We use the product predominately for beacons and peer devices.
R&D Engineer IC Design at inLab Ltd
Stable, scalable, and flexible featured with helpful customer service
Pros and Cons
- "It has very flexible features."
- "I believe more security options are needed."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
It has very flexible features.
What needs improvement?
I believe more security options are needed.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for seven or eight years.
Buyer's Guide
Aruba Wireless
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Aruba Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have not had any problems with the stability of the product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
When we have had to use support, everything from the service was helpful.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used Cisco products in the past.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is not a problem, it only took five minutes or so.
What about the implementation team?
We used five technicians for the deployment of the product.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Aruba Wireless a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Integration and Support Analyst at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
A stable and scalable solution with useful features and good support
Pros and Cons
- "All features are useful for me. It lets me perform some specific configurations depending on the site or the client. All WAN features are valuable."
- "Their documentation needs to be improved. Aruba's documentation is poor."
What is our primary use case?
We have about 30 APs and a lot of sites with centralized management on controller 7030. We use it to control the network in standalone mode and handle the active and standby modes.
What is most valuable?
All features are useful for me. It lets me perform some specific configurations depending on the site or the client. All WAN features are valuable.
What needs improvement?
Their documentation needs to be improved. Aruba's documentation is poor.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Aruba Wireless Controllers for about a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Its stability is okay. There is no issue with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Its scalability is okay.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their support is good. When I need to open a case, I get a fast response. I can contact the technician immediately. I would rate them an eight out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also use Cisco solutions. Both solutions are very good and suitable for different kinds of networks. Cisco is very good for certain kinds of networks, and Aruba is good for other kinds. Cisco is simpler to deploy, whereas Aruba is more complicated and complex to deploy.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was very complex because we deployed a new controller in a small network. It is useful for large networks, but for small networks, it is very difficult to understand all the models. If you don't use Mobility Master, the configuration and deployment are very complex. It took us six months to deploy it.
What about the implementation team?
We got help from a third-party vendor, not Aruba. They were okay. We didn't have any problem.
What other advice do I have?
You should know about the topology of the Aruba Wireless solution. It is very important because it depends on the size of the network. Otherwise, you might end up buying something that's not adequate for large networks.
I would rate Aruba Wireless 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 Wireless
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Aruba Wireless. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
System Engineer at PE PRONET
A stable solution with a clear and easy setup process
Pros and Cons
- "The solution provides a clear path to instant wireless."
- "The solution needs to add features and enhance security."
What is our primary use case?
Our company uses the solution to provide wireless service for our clients.
There are less than 100 users of the solution across clients.
What is most valuable?
The solution provides a clear path to instant wireless.
What needs improvement?
The solution needs to add features and enhance security.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The solution provides separate support lines for distributors and vendor specialists.
I rate technical support a ten out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Our company has been a partner of the solution for the last ten years.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is easy and normally it goes smoothly.
What about the implementation team?
We partnered with a certified specialist for implementation.
Two in-house engineers handle all maintenance.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We also work with Cisco products.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend using the solution and rate it a ten 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:
Head - Managed Connectivity Services at Rogers Capital
A wireless networking solution with a useful analytics feature, but the price could be better
Pros and Cons
- "I like the analytics feature."
- "The price could be better. In the next release, I would like to have more analytics features."
What is our primary use case?
We are part of a conglomerate on the island. We provide this solution to all our different divisions, including the shopping malls. We are the technology division of the group. So, we've been assisting the group in their implementation across sectors.
What is most valuable?
I like the analytics feature.
What needs improvement?
The price could be better. In the next release, I would like to have more analytics features.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Aruba Wireless for the past five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Aruba Wireless is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability depends on the model.
What about the implementation team?
Our in-house team did the implementation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price could be better. Competitors offer more features for a similar cost.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Aruba Wireless a six.
I rated Aruba Wireless six because the analytics part seems to depend on third-party software applications and because of their pricing.
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
Technical Support at MayaSoft
Reasonably priced and simple to install, but scalability is limited.
