They are sometimes erratic and this creates alerts. Otherwise, these devices work fine.

We have been a partner with Aruba Switches and dealing with their products for approximately ten years.

These switches are stable.

This is a scalable product.

The technical support staff is very good. We have a local repair center here in Mauritius and as soon as we request a ticket, we get a call from them.

We have a long business relationship with Aruba and we get VIP service.

We were working with an older version of HPE Switches, and have since moved to Aruba. Currently, we have a mix of older version HPE, current version HPE, and Aruba Switches.

We also work with the Aruba Access Points. We completed a nice job in a huge warehouse, where we covered the entire warehouse with a minimum number of devices.

I also have experience with Cisco switches, which are similarly easy to set up.

The initial setup is quite easy. The setup is somewhat similar to Cisco in this regard.

With respect to the team required for implementation, deployment, and maintenance, I keep it to a minimum of five people because we have quite a lot of users. Our presence is needed in more than four locations, which is why we need a minimum of five engineers. We always have an additional one as a buffer.

The initial investment is quite large. However, the limited lifetime warranty that you get with Aruba is important. Over the years, if you experience an issue, as long as it falls within the scope of the limited warranty, you will get a replacement the next working day. This makes life easier.

Our customers may want better pricing but we are a reseller and a partner, and the pricing that we get is good.

My advice for anybody looking into implementing this product is to first go through the certification process. Get yourself certified and attend all of the webinars that Aruba provides. Also, stay in touch with the product and know it well.

I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

The primary use is for client access and corporate use.

The most valuable features are the access point, fire control for clients, majority control, platform control in SSIGF, WiFi networking, and area monitoring.

I would like to see them integrate a monitoring solution. In addition, continue to develop features for easy configuration.

I have been using Aruba Switches for years.

Aruba Switches have good stability.

Aruba Switches is scalable.

I have found that technical support is easy and fast for troubleshooting.

Positive

The setup was straightforward and the configuration was not hard.

I would rate Aruba Switches a nine out of ten.