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Aruba Access Points vs Cisco Wireless 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:
 

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
Cisco Wireless
Ranking in Wireless LAN
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
151
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 Cisco Wireless is 11.5%, down from 15.2% 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.
GulfrazAhmad - PeerSpot reviewer
Integrates with ISE, and is secure, reliable, and easy to deploy
The main concern is the length and overlapping. We have to put on four to six access points on the same floor, and we face the issue of overlapping areas. If Cisco can extend the range of their indoor APs, we would need to install just one or two access points, and it would eliminate the problem of the overlapping area. They should provide built-in features for safe authentication. Right now, we integrate with ISE and FortiClient for this feature. We first check the NAC, and after the NAC and before the domain, a token password installed on their mobile or a physical token is required to join the network. If Cisco had built-in authentication, we would be able to eliminate one product from our network.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product’s most valuable feature is its ability to offer wireless connectivity to any service provider."
"Aruba Access Points provides secure and transparent access points for all users"
"I like the solution because of its throughput and low latency. It has resolved roaming issues for my customers."
"Aruba is a controller-based solution. We have some multi-story buildings. We only need to maintain one controller, and we can manage it from a single IP address."
"The tool's most valuable feature is better connectivity."
"Aruba Access Points is an easy-to-use solution."
"Aruba Access points easily integrate with existing network infrastructure."
"Aruba Access Points’ most valuable features are network mobility and reliability for network access."
"Wireless access has enabled users to be mobile and as a result, more productive."
"The tool is mainly improving our productivity."
"Cisco Wireless is highly stable."
"The most valuable features are that it is easy to install and the range is good."
"Authentication is the important feature for us. My IT staff no longer has to look after catering to clients who come from overseas."
"Overall, Cisco was stable and worked well for all our needs until we started having more and more students and teachers using YouTube and Zoom — what with classes being isolated and everything — which put a lot of strain on our Wi-Fi network."
"The most valuable feature for us is management of the systems. We can easily access all features."
"I find this solution easy to configure and use."
 

Cons

"The product's stability and technical support services needs improvement."
"The price could be a bit lower."
"If the port is damaged, then Aruba Access Points don't work properly."
"The solution's lead time is very slow and should be improved."
"The product's prices are an area of concern. The product should be available at a lower price point."
"The product fails to provide better and extended coverage, making it in an area where improvements are required in the tool."
"The tool could be cheaper."
"The solution’s updates and firmware are complicated to upgrade."
"The coverage provided by the solution is an area of concern in some cases, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The price should be reduced. It should be cheaper."
"The pricing could be reduced."
"The coverage area of Cisco Wireless could improve. Additionally, the reports when a problem arises could be better, such as how it is done in Aruba Wireless solutions. In the Aruba wireless solutions, there are reports that are provided regarding uploads, downloads, and other internet activity that are useful. If this feature was added to Cisco that would be a benefit."
"The pricing of Brazil is very expensive. When you look at other options, they are much cheaper."
"It's expensive."
"The solution is stable but it could be improved. However, this could be because there are not enough APs."
"I wouldn't mind if Cisco allowed their premiere devices to be able to have that cloud-based support as well, or cloud-based management."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is cheaper than Cisco and Huawei."
"The tool is priced the same as its competitors."
"The pricing is competitive. It is neither cheap nor expensive. It is moderate. It offers better price than Cisco and other competitors."
"Although not cheap, Aruba Access Points is a reasonably priced solution."
"There is a need to pay the licensing charges for the product...I feel that it is a moderately priced tool that is available at a price higher than Cisco and Huawei."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"The solution's pricing is nominal and not as costly as Cisco's."
"The product is costly and comes with a lifetime license. There is neither renewal nor subscription. It is a one-time solution."
"It's expensive. The pricing is an obstacle."
"Cisco WiFi 1572 is very expensive locally and our budget for this year is used."
"It is an expensive solution."
"Pricing is a bit on the high side compared to its competitors but we have to consider the support and usages of the solution. Licensing is now RTU and smart licensing. We need three types of licenses. One for each of the: APs, HA, controller."
"However, when you integrate the access point and the controller with the DNAT across multiple sites, you need a DNAT cluster, which is a costly solution. Every site has a controller, and a DNAT cluster is not a good option in a global framework. It's okay for a small office or a few offices. But when you're talking about 500 offices, the cost becomes enormous."
"This product's pricing is good. It's not too expensive."
"Because the Cisco architecture is quite complex, you may end up having to add more components and licenses. So, the cost could go up."
"It is an expensive product. I would rate the pricing a nine out of ten, with ten being expensive."
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Comparison Review

it_user212721 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 24, 2015
Cisco vs. Aruba Wireless Solutions
Cisco or Aruba Networks? If you are considering wireless access solutions, this is a common question that you are probably asking. You probably have sales people knocking at your door. How do you make sense of all the stories that you are presented with. If you have done any research, you are…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
16%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Educational Organization
7%
 

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 - Cisco Wireless or Cisco Meraki Wireless LAN?
Cisco Wireless is very robust, very rugged, and can handle indoor and outdoor coverage extremely well. We found it to be very reliable and to consistently run very efficiently. Cisco Wireless helpe...
Which is better - Ruckus Wireless or Cisco Wireless?
Ruckus Wireless offers users the benefit of being both easy to set up and get running as well as being very user friendly. This user-friendly quality also renders it easy to learn how to use and ma...
How does Cisco Wireless compare with Aruba Wireless?
On the most basic level, Cisco Wireless can offer a rather straightforward initial setup. In the span of about three hours, the basic framework can be set up. Step-by-step instructions are availabl...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Cisco WLAN Controller
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Aegean Motorway, Baylor Scott & White Health, Beachbody, Bellevue, Brunel University London, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Chartwell School, Children's Hospital Colorado, Cisco Live Milan, City of Biel, City of Mississauga, Dundee Precious Metals, Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Erickson Living, Goldcorp, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Grupo Industrial Saltillo (GIS)
Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba Access Points vs. Cisco Wireless and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
842,767 professionals have used our research since 2012.