Pros and Cons
- "The coverage, concurrent user life, and visualization are the most valuable features of these solutions."
- "The coverage, concurrent user life, and visualization are the most valuable features of these solutions."
What is most valuable?
The coverage, concurrent user life, and visualization are the most valuable features of these solutions.
What needs improvement?
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.
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, but it has limitations.
When you reach the limit of 100 users or have too many devices, you will experience a loss of connectivity.
How are customer service and support?
In Jordan, the technical support for Aruba Wireless is very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I am certified, in Sophos XG.
We work with Full Configuration, Virtual Controller Wireless, Ruckus, and Cisco.
How was the initial setup?
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.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is reasonable. I would rate it a three out of five.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Aruba Wireless a seven 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:
Project and Services Manager at Gensystems
Easy to set up, connect, and configure
Pros and Cons
- "We were able to increase capacity very easily."
- "They could work on energy consumption as this equipment needs a lot of energy."
What is our primary use case?
We installed Aruba Wireless for some clients who needed to expand their network inside offices or homes.
What is most valuable?
It's an excellent solution overall. We were able to increase capacity very easily.
This type of equipment is easy - very easy to connect and configure inside a network. For example, you can use a cell phone to configure. It is very, very simple.
When you want to check if the equipment is working it's quite straightforward. You can do it just with a cell phone. You can check if you've got any problem or any type of equipment connected to the network. It's useful to be able to check what the equipment is connected to or if there is a mesh connection between other APs. You don't need to use a physical cable.
While I haven't used it, Aruba has a server that can not just check the equipment, but also validate or log into the network. This type of server is wonderful, however, I don't know the name.
The initial setup is quite simple.
What needs improvement?
Many features are already in development. For example, Aruba Central, or the server to verify the type of equipment is connected to the network centrally. It's very useful and is a good solution for home or business, and it supports more than 200 pieces of equipment.
We're not really missing any features at this time.
They could work on energy consumption as this equipment needs a lot of energy. This is probably what needs to be improved in the future, as, currently, this type of equipment consumes more than 60 watts. I understand that it needs more power to work, however, there must be a way to lessen it in future releases.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've worked with this solution throughout the year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and allows you to connect any kind of equipment - cell phones, tablets, laptops, any type of equipment that has a wifi connection. It is very easy to connect. There are no issues. There can be about 50 or 60 pieces of equipment working at the same time without losing connection or velocity, or use of equipment.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale well and has helped us to increase capacity.
We don't have plans to increase usage at this time.
How was the initial setup?
We installed one first, the first AP, the first equipment, and the others' equipment could connect without a network cable - just by mesh, like a network without cables. We increased the capacity of the network with this type of technology solution.
It is very easy to use. You just load an app on your cell phone from the Apple Store. You can continue with this application on your cell phone.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the solution at a ten out of ten. We've been quite satisfied with its capabilities.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Networking Solution Architect at ALE
Reliable for Many Years as a Wireless Connection for Our Office and Guest Users
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Aruba Wireless is application monitoring."
- "For a more senior tool, a local application monitoring related to IoT vendors would be useful."
What is our primary use case?
We have used Aruba Wireless, with an Alcatel-Lucent logo, as the wireless connection for our office and guest users for nine to ten years.
How has it helped my organization?
We just use Aruba Wireless to provide our wireless connections.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Aruba Wireless is application monitoring. I can choose which application can connect. You can select the menus. It's very important that it's easy.
What needs improvement?
Aruba Wireless has already improved all that we need. There is a new version, 8.x, that provides a mobility controller. They probably upgraded their cloud servers.
We have Mobility Manager. The idea is to have a mobility-based machine that can manage a controller around the company.
For a more senior tool, a local application monitoring related to IoT vendors would be useful. Because the company is stable, they have good quality.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Aruba Wireless is stable. Now we don't have any issues. In the early versions, there were problems, but now all is okay. They've advanced a long time ago.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
With Aruba Wireless you can scale to 10,000 IPs. It's very scalable. In our office, we use around 100. We have customers around the world.
