The primary use case for Aruba Wireless is for wireless network solutions. Clients use Aruba Wireless for various networking needs.
Senior Solution Engineer at Solutions by STC
Impressive network management with good flexibility and excellent support
Pros and Cons
- "Support for both on-premises and cloud environments has proven effective for network management."
- "The pricing could be better."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The solution supports both on-premises and cloud environments, catering to many customers who use either of the deployment methods.
What is most valuable?
Support for both on-premises and cloud environments has proven effective for network management. It contributes to stability, as many customers do not face network downtimes or issues.
What needs improvement?
The pricing could be better, especially with potential discounts for partners.
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Aruba Wireless
January 2025
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For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Aruba Wireless for over ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. Many customers do not complain about the product or network downtimes.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability of this solution as a ten. It scales impressively well.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service and technical support are excellent. I would rate it as high quality.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Aruba Wireless is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of Aruba Wireless is competitive, especially compared to solutions like Cisco. The overall cost is considered reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Aruba Wireless because of its competitive pricing, user-friendly technology, and strong after-sales support.
I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Last updated: Sep 25, 2024
Flag as inappropriateNetwork Security Engineer at Aadnya Global Services
A cost-effective and highly scalable wireless networking that provides user-friendly interface and stability
Pros and Cons
- "Its graphical user interface is designed to be user-friendly, making work more efficient."
- "There has been a recent decrease in the level of support."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use is for facilitating client communication.
What is most valuable?
Its graphical user interface is designed to be user-friendly, making work more efficient.
What needs improvement?
There has been a recent decrease in the level of support. When issues arise, we often require additional support, and this aspect should be enhanced.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for more than three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
If there is a controller in place, I would rate its stability abilities at around eight out of ten, as it tends to be quite stable. However, if it's a controller-less setup, using clusters of access points only, I would rate it lower, around six to seven out of ten. The stability tends to vary, especially when there's no central controller, which can make the configuration and management more challenging.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are around two to three thousand users who rely on wireless connections for their daily work. It demonstrates excellent scalability, and I would rate it around nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I have noticed a decline in performance over the past two years, and I've been working with it for almost four years. The initial two years were quite satisfactory, but the performance has deteriorated since then. I would rate it six out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have experience using Cisco, HP Comware, Commvault, Palo Alto, and Fortinet.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup process for these access points tends to be time-consuming. While other products can start up in as little as ten to fifteen minutes, these access points take longer to get going. They are relatively stable once configured. We've noticed that they can remain stable for a year or even longer initially.
What about the implementation team?
When it comes to installing access points, especially the IAPs, I've encountered some issues. These access points don't always remain stable, particularly during reboots or configuration changes. Even when I've configured ten access points, there's no guarantee that they will consistently come back online and perform as expected after a reboot or network interruption. This is a concern I'd like to highlight, and I believe the team should work on improving the stability of these access points.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It offers a lower cost compared to other products, which is a significant advantage. I would rate it eight out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend it due to its affordability, which stands out compared to other products. In terms of overall performance and management, I would rate it an 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:
Buyer's Guide
Aruba Wireless
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Aruba Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Manager, IT Infrastructure and Service Desk at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Reliable and provides good signal strength and controller features
Pros and Cons
- "Aruba Wireless is reliable, and the signal strength is pretty good."
- "We need security features to recognize the traffic source and to apply Zero Trust security."
What is our primary use case?
We're upgrading from version 9 to version 10, but I'm satisfied with the new proposed upgrade.
The solution is deployed on-premises.
What is most valuable?
Aruba Wireless is reliable, and the signal strength is pretty good. The controller has good features.
What needs improvement?
I want to have a virtual controller, so I would like to see integration with other vendors of the LAN network. We need security features to recognize the traffic source and to apply Zero Trust security.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used this solution for nine years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is excellent. I would rate it as nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability as eight out of ten.
We have multiple canvases and sites, so it's easy to scale up and across the same controller within the same enterprise network. When we add new access points, there is a limitation in the virtual appliance, but it's not that bad.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support in Aruba is very good. It's better than other solutions' support.
I would rate technical support as eight out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
Deployment was done through a third party.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is reasonable. I would rate the cost as 8 out of 10.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the solution as nine out of ten.
We made an evaluation between Aruba and other vendors, and we've seen the Gartner Magic Quadrant report for Aruba. Aruba has employed a lot of experience and vision in their product, which is why it's better than others.
My advice is to have a professional survey with the best used tools for the survey and an excellent design. I think that's the most important. The sizing and dimensioning have to be done well from the beginning.
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
Software Engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
It doesn't require a controller, has an easy-to-navigate GUI, and shows statistics that give you a lot of insight, but the syncing between the cloud and the APs is inconsistent
Pros and Cons
- "What I like best about Aruba Wireless is that it doesn't need a controller. The product also has a GUI that's easy to navigate."
