Aruba Wireless Reviews

Aruba is moving to the cloud platform model. We are presenting solutions using Aruba Central to clients for the management of their infrastructure. The majority of the implementations we have are still currently are on-premises. Customers now are slowly implementing cloud solutions for Aruba. We have 80% on-premises and 20% migrating to the cloud version of the solution.  

With Aruba Central, we can manage controllers, EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs), switches, et cetera. Everything in one place. So we can manage anything we need to using Aruba. Aruba on-premises wireless is something we use for education. It is mostly implemented in schools and in universities. We use it to establish APs (Access Points)  around the campus to make sure there is coverage campus-wide. Then they have mobility controllers on-premises that control all the infrastructure.  

Another use case is for companies that have branches from the data centers. At the prime location, they have APs powered within the company and Mobility Masters in the data center. The Mobility Masters cluster-connect to the mobility controllers and then control all the APs and all the wireless infrastructure. Then we have links connecting the branches. On the branches, we have small mobility controllers that feed all the information to and from Mobility Masters. That is, the Mobility Masters connect to mobility controllers and then the mobility controllers connect to the APs.  

Portugal is a small country and our smallest companies always have EAPs. EAPs are a version of a solution from Aruba that the NAC (Network Access Control) AP has inside a virtual controller. These NAC APs control all the other APs.  

It gives us a reliable, mature solution that we can roll out to our clients.  

Wireless technologies, relatively speaking, are a new solution. The technical guys from Aruba are very good. The support is very good. It is very easy to implement the product. Another solution that Aruba has is the NAC and the ClearPass. ClearPass is a good solution for additional security of access points and it is integrated so it is very easy to deploy. It is very interactive and not so analytic as other solutions so, in my opinion. Aruba is a very good company — very good technology-wise — and they make very useful products.  

Perhaps one of the things that I think Aruba can improve on is developing their current information channels. Aruba has a lot of information available about their products and to find the information you need is not always so easy. It is more complicated than it should be. I think that they are great and do have a lot of information available — probably all the information that any user really needs to do things themselves. They are doing things well and trying to do things in the right way. They should just improve more on the organization and searchability of the information to make it easier to find what you are looking for.  

I am with the sales service for Arrow, Portugal which is a solutions company. My role is to help the partners in designing solutions. I am working with Aruba products as a partner and reseller for three years now.  

Aruba Wireless is stable. Very stable. Because Aruba has already been around for more than 10 years or so, it is a mature product and a very stable product. If there is a problem, the support team is very good with working through the problems. When a client wants a new version, we have confidence in Aruba that everything has already tested and we have access to stable versions of the release. We have access to all the information for the versions whether they are the old ones or the new ones.  

My impressions about the scalability and the product is that it is highly scalable. You can start with a low quantity of access points — as low as one installation — and then scale it to thousands if you have to. You can do the upgrades in the mobility controllers to allow the growth of the infrastructure. Because of the way it is created, it is highly scalable and highly reliable.  

Of course, we have plans to scale our own usage of the product. Because we work as a value-added distributor of Aruba in Portugal, we have to meet the needs of our client base which is growing all the time. We have plans to increase the implementation of the product in our market to meet those demands. It is partly because we are working with a superior product like Aruba that we are growing in our market.  

The Aruba technical support team is very good. They are very skilled people and can help you with the support you need when it comes to their products. They are very good at turning around a response within 24 hours. It is fast and helpful.  

In my experience the initial setup of the Aruba EAP solution is straightforward. We can call on all the APs and then you have everything connected. Now they also have a Soho gateway solution that it is integrated. It is very easy to turn on this solution. I can install the Soho add-on instantly for the Aruba solution. I think that they are doing very well to keep the customer in mind when building and testing their products for ease of setup and use.  

Our deployment did not take a very long time. Even initially. For clients, the deployment takes more or less time than ours. It depends on the size of the implementation. If you have to do only 10 APs in a small deployment, it can take only two or three days to complete the whole thing. If you have a bigger implementation, it depends on the size of the project. It could take weeks for the deployment if it is a very large one.  

