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Aruba Access Points vs Aruba Instant comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 31, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.0
Aruba Access Points deliver strong ROI through easy management and cost savings, enhancing efficiency and client loyalty.
Sentiment score
3.5
Aruba Instant enhances productivity, stability, and user experience, supporting many connections despite high cost, providing a competitive business edge.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.3
Aruba Access Points' support varies, generally efficient and praised, though some face delays, with exceptional service in Egypt and India.
Sentiment score
7.9
Aruba Instant support is generally satisfactory, with prompt assistance noted, though enterprises occasionally experience delays, especially post-HPE transition.
Aruba's country manager is very responsive and supportive.
For technical support alone, I would give them a score of nine out of ten.
The technical support from Aruba is of high quality, and I would rate it a ten.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Aruba Access Points offer scalability for enterprises, with users valuing easy expansion despite potential hardware updates for substantial growth.
Sentiment score
6.7
Aruba Instant offers scalable solutions for small to medium businesses, enhancing performance and compatibility for diverse environments.
Aruba access points integrate well with existing networks via PoE switches.
While scaling up to five hundred users, it may cause some performance issues.
I find Aruba Instant to be highly scalable.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
Aruba Access Points are highly reliable, with minor issues, consistently achieving high stability ratings from users over time.
Sentiment score
9.2
Aruba Instant is highly praised for its stability and reliability, outperforming competitors despite minor access point and latency issues.
 

Room For Improvement

Aruba Access Points need better coverage, security, user support, scalability, integration, and market competitiveness, facing several user challenges.
Aruba Instant needs enhanced documentation, UI, more security, better IoT compatibility, improved features, and competitive pricing.
Some customers comment that the shape and size of the access point is a little big, especially the one installed in the guest room.
I would like Aruba to provide integration capabilities for Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Directory, or other identity verification engines like Okta, Google Identity, or Ping Identity.
An important missing feature is the console port, which allows direct management without the cloud.
 

Setup Cost

Aruba Access Points offer competitive pricing with mixed reviews, often deemed reasonable, with value impacted by features and licenses.
Aruba Instant offers competitive pricing with one-time costs, appreciated for its enterprise functionality and minimal licensing complexity.
The pricing is reasonable and lower than competitors.
They are priced at half the rate of Juniper access points for basic models.
We do not sell very expensive devices as we move to other products.
However, when compared to entry-level market segments, the price is higher.
 

Valuable Features

Aruba Access Points are favored for seamless management, optimal connectivity, robust security, easy setup, reliability, and economical pricing.
Aruba Instant provides scalable, user-friendly network management with robust security and seamless integration, ideal for small to medium businesses.
Additionally, they do not require any kind of license for implementation.
It is very reliable, and the cost of the hardware is not much compared to Cisco and other products.
I highly value Aruba Instant for its ClearPass feature, which is an exceptional product for network access control and works as a NAC solution.
The most beneficial features for network management are the price and the cloud console.
 

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Access Points
Ranking in Wireless LAN
5th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
37
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Aruba Instant
Ranking in Wireless LAN
11th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
51
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Wireless LAN category, the mindshare of Aruba Access Points is 1.3%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Aruba Instant is 2.0%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Wireless LAN
 

Featured Reviews

PRADIPJOSHI - PeerSpot reviewer
Pricing competitiveness and remote management have enhanced network flexibility
One of the most valued aspects of Aruba access points is their price competitiveness; they are available at half the price of Juniper access points. Additionally, they do not require any kind of license for implementation. Despite this, many customers have their own firewall, and they can control everything from their firewall, ensuring flexibility. Furthermore, the ease of management with Aruba access points enables customers to connect them directly to their network via a PoE switch and manage them remotely from mobile devices.
Prashant-Patel - PeerSpot reviewer
A highly stable and easy-to-deploy solution that is free and provides excellent deployment guides
The setup is very straightforward. There is no complexity at all. It took us 15 minutes. We need IP address details, DNS, a gateway, DHCP servers, and SSIDs. Single access points can act as controller-based, controller-less, and cloud-based solutions. That is the beauty of Aruba. If I have an on-premise solution and want to move to the cloud, I don't need separate hardware. The same hardware can be utilized in the cloud. The deployment guides that we get from Aruba are excellent. We have every piece of detail.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Construction Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Access Points?
After we installed the Aruba switches, the work became faster because the network speed improved.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Access Points?
Due to its pricing, Aruba access points provide good value. They are priced at half the rate of Juniper access points for basic models.
What needs improvement with Aruba Access Points?
I would like Aruba to provide integration capabilities for Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Directory, or other identity verification engines like Okta, Google Identity, or Ping Identity. It is important ...
Which is better - Ubiquiti WLAN or Aruba Instant?
We researched Ubiquiti and Aruba when looking for a WLAN solution. Ubiquiti offers good WLAN access both indoors and outdoors. It provides an enterprise-level WIFI while remaining cost-effective. U...
What do you like most about Aruba Instant?
I find network management features related to monitoring Wi-Fi usage and visited sites particularly valuable. Content filtering is also important to prevent access to malicious or inappropriate web...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Instant?
In my experience, Aruba Instant's price is reasonable compared to premium products like Ruckus, Cisco, or Juniper. However, when compared to entry-level market segments, the price is higher. Overal...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Purdue University, Orlando Magic, Brussels Airport Company, Molecaten Holiday Parks
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Access Points vs. Aruba Instant and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
846,617 professionals have used our research since 2012.