- "Aruba Wireless is a good product, but it still has some issues, especially at the beginning, where there's inconsistent syncing between the cloud and the APs. Sometimes, there's also a little lag when accessing the query."
What is our primary use case?
We deployed Aruba Wireless in our corporate head office, where we have a lot of business users. We use the product both as corporate WiFi and guest platform.
What is most valuable?
What I like best about Aruba Wireless is that it doesn't need a controller.
The product also has a GUI that's easy to navigate.
I also like that Aruba Wireless shows statistics that give you a lot of insight.
What needs improvement?
Aruba Wireless is a good product, but it still has some issues, especially at the beginning, where there's inconsistent syncing between the cloud and the APs. Sometimes, there's also a little lag when accessing the query.
For how long have I used the solution?
I started using Aruba Wireless two years ago.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Aruba Wireless is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I find Aruba Wireless scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We've contacted Aruba Wireless support many times, but there weren't proper resolutions. Cases remain open for a few days, and then they'll automatically resolve. Then, sometimes, those cases will reappear.
Aruba support would be a four on a scale of one to five.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
My company has a particular office on Cisco APs, then replaced completely with Aruba Wireless, one of the most extensive Aruba deployments in the company.
My company is still planning to switch from Cisco Wireless to Aruba Wireless in other offices. However, concerning Cisco Wireless, the product is pretty stable and solid. It has been running for years, but eighty percent of the environment is on Cisco Wireless, which Aruba Wireless will eventually replace.
How was the initial setup?
Deploying Aruba Wireless is pretty straightforward.
It took several days to complete the deployment because the office was enormous and the number of APs deployed was quite significant.
It took one to two months to pre-stage, install, and make Aruba Wireless stable.
What about the implementation team?
My company pre-staged the equipment and the APs, and then initially, the deployment team had a few issues during the Aruba Wireless installation.
A third-party team deployed the product for my company.
What was our ROI?
As Aruba Wireless doesn't require a controller, my company saved some money, so there's ROI from the product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't know the exact costs associated with Aruba Wireless, but I have a rough idea, and it's not too cheap, though it's less costly than Cisco Wireless. Pricing for Aruba Wireless is moderate. It's a three out of five.
What other advice do I have?
I have experience with both Cisco Wireless and Aruba Wireless.
My company uses Aruba Wireless IAP-245.
It's a centrally-managed cloud product.
Daily, the number of Aruba Wireless users varies. If there's a meeting, then many high-profile users will come. At least two or three times a week, there will be many product users, for example, IT engineers, designers, finance people, and people from other teams.
My advice for anyone looking into implementing Aruba Wireless is that it depends on the use cases. You get all the features available in Cisco Wireless at a lesser price, but in terms of support and stability, Cisco is ahead of Aruba. However, Aruba Wireless is a good option when considering the price and if you're a mid-sized organization.
Aruba Wireless gets a seven out of ten from me.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Associate Director – Network & Cyber security at Microland Limited
Very stable, reasonably priced and great for small to medium size organizations
Pros and Cons
- "Reasonably priced and great for small to medium size organizations."
- "Lacks a heat map analysis and a cloud-based wireless controller."
What is our primary use case?
I work for an international service integrating company and we provide resources that are distributed internationally. We use Wireless for our branch and remote locations, and it's mainly for the internet. We are service integrators and deploy this solution as well as provide support to multiple customers. I am the director of technology and we are currently customers of Aruba.
What is most valuable?
Reasonably priced and great for small to medium size organizations. One positive is that they're not constantly providing upgrades and that reduces exposure to complications.
What needs improvement?
I haven't yet seen a cloud-based wireless controller in Aruba and I'm waiting for that as well as a heat map analysis which is also lacking. I'd like to see application visibility in the next release on the inbound and outbound traffic flow.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is working well and we haven't had any issues with stability. Traffic flow is starting to increase now that workers are returning to the office, and we're likely to move to Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7 in the near future.
How are customer service and support?
Getting a response from technical support is really tough and is a pain point for us. It doesn't flow like in Cisco Tech.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is pretty easy, certainly not as complicated as Cisco. There aren't many upgrades or major bugs so it's more stable than Cisco. Deployment time depends on the size of the project. A small site will take about two weeks, a larger project might take three or four weeks. We have nine engineers supporting Aruba.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm unaware of the cost but I know it's cheaper than Cisco and that is why Aruba generally wins when a contract goes to tender or in the procurement phase.
What other advice do I have?
A key factor is to ensure the solution suits your requirements. If a smaller organization is looking for an on-prem solution, then Aruba would fit in. For larger deployments, it would be better to go with Cisco. If you're an organization with 400 different sites, Cisco is the way to go. Aruba has proven itself for smaller to midsize deployments.
The solution does what it's meant to and I'm happy with it. I rate this solution eight out of 10.
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.
Consultant at Bechtle
Priced well and stable
Pros and Cons
- "Aruba Wireless is stable."
- "Aruba Wireless could improve the interface, it does not have a smart web interface. Other solutions have smart web interfaces, such as Cisco Meraki."