We did not have to use an integrator, reseller, or consultant for our deployment. We could do that ourselves. But we do work with all the integrators in Portugal because we help them to sell the solution so that they can implement it for the clients. We help them sell the product and then they do the deployments.  

The advice I would give to a customer that wants to implement this product is that they must have good support from a product partner. Try to find a certified partner to do the job of planning and implementation. This should be a certified HP partner to do the job as Aruba is an HP company. Choose the right partner, the right technical guy, and the right company to implement the solution for you. It will make sure you have the solution deployed in the way you need it to be done to fit your needs and expectations. That is the most important thing that I can think of.  

On a scale from one to ten where one is the worst and ten is the best, I would rate this product as a nine-and-a-half.  

Our primary product is the Aruba Instant IAP-205-US Wireless Network AP, JW213A. We have 16 locations. Currently, 12 locations have Aruba wireless APs.  Within the next 4-6 weeks, all locations will have Aruba wireless APs. All locations except our main location use Aruba Central. Cloud Central gives us one management console where we can configure the same wireless networks for all locations.

Many of the devices (laptops, tablets, phones, inventory devices) throughout our organization require wireless capability. Our Aruba configuration gives us the flexibility to be wireless, keeping the same three wireless networks at all locations.

With our Aruba configuration, we have a robust, rock-solid, enterprise wireless environment, that is literally maintenance free.

Overall, the wireless networks that we have configured are the most valuable.

We have three wireless networks: One for employee use, one for guest use, and one for our warehouse use, which uses MAC authentication. These wireless networks just simply work, they do not fail.

The IAP-205 devices are very strong with great range. Very durable equipment; it always works.

The Aruba Central cloud portal needs a lot of work. It is complicated to navigate.

We have used this product for over six years. We have transitioned from a physical controller (model 620) for wireless, to the "instant" (virtual) controller, eliminating the physical controller.

Overall, I would rate our experience with Aruba Wireless products an eight out of 10.

The product is very durable, does not go down or fail. It rates a 10. The Aruba Central cloud portal needs work. Compared to the Cisco Meraki dashboard portal, the Meraki dashboard portal is a nine out of 10, while the Aruba Central cloud portal is a five at best.

We use it to manage a substantial number of access points for our clients, ensuring reliable and secure wireless connectivity across their properties, including indoor and outdoor spaces. It helps streamline operations, and we are actively engaged in consulting and expanding our services in this regard.

It is highly stable and user-friendly. It provides excellent performance and security through the use of available features and policies, reducing the reliance on external firewall configurations while ensuring a secure and reliable network environment.

It would be helpful if they would release training materials and updates to enhance their offerings. When it comes to switching, there can be occasional variations, such as with the cooler switches. Also, there might be technical issues with the code that could lead to variations in performance. To enhance the system, more work on integration would be beneficial.

I have been working with it for four years now.

I am highly satisfied with its stability capabilities. I would rate it nine out of ten.

It provides good scalability abilities.

Its support services are satisfactory.

The initial setup was easy.

The deployment process can vary significantly based on the number of access points and the controller. When you're dealing with a large number of access points connected to a controller, it's important to monitor the synchronization process, which can take some time. Fortunately, there are features integrated into both the Access Point and the controller to help manage this process more effectively, help streamline the deployment process, and ensure it runs smoothly. It typically takes around two to three days for changes to become fully effective in the live customer environment.

It comes with a relatively higher price tag, but it's essential to assess the value it brings to the market because it actively competes with other players in the industry and dedicates efforts to offer competitive devices.

The product is known for its high quality and reliability, fulfilling its intended purpose effectively, which positions it as a practical and worthwhile option. Overall, I would rate it ten out of ten.

We use this solution for law enforcement, medical, etc.