We use Aruba Wireless with thousands of internal users in our office. We resell the product around the globe, so we have thousands of people connected. No extra staff is required to maintain the installation.
How are customer service and technical support?
We use web resources to fix problems or for the recovery of data. We start around the Aruba network site. We found out the solution to recovering data there.
We don't escalate issues to technical support. We have a lot of support here with our team.
How was the initial setup?
The initial set up of Aruba Wireless is in the middle, i.e. not so easy and not so complex. You need to learn to understand the process through the provided documentation.
What about the implementation team?
We installed Aruba Wireless by our internal team, as we resell their products.
What was our ROI?
We saw an ROI. We are looking for eventually replacing Alcatel-Lucent because it's a senior to Huawei and Aruba.
With Huawei, you are talking about an enterprise solution. With Aruba, you are talking about a standard solution. Hopefully, we will take the best of each of the previous vendors.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We do not have a leased license with Aruba Wireless. We bought ours earlier. We don't use the cloud solution of Aruba. We bought the license for life. We don't rent the license or pay a monthly fee.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We are looking at Stellar solutions currently as an alternative: OmniAccess Stellar solutions. The new product line from Alcatel is what we are using for it.
What other advice do I have?
Aruba Wireless is very expensive. They changed a lot of models in the last two years. The cost has increased quite a lot in my local area.
Other than costs, it depends on whether you have a discount on the license. Aruba Wireless changed all of the portal payments a couple of years ago. This created some issues.
On a scale of one to 10, I would rate the product with an eight.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
System Specialist at a newspaper with 501-1,000 employees
The initial setup is straightforward. Configure one IAP and all the rest self-configure to that one.
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is straightforward. Configure one IAP and all the rest self-configure to that one."
What is our primary use case?
Doctors offices, car dealerships, and small business. It is used to provide internal, guest access.
How has it helped my organization?
We originally were using SonicPoint and had tons of connectivity issues. We switched to Aruba to fix all the issues with all my clients.
What is most valuable?
I like the IAP line and being able to have a true mesh without the need of a controller. The features included in them are also very nice with a built-in website for ToS for guest access.
What needs improvement?
The price point is pretty high compared to Ubiquiti and other equipment.
For how long have I used the solution?
Three to five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
None, which is why this product turned into my go to solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The largest implementation that I was able to do was about 15 APs, with no issues.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have never had to use technical support. The product is very simple to use.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used SonicPoint. The connection stability was very poor. Though, the firewalls worked well.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. Configure one IAP and all the rest self-configure to that one.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Price is fairly expensive, however it is worth it. If the “master” fails, another AP can take over the role.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Ubiquiti, Hive, Netgear, Cisco, and Meraki.
What other advice do I have?
Grab a couple and test them out. The features that these things have available and the ease of setup are fantastic.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Aruba Wireless Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: December 2024
Product Categories
Wireless LANPopular Comparisons
Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN
Cisco Wireless
Juniper Mist Wireless Access Points
Ruckus Wireless
Ubiquiti WLAN
Huawei Wireless
Mist AI and Cloud
Omada Access Points
D-Link Wireless
Fortinet FortiWLM
Aruba Instant
ExtremeWireless
NETGEAR Insight Access Points
Fortinet FortiAP
Aruba Instant On Access Points
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Aruba Wireless Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- What is the best high-performance Wireless LAN device?
- What is the biggest difference between Aruba Wireless and Ruckus Wireless?
- What Is The Biggest Difference Between Aruba And Cisco Wireless?
- What are pros and cons of Aruba 515 Series AP vs. Cisco Meraki or Extreme Networks?
- What are the biggest differences between Ruckus Wireless, Aruba Wireless, and Cisco Wireless?
- How different are the pricing and costs of Aruba Wireless and Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
- What are the biggest differences between Aruba Wireless and ExtremeWireless?
- How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
- Aruba Wireless or Ruckus Wireless?
- When evaluating Wireless LANs, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?