What needs improvement?
Aruba Wireless could improve the interface, it does not have a smart web interface. Other solutions have smart web interfaces, such as Cisco Meraki.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Aruba Wireless for approximately six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Aruba Wireless is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Aruba Wireless is scalable for the needs of my customers. Some of my customers have approximately 1,500 users using the solution and it works well.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Aruba Wireless is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Aruba Wireless a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Business Development Manager at Fentons Limited
User-friendly wireless solution with attractive pricing, good technical support, and a limited lifetime warranty
Pros and Cons
- "Good wireless solution that's user-friendly, stable, and scalable, with very good product support, and a limited lifetime warranty."
- "Configuration for this solution could be made easier, so people could benefit from being able to configure it within a quicker amount of time."
What is our primary use case?
I was able to provide Aruba Wireless to financial, Telco, and hospitality industries.
What is most valuable?
If you're looking into a wireless solution, more and more people now are using Aruba Wireless. There are two key reasons why: in a developing country, many of the companies look at the cost and quality of a solution. Cost-wise, Aruba Wireless is very attractive here in the Sri Lankan market. The other key reason is Aruba Wireless provides their key product portal and a limited lifetime warranty. Other providers do not provide that level of warranty. These are the reasons why a customer would choose to purchase Aruba products than Cisco, or any other access point or wireless solution.
The key feature of this solution is the value for money. If customers can get a good quality product at a very competitive price, plus a limited lifetime warranty, then this gives very high value to the customer, which is what you can get from Aruba Wireless.
Aruba Wireless is able to provide value addition, apart from their product features.
This solution is user-friendly and their technical support team provides very good support.
What needs improvement?
An area for improvement I found in this solution is the configuration. Though it's currently an improved version, it could still be made easier, so technical people could benefit from being able to configure Aruba Wireless within a quicker amount of time.
For how long have I used the solution?
I'm a specialist and I've been in this industry for 22 years, and I've been dealing with Aruba Wireless for over 10 years. I've worked with it within the last 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Aruba Wireless is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Aruba Wireless is scalable. We have different product segments and we educate different customer requirements and industries. Because of COVID, all industries are facing a lot of challenges, but we find this product scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We have our pre-sales team with us in-house, but we do have two technical support people distributed here locally. We always communicate with them. They share their product knowledge, experiences, and user case studies, to help us improve. We also share our experiences with them to also help them improve. On a scale of one to five, I'm giving the technical support team a four. They provide very good product support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Aruba Wireless is not complicated. In the past, it was complicated, e.g. We needed experienced technical people to do the configuration and the initial setup. Nowadays, even basic technical people can do it.
It has improved, but what we are expecting is that when new technologies arise, along with the new technologies, the configuration should be simplified.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost for Aruba Wireless is good. It's attractive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated Cisco Wireless.
What other advice do I have?
Our company's role is system integrator. We are involved with products and solutions which we provide to the end customers. The products we provide vary, because it would depend on the requirement and customer requirement levels. It would also depend on the current pricing of the products, e.g. this is because we provide different vendor products, not just Aruba. We also provide Cisco, Maracas, and the entire product spectrum that we provide to the customers.
We provide the latest version of this product to our customers, because with the latest version, the benefit to the customers is that they can get the maximum usage of the product lifetime.
Other than the product features, our customers value our onsite support, onsite feedback, clarifications, and installations. We are able to quickly sort out the issues experienced by our customers.
For people who are not currently using Aruba Wireless, I would tell them to look into the Aruba product range and try it out for themselves. They'll find out that these are Amazing products with very good product support.
I'm rating Aruba Wireless an eight out ten, because no products could reach the perfect score of ten. Technology is fast-changing, so today's technology won't be tomorrow's technology. There's no technological vendor who could be ranked a ten, so my rating for this product is an eight.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
Channel Sales Manager at Denave
Offers centralized management of APs and switches
Pros and Cons
- "The tool's most valuable feature is Aruba Central, which offers centralized management. You can manage its switches, APs, and data access. It is easy to manage the entire switches and APs. The solution is the best in terms of security and manageability."
- "Our customers ask for a security portfolio, which the tool doesn't have."
What is most valuable?
The tool's most valuable feature is Aruba Central, which offers centralized management. You can manage its switches, APs, and data access. It is easy to manage the entire switches and APs. The solution is the best in terms of security and manageability.
What needs improvement?
Our customers ask for a security portfolio, which the tool doesn't have.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Aruba Wireless' stability a nine out of ten. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. My territory has at least 70-80 customers.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment is easy. Its deployment depends on the network type and scope of work. Simple scenarios can be completed in a week. Complex networks take two to three months to complete.
What other advice do I have?
Our customers who use Aruba Wireless are very much happy. We have a pre-sales team that helps us with solution design, POCs, installation, and implementation. Our customers appreciate this kind of support. I rate it a nine 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: January 2025
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