We have couple campus and throughout the country. Our users are able to use their laptop or cell phone while on the move from one location to different location across the country while maintaining connection. And also for me as administrator, we can use Aruba WIFI along with the clear path authentication, TechX, and Samuel. This enables users to experience seamless connection to the organization.

We appreciate the integration options that are available.

I believe that Aruba's support could be improved.

Aruba is pretty stable.

This solution is extremely scalable. We have about one thousand users and have license for ten thousand.

They made some changes to support that I am not happy with.

We have used Cisco and Ruckus in the past. We are still using Ruckus, but stopped using Cisco due to directors orders.

The initial setup was pretty straightforward and took just a couple of hours.

We deployed via out in-house team of a couple of engineers.

Be sure that you know your infrastructure, how many users will be using it, and how many SSIDs you use. This will help you maximize integrations and have engineers that can successfully navigate the new system.

This solution has been deployed for an enterprise environment with 105 Apps and controllers in HA for a government entity handling the user capacity of 1500 people.

Multiple SSIDs have been broadcasted with independent VLANs and user policy has been implemented.

The controllers are in HA. Both indoor and outdoor APs have been used in the environment.

The solution has been differentiated for Guests, Employees, and an unrestricted group. The APs have been deployed across 10 multistory buildings in high interference zones.

Aruba Wireless has succeeded in facilitating the implementation of a centralized wireless network to the client, covering multiple buildings expanding across the area of 58000 square meters.

There are no blind spots and users enjoy uninterrupted Wi-Fi. This has given the users complete mobility and the Quality of Service with the necessary security imposed.

It has met the customer expectations and is ready to scale for growing business demand. It has offered visibility into the network and enhanced the troubleshooting experience.

It is easy to implement and manage through a web GUI.

The adding of APs simply involves configuring a network port on the appropriate VLAN and plugging in the AP. The controller pushes the config out to the new AP.

The Airwave is the best feature for a single management point for all APs in the environment. 

It offers many reporting features as well as visual RF maps displaying heatmaps of the AP signals and client positioning. 

The addition of the APs on the existing swarm is plug and play to the desired VLAN.

The Help option within the GUI needs to be improved. It would be perfect to have it more descriptive about the functions and features it has.

The online documentation resources could be made more readily available for troubleshooting than to be engaged with the support through email and calls.

During the shipments, the firmware versions on the shipped outdoor APs, indoor APs, and controllers could be matched so that adaptation for the APs is easy.

They should add more features available on Aruba Airwave to the GUI.

We have been suing Aruba Wireless for two years.

Stability is guaranteed.

This is a very scalable product. 

Technical support is excellent. They are more willing to help and be there for the customer.

We did not switch products. Rather, our choice is based on customer requirements. It's the best-recommended product listed by Gartner on this segment.

The initial setup is absolutely straightforward.

Our in-house team is responsible for deployment.

The access points are more cost-effective over some other providers, both in cost per AP and the option of a controller-less environment. 

It's comparatively priced; it's a bit expensive compared to competitors but worth the investment because of the performance, stability, and ease of deployment.

We had been working with vendors like Cisco and Ruckus.

I am a system integrator and Aruba Wireless is one of the network infrastructure products that I have experience with. We have customers using versions all the way from AP-100 to AP-535.

We have these devices in many industries, with a focus on educational institutions.

The most valuable feature is the client match. This feature continually monitors the client and provides automatic load-balancing, as well as other advanced features.

Improvements to the GUI, such as being able to search in the Mobility Master, would be nice. It is hard to find and provision APs when you have a substantial install base.

I have been using Aruba Wireless since 2007.

The stability has been great.

We haven't had any trouble with scalability. 75% of our clients are using Aruba Wireless.

I have a lot of experience with wireless networking products from Aruba and Juniper. I also have some experience with Ruckus.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward and the deployment is quick. With our experience, it is pretty easy to do.

We integrate Aruba Wireless and other devices for our customers.

My advice for anybody who is considering Aruba Wireless is to try it. If you try it then you're going to like it.

I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

The coverage, concurrent user life, and visualization are the most valuable features of these solutions.

The configuration of the virtual controller could be improved. When they reach a maximum of 100 the configuration is lost.

In the next release, I would like the WiFi text included.

Whether videos are online or in live sessions, it can take a long time to deliver videos in Aruba Wireless.

Aruba Wireless is a stable product.

Aruba Wireless is scalable, but it has limitations. 

When you reach the limit of 100 users or have too many devices, you will experience a loss of connectivity.

In Jordan, the technical support for Aruba Wireless is very good.

I am certified, in Sophos XG.

We work with Full Configuration, Virtual Controller Wireless, Ruckus, and Cisco.

For our customers, we deploy both on the cloud and on-premises.

The initial setup of Aruba Wireless is easy, but the controller device is difficult.

The virtual controller process is very simple. For example, configuring a user portal or a cap portal is extremely difficult.

To configure a user, I must log in to the user portal, with a username, and password. It's extremely difficult in the device controller.

The price is reasonable. I would rate it a three out of five.

I would rate Aruba Wireless a seven out of ten.

We use Aruba wireless APs to provide wireless services for a private high school campus which is located on a 60-acre campus in Rockford, IL, with an enrollment of nearly 900 students.

Increased productivity with mobile devices has improved by expanding wireless coverage throughout the building. While our building has been covered by the Aruba APs throughout the years, we are now replacing older APs to increase bandwidth to support an increase in the number of users with dedicated devices. Nowadays, the end-user devices require faster bandwidth from APs, and the newest APs obviously support faster standards and improved bandwidth connectivity.

We appreciate that the Instant models do not require a dedicated "controller" to manage the APs. This cost saving allowed us to purchase more APs in our initial order. We started out small and slowly added more APs as each annual budget allowed. We still have the possibility of adding a dedicated controller which affords us more options, but at this time we haven't needed it.

The web interface to manage the APs is intuitive and makes managing the system easy. 

Firmware updates are quick and do not require much downtime.

Customer service really needs to be improved. If the customer support was better, I would recommend it to others more than I do now. I say that even though we are upgrading to newer units this summer.

Stability of wireless services provided by the Aruba APs hasn't been an issue. If there have been any issues, they've been minor and have been resolved by firmware updates.

No issues with scalability. Scalability has been one of the easiest aspects of the Aruba Instant product line. As long as the models are compatible, you can simply connect it to your network and it will learn the settings from the other APs on the network and join the AP network. This is one of the best features of the Aruba Wireless Instant product line, besides the fact that you do not need a dedicated "controller."

The first level of technical support is frustrating, and I stated that technical support was the one area where Aruba Wireless needs improvement. Higher levels of support are better. Considering that you have to pay yearly for support, I expect a higher level of support. On a scale of one to 10, I'd give their first level of support a four. They have to improve.

We did for a very brief time, it was a consumer "off-the-shelf" product to get us by in strategic locations in our building. It was not intended to be a long-term deployment.

Initial setup was straightforward. We followed the very basic instructions (connect to the new WiFi network, then go to a website, make some simple changes, save, reboot, done); updated the firmware, and we were on our way.

Pricing is competitive. Licensing is needed to maintain access to the latest firmware, which wasn't made clear originally when we started with Arbua (or things changed, I'm not sure which). I would just say, make sure you budget for it. In addition to the licensing, you do get "support," for what its worth.

No, we received guidance from others in our community and stuck with Aruba.

We currently utilize the Aruba Instant 205 and older Instant 105 models. I would give both models a rating of an eight out of 10. We will be upgrading this summer to move our Instant 105 models out of circulation and will be implementing three new Aruba product lines.

Make sure you get the maintenance licensing, don't skimp on the models. If you can buy a more powerful unit, get the more powerful unit, it will be supported longer and offer a longer